Northrop Grumman awarded MQ-5B Hunter support contract
Northrop Grumman has announced that it has been awarded two contract by the US Army for logistics support of the MQ-5B Hunter programme. According to the company, they include work on the cost-plus-fixed-fee interoperability engineering change proposal and the tactical common data link (TCDL) RESET programmes.
The work will bring Hunter aircraft enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and communications relay capabilities.
According to Northrop Grumman, the TCDL RESET contract will see the company reset the current C-Band Hunter MQ-5B systems with TCDL technology to include resetting Hunter air vehicles, ground stations and data terminals with TCDL technology. Additionally, the TCDL also serves as a foundation of establishing interoperability among different US Department of Defense air vehicles and ground stations. This also allows for manned aircraft to use unmanned aircraft, their sensors and weapons as an extension of their own capabilities keeping aviators out of harm's way.
Currently deployed by the US Army in support of contingency operations in Southwest Asia, the MQ-5B Hunter provides warfighters with state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, communications relay, and signal intelligence. Hunter has accumulated more than 100,000 flight hours, approximately 80 percent of which are combat related.
Both contracts have a 12 month period of performance.
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
Reamda upgrades Grasshopper UGV observation mast
Reamda, an Irish engineering company with a focus on UGVs and defence applications, delivered its Riddler platformed to the Irish Defence Forces last year.
-
Roke unveils new CUAS solution
The Roke Agile CUAS has been designed to provide protection for military and civilian situations, as well as to handle swarms of UAS by using a range of sensors.
-
Russia reaches new monthly record for Lancet use in Ukraine
The aggressor’s armed forces have adapted Lancet to Ukrainian conditions via iterative developments accompanied by a significant expansion in production capacity
-
India’s pursuit of UAVs fuels domestic innovation and industrial growth
In response to escalating border tensions and the need for enhanced surveillance capabilities, the Indian Army is ramping up its drone acquisitions, reflecting the growing importance of unmanned systems in modern defence strategies.
-
Australia to adopt new predatory OWL species
The Australian Defence Force will introduce the One-Way Loitering (OWL) platform by Innovaero, the country’s first long-range loitering munition, to enhance strike capabilities and understanding of loitering munitions.
-
Dedrone’s latest uncrewed solutions offers “complete CUAS DTI-M kill chain”
DedroneOnTheMove, which integrates advanced sensor-fusion and mitigation technologies, was showcased at Eurosatory 2024 and has been designed for deployment to enhance airspace security in high-risk environments.