Defense contractor Northrop Grumman has demonstrated new technology that turns aircraft into a flying data center, processing real-time intelligence from satellites and drones to aid military operations.<\/p>\n
The system, called Deep Sensing and Targeting (DSAT), was showcased at a U.S. Army exercise last month, the company said Oct. 21.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re providing intelligence collection from space-based sensors to the airborne platform and delivering it to operators in real time,\u201d said Brent Swift, director of the DSAT program at Northrop Grumman\u2019s Colorado-based intelligence unit.<\/p>\n
The technology could help solve a persistent military challenge: getting precise targeting data quickly enough to guide long-range missiles and artillery in fast-moving combat situations, he said.<\/p>\n
The demonstration took place during\u00a0Vanguard 24<\/a>, a two-week Army exercise in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, designed to test advanced military sensors and surveillance systems.<\/p>\n The DSAT system showed it could process multiple types of intelligence data aboard a commercial aircraft, drawing information from both commercial and military satellites. The setup uses tactical radios to communicate with forces both within and beyond direct line of sight.<\/p>\n This airborne approach helps overcome limitations of traditional fixed ground stations, which can lose direct contact with satellites due to terrain or distance constraints.<\/p>\n The Army is already investing in ground-based intelligence systems, including the\u00a0TITAN<\/a>\u00a0(Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node) station made by Palantir Technologies. Swift said Northrop Grumman\u2019s airborne system builds on an earlier\u00a0TITAN prototype<\/a>\u00a0the company developed in 2022.<\/p>\n