Lockheed Martin Australia has completed a field capability demonstration of the Agile Shield battle management system it built for the Australian government.
The system is a counter-improvised threat detection, neutralization and mitigation platform that can operate in a complex joint battlespace.
Developed by the company’s Science, Technology, Engineering, Leadership and Research Laboratory for Defence, Agile Shield will reduce the risks faced by Australian Defence Force personnel, according to the organization.
During the test, Lockheed set up the battle management system at the Puckapunyal Military Area in Victoria and tested the system for three weeks.
The demo involved the deployment of Agile Shield nodes into a controlled environment targeted by unmanned aerial systems.
The system employed threat evaluation and weapon assignment algorithms to generate optimal engagement recommendations against UAS threats. The platform operator has the option to approve or reject the system’s suggestions or create manual engagement commands before authorizing to defeat the UAS threats.
STELaRLab Director Tony Lindsay said the test showed that the Agile Shield would enable the ADF to address not only UAS attacks but also emerging threats across land, air and maritime domains.
In a statement, Australia’s Chief Defence Scientist Tanya Monro said the technology utilized sensors and effectors to demonstrate an innovative defense capability that will provide a critical advantage to the Australian warfighter.
Lockheed Martin started work on Agile Shield in 2021 after winning a $5.6 million technology development contract under the ADF’s Counter Improvised Threats Grand Challenge program.