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DEFENSE AND SPACE

SparkCognition Government Systems (SGS) Partners with SkyGrid and LIFT Aircraft to Advance the Use of AI for Air Traffic Management

SparkCognition Government Systems | March 11, 2022

AI for Air Traffic Management
SparkCognition Government Systems (SGS), developing trusted artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for defense and national security, is pleased to announce its partnership with SkyGrid and LIFT Aircraft Inc. The companies will apply AI and blockchain technology to manage the airspace for autonomous vehicles, specifically HEXA, LIFT's electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. This partnership comes through a contract milestone with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) through its SBIR Phase II program and will help enable the United States Air Force (USAF) to safely and efficiently operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in first responder scenarios such as search and rescue missions, heavy lift cargo, fire response, and medical evacuation.

"UAVs already play a critical role in government and defense operations, and going forward will undoubtedly become more integral as the technology and its application to military operations continue to expand across the world. Our teams at SGS, LIFT, and SkyGrid recognized the need for a safe airspace management system optimized for military missions, which enables seamless and efficient operations, improves security, and ultimately saves lives. We're excited to work together to deliver a cutting-edge solution to the Air Force through this partnership."

Logan Jones, President and General Manager at SGS

Through the SBIR contract, the companies will address the growing global military drone market, which is projected to reach $26.12 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 12.78%, and secure the operation of sensitive autonomous missions. By combining SGS's advanced AI technologies with SkyGrid's blockchain-based airspace management capabilities and LIFT's state-of-the-art UAVs, the companies will develop an air traffic management solution that provides defense, EMS, fire, and law enforcement with the means to advance their missions and more quickly respond to emergency situations.

About SparkCognition Government Systems
SparkCognition Government Systems (SGS), a wholly owned subsidiary of SparkCognition, is the first artificial intelligence (AI) company devoted entirely to government and national defense. By developing and operationalizing next-generation AI-powered systems, SGS enables government organizations to meet the needs of their most pressing national security missions. Using technologies built in the United States, SGS advances government operations by analyzing complex data to inform and accelerate intelligent decisions, applying predictive and prescriptive analytics to improve logistics, deploying autonomy technology for power projection systems, using natural language processing for large scale processing of unstructured data, and more.

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Spotlight

Massive Aircraft Order

Hainan Airlines Group ordered 100 aircraft from Comac spread across two aircraft types for their future operations. The deal is being labelled as a test move by the group to understand the capabilities of Cormac's aircraft, in any case, the deal is a substantial one for the planemaker.

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Leslie Hildebrand, a former executive at Lockheed Martin, has been appointed to the role of Senior Vice President of Government Business Development and Strategy. Hildebrand brings more than 23 years of experience in senior strategic business development roles to her new position. Pieter Kreuk has been named Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than a decade of financial leadership experience with senior positions at Ernst & Young and other companies. With its expanded Global Sensor Network, Slingshot Aerospace continues to drive innovation and progress in the space industry, making space safer for everyone. About Slingshot Aerospace Slingshot Aerospace, Inc. builds data, simulation, and analytics products that help worldwide commercial, civil and defense organizations make space operations safer to accelerate space sustainability. 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