Technology reduced data transfer time for military
helicopters by more than 80%
Using 5G capabilities, network engineers transfer health and
usage data from a Sikorsky UH-60M Black
Hawk to Waterton, Colorado,
for real-time analysis
STRATFORD, Conn., Sept. 9,
2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and
AT&T* securely and rapidly transferred UH-60M Black Hawk health and usage data through an
AT&T 5G private cellular network and Lockheed Martin's
5G.MIL® multi-site pilot network in a test conducted
Aug. 4 at Lockheed Martin's Sikorsky
headquarters in Stratford,
Connecticut. The test demonstrated that wireless 5G
technologies on the flight line can support accelerated maintenance
operations and improved aircraft readiness to support our service
members. It also proved highly secure interoperability between the
AT&T millimeter wave 5G private cellular network and the 5G.MIL
pilot network.
"These 5G capabilities deployed at scale are expected to enable
high-speed, secure-data transfer on virtually any flight line,
providing another example of how we're advancing our
21st Century Security vision by improving customer
readiness and operations," said Dan
Rice, vice president of 5G.MIL Programs at Lockheed Martin.
"In collaboration with commercial 5G leaders, an interoperable
5G.MIL multi-site, multi-vendor network is another step closer to
reality."
The AT&T 5G millimeter wave private cellular network
wirelessly transferred data to the 5G.MIL network through ground
support equipment from the Black
Hawk's Integrated Vehicle Health Management System (IVHMS).
The data was then routed to local Sikorsky networks for processing
and distribution through the secure Lockheed Martin 5G.MIL pilot
network to the Waterton, Colorado,
5G test range site.
Currently, it takes Black Hawk
crews about 30 minutes to remove the IVHMS data cartridge from the
helicopter, transport it to an operations center and extract the
data for analysis. Lockheed Martin used AT&T 5G private
cellular technologies to reduce the time required to less than 5
minutes including cartridge removal, demonstrating the potential
benefits in time and cost for military and commercial helicopter
operations.
The IVHMS provides monitoring and diagnostic capabilities to
ensure a more reliable aircraft. It monitors, captures and
evaluates detailed aircraft-generated data as a result of flight
maneuvers. It also captures aircraft limit exceedances on airframe
and dynamic components and monitors temperature and vibration of
key components on the aircraft. It does this through hundreds of
on-board sensors that report the status of the aircraft by
monitoring the airframe, engines, and other dynamic components.
Operators assess these thousands of data points to ensure the
aircraft is safe, reliable and ready to fly.
"Timely and secure transfer and analysis of mission and
operations data are critical to military readiness and
effectiveness," said Lance Spencer,
client executive vice president, Defense, AT&T Public Sector
and FirstNet. "This is one of many areas of commercial 5G
innovation we are exploring to support defense, commercial
aviation, and related fields where our 5G-related services can
modernize legacy processes and help deliver truly transformational
benefits."
Lockheed Martin and AT&T also are working with other leading
companies in networking and defense to modernize and transform
communications capabilities for defense purposes. Future
demonstrations are expected to further enhance 5G wireless
technology communications solutions for flight lines, aiming to
continually shorten aircraft turnaround times to reduce costs and
improve military operational readiness. These capabilities deployed
at scale can support high-speed, secure-data transfer on both
commercial and military flight lines.
AT&T's 5G and private cellular Multi-access Edge Computing
(MEC) capabilities are deployed together by multiple industrial
customers in factories nationwide where they enable ultra-fast,
highly secure wireless processing and information transfer.
For additional information about Lockheed Martin, visit
www.lockheedmartin.com/5G.
For more information about AT&T's work in Defense, click
here.
About Lockheed Martin
Headquartered in Bethesda,
Maryland, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a global security
and aerospace company that employs approximately 114,000 people
worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design,
development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced
technology systems, products and services.
Please follow @LMNews on Twitter for the latest
announcements and news across the corporation.
*About AT&T
We help more than 100 million U.S. families, friends and
neighbors connect in meaningful ways every day. From the first
phone call 140+ years ago to our 5G wireless and multi-gig internet
offerings today, we @ATT innovate to improve lives. For more
information about AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), please visit us
at about.att.com. Investors can learn more
at investors.att.com.
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SOURCE AT&T