Overview
- Lockheed Martin Skunk Works embedded XTEND's XOS into its MDCX autonomy platform to coordinate different unmanned aircraft from one workstation.
- A November demonstration used a Multi-Class MDCX setup to run a marsupial mission in which a large UAS deployed a Class 1 drone for a close-in task.
- One operator controlled both the carrier and the smaller drone, eliminating handoffs and maintaining unified situational awareness throughout the mission.
- XTEND reports that XOS blends human inputs with machine autonomy to cut training time, support FPV and mark-and-fly controls, and keep operations viable under GPS denial or RF jamming.
- The effort remains in development with plans to adapt the approach for JADC2 and manned‑unmanned teaming, and no independent deployment timeline was disclosed.