Lockheed Martin’s Team Unleashes Innovative Cross-Domain NGC2 Prototype during Balikatan in the Indo-Pacific

Balikatan 2026 Exercise: Showcasing Advanced Military Integration

During the highly anticipated Balikatan 2026 exercise, Lockheed Martin’s NGC2 prototype showcased its impressive capabilities by seamlessly integrating sensors, fire systems, and airspace management via a unified data platform. This innovative approach aimed to enhance sensor-to-shooter timelines, boost warfighter efficiency, and provide a comprehensive real-time battlefield overview across the Indo-Pacific region.

Team Lockheed Martin collaborated closely with the U.S. Army’s 25th Infantry Division, Capability Program Executive Command and Control Information Network, Armed Forces of the Philippines, I Marine Expeditionary Force, I Corps, and the 613 Air Operations Center. This was a significant operational exercise that spanned several locations, including Hawaii, the continental United States, and the Philippines.

This marked the first division-level demonstration of cross-domain data sharing in the operational environment of the 25ID, making it a pivotal moment for Army modernization, particularly concerning large-scale combat operations in the Indo-Pacific.

Advancing Real-Time Capabilities

The NGC2 prototype effectively combined cross-domain data and managed airspace in real-time, thereby establishing reliable sensor-to-shooter connections in a challenging Indo-Pacific environment.

• Global Data Linkage: The NGC2 system interconnected sensors and edge nodes in the Philippines with command nodes in Hawaii and the continental U.S., enabling cloud-supported operations. This gave U.S. and allied forces a unified and real-time battlefield picture across a distributed and contested theater.
• Comprehensive Live-Fire Demonstration
  • Soldiers executed sensor-to-shooter workflows, ensuring complete visibility for operators in a highly contested environment.
  • Apache helicopters, Howitzers, Mortars, and HIMARS performed live-fire activities while the NGC2 recorded and displayed an operational picture complete with performance metrics and battle damage assessments.
• Airspace Deconfliction: A unified interface synthesized data from diverse radar and data links into a cohesive operational picture, a crucial feature that enabled:
  • Real-time visualization of airspace pathways.
  • Immediate “safe-to-fire” cues for pilots and ground forces.
• Enhanced Allied Interoperability: Allied forces operated cohesively as a unified system, sharing mission-critical data across divisions. Team Lockheed Martin ensured robust data processing, storage, and dissemination, granting warfighters access to a consistent and authoritative operational picture in a dynamic environment.

Executive Insights

“Success at Balikatan hinged on our ability to integrate seamlessly across Army units, joint forces, and Indo-Pacific partners,” observed Chandra Marshall, vice president of Multi-Domain Combat Systems at Lockheed Martin. “This capacity to operate collaboratively across the coalition is what makes Team Lockheed Martin’s NGC2 prototype remarkable.”

Importance of Balikatan

Balikatan is a vital bilateral exercise aimed at enhancing regional security through cooperative air, land, sea, cyber, and space operations. The demonstration by Team Lockheed Martin was executed alongside Lightning Surge 3, part of a series designed to incrementally enhance the NGC2 data layer.

Lockheed Martin’s partnership extends through collaboration with various industry leaders, including Raft, Lyntris, Rune, and Amazon Web Services, to integrate leading capabilities into the NGC2 framework.

Future Directions

Ongoing feedback from soldiers is continuously incorporated into each Lightning Surge exercise, allowing for the adaptation of the NGC2 prototype architecture in response to evolving missions. Lightning Surge 4 will specifically focus on logistics to further support the 25th Infantry Division.

Any portrayal of U.S. Army personnel or units does not imply any endorsement from the Army or the Department of Defense.