Startup Speed, Mission Focus: Developing 5G-Enabled Drone Detection
A small drone rises quietly above the parking lot outside a packed stadium. No one on the ground sees it. No security camera tracks it. But a screen flashes from green to red, and an unexpected source has picked it up: the local 5G network.
In a recent demonstration, a Lockheed Martin team showed how everyday cellular infrastructure — the same network your phone uses — can double as a real-time drone detection system. The prototype system, called NetSense™, turns commercial networks into an added layer of safety capable of identifying aerial intrusions in crowded or complex environments.
And the team built it in a matter of months.
Image from Lockheed Martin’s Sanctum™ Counter-UAS system
A New Way to Use the Network Around Us
Cell networks are constantly exchanging message signals with phones and connected devices. Those signals form an invisible field of radio frequency (RF) waves that stretch, compress and reflect as they interact with the physical world around them. When something new enters that RF field, like a consumer drone, the change in this field can be observed.
NetSense system capabilities use artificial intelligence to interpret those changes. The system then translates them into simple, immediate cues that help users understand whether something is in the airspace and where it is headed.
In the demonstration, a small drone — that was not connected to the cellular network — entered an area supported by 5G cell towers. That was enough for the NetSense system to raise an alert to activate countermeasures.
During the demonstration, Lockheed Martin’s recently launched STAR.UI TM software capability gave the NetSense team a user-friendly interface and built-in AI agents to visualize mission-relevant data. The STAR.UI capability is the visualization arm of the STAR.OS™ constellation, helping to integrate AI/ML capabilities like the NetSense system with mission-relevant data in a highly modular architecture.
Because the NetSense system uses existing 5G towers and off-the-shelf phones as detection receivers, it works without new sensors, special hardware or long installation timelines. It is designed to work with the infrastructure communities already rely on while maintaining the privacy of commercial 5G users on the network.
A Faster Way to Build
Inside Lockheed Martin, the NetSense system represents more than a new sensing approach. It reflects a new pace of innovation.
Lockheed Martin’s 5G.MIL® team set out to build this capability the way a startup might: with small teams, rapid iteration and tight feedback loops. The goal was not to create a perfect solution in the near-term, but to prove quickly that a new idea could work.
“As a project concept in a new innovative space, we had more questions than answers as we started the project,” said Amir Stephenson, director, 5G.MIL Programs.
The team valued momentum over polish and experimentation over perfection. From the beginning, Lockheed Martin developed NetSense collaboratively, recognizing that any scalable sensing system built on commercial networks must involve the carriers who operate them.
The team progressed the project in three rapid cycles: a spring concept sprint, a summer lab demonstration and a fall field test. By December, the prototype was running live in front of Lockheed Martin’s executive leadership team.
Stephenson said, “The fact that we embraced risk as we presented an early look into an innovative capability that had the potential to fail actually excited the executives in attendance. The team noted this as an example of our forward-looking strategy to move quickly and to take chances to deliver innovative capabilities that close on mission gaps at the point of need.”
A Partnership Approach to Innovation
Commercial providers bring nationwide 5G coverage, expertise in network performance and a path to large-scale deployment. Lockheed Martin contributes radar signal processing experience, AI acceleration and the ability to integrate commercial insights with defense-grade systems.
Stephenson said, “We intentionally constrained our project to be focused on delivering a mission enhancing capability, while staying cognizant of the business cases that enable broad access to a service with our commercial partners. This meant that we were focused on at-scale deployments that did not require large development costs. By intentionally prioritizing integration with commercial technology, we ended with a prototype that aligned to commercial provider interests in integrated sensing and communications.”
The integration gives the technology immediate relevance for public safety, critical infrastructure and event security.
Images from Lockheed Martin’s STAR.UITM capability
Why It Matters
Small drones are increasingly common in both civilian and conflict environments. They are inexpensive, easy to operate and difficult to detect with traditional sensors, especially in dense urban settings or near event venues.
A sensing layer built on commercial networks opens new possibilities for safety and situational awareness. It can help:
- Stadiums monitor restricted airspace during games and concerts
- Cities track drones weaving between buildings
- Port authorities safeguard shipping lanes
- Schools alert local law enforcement if an unexpected drone is observed
- Provide towns with greater situational awareness as drone-based delivery services come online
Because the NetSense system uses existing infrastructure, communities and organizations can adapt quickly without waiting years for new sensors or large capital investments.
What’s Next
Later this year, Lockheed Martin plans to demonstrate the next iteration of the NetSense capability at major events in the United States.
It will be the first time this sensing capability is tested live, at scale, in an operationally relevant environment.
“Our vision is that this capability will enable situational awareness as a service, providing the actionable insights to our customers as needed and when needed, through the use of existing commercial infrastructure and Lockheed Martin cloud-hosted services,” Stephenson said.
If it works the way early prototypes suggest, it could change how public events and critical infrastructure stay protected. And if the NetSense system continues to scale, it could redefine how communities stay aware, protected and connected in the spaces where it matters most.
NetSense™, STAR.UI™, STAR.OS™ are trademarks of Lockheed Martin Corporation. 5G.MIL® is a registered trademark of Lockheed Martin Corporation.