Jane Edwards 
Lockheed Martin has built and demonstrated a prototype system that uses commercial 5G networks to detect drones in real time.
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The company said Thursday it developed the prototype, called NetSense, within months using a rapid, iterative approach.
During a recent demonstration, the system detected a small drone that was not connected to the cellular network and generated alerts to support countermeasures.
“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,” said Amir Stephenson, director of 5G.MIL programs at Lockheed.
What Is the NetSense System?
NetSense uses artificial intelligence to interpret disruptions in radio frequency fields created by 5G network activity. As cell towers and connected devices continuously exchange signals, the system monitors how those signals change when an object, such as a drone, enters the environment.
The system translates those changes into alerts that indicate the presence and movement of objects in the airspace.
Lockheed integrated NetSense with its STAR.UI interface, which provides a user-facing visualization of mission data and includes built-in AI agents. The interface operates within the company’s STAR.OS architecture, a platform designed to integrate AI and machine learning capabilities.
NetSense is designed to operate using existing 5G towers and commercial devices as receivers. The approach eliminates the need for new sensors or specialized hardware and supports faster deployment timelines while maintaining user privacy on commercial networks.
How Did Lockheed Develop the NetSense Prototype?
The team advanced the effort through three phases, beginning with a spring concept sprint, followed by a summer lab demonstration and a fall field test. By December, the team demonstrated the prototype live to Lockheed’s executive leadership team.
Stephenson said the team intentionally constrained the project to focus on delivering a mission-enhancing capability while remaining mindful of business cases that enable broad access with 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,” he added.
What Are Lockheed’s Plans for NetSense?
Lockheed said it plans to demonstrate the NetSense system’s next iteration at major U.S. events later this year.
The company said the demonstrations will test the system at scale in operational environments.
