Avalon 2025

Search-and-Rescue

We conduct airborne surveillance and Search-and-Rescue (SAR) operations spanning 53 million km² and one tenth of the earth’s surface, bordering the SAR regions of 10 other countries. We provide fixed wing Search-and-Rescue response capability over land and sea on behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).

Our fleet of four highly modified Bombardier Challenger 604 jets are used for Search-and-Rescue operations. The Challengers are based out of Perth, Melbourne and Cairns and contain some of the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art technology ever to be integrated into a civil SAR platform.

On board these aircraft, our mission aircrew operate a sovereign-developed mission management system integrating a range of sensors and communication systems to deliver operational outcomes in the national interest. When it comes to saving lives, every mission matters. 

For more information about our Search-and-Rescue services click here

Surveillance

We provide fixed wing border surveillance services under contract with the Australian Border Force. We patrol Australia’s 8.2 million km² Exclusive Economic Zone, which is the world’s largest outsourced civil maritime surveillance operation.  This turnkey operation deploys a fleet of highly-modified surveillance aircraft flying around 15,000 hours and 2,500 missions per year, providing all weather, day and night coverage. These aircraft are fitted with new generation surveillance sensors and fully integrated advanced satellite systems to allow real time communication with the Australian Border Force command centre in Canberra. The modification and integration of the fleet was undertaken in-house by Leidos Australia.

For more information about our airborne surveillance activity, click here

BuckEye: High Resolution 3D Geospatial Information Operation and Technology Integration (HR3DGI O&TI) 

We provide geospatial intelligence around the globe with BuckEye, an integrated sensor solution for manned and/or unmanned aircraft that can also be easily mounted to ground vehicles. Since 2004, BuckEye has collected 3+ million km² of high-resolution data across 38 countries, providing customers like the U.S. Army Geospatial Centre with an accurate and precision understanding of terrain for detailed mission analysis and preparation of the environment at a tactical and urban level.

BuckEye provides high resolution 3D imagery with accuracy and precision that improves situational awareness in any environment. This includes:

• Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) elevation data from 50-centimetre to 1-metre resolution
• Color electro-optical (EO) orthomosaic imagery from 2-centimetre to 10-centimetre resolution

Leidos Special Mission Aircraft (LSMA)

Scalable solution for high altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance needs

We deliver a holistic procurement or Contractor Owned – Contractor Operated (COCO) service that includes aircraft, flight operations, maintenance operations, and logistics support. Our high-accuracy airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability is the LSMA. It’s built on a common platform using a commercially derived aircraft (Bombardier CL-650 & 6500) that enables rapid integration of military packages that include secure communications, navigation, and survivability.

For more information on Leidos Special Mission Aircraft click here

Strike Systems and Hypersonics

Developing and building next-generation strike systems and technology

Small Glide Munition (SGM)

Our Small Glide Munition (SGM) is an enhanced capability, stand-off precision guided munition that can be carried on AC-130 gunships or unmanned aircraft systems. It features a modular design, allowing multiple common variants and considerable design flexibility.

By mounting the seeker nose section, tail kit, and wing assembly directly to the warhead case, the SGM allows different seekers, warheads, and other subsystems to be readily incorporated. Our hypersonic offerings include glide body prototyping, developmental testing, booster design and development, hardware-in-the-loop testing, small satellite development and associated EO/IR sensor development, and radar systems analysis and development. The semi-active, laser-guided munition uses lattice control fins for aerodynamic stability and control.

For more information on our Strike Systems and Hypersonics capabilities click here

Small Cruise Missile (SCM)

Leidos’ Black Arrow Small Cruise Missile (SCM) is a low cost, mission adaptable, modular delivery platform designed to facilitate future spiral upgrades for kinetic and non-kinetic missions. It is a small air-to-ground cruise missile that can fly about 400 nautical miles and hit targets even when the GPS is down. Leidos is leveraging model-based systems engineering, additive manufacturing, and AI optimisation practices to support the timely and cost-effective development, which aims to provide adaptability and utility for the warfighter. The open architecture SCM solution is intended to integrate the best subsystem solutions, regardless of the source. 

More information available on request - click here.

Hypersonics

With a history of providing rapid, novel and creative solutions, Leidos is a trusted system integrator and partner in weapons systems research and development. We are building weapons systems that can travel at Mach 5 or higher to counter and gain a lead on our adversarial technological advances in this field.

Leidos is supporting the United States Government across multiple Hypersonics programs, such as Common-Hypersonic Glide Body (C-HGB) and Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonic Test Bed.

The CHGB uses a booster rocket motor to accelerate to well above hypersonic speeds and then jettisons the expended rocket booster. The CHGB is planned to be maneuverable, potentially making it more difficult to detect and intercept. 

For more information, click here, visit our Hypersonics web page or view our PDF Brochure.

Leidos AgilePod® Family of Systems

KingAir350 (Pod Solution)

Modular military pods can attach to wide variety of aircraft, deploy drones, navigate without GPS signals and more.

These podded solutions are about creating better platforms and expanding the mission capabilities of aircraft. The pods can be reconfigured with a variety of new capabilities without going back to the drawing board, spending millions to modernise the aircraft’s structure, or building a new plane altogether.

Leidos can fit other payloads into the pods based on the needs of a particular mission, including radar alert systems and cognitive electronic warfare capabilities.

For more information on Leidos' AgilePod® click here

Mission Management Systems

Our Mission Management System (MMS) is the computer used to capture, integrate and disseminate all data (video, audio, imagery) generated by the technologies fitted into our aircraft (the sensors, radar, Electro-Optics and broadband satellite communications), in real-time. It enables the ground operations team together with the aircrew to identify the next steps required in each mission.

We have collaborated with Australian defence software and systems engineering company Acacia Systems on the development of a customised MMS for our government clients.

This is the first surveillance Mission Management System of this kind to be designed and developed in Australia, and is the most advanced civilian airborne surveillance system in the southern hemisphere.

This MMS has the potential to be utilised in both civil and military domains both in Australia and overseas. It can be bolted into other airborne platforms that have a need to collect, interpret and disseminate data generated from onboard technologies.

Leidos Australia has a Systems Integration Lab, where mission systems technicians collaborate with local SMEs, prototype and test aircraft mission management system hardware, software, equipment and wiring integration for mission support and ISR operations.

Air Defence Systems

Enduring Shield 

Enduring Shield is a mobile ground-based weapon system designed to acquire, track, engage, and defeat unmanned aircraft systems, cruise missiles, rockets, artillery, and mortars.  The transportable system is capable of firing a range of missiles. It provides a 360 degree air defence envelope with the ability to engage multiple targets simultaneously. The proven and existing technologies within Enduring Shield deliver a cyber-resilient solution on a rapid schedule. The mobile solution fills gaps between tactical shortrange air defence and strategic air and missile defence.

For more information about Enduring Shield, click here. There's also some great information in this press release.

AirShield™

Leidos AirShield™ is engineered to deliver robust air defence while on the move, providing capabilities among the most advanced in the industry to support counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) missions. The system employs advanced threat assessment along with multiple mechanisms to provide a comprehensive air defense solution against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), particularly in dynamic and fluid operational environments. 

THOR

Tactical High Power Microwave Operational Responder (THOR)

The THOR program develops a counter-drone technology for airbase defence. Leidos led the design, development, and testing of the High Power Microwave (HPM) source for this system, and we support the source operation and maintenance throughout the THOR system test and evaluation. THOR provides non-kinetic defeat of multiple targets in a compact system that is easily transportable to theater by ground or by air in a C-130. Upon placement, THOR is operational in a matter of hours and requires minimal training. System advantages include low operating costs, a deep magazine, and connectivity with existing base C2 systems to work in conjunction with other defensive measures.

For more information about THOR, click here.