Leidos helps secure skies at inauguration with counter-drone radar
WASHINGTON (Feb. 24, 2025) — Leidos provided support to protect citizens and government officials by securing the airspace at two recent events in the U.S. Capitol — former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral and the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump. The company used its Multifunctional X-Band Radar (MXR) system to support the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM).
“This is a great example of industry and government collaborating to solve hard problems at a rapid pace,” said program manager Derrick Birdsell. “Following a recent exercise in October, Leidos was asked to support NORTHCOM with advanced capabilities to protect these important events.”
The company’s MXR system is a cutting-edge software and radar solution that uses features such as automated unmanned aircraft systems discrimination, extended radar range, advanced clutter mitigation and enhanced user interfaces. MXR is a critical piece of Leidos Airshield™, which the company unveiled last year at the annual Association of the U.S. Army’s showcase. The system provided consistent, actionable data with a clear air picture, including distinguishing birds from drones. AirShield is associated with the government-sponsored program Advanced Multi-Layered Mobile Force Protection, or AM2FP.
MXR operated for more than 275 hours, detecting and reporting drone incursions, all while delivering real-time intelligence to the White House, NORTHCOM and other entities monitoring the events. The system powered through freezing rain, 20 mph wind gusts, and over 13 inches of snow — delivering an uninterrupted data feed despite the extreme conditions.
“We believe the success of this mission further demonstrates the readiness of this needed capability and provides another example of how strong government-industry collaboration provides new capabilities faster and in more innovative ways,” Birdsell said. “Leidos looks forward to continuing on our path of rapid innovation.”
About Leidos
Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 48,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.
