Squad X Experimentation in testing

The first test of DARPA's Squad X Experimentation programme has successfully demonstrated the ability to extend and enhance the situational awareness of small, dismounted units.

During tests at Twentynine Palms, California, personnel improved their ability to synchronise manoeuvres, employing autonomous air and ground vehicles to detect threats from multiple domains – physical, electromagnetic and cyber – providing critical intelligence as the squad moved through scenarios.

Squad X aims to provide army and marine dismounted units with autonomous systems equipped with off-the-shelf technologies and novel sensing tools developed via DARPA’s Squad X Core Technologies programme. The technologies aim to increase squads’ situational awareness and lethality, allowing enemy engagement more quickly and from longer ranges.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control and CACI’s BIT Systems (BITS) are working on different approaches to provide new capabilities to enhance ground infantries. Manned-unmanned teaming is critical to both companies’ solutions.

Lockheed Martin’s Augmented Spectral Situational Awareness, and Unaided Localization for Transformative Squads system, provides UGVs with sensor systems to detect enemy locations, allowing troops to engage and target the enemy with a precision 40mm grenade before the enemy could detect their movement.

CACI’s BITS Electronic Attack Module is designed to detect, locate and attack specific threats in the radio frequency and cyber domains.

Experiment 2 is currently targeted for early 2019.