‘Game-Changing’ Deal’: Lockheed, Microsoft Announce Landmark Pact On Classified Cloud, Artificial Intelligence For US DoD

Lockheed Martin and Microsoft have announced that they are launching a series of new advanced technology development partnerships on military projects for the Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin announced in a press release.

“Lockheed Martin and Microsoft today announced a landmark expansion of their strategic relationship to help power the next generation of technology for the Department of Defense,” the release said on Wednesday. “The game-changing agreement will span four critical areas for the Department of Defense.”

Lockheed

Microsoft will supply its most advanced secure framework to make Lockheed Martin the first non-government entity to independently operate inside the Microsoft Azure Government Secret cloud, the release said.

Also, Lockheed Martin and Microsoft have entered a two-year collaborative research and development program that will advance artificial intelligence and machine learning modeling and simulation capabilities for the Defense Department, the release also said.

The agreement also expands the advanced 5G capabilities for tactical applications, the release added. Microsoft Azure will power Lockheed Martin’s digital transformation journey, accelerating enterprise-wide productivity gains to deliver innovation at scale, according to the release.

Yvonne Hodge, senior vice president, Enterprise Business and Digital Transformation and chief information officer at Lockheed Martin, said: “Through this historic agreement, Lockheed Martin and Microsoft are blazing a new path in the classified cloud, artificial intelligence, and 5G.MIL® capabilities for the Department of Defense.

We are creating faster, safer, and more affordable 21st Century Security solutions that infuse immersive experiences and other advanced commercial technologies into the most capable defense systems. We are confident this unrivaled combination of capabilities will help keep our customers ahead of new threats and challenges.”

Artificial-Intelligence

Jason Zander, executive vice president, Strategic Missions and Technologies at Microsoft, said: “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.

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.

Lockheed Martin is a valued partner in this effort, and we’ll continue to innovate and explore the art of the possible to support national security.”

Via: Sputnik News  Agency & PR Newswire