NEWPORT, R.I., Sept. 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In a
testament to the versatility and adaptability that its unmanned
systems bring to complex missions, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)
successfully launched Vector Hawk, a small, unmanned aerial vehicle
(UAV), on command from the Marlin MK2 autonomous underwater vehicle
(AUV) during a cross-domain command and control event hosted by the
U.S. Navy. In addition to Marlin and Vector Hawk, the Submaran, an
unmanned surface vehicle (USV) developed by Ocean Aero, provided
surface reconnaissance and surveillance.
"This effort marks a milestone in showing that an unmanned
aircraft, surface vessel and undersea vehicle can communicate and
complete a mission cooperatively and completely autonomously," said
Kevin Schlosser, chief architect,
unmanned systems technology, Lockheed Martin.
During the Annual Navy Technology Exercise (ANTX) activities in
August, the Submaran relayed instructions to Marlin from a ground
control station via underwater acoustic communications. Following
these instructions, the Marlin launched the Vector Hawk using a
specially-designed canister from the surface of the Narragansett
Bay. Following launch, Vector Hawk successfully assumed a mission
flight track. All three autonomous vehicles—Marlin, Submaran and
Vector Hawk—communicated operational status to the ground control
station to maintain situational awareness and provide a means to
command and control all assets.
"Lockheed Martin has heard loud and clear the U.S. Navy's call
to get faster, be more agile, and to be continually creative," said
Frank Drennan, director, mission and
unmanned systems business development. "We have clearly illustrated
that we have the necessary agility and quickness combined with
innovative technology to increase the range, reach, and
effectiveness of undersea forces."
Lockheed Martin's Vector Hawk is designed for canister or
hand-launch in all-weather, maritime environments to provide
customers with an organic, tailored intelligence,
surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability at the moment
they need it.
"This signifies the versatility of Lockheed Martin's unmanned
systems to communicate seamlessly across domains to conduct a
diverse set of missions in all environments. The capability is
quickly reconfigured in the field," said Schlosser. "In a short
time, we enabled these systems to work together by rapidly changing
sensor packages."
In addition to its configuration versatility, Vector Hawk is
capable of fully autonomous flight and landing, which enables
operators' to shift their focus from flying the aircraft to
managing the mission.
The four-pound Vector Hawk can fly for 70-plus minutes, at
line-of-sight ranges up to 15 kilometers. Operators can
recover and re-launch the Vector Hawk in a matter of minutes
(including changing the system's battery). Vector Hawk is built on
an open architecture to enable rapid technology insertion and
payload integration.
Marlin MK2 is a battery powered, fully autonomous underwater
vehicle that is 10 feet long with a 250 pound payload capacity,
18-24 hour endurance, depth rating of 1000 feet and weighs
approximately 2,000 pounds. Its open architecture design and
modularity allow new mission packages to be quickly integrated into
Marlin to meet emerging customer needs.
Also during the three-day event, Marlin surveyed a sunken barge
with its 3D imaging sonar. Teams on the ground used that data to
create a 3-D printed model of the barge. Marlin can quickly
generate accurate, hi-resolution, 3-D, geo-referenced models,
giving users a clear view of subsea structures.
Lockheed Martin has five decades of experience in unmanned and
robotic systems for air, land and sea. From the depths of the ocean
to the rarified air of the stratosphere, Lockheed Martin's unmanned
systems help our military, civil and commercial customers
accomplish their most difficult challenges.
For additional information, visit our website:
www.lockheedmartin.com/unmanned
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a
global security and aerospace company that employs approximately
98,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research,
design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of
advanced technology systems, products and services.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin