Revolutionizing Defense: Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Launch Cutting-Edge Integrated Solution for the U.S. Army’s Active Shield Initiative

ORLANDO, Fla., March 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), and the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) have recently completed the initial integration of the U.S. Army’s Modular Active Protection System (MAPS) soft-kill demonstrator.

As part of the TARDEC soft-kill demonstrator agreements awarded in 2015, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman worked in partnership to validate the effectiveness of an open-architecture solution for MAPS. By utilizing Lockheed Martin’s Open Architecture Processor and Northrop Grumman’s sensor and countermeasure innovations, they accomplished the initial integration, paving the way for comprehensive system demonstrations on an M1 Abrams tank within 2017.

“The commitment of the industry to collaborate in creating this critical capability is vital for a genuinely modular active protection framework,” stated Paul Lemmo, vice president of Fire Control/SOF CLSS at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Through our alliance, we demonstrated the benefits of an open-system architecture, which enables smooth integration of existing and future MAPS components.”

The active protection system components, rooted in the MAPS Framework that embraces open-architecture principles, can be individually developed and swiftly incorporated into a MAPS-centric active protection system. This accelerates processes, diminishes costs, and ensures that the warfighter remains safeguarded against constantly changing threats. A soft-kill feature enables the active protection system to deceive an approaching sensor-based weapon system through spoofing, interference, or obscuration, effectively neutralizing the threat.

“The successful integration of the existing Northrop Grumman Passive Infrared Cueing Sensor (PICS) and Multifunction Electro-Optic System countermeasure (MEOS) within the MAPS framework highlights the benefits of the open architecture model,” commented Arlene Camp, vice president of surveillance and targeting sensors at Northrop Grumman. “This open architecture model, combined with multifunction capabilities, underscores the potential to adapt solutions created for the aerial domain to ground vehicle missions, ensuring reduced timelines and lower costs.”

Lockheed Martin’s Open Architecture Processor manages and processes data from various sensors and countermeasures while overseeing information displays. Designed with an emphasis on safety and modularity, the Open Architecture Processor can seamlessly integrate advanced sensors, components, and countermeasures as they become available, further protecting the warfighter from emerging threats.

Northrop Grumman is regarded as a global leader in multifunction infrared sensors and countermeasure systems. These systems are ingeniously designed with the adaptability required to swiftly respond to evolving threats, rendering them ideal candidates for active protection systems in ground vehicles.