Lockheed Martin Corp. (NYSE: LMT) announced a $25 million investment in Fortem Technologies as part of the initial tranche of Fortem's Series B funding round. The investment will enable Fortem to increase production capacity and enhance deployment within Lockheed Martin's Sanctum counter-unmanned aerial system ecosystem.

The partnership builds on an existing relationship between the companies to develop integrated counter-drone solutions that are moving into operational deployment. Fortem specializes in airspace security technology focused on detecting, tracking and neutralizing unmanned aerial systems.

According to the announcement, Fortem's technology will be integrated into Lockheed Martin's Sanctum counter-UAS suite. The companies stated that Fortem's sensor platform reduces cost per engagement by more than 80% compared to traditional kinetic interceptors while maintaining effectiveness against low-observable threats.

The investment will enable Fortem to double its manufacturing capacity and create jobs at its production facility in Lindon, Utah. The technology features open architecture design that allows integration with allied air defense networks and command systems.

"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," said Stephanie C. Hill, President of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems.

Fortem CEO Jon Gruen stated that counter-UAS capabilities need to be autonomous, integrated and deployable at scale to address increasingly autonomous drone threats.

The companies cited projections that the global UAS countermeasure market could exceed $12 billion by 2030, according to the press release statement.