Jane Edwards
Lockheed Martin and Microsoft have agreed to advance the development of capabilities across four technology areas in support of the Department of Defense’s national security missions.
The partnership will pursue new capabilities in classified cloud; artificial intelligence/machine learning, modeling and simulation capabilities; 5G.MIL programs; and digital transformation, Lockheed said Wednesday.
For the cloud aspect, Lockheed will create and operate mission workloads within Microsoft’s Azure Government Secret and work with the software company to improve cybersecurity compliance monitoring and reporting and enhance enterprise information technology and research and development capabilities.
Classified and unclassified cloud environments are in the development phase and are expected to be operational in 2023.
“Our national security leaders need an unassailable information advantage, which is why we’re bringing the power of the hyperscale cloud to accelerate their national security missions,” said Jason Zander, executive vice president of strategic missions and technologies at Microsoft.
“In partnership with Lockheed Martin, we’re demonstrating how the defense industrial base can bring classified data into the cloud securely while bringing advanced 5G connectivity, critical data processing and analysis, and immersive experiences to the edge to support decision-making where it’s needed, when it’s needed,” Zander added.
Lockheed will also use Microsoft Azure to accelerate its business and digital transformation program, called 1LMX, as part of a push to speed up the delivery of next-generation platforms to DOD.
