Skunk Works® and Arquimea Develop AI Capable ISR Platforms
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® and Arquimea have successfully demonstrated an advanced anomaly detection capability for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. The technology reduces the number of required sensor scans while improving the detection of changes in physical features through electro-optical and infrared spectra.
In demonstrations, the team simulated a small uncrewed air system (UAS) navigating through jungle environments, utilizing neural networks with episodic memories to identify physical changes. The system can generate unique environmental views even from previously unobserved angles, comparing stored memories with new observations using machine learning to detect irregularities.
The collaboration aims to enhance security, disaster response, and environmental monitoring capabilities. In 2025, both companies will explore expanding these techniques to improve other sensors and decision-making processes for autonomous systems, focusing on crewed-uncrewed teaming optimization.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® e Arquimea hanno dimostrato con successo una capacità avanzata di rilevamento delle anomalie per piattaforme di Intelligence, Sorveglianza e Ricognizione (ISR). Questa tecnologia riduce il numero di scansioni necessarie dei sensori, migliorando al contempo il rilevamento delle variazioni nelle caratteristiche fisiche attraverso spettri elettro-ottici e infrarossi.
Nelle dimostrazioni, il team ha simulato un piccolo sistema aereo senza pilota (UAS) che navigava in ambienti giungla, utilizzando reti neurali con memorie episodiche per identificare cambiamenti fisici. Il sistema è in grado di generare visuali ambientali uniche anche da angolazioni precedentemente non osservate, confrontando le memorie memorizzate con nuove osservazioni grazie all'apprendimento automatico per rilevare irregolarità.
La collaborazione mira a migliorare le capacità di sicurezza, risposta a disastri e monitoraggio ambientale. Nel 2025, entrambe le aziende esploreranno l'espansione di queste tecniche per migliorare altri sensori e processi decisionali per sistemi autonomi, concentrandosi sull'ottimizzazione della collaborazione tra sistemi con e senza pilota.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® y Arquimea han demostrado con éxito una capacidad avanzada de detección de anomalías para plataformas de Inteligencia, Vigilancia y Reconocimiento (ISR). La tecnología reduce el número de escaneos de sensores requeridos mientras mejora la detección de cambios en características físicas a través de espectros electro-ópticos e infrarrojos.
En las demostraciones, el equipo simuló un pequeño sistema aéreo no tripulado (UAS) navegando a través de entornos de selva, utilizando redes neuronales con memorias episódicas para identificar cambios físicos. El sistema puede generar vistas ambientales únicas incluso desde ángulos previamente no observados, comparando memorias almacenadas con nuevas observaciones mediante aprendizaje automático para detectar irregularidades.
La colaboración tiene como objetivo mejorar las capacidades de seguridad, respuesta a desastres y monitoreo ambiental. En 2025, ambas empresas explorarán la expansión de estas técnicas para mejorar otros sensores y procesos de toma de decisiones para sistemas autónomos, centrándose en la optimización del trabajo en equipo entre tripulados y no tripulados.
록히드 마틴 스컹크 웍스®와 아르키메아는 정보, 감시 및 정찰(ISR) 플랫폼을 위한 고급 이상 탐지 기능을 성공적으로 시연했습니다. 이 기술은 필요한 센서 스캔의 수를 줄이면서 전자 광학 및 적외선 스펙트럼을 통해 물리적 특성의 변화를 탐지하는 능력을 향상시킵니다.
시연에서 팀은 정글 환경을 탐색하는 소형 무인 항공 시스템(UAS)을 시뮬레이션하며, 에피소드 기억을 갖춘 신경망을 이용하여 물리적 변화를 식별했습니다. 이 시스템은 이전에 관찰되지 않았던 각도에서도 독특한 환경 뷰를 생성할 수 있으며, 기계 학습을 통해 새로운 관찰과 저장된 기억을 비교하여 불규칙성을 탐지합니다.
이번 협력은 보안, 재난 대응 및 환경 모니터링 능력을 향상시키는 것을 목표로 합니다. 2025년에는 두 회사가 이러한 기술을 확장하여 자율 시스템의 다른 센서 및 의사 결정 프로세스를 개선하고, 유인 및 무인 팀 간의 최적화에 집중할 것입니다.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® et Arquimea ont réussi à démontrer une capacité avancée de détection des anomalies pour les plateformes de renseignement, de surveillance et de reconnaissance (ISR). Cette technologie réduit le nombre de scans de capteurs requis tout en améliorant la détection des changements dans les caractéristiques physiques à travers des spectres électro-optiques et infrarouges.
Lors des démonstrations, l'équipe a simulé un petit système aérien sans pilote (UAS) naviguant à travers des environnements de jungle, utilisant des réseaux neuronaux avec des mémoires épisodiques pour identifier les changements physiques. Le système peut générer des vues environnementales uniques même sous des angles précédemment non observés, en comparant les souvenirs stockés avec de nouvelles observations à l'aide de l'apprentissage automatique pour détecter les irrégularités.
La collaboration vise à améliorer les capacités de sécurité, de réponse aux catastrophes et de surveillance environnementale. En 2025, les deux entreprises exploreront l'expansion de ces techniques pour améliorer d'autres capteurs et processus décisionnels pour les systèmes autonomes, en se concentrant sur l'optimisation du travail d'équipe entre systèmes habités et non habités.
Lockheed Martin Skunk Works® und Arquimea haben erfolgreich eine fortschrittliche Anomalieerkennung für Plattformen der Nachrichten-, Überwachungs- und Aufklärung (ISR) demonstriert. Die Technologie reduziert die Anzahl der erforderlichen Sensorscans und verbessert gleichzeitig die Erkennung von Veränderungen in physischen Merkmalen durch elektro-optische und infrarote Spektren.
In den Demonstrationen simulierte das Team ein kleines unbemanntes Luftsystem (UAS), das durch Dschungelumgebungen navigierte, und nutzte neuronale Netzwerke mit episodischen Erinnerungen, um physische Veränderungen zu identifizieren. Das System kann einzigartige Umweltansichten sogar aus zuvor nicht beobachteten Winkeln erzeugen, indem es gespeicherte Erinnerungen mit neuen Beobachtungen vergleicht und maschinelles Lernen einsetzt, um Unregelmäßigkeiten zu erkennen.
Die Zusammenarbeit zielt darauf ab, die Sicherheits-, Katastrophenreaktions- und Umweltüberwachungsfähigkeiten zu verbessern. Im Jahr 2025 werden beide Unternehmen die Erweiterung dieser Techniken erkunden, um andere Sensoren und Entscheidungsprozesse für autonome Systeme zu verbessern, wobei der Fokus auf der Optimierung der Zusammenarbeit zwischen bemannten und unbemannten Systemen liegt.
- Development of advanced AI-powered anomaly detection technology enhancing military and surveillance capabilities
- Successful demonstration of UAS technology with improved detection capabilities
- Strategic partnership with Spanish industry expanding international market presence
- Investment in autonomous systems and crewed-uncrewed teaming technology
- Technology still in development phase with full implementation timeline unclear
- Dependent on successful integration with existing systems and platforms
Insights
Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works® has demonstrated a potentially significant advancement in autonomous surveillance capabilities through its collaboration with Spanish company Arquimea. The new anomaly detection system for ISR platforms represents an important technological evolution in how military surveillance systems can identify changes in physical environments.
The core innovation lies in the system's ability to create unique environmental views even from previously unobserved angles by leveraging neural networks with "episodic memories." This allows for more efficient surveillance operations that require fewer sensor scans while improving detection capabilities in electro-optical and infrared spectra.
This development aligns with Lockheed's stated focus on "crewed-uncrewed teaming" - a key priority for modern military operations where autonomous systems complement human operators. The technology specifically addresses three critical military requirements: operational flexibility, faster decision-making, and improved pilot safety.
What makes this particularly noteworthy is the dual-use potential extending beyond traditional defense applications to areas like disaster response, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure security. The partnership also strengthens Lockheed's position in European defense markets while supporting Spain's technological development goals.
While the announcement doesn't specify deployment timelines or associated contracts, it represents Lockheed's continued investment in autonomous systems capabilities - an area where maintaining technological leadership is crucial amid evolving defense requirements and emerging threats.
The anomaly detection capability demonstrated by Lockheed Martin and Arquimea represents an innovative application of neural networks to solve complex real-world problems in surveillance and reconnaissance. What distinguishes this technology is its ability to identify irregularities not just by comparing images but by understanding environmental context and predicting image characteristics from different viewpoints.
Technically, the system employs what they call "episodic memories" trained into neural networks - essentially allowing the AI to simulate environments it hasn't directly observed from specific angles. This approach addresses a fundamental challenge in AI: handling novel situations with training data, which is particularly valuable in dynamic military environments.
The demonstration involving a small uncrewed air system (UAS) in a jungle environment effectively showcases the technology's practical application. By analyzing changes between stored memories and new observations using machine learning, the system can detect meaningful irregularities while filtering out noise.
Perhaps most significant is how this technology supports "trustworthy AI" - suggesting the system maintains reliability even in edge cases or unexpected scenarios. This characteristic is essential for defense applications where AI failures could have serious consequences.
The planned exploration of applying these techniques to other sensors and autonomous decision-making in 2025 indicates this is part of a broader technological roadmap rather than a standalone development. For Lockheed Martin, advancing these capabilities represents maintaining competitive positioning in the increasingly important fields of autonomous systems and AI-enabled defense platforms.
This cutting-edge capability reduces the number of scans by a sensor to identify unusual patterns or deviations from expected behavior in data, systems, or processes – specifically in the electro optical and infrared spectra – and dramatically improves the detection of changes in physical features. These approaches have proven valuable for predicting image characteristics that may not be visible from a single viewpoint.
Anomaly detection in electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) spectra enhances security, disaster response, environmental monitoring, and safety. It also helps detect hidden threats, wildfires, pollution, and equipment failures. This technology improves awareness, enables early warnings, and supports better decision-making.
"As a global technology leader, Lockheed Martin is collaborating with Spanish industry to drive innovation and transformation, strengthen deterrence, and foster a dynamic ecosystem for dual-use technologies," said Emanuele Serafini, Lockheed Martin's
In a series of demonstrations, the Skunk Works® and Arquimea team simulated a small uncrewed air system (UAS) flying through a jungle environment, identifying changes to physical features based on episodic memories trained into neural networks.
The system created unique views of the environment, even when the UAS had not previously observed the scene from a given angle. Stored memories are compared to new observations, and changes are analysed using machine learning to detect important irregularities.
This approach allows ISR platforms to do more than just compare images and helps AI systems handle situations they've never encountered before, supporting trustworthy AI. It also applies to autonomous flight and search algorithms.
Building on this progress, in 2025 Skunk Works® and Arquimea will explore how these techniques can improve other sensors and decision-making for autonomous systems.
"Skunk Works is dedicated to enabling crewed-uncrewed teaming to optimize operational flexibility, abbreviate data-to-decision timelines and improve pilot safety," said OJ Sanchez, vice president and general manager, Skunk Works. "We continue to invest in collaborative enablers to keep our customers ahead of emerging threats."
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready. More information at Lockheedmartin.com.
About Arquimea
ARQUIMEA is a global technology company driven by innovation. We develop cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, Quantum, Robotics and Biotechnology solutions and products for high-demand industries such as Aerospace and Defense & Security. Our research and development capabilities are supported by engineering operations in
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
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