Lockheed Martin and Microsoft say they’re deepening their strategic relationship to help power the next generation of computing and communications technology for the Department of Defense.
Cloud-based services play a key role in that relationship. Under the terms of an agreement announced this week, Lockheed Martin will become the first non-governmental entity to operate independently inside the Microsoft Azure Government Secret cloud.
“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,” Jason Zander, Microsoft’s executive vice president for strategic missions and technologies, said today in a news release. “In partnership with Lockheed Martin, we’re demonstrating how the defense industrial base can bring classified data into the cloud securely.”
The agreement kicks off a two-year collaborative research and development program to advance artificial intelligence, machine learning, modeling and simulation capabilities for the Pentagon. It also expands the companies’ existing collaboration to deliver advanced networking and secure 5G capabilities for defense applications, and it aims to accelerate 1LMX, Lockheed Martin’s digital transformation effort.
“We are confident this unrivaled combination of capabilities will help keep our customers ahead of new threats and challenges,” said Yvonne Hodge, who is the senior vice president for enterprise business and digital transformation as well as the chief information officer at Lockheed Martin.
