US Army extended-range CUAS missile ramjet work to continue through December 2029
US Army conducts a drone swarm demonstration in the Philippines. (Photo: US Army)
Northrop Grumman’s US$18.8 million XRC propulsion contract runs through December 2029, but performance targets and the pathway to operational fielding remain undisclosed.
The US Army’s effort to expand the reach of counter-uncrewed aerial system (CUAS) missiles will undergo solid fuel ramjet propulsion development, testing and system’s performance validation through December 2029, an official spokesperson for Northrop Grumman confirmed to Shephard.
However, the timeline for individual milestones and performance targets before achieving an operational capability for manoeuvring forces remains unclear.
The company announced last week the award of a US$18.8 million agreement by the branch’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Centre under the eXtended Range Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (XRC) programme.
The deal covered the production of solid fuel ramjet propulsion
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