Lockheed Martin intercepted a Shahed-Style attack drone for the first time in a missile test, according to an Axios report on Wednesday.
The drone was brought down by a joint air-to-ground missile (JAGM) fired out of a Grizzly containerised launcher. The company used the AI-powered Sanctum counter-drone system as a battle manager and tracked the drone using Fortem Technologies R40 radars.
ALSO READ | Brahma Chellaney On Why BrahMos Has Become Asia's Most Sought-After Missile
The company assembled the pieces and fired the missile at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, in less than 45 days.
"When we show these things, we have the ability to produce them, develop them, get them out there at scale," Dan Tenney, senior vice president of Global Business Development and Strategy at Lockheed Martin Corporation said in a statement to Axios.
"The U.S. military has exhibited an affinity for efficient, low-cost overhead defence technology, especially those that can be fit into a box and assembled as and when required. We certainly think we're moving at speed, and we're changing our own practices," Tenney added.
Grizzly was developed within a span of six months, and can be used on both land and sea, as per Lockheed Martin. Each JAGM retails for about a hundred thousand dollars.
Tenney stated that containerisation was an important part of the technology. He added that Grizzly's is mobile and can hide in plain sight in such a way that the missiles themselves are not exposed.
Lockheed Martin has invested $25 million into Fortem Technologies, an airspace defence company known for its AI-powered SkyDome system to track drones.
ALSO READ: Biggest-Ever Buy: India Preps $2 Billion Homegrown Drone Orders, Industry Body Says
The defence giant has enlisted Fortem to aid in the protection of its critical infrastructure.
Tenney stated the "cost-per-kill" would be brought down "dramatically" due to it firing a missile that is proven to track and hit its target.
"You save your Patriots for larger, more-robust threats," he added.
Essential Business Intelligence, Continuous LIVE TV, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
