Lockheed Martin Launches AI Fight Club to Accelerate Military-Ready Artificial Intelligence

Lockheed Martin has announced the launch of its AI Fight Club, a competitive initiative designed to rapidly test, evaluate, and refine artificial intelligence systems for defense applications across air, land, sea, and space.

The program provides a virtual proving ground where AI technologies are placed in realistic and complex military scenarios. It is aimed at helping the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) identify the most effective AI systems to support warfighters in increasingly contested environments.

"There has never been a more important time to prove which implementations of AI technologies are the best, to help the United States stay ahead of the threats facing our nation and allies," said John Clark, senior vice president of Technology and Strategic Innovation at Lockheed Martin. "AI Fight Club uses advanced simulation and visualization to evaluate AI in realistic and complex scenarios that mimic the challenges of modern warfare."

The synthetic environment, developed entirely by Lockheed Martin, will mimic military operations such as airborne missions in contested zones, coastal defense, space-based surveillance, and layered homeland defense. Teams from industry and academia will submit AI systems, which will then compete head-to-head in scenario-driven matchups. The outcomes will be assessed based on performance, reliability, and alignment with stringent DoD standards.

Lessons from each match will inform the development of future AI capabilities, drive innovation, identify system vulnerabilities, and accelerate the transition of AI into operational use.

Teams will interact with government experts and have the opportunity to publish and present their findings, helping shape national defense strategies. The company expects the simulation environment to be completed by the end of Q3 2025. The inaugural AI Fight Club competition is scheduled for Q4 2025.

By announcing the initiative now, Lockheed Martin aims to give developers time to refine their AI systems.