Skip to main content
Leidos
Search
  • Global
  • Employees
  • News
  • Investors
  • Contact
  • Company
    • Our Business

      We embrace and solve some of the world's toughest challenges.

      • Civil
      • Defense
      • Health
      • Intelligence
      • Dynetics
      • Leidos Innovations Center (LInC)
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Mission, Vision and Values

      Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

      • Mission
      • Vision
      • Values
      man sitting on bleachers holding soccer ball

      Let’s come together and talk about the changes that are needed

      The Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action

    • Leadership

      Meet the executive team responsible for leading our forward-thinking employees toward a shared success.

      • Roger Krone
      • James Reagan
      • Paul Engola
      • Roy Stevens
      • Steve Hull
      • Jerry Howe
      • Michele Brown
      • Jim Carlini
      • James Cantor
      • Kamal Dua
      • Jim Moos
      • Gerry Fasano
      • Vicki Schmanske
      • Liz Porter
      • David King
      • Board of Directors
      Roger Krone

      Meeting the challenges of an uncertain world

      An interview with CEO Roger Krone

    • History

      Leidos has a long history of innovative problem-solving and customer service, dating all the way back to 1969 when Dr. J. Robert Beyster founded his "crazy little company".

      • Explore our History
      • Dr. J. Robert Beyster
      • A Kaleidoscope of Innovation: The Story of Leidos
      Dr. Beyster

      Almost 50 years ago, visionary scientist J. Robert Beyster, Ph.D. founded the company that evolved into Leidos.

      Read More

    • Inclusion & Diversity

      Our commitment to inclusion and diversity is reflected in the way we engage our people, our customers, and our external partnerships through our innovative programs, sponsorships and engagement.

      World War II P-51 Mustang

      Our company has a responsibility to advance a culture in which equality and belonging is respected and embraced.

      Reinforcing Our Commitment to Inclusion

    • Responsibility & Sustainability

      We're equally committed to using our time and resources to support people, enrich communities, and protect the environment.

      • CEO Message
      • Executive Summary
      • Community
      • Environment
      • People
      • Inclusion & Diversity
      • Political Activities
      • Suppliers and Small Business Relationships
      • About our Reporting
      • GRI™ Standards
      Leidos CEO Roger Krone

      Our response to COVID-19: A message to our valued customers, partners and colleagues

      Read Message

    • Ethics & Compliance

      We have a strong history of performance that rests on our foundation of integrity.

      • File a Report
      • History of Ethics
      • Ethics Program Structure
      • Code of Conduct
      World's Most Ethical Companies 2020 logo

      Leidos named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for third consecutive year

      Read More

    • Rankings & Awards

      Our innovative approach and the services and solutions we deliver frequently earn Leidos recognition from our industry and the media.

      • Enterprise Awards
      • Defense Awards
      • Civil Awards
      • Health Awards
      three award icons

      A frequent honoree on the corporate awards circuit, Leidos is proud of its many industry-specific and corporate-level achievements.

      Read More

    • Partners

      The Leidos Alliance Partner Network emphasizes connections through partnership and collaboration that drive innovation, advance technology and build efficiency.

      • Corporate Strategic Partners
      • Technology Integration Partners
      • Emerging Technology Partners
      D.C. United player Wayne Rooney with soccer ball mid-game with Leidos banner in background

      Leidos partnership with MLS club D.C. United takes the field again.

      Why we're in Black-and-Red's corner

    • Subsidiaries

      Our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries attract and retain top talent motivated to deliver results for clients.

      • 1901 Group
      • Dynetics, Inc.
      • Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc.
      • Leidos Digital Solutions
      • BEONTRA
      • QTC
      • Leidos Engineering, LLC
      • Systems Made Simple
      • Varec, Inc.
      • Aranea Solutions, Inc.
      IT analysts in conversation over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Contract Vehicles

      Whether you’re a potential government customer or a prospective supplier, through this listing you can find our technical and professional services under pre-negotiated terms and conditions.

      • Governmentwide MACs & IDIQs
      • GSA Schedules
      • Agency Specific IDIQs
      • International
    • Global

      With more than 400 locations in 30 countries, we continue to expand our presence and strengthen our international relationships.

      • United Kingdom & Europe
      • Australia
      • Israel
      • Middle East
      • Canada
      Graphic showing buildings connected by technology

      Meeting UK border management security needs, now and long into the future.

      More On Border Management

    • Trust

      Cybersecurity and data privacy is central to what we do; protecting data, systems, and infrastructure that are critical to our employees, customers, communities, and stakeholders.

      • Commitment to Privacy & Cybersecurity
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data Privacy
      • Privacy Statement
      Citizens walking with data flowing around them

      Today, tomorrow, and every day is Data Privacy Day

      Read the Article

  • Markets
    • Aviation

      Bringing efficiency and modernization to the global aviation market.

      • Air Traffic Management
      • ANSP Professional Services
      • Security Detection & Automation
      • Intelligent Approach
      • Scenario Planning & Forecasting
      • Passenger Flow Measurement
      • FODD & Fuels Management
      • Flight Management & Briefing
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale, Leidos completes acquisition of L3Harris Technologies’ Security Detection & Automation businesses.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Defense

      Science for a safer world

      • Airborne
      • Autonomy & Autonomous Solutions
      • Command & Control
      • Cyber
      • Digital Modernization
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Training
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Energy

      Trusted expertise for energy projects and programs

      • Site Management & Operations
      • Power Delivery
      • Integrated Energy Management
      • Project Finance & Development
      • Digital Utilities
      • Manufacturing Systems
      Seattle skyline

      Seattle City Light has been turning to Leidos for their utility industry experience and engineering talent.

      Read The Case Study

    • Government

      Collaborating with government agencies to help citizens thrive

      • Cybersecurity
      • Digital Modernization
      • Health IT
      • Forms Processing
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Mission Software Systems
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Healthcare

      Building a healthy connection between technology and people

      • Hospital Systems
      • Federal Health
      • Military Health
      • Veteran Health
      Healthcare professional using tablet

      Taking a strategic approach to experience true digital transformation in healthcare

      Read White Paper

    • Homeland

      Integrating, applying, and advancing IT to tackle the ever-advancing challenges of protecting our borders.

      • Biometrics
      • Mission Cyber and Network Defense
      • Integrated Systems
      • Digital Modernization
      • Data Analytics
      • Intelligence & Linguistic Services
      • CBRN Defense
      • Human Capital Services
      • Complex Logistics
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale, Leidos completes acquisition of L3Harris Technologies’ Security Detection & Automation businesses.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Intelligence

      Rapidly transforming vast and varied data into actionable intelligence

      • Intelligence Community Engineering
      • Collection, Analysis & Reporting
      • Operational Support & Training
      Analysts discussing geospatial data

      Delivering commercial innovations to mission realities for the NGA in St. Louis

      Learn more about digital modernization

    • Science

      Groundbreaking scientific research and environmental management best practices that make headways in the defense, civilian and health markets

      • Life Sciences
      • Autonomous Systems
      • Airborne & Ground ISR
      • Command and Control
      • Electronic Warfare
      • Environmental Science
      • Modeling, Simulation & Training
      • Sensors
      • Specialty Sciences
      Illustration representing health-focused scientific research

      NCI's Frederick National Laboratory has launched three initiatives focused on SARS-CoV-2.

      Read the Article

    • Space

      IT, engineering, and science expertise to execute on the most critical of exploration missions

      • NASA
      • Defense
      • Commercial
      Alyssa Saenz and Ginger Kerrick

      Shared hometown, Hispanic heritage a point of pride for NASA colleagues Alyssa Saenz and Ginger Kerrick

      Read Their Stories

    • Surface Transportation

      Engineering and research in support of next generation transportation

      • Connected & Automated Vehicles
      • Human Factors Research
      • Analysis, Modeling & Simulation
      • Transportation Safety
      • Operations
      • Asset Management
      • Accelerated & e-Construction
      • Freight
      • Research Facility Management
      Semi-truck driving on highway

      End-to-end shipment visibility with TransVM

      View Fact Sheet

  • Competencies
    • Cyber

      Comprehensive support for your cybersecurity journey

      • Security Operations Center
      • Insider Threat
      • Cyber Analytics
      • Information Assurance
      • Risk Management Framework
      • Accredited Testing & Evaluation
      Security on a mission text overlaid on blue graphic

      Outpacing adversaries through the application of IT, engineering, and science.

      More on Securing What’s Important

    • Data Science & Engineering

      Extensive quantitative analytics and visualization methods to exploit data and discover creative benefits with actionable decisions

      • Data Analytics
      • Data Engineering
      • Data Visualization
      • Predictive Analytics
      • Data Mining and Analysis
      • AI and Machine Learning
      • Behavior Modeling
      • Healthcare Analytics
      AI on a mission text on blue graphic

      Reliable, resilient, and secure AI solutions.

      More on Mission-centric AI

    • Digital Modernization

      Secure, user-centric Information Technology that helps transform your organization's ideas into action

      • User Engagement
      • Digital Workplace
      • Mobility
      • Cloud
      • Application Modernization
      • Data Center Modernization
      • SecDevOps
      • Network Modernization
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Integrated Systems

      Combining hardware and software with diverse initial applications to address the key mission challenges in an array of markets.

      • Autonomous and Unmanned Systems
      • Security Detection & Automation
      • SE Core
      • TRAPS
      Security on a mission text overlaid on blue graphic

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale through the application of IT, engineering, and science

      More on Securing What’s Important

    • Mission Software Systems

      Our mission software systems are designed to manage complexity in environments that require precision, speed, and scale in equal measure.

      • LEAF
      • careC2
      • OneSAF
      • Data Analytics
      • Command and Control
      Software on a mission text on blue background

      Mission quality software. Silicon Valley speed.

      More on Building Better Software

    • Mission Support

      We have developed a robust understanding of our government customers and the ability to provide innovative solutions to their most demanding challenges.

      • Approach to Mission Support
      Analyst examining data

      Providing solutions in areas such as contract transition, program execution, and staffing and workforce management.

      Read the Overview

    • Operations & Logistics

      We provide cost-effective tools combined with experienced thought leadership and enhanced processes to meet global, mission-critical customer needs through product support, transportation and distribution, and logistics enablers.

      • Antarctic Support Contract
      • ISS Cargo Mission Contract
      • Logistic Commodities & Services Transformation Programme
      • Strategic National Stockpile
      • Defense Logistics Support
      Ice sheet in Antarctica

      Each year, Leidos moves more than 6 million pounds of cargo and coordinates 100 flight missions to and from Antarctica.

      About Our Role

    • Secure Development & Operations

      With rapid changes in technology and tools, software development is a central success factor in any large transformation program.

      • Secure Development Overview
      Software on a mission text on a blue background

      Mission quality software. Silicon Valley speed.

      More on Building Better Software

    • Sensors, Collection & Phenomenology

      Developing and implementing multiple sensor modalities and integrating collection systems to meet demanding requirements across multiple operational domains.

      • Autonomy and Autonomous Solutions
      • Biometrics
      • Sensors
      • Advanced Computing
      • Computational Fluid Dynamics
      • Command & Control
      • Tactical Data Links
      Dynetics Campus

      Leidos completes acquisition of Dynetics, expanding company’s portfolio with new offerings and technical capabilities.

      View Release

    • Systems Engineering & Integration

      Our approach is designed to ensure mission success and is the foundational DNA of every technical project we execute.

      • Approach to Systems Engineering
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale, Leidos completes acquisition of L3Harris Technologies’ Security Detection & Automation businesses.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Technology Certifications

      Technology certifications with world-class providers

  • Insights
    • Insights

      Expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more - directly from our employees and stakeholders.

      • Latest Insights
      • On A Mission
      • MindSET Podcast
      • Press Releases
      • Heroes of Leidos
      • Our Experts
      • Careers & Culture
      • Community
      • Articles
      • Case Studies
      • Infographics
      • Q&As
      Artist's rendition of HLS on the lunar surface

      From Huntsville to the moon to Mars with Kim Doering.

      Listen to the podcast

  • Careers
    • Latest Opportunities

      Keep up to date on the latest career opportunities at Leidos.

      • Military Veteran Program
      • External Referral Program
      • Intern & New Graduate Jobs
      • Careers with Leidos in the United Kingdom
      • Careers with Leidos in Australia
      • Opportunities for Leidos employees
      five coworkers sitting around a laptop

      Your most important work is still ahead. Explore opportunities at Leidos.

      View our Latest Opportunities

    • Life at Leidos

      A career at Leidos offers meaningful and engaging work, a collaborative culture, support for your career goals, while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.

      • Our Values
      • Our Culture
      • An Inclusive Workforce
      • Build a Career
      five coworkers sitting around a laptop

      Your most important work is still ahead. Explore opportunities at Leidos.

      View our Latest Opportunities

    • Pay & Benefits

      Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision, which is why our compensation packages reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

      • Compensation
      • Health & Wellness
      • Income Protection
      • Leave
      • Retirement
      • Family Benefits
      five coworkers sitting around a laptop

      Your most important work is still ahead. Explore opportunities at Leidos.

      View our Latest Opportunities

    • Frequently Asked Questions

      Find answers to the most commonly asked questions related to securing a role at Leidos.

      • Searching for a Role
      • Applying for a Job
      • Determining Application Status
      • System Access
      • Job Eligibility Requirements
      • Receiving Job Notifications
      • Our Talent Community
      • Career Insights
      five coworkers sitting around a laptop

      Your most important work is still ahead. Explore opportunities at Leidos.

      View our Latest Opportunities

  • Search Search
  • Company
  • Markets
  • Competencies
  • Insights
  • Careers
Back to top

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Insights

The race to make a specialized plane that sees farther while staying safer

Leidos Special Mission Aircraft

A Leidos team turned a civilian jet into a groundbreaking electronic signals platform in barely a year — and at no cost to the government.

The modern battlefield has grown increasingly complex and high tech, making the ability to electronically see targets and threats from further away a significant advantage.

To that end, the U.S. Army has set its sights on deploying aircraft that can meet several paramount criteria. These needs include extending electronic sensing deep into the threat environment in order to deliver long-range precision fires, while remaining outside the range of air defense artillery. The speed and unpredictability of conflict today also requires an aircraft that can quickly get to a hot spot from a distant base. At the same time, the aircraft must be able to loiter on station for hours on end.

In the beginning of 2019, a Leidos team set out to produce an aircraft that would meet all of those requirements. Doing so while keeping costs down would be an ambitious undertaking. Yet, a year later, a ready-to-deploy plane called the Leidos Special Mission Aircraft (LSMA) would be making commanding first impressions. The aircraft demonstrated that it could serve as a next-generation high-altitude electronics intelligence platform in the most demanding threat environments. “They almost didn't believe it until they saw it," says Brian Follmer, Vice President and Division Manager at Leidos.

Deep sensing

Building a state-of-the-art flying signals intelligence platform starts with choosing the base aircraft. It didn't take the team long to find the right plane for the LSMA project: the Bombardier Challenger 650.

 

LSMA Performance Specs 

 

Click the icons to learn more

“Other aircraft that have the LSMA's capabilities would leave the Army with multi-billion-dollar bills to rebuild infrastructure to accommodate their wingspan," says Timothy Harper, Program Director for Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) at Leidos. Harper is a former Army aviator who oversaw ISR at the Army's Intelligence & Security Command (INSCOM) during his 27 years of service. He adds that unlike most jet aircraft in this class, the LSMA is able operate efficiently at altitudes that support many different types of missions.

Invested in the outcome

To add to the challenge, the Army wanted advanced ISR capabilities, quickly, and in a platform that provides both unusual versatility and a low cost of ownership. Meeting all those goals meant the Leidos team would have to innovate not just with design and engineering, but with the LSMA's business model. “We wanted to do this for a fraction of the cost of what a typical government aircraft program would run," says Follmer. “So we embraced our entrepreneurial spirit."

Leidos took on the risk of developing the military aircraft with zero dollars from the Army or DoD, which is unusual for such programs. “We made sure we had skin in the game," says Harper. “That gave us a vested interest in making sure it was the right aircraft for the warfighter." In addition, LSMA is being offered under a company-owned and company-operated (COCO) model, and the aircraft is fully maintained by Leidos. It’s intended to be leased to the Army on a monthly basis, keeping total cost of ownership low and tightly controlled.

To provide even more value and capability, the team took full advantage of the generous interior space to make LSMA not only a next-level ISR platform, but a multi-mission vehicle. As a deep-sensing electronics-intelligence aircraft, LSMA can support up to six separate rack-mounted equipment stations, all fed by the array of antennas that leave the exterior skin of the aircraft bristling with small, sleek fins and nubs.

Leidos Special Mission Aircraft interior

Any or all of the stations can be removed intact, wiring and all, and wheeled right off the plane, to be replaced by up to 16 seats — to accommodate extra operators, crew or troops — in just hours. In addition, the electronic intelligence equipment is entirely open architecture and swappable at the box, board, or card level. “We have the very latest technology on the aircraft," says Harper. “But everything moves so fast that a year from now there might be something better to integrate, and you'll be able to do it in hours  instead of having to take the plane down for several months for reconfiguring." The ability for a single aircraft to serve in multiple mission capacities translates to lower costs in training, logistics, and maintenance, notes Harper.

The unique combination of easily swappable components, impressive speed, and high endurance provides a valuable advantage when it comes to servicing or upgrading LSMA during deployment in hard-to-reach locations such as Afghanistan. Other aircraft would have to wait five or more days for needed parts to arrive from the U.S., and then spend days or even weeks on the ground while the work was done. But LSMA can simply fly straight to Leidos facilities in Virginia, have parts or modules swapped out in hours, and then return to the mission. "We can have the plane back in the fight 72 hours after it leaves Afghanistan," says Follmer. "That's half the time it takes just to ship a part there."

If the Army or another Service wants to make design changes to LSMA, that can happen quickly, too, by virtue of Leidos having licensed the rights from Bombardier. “With most corporate aircraft, you have to put in a request to have the manufacturer make the changes, and you can end up in line behind a celebrity who wants gold faucets put in the lavatory," says Harper. “With these rights, we can make the changes and obtain the certification on our own, right away."

Into action

In late July, just 14 months after the team began work on LSMA, the aircraft flew to Japan where it was put through its paces in the Pacific theater as a technology demonstrator for the Army, which is evaluating its capabilities. After that, it's slated to head for Europe for more demonstrations and exercises. If and when the Army or other military branches are ready to start building a fleet of LSMAs, Leidos is prepared to start turning them out at a rate of one per month.

That's a long way to come in a little over a year, says Harper. “Last year, when we briefed our plan, many thought it could not be done, they just laughed," he recalls. “Now they're amazed at what we've done."

Related Insights
View More Insights
  • How smart sensors can work together to complete the mission
    How smart sensors can work together to complete the mission
  • Dynetics employee working on site
    Unique telemetry solutions for unique customer needs
  • two soldiers flying a drone
    Counter Drone Technologies
Author
Leidos logo
Leidos Editorial Team

The Leidos Editorial Team consists of communications and marketing employees, contributing partner organizations, and dedicated freelance designers, editors, and writers. 

Share
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Mail
  • Print Insight

Posted

October 20, 2020

Estimated Read Time

Author
Leidos Editorial Team

Tags

Article
Sensors, Collection and Phenomenology
Defense

Sign up for our newsletters

Stay up to date on our expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more by subscribing to our newsletters.

  • Company
    • Our Business
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Leadership
    • History
    • Inclusion & Diversity
    • Responsibility & Sustainability
    • Ethics & Compliance
    • Rankings & Awards
    • Partners
    • Subsidiaries
    • Contract Vehicles
    • Global
    • Trust
  • Markets
    • Aviation
    • Defense
    • Energy
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Homeland
    • Intelligence
    • Science
    • Space
    • Surface Transportation
  • Competencies
    • Cyber
    • Data Science & Engineering
    • Digital Modernization
    • Integrated Systems
    • Mission Software Systems
    • Operations & Logistics
    • Sensors, Collection & Phenomenology
  • Insights
    • News
  • Careers
    • Life at Leidos
    • Pay & Benefits
    • Alumni
    • FAQs

Want to know more?

Contact us about product information and pricing, customer feedback, stockholder services, or just to voice a concern.

Get started

  • © 2021 Leidos

  • Trust
  • Privacy Statement
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • © 2020 Leidos
  • Australian Privacy Statement
  • Australian Whistleblower Policy
  • Ad Choices
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Utility Footer Navigation

  • Products
  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Investors
  • Employees
  • Accessibility
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube