Lockheed Martin UK Ltd - Experts & Thought Leaders

In a significant step forward for maritime defence, HavocAI, a renowned innovator in maritime autonomy, and Lockheed Martin Ventures, the venture capital arm of Lockheed Martin Corporation, announced a strategic collaboration to accelerate the development and scaling of Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicles (mUSVs). The joint effort positions the companies to transform the future of maritime warfare by combining HavocAI's cutting-edge autonomy stack with Lockheed Martin's extensive defence expertise and advanced weapons integration capabilities. Advanced weapons systems "The future of maritime warfare is autonomous, and the mUSV is at the forefront of this revolution," said Paul Lwin, Founder and CEO at HavocAI. He adds, "By collaborating with Lockheed Martin, we can integrate advanced weapons systems and deliver complete solutions that meet the evolving needs of our warfighters. This collaboration is a significant step forward for HavocAI and demonstrates our commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction." Autonomous maritime platforms The alliance comes as the U.S. Department of Defence increasingly recognises autonomous maritime platforms The partnership comes as the U.S. Department of Defence increasingly recognises autonomous maritime platforms as critical to maintaining naval superiority and addressing emerging threats in contested waters. The federal commitment is substantial, with recent legislation calling for historic levels of funding for medium unmanned surface vehicle manufacturing, unmanned undersea vehicle development, and maritime robotic autonomous systems and enabling technologies. Lockheed Martin's deep relationships The collaboration positions HavocAI to rapidly scale production of mUSVs while leveraging Lockheed Martin's deep relationships across the defence industrial base to capitalise on these significant funding opportunities. "Maintaining superiority in maritime defence is fundamental to ensuring deterrence in contested waters. Autonomous capabilities make investment now more important than ever, to help the United States and its allies remain on the cutting-edge of defence technology at sea," said Chris Moran, Vice President and General Manager of Lockheed Martin Ventures.  HavocAI's innovative autonomy HavocAI has set itself as a pioneer in the growth of autonomous surface vessels for military applications Chris Moran adds: "The mUSV is a game-changer for maritime defence, offering enhanced range, payload capacity, and mission versatility. By combining HavocAI's innovative autonomy stack with our ability to integrate the best of American technology and deliver at scale, we can give warfighters a decisive edge in future conflicts." HavocAI has established itself as a pioneer in the development of autonomous surface vessels for military applications, with active contracts spanning the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, and Defence Innovation Unit (DIU). Innovation and scalability The company has produced over 50 of its 14' autonomous boats to date, with the Department of Defence purchasing more than two dozen vessels for operational deployment. HavocAI recently completed successful autonomy sea trials of its 42' vessel. The company plans to introduce a 100' mUSV by the end of 2025, continuing its important advances in both innovation and scalability.

Vigor announced Mark Norris has joined the company as Vice President of Marine Fabrication. Norris will oversee one of the pioneering and most innovative marine vessel fabricators in the U.S., which is currently in production on the Maneuver Support Vehicle (Light), or MSVL, the U.S. Army’s new generation landing craft. He will be responsible for growing and maintaining an experienced, skilled team, while leading Vigor’s defence and commercial marine fabrication projects. Vigor’s Marine Fabrication division Mark has nearly four decades of experience heading major defence programs “We are fortunate to have someone with Mark’s wealth of experience and knowledge joining at a critical time for Vigor’s Marine Fabrication division,” said Francesco Valente, CEO and President of Vigor, adding “This is an exciting time for Vigor, as we double down on our core strengths and look toward long-term growth opportunities in this market.” A veteran of the defence and marine industries, Mark has nearly four decades of experience heading major defence programs. He spent 25 years at Lockheed Martin across multiple programs, rising to Vice President of Joint Programs for the Army and Navy. Vision for future growth Mark Norris then joined Fincantieri and most recently led strategy and business development for BAE Systems Inc.’s F-35 Lightening II program, a critical skill he will bring to Vigor. “I couldn’t be more excited to join Vigor at this moment, when the company is already doing such important work and has a great vision for future growth,” said Mark Norris, adding “The talent and expertise within this company are well-known, and this is a great opportunity to help elevate our work to new heights.”  Mark Norris will be based at Vigor’s Vancouver, Washington facility.

Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) and Lockheed Martin signed a contract for KONGSBERG’s support of the delivery of the TPY-4 radar to Norway for the Norwegian Radar Sensor (NORSE) Project. Through this ca 900 MNOK contract, KONGSBERG will be a significant partner and subcontractor to Lockheed Martin for the deliveries to the NORSE project. The KONGSBERG scope of delivery includes hardware, software and final assembly and test of the TPY-4 radar systems before installation at the radar sites. KONGSBERG and Lockheed Martin sign contract This contract is not only important for KONGSBERG, but also for our subcontractors in Norway" “This contract with Lockheed Martin exemplifies the importance of building durable and trusted partnerships to serve both national and international customers. Together, we will deliver world class radar technology to the Norwegian Armed Forces. This contract is not only important for KONGSBERG, but also for our subcontractors in Norway,” said Eirik Lie, the President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. TPY 4 multi-mission radar TPY 4 is an internationally available, transportable, multi-mission radar that can operate in contested RF environments. TPY-4 – fully digital at every element – integrates the latest mature commercial technologies to create revolutionary radar architecture. It provides flexibility to optimise performance for specific missions, threats, and environments, while also providing ease of adaptation to future advanced threats. Low risk solution for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence “The TPY-4 is a low risk solution for the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, due to the fact that the radar is already in production ahead of the programme selection. We are grateful to have been selected to help protect the safety of Norwegians,” said Rick Herodes, the Program Management Director of Ground Based Air Surveillance Radars at Lockheed Martin. Rick Herodes adds, “Norway joins the U.S. Air Force as our first NATO partner for this franchise radar product, and we look forward to additional international partnerships in the near future.” Partnership between KONGSBERG and Lockheed Martin Through this contract, we exploit current, existing technology, ensuring a solid base for this new capability to Norway" Kjetil Reiten Myhra, the Executive Vice President (EVP) - Integrated Defence Systems at Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, said “Through this contract, we exploit current, existing technology, ensuring a solid base for this new capability to Norway.” He adds, “Investments like this also provide opportunities for technological developments in both existing and new areas." Teaming Agreement for cooperation Kjetil Reiten Myhra continues, "We look forward to working with our partner - Lockheed Martin, utilising each other’s strengths, to deliver solutions for tomorrow’s needs.” In 2018, Lockheed Martin and KONGSBERG signed a Teaming Agreement for cooperation on the delivery of TPY-4 radars to international customers.