Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. 24/7 Space News .




AEROSPACE
LockMart Provides Italian MoD with Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Aircraft
by Staff Writers
Denver CO (SPX) Jun 27, 2012


Lockheed Martin's AML will fly in support of a wide range of missions to include training, concept of operations development and ISR operations. Lockheed Martin will also maintain the aircraft and AML ground stations.

An innovative Airborne Multi-Intelligence Laboratory (AML) developed by Lockheed Martin for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) is now being used by the Italian Air Force in a live operational environment. Lockheed Martin signed a use agreement with the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide the AML aircraft, three ground intelligence processing systems as well as flight crew and maintenance personnel for the plane. This agreement is for one year, with an option to extend to two years.

The AML is a Gulfstream III business jet that Lockheed Martin transformed into a flying test bed to expedite the testing and fielding of C4ISR capabilities.

"The AML has proved itself as an exceptional test platform for next generation intelligence sensors," said Jim Quinn, vice president of C4ISR Systems with Lockheed Martin IS and GS-Defense.

"We are excited to be under contract with the Italian Air Force to leverage this experimental ISR system into an operational environment."

Under the agreement, the Italian Air Force will use the AML, with its full suite of intelligence computing capabilities that include signals intelligence arrays and forward-looking infrared radar (FLIR), in a live operational environment for the next year.

With its open architecture and configurable exterior physical structure, the Italian Air Force can integrate additional C4ISR components (software and hardware) in a matter of hours, rather than days.

This open architecture design also facilitates the integration of the AML with existing sovereign ground architectures while maintaining interoperability during NATO or coalition engagements.

During the course of the agreement, Lockheed Martin and the Italian Air Force will work together to fine tune the overall system requirements as well as hone the operational implementation concepts.

Lockheed Martin's AML will fly in support of a wide range of missions to include training, concept of operations development and ISR operations. Lockheed Martin will also maintain the aircraft and AML ground stations.

To provide the most robust solution tailored specifically to meet the Italian Air Force's needs, Lockheed Martin assembled a team with deep domain expertise across the entire airborne ISR spectrum, including communications; multiple sensors; as well as a multi-purpose platform.

Lockheed Martin's AML team includes L-3 Communications Systems-West, Rockwell Collins, FLIR Government Systems and DRS.

Lockheed Martin's success with the AML spurred the introduction of Lockheed Martin's Dragon family of ISR configurations last year. The Dragon configurations offer a unique approach for customers to match mission requirements and budget to their specific sensor, communications and airframe needs.

"Lockheed Martin will use insight gained from the AML's performance in this live operational environment into future Dragon ISR configuration offerings," said Charles Gulledge, airborne reconnaissance systems business development lead for Lockheed Martin IS and GS-Defense.

"This contract with the Italian Air Force also marks the first deployment of Lockheed Martin's Net Dragon "ISR as a Service" concept."

.


Related Links
Lockheed Martin
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








AEROSPACE
Variable camber airfoil: New concept, new challenge
Beijing, China (SPX) Jun 25, 2012
Aircraft morphing, especially in the case of the variable camber airfoil, has potential from the viewpoints of both fundamental aerodynamics and flight application. In the field of aerodynamics, the use of a variable camber airfoil can improve aircraft flight performance and allow efficient multiple missions; in biology, the concept of the variable camber airfoil can be employed to explain the m ... read more


AEROSPACE
ESA to catch laser beam from Moon mission

Researchers Estimate Ice Content of Crater at Moon's South Pole

Researchers find evidence of ice content at the moon's south pole

Nanoparticles found in moon glass bubbles explain weird lunar soil behaviour

AEROSPACE
Opportunity Drives a Little

NASA tweaks flight path of Mars mission

Extensive Water in Mars Interior

Orbiter Out of Precautionary 'Safe Mode'

AEROSPACE
XCOR and Excalibur Almaz sign MOU for suborbital training services

Complex Challenges Solved In Tech Meetings For Commercial Crew Program

Boeing Completes Key Reviews of Space Launch System

Two NASA Visualizations Selected for Computers Graphics Showcase

AEROSPACE
Experts respond to rumors about Shenzhou-9

Staying stimulated in space

China's Hu praises astronauts for space advance

Packing Up Tiangong

AEROSPACE
Astrium awarded two ATV evolution studies from ESA

New Space Station Crew Confirmed

Spacewalk to work on ISS scheduled

Did You Say 1.2 Billion Particles Per Month?

AEROSPACE
SpaceX's Merlin 1D Engine Achieves Full Mission Duration Firing

USAF officials announce milestone Atlas V launch

EVE Underflight Calibration Sounding Rocket Launch

ILS and AsiaSat Announce a New Contract for an ILS Proton Launch

AEROSPACE
Forgotten Star Cluster Useful For Solar Science And Search for Earth Like Planets

SciTechTalk: Quick, name the planets!

Where Are The Metal Worlds And Is The Answer Blowing In The Wind

Metal-poor stars are rich with small planets

AEROSPACE
Google rolls in tablet market with Nexus 7

Mercury mineral evolution

Zynga building hub for mobile gadget game play

Google ramps up competition in hot tablet market




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement