Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully demonstrated new software that can receive, display and share critical situational awareness data using handheld devices without a connection to a cloud server. This next-generation technology delivers resilient information to protect our warfighters in support of Joint All-Domain Command and Control. Current systems require data to be relayed to and from a cloud server outside of the battlespace, which leaves units in the field vulnerable if the connection is lost; with combat edge processing software, devices in the field can take over and continue working within seconds to securely distribute critical information needed for mission success.
Kevin Berkowitz, vice president, secure processing and networks, Northrop Grumman: “Edge processing is a paradigm shift away from traditional cloud computing models, and this software solution demonstrates its ability to deliver decision superiority at mission speed. Shifting processing to the battlespace aims to eliminate the single point of failure in legacy processes, enabling the warfighter to make clearer observations, faster decisions and smarter actions.”
The combat edge software is highly adaptable, providing a decisive advantage in the most complex environments. The software’s modular design is rapidly upgradable, affordable and easily integrates with many current proprietary or commercial hardware solutions. In the demonstration, Link-16 data was successfully tracked on low size, weight and power (SWaP) devices without connecting to a cloud server utilizing Northrop Grumman’s new software. This demonstration is an important step in laying the foundation for future edge computing technologies, including battlespace artificial intelligence and machine learning tools.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 95,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world’s largest weapons manufacturers and military technology providers. As of the end of 2022, Northrop Grumman organized its business around four main sectors, each of which comprises two or more business areas: Aeronautics Systems, Defense Systems, Mission Systems and Space Systems. The Defense Systems sector, headquartered in McLean, Virginia (with a Herndon mailing address), works on “the entire life cycle of civil and defense platforms and capabilities through a range of services”
