Northrop Grumman and California-based defense technology firm Picogrid announced a new collaboration to modernize US military software systems for air defense.
Under the agreement, Picogrid will integrate its Legion software into Northrop Grumman’s AiON system, which is used to control defenses against drones.
This setup lets operators manage several sites remotely and respond more quickly to a wide range of threats, from cheap drones to faster weapons like cruise missiles and loitering munitions.
Picogrid CEO Zane Mountcastle said that Legion seeks to “provide a secure, open-systems backbone [to ensure] our military can adapt faster than our adversaries.” The deal with Northrop, he said, is a step toward the goal to build the “integration layer that empowers our warfighters with the best technology.”
Legion works by linking systems that normally don’t communicate with each other. It lets sensors and weapons from different makers share information in real time, giving commanders a single view of the battlefield and helping them choose the best tool to counter each threat.
A Step Towards Countering Fast-Evolving Threats
Experts have warned that legacy, closed systems make it difficult to adapt at the pace required in modern conflict. By adopting open, modular platforms, the Pentagon seeks to cut costs, speed up deployment, and enable different tools to work together more seamlessly.
The partnership comes as the Department of Defense prioritizes software modernization to counter fast-evolving threats.
One effort is the creation of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office in 2022, tasked with accelerating software integration and ensuring that emerging technologies like AI and machine learning can be fielded more rapidly across the services. The Artificial Intelligence Rapid Capabilities Cell was also launched in 2024.
The collaboration between Northrop and Picogrid also aligns with the Pentagon’s Modular Open Systems Approach mandate, which requires new programs to adopt common standards designed to reduce duplication and improve interoperability.
In February, the Department of Defense released a guidebook that lays out the implementation of this system.
