Northrop Grumman unveils flying data center for military intelligence

WASHINGTON Defense contractor Northrop Grumman has demonstrated new technology that turns aircraft into a flying data center, processing real-time intelligence from satellites and drones to aid military operations.

The system, called Deep Sensing and Targeting (DSAT), was showcased at a U.S. Army exercise last month, the company said Oct. 21.

Were providing intelligence collection from space-based sensors to the airborne platform and delivering it to operators in real time, said Brent Swift, director of the DSAT program at Northrop Grumman’s Colorado-based intelligence unit.

The technology could help solve a persistent military challenge: getting precise targeting data quickly enough to guide long-range missiles and artillery in fast-moving combat situations, he said.

The demonstration took place during Vanguard 24, a two-week Army exercise in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, designed to test advanced military sensors and surveillance systems.

The DSAT system showed it could process multiple types of intelligence data aboard a commercial aircraft, drawing information from both commercial and military satellites. The setup uses tactical radios to communicate with forces both within and beyond direct line of sight.

This airborne approach helps overcome limitations of traditional fixed ground stations, which can lose direct contact with satellites due to terrain or distance constraints.

The Army is already investing in ground-based intelligence systems, including the TITAN (Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node) station made by Palantir Technologies. Swift said Northrop Grumman’s airborne system builds on an earlier TITAN prototype the company developed in 2022.

This development comes as the Army modernizes its intelligence capabilities. In a separate $1 billion program, defense contractor Sierra Nevada Corp. recently won a contract to build HADES (High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System), a specialized intelligence aircraft. That award is currently being challenged by competitor L3Harris Technologies.