Lockheed Martin invests $25m in Fortem Technologies as demand for counter-drone defenses surges

BETHESDA, Md., April 22, 2026 — Lockheed Martin said it has invested $25 million in Fortem Technologies, providing the initial tranche of Fortem’s Series B round to accelerate production and expand deployment of Fortem’s capabilities within Lockheed Martin’s Sanctum counter-unmanned aircraft systems ecosystem.

The move extends an existing collaboration and advances a jointly developed, integrated counter-drone approach that is transitioning to broader operational use.

The companies said the rising availability of small, inexpensive drones has created a pervasive threat to military platforms, critical infrastructure and civilian airspace. By embedding Fortem’s AI-driven detection, tracking and neutralization technology into the Sanctum suite, U.S. and allied partners are intended to gain an instantaneous “killchain” designed to suppress drone swarms before they become a kinetic risk.

They added that Fortem’s software-centric, low-cost sensor platform can reduce cost per engagement by more than 80% compared with traditional kinetic interceptors while offering comparable effectiveness against low-observable threats. Scaling production is expected to build a lower-maintenance logistics pipeline, deliver measurable savings and support more frequent training and readiness.

According to the companies, Fortem’s solution uses an open architecture and is MOSA compliant, allowing integration with Sanctum’s airborne and ground nodes, allied air defense networks, joint force command-and-control systems and emerging data links. The partnership also aims to speed co-development of next-generation AI, edge computing and high-resolution radar capabilities.

Lockheed Martin said the investment will allow Fortem to at least double manufacturing capacity and create new jobs at its Lindon, Utah, production facility. The companies said the global UAS countermeasure market is projected to exceed $12 billion by 2030.

“This strategic collaboration will deliver robust mission capability aligned to our customer’s demand for rapidly fieldable solutions that scale in volume and evolve as fast as the UAS threat. This is just the latest example of our commitment to investing ahead of need to deliver at the speed of relevance, and with affordability in mind,” said Stephanie C. Hill, President, Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems.

“Low-cost, increasingly autonomous drone threats are scaling faster than traditional defenses were designed to handle,” said Fortem Technologies CEO Jon Gruen. “Our work with Lockheed Martin reflects a shared recognition that counter-UAS capabilities need to be autonomous, integrated and deployable at scale. Together, we’re taking technology that has already been proven in operational settings and accelerating its deployment to deliver a stronger, more responsive defense against evolving threats.”

Fortem describes itself as a global leader in airspace security. The company says its AI-powered SkyDome Family of Systems combines TrueView sensors, command-and-control software and autonomous DroneHunter interceptors to protect military, government and commercial operations from hostile or unauthorized drones. Fortem says it is the only company authorized to deploy a drone-on-drone kinetic interceptor in U.S. airspace, and that its technology has been validated in operational deployments in Ukraine, the Middle East and East Asia.