Lockheed Martin and partners stage Miami demo of AI drone-detection platform built on 5G networks

Lockheed Martin is testing an “airspace awareness” offering aimed at detecting drones and other small aerial activity, demonstrating the concept in the Miami area as part of a multi-company effort built around 5G connectivity and artificial intelligence.

According to a market report published Tuesday, Lockheed Martin, together with Verizon, Keysight Technologies, ODC, and Astris AI, completed a live demonstration of its NetSense Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service platform. NetSense is positioned as a service model, meaning the company is pitching the capability as an operational solution rather than only as a standalone defense system.

The demonstration was carried out in July, the report said, and focused on the system’s ability to use 5G networks to support detection and tracking workflows. The underlying approach combines AI processing with communications infrastructure to bring data from the “edge” into analysis in a timely way, a common challenge in counter-drone scenarios where latency and reliability matter.

Verizon’s role, as described in the report, relates to the 5G network layer. Keysight Technologies is listed as a partner as well, reflecting the kind of test and measurement work often associated with validating communications, announcement processing, and system integration. ODC and Astris AI were also named among the collaborators, indicating additional components in the detection, analytics, or operational workflow used during the trial.

NetSense is described as an Airspace Awareness-as-a-Service offering. In practical terms, that typically implies customers subscribe to a managed capability that integrates sensors, software, and communications into an operational “view” of airspace activity, rather than having each customer integrate every element themselves. Lockheed Martin has been pushing into software-defined defense and managed services, and a counter-drone product that can be delivered via partnerships with commercial connectivity providers fits that broader direction.

Still, the public account of the Miami demo does not disclose the results of the test. It does not provide detection accuracy, false-alarm rates, latency measurements, or information about what specific sensor types or AI models were used during the live exercise.

It also remains unclear from the available description whether the demonstration is tied to a specific government procurement, contract award, or pilot program, or whether it is primarily a technology-validation exercise ahead of potential customer trials. The companies do not specify, in the report, which regulatory or safety constraints were applied during the live demonstration.

For readers watching the sector, the key takeaway is the emphasis on pairing counter-drone detection with 5G connectivity and AI, and the reliance on a network ecosystem that extends beyond traditional defense suppliers. As regulators and cities increasingly grapple with drone security, demonstrations like this are often used to show feasibility and integration across communications, sensors, and analytics, even before formal purchasing decisions are made.