• Digital Battlespace

  First Apache Joint Tactical Radio delivered to US Army

  14th July 2011

  Lockheed Martin has delivered the first secure, Joint Tactical Radio to the U.S. Army's AH-64D Apache Avionics Integration Lab. The Airborne, Maritime/Fixed Station Joint Tactical …

• Digital Battlespace

  Boeing EA-18G Growlers complete first combat deployment

  14th July 2011

  Boeing EA-18G Growlers operated by US Navy electronic attack squadron VAQ-132 safely returned to their home base at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash., on …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Air Force Global Express' to become E-11

  11th July 2011

  The Bombardier BD-700 Global Express aircraft being used in Afghanistan in the airborne communication node mission is being christened with the designation, E-11. The USAF announced …

• Digital Battlespace

  First IR image sent from USAF SBIRS GEO-1 spacecraft

  8th July 2011

  The first Lockheed Martin-built Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) geosynchronous (GEO-1) spacecraft beamed down its first infrared image on June 21 to the SBIRS ground …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman's Battlefield Airborne Communications Node completes 2,000 missions

  7th July 2011

  The Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system, developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the US Air Force, completed its 2,000th mission in support of Operation …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Navy UCAS achieves milestone aboard Eisenhower

  7th July 2011

  The Navy is one step closer to demonstrating the first carrier-based recoveries and launches of an autonomous, low-observable relevant unmanned aircraft. Aboard USS Dwight D. …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman wins USAF contract

  30th June 2011

  The US Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a contract to produce millicomputer replacement (MCR) 1553 processors. The 18-month, direct standalone contract is worth …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman demonstrates STARLite radar

  27th June 2011

  Northrop Grumman Corporation today announced the successful demonstration of its STARLite radar on a US Army Persistent Threat Detection System (PTDS), an aerostat surveillance platform …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris showcases Highband Networking Radio

  27th June 2011

  Harris Corporation's Highband Networking Radio created the mobile, wideband communications network infrastructure for various mission scenarios at the Empire Challenge 2011 , which showcases emerging …

• Military Logistics

  PAS 2011: Guardian tested on aerial refuelling mission

  23rd June 2011

  Northrop Grumman is pitching its Guardian anti-missile system at the Paris Air Show, following the demonstration of the system in Afghanistan in March on a …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Star SAFIRE 380-HD successfully tested on Firebird

  23rd June 2011

  FLIR Systems, Inc. announced today that the Star SAFIRE 380-HD electro-optical/infrared sensor completed successful flight operations on the Northrop Grumman Firebird, an intelligence gathering air …

• Digital Battlespace

  PAS 2011: eCORE helps spread the word

  22nd June 2011

  Northrop Grumman has introduced the new evolution of its Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) through the eCORE (enhanced C4ISR Operationally Responsive Enterprise) project. An ISR …

• Military Logistics

  Boeing names KC-46 Tanker suppliers

  22nd June 2011

  The Boeing Company today announced the supplier team that will provide key components for the US Air Force's KC-46 Tanker. The Air Force selected Boeing …

• Digital Battlespace

  Harris wins US DOD Blue Force Tracking contract

  22nd June 2011

  Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, has received new orders to provide programmable encryption devices and support services for use in the …

• Digital Battlespace

  PAS 2011: JSF sensors complete Northern Edge exercise

  21st June 2011

  Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) sensors were successfully tested as part of the US Pacific Command's Northern Edge exercise as additional roles for the aircraft become …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk [Japan]

  Background Selection and contract award In 2015, Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (1-4) [Australia]

  Background Three Contracted Units In June 2018, the Government provided Second Pass (Tranche 1) Approval to procure the first of six air vehicles, supporting systems and ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (5-6) [Australia]

  Background Four Contracted Units In the summer of 2020, Northrop Grumman announced that the Australian Government provided $333 million for three MQ-4C Tritons and associated GCS. ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Unmanned Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) (Contracted) [USMC]

  Background MUX umbrella Since 2016, the USMC has sought to acquire a UAV that can be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions, and ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Long-Range Drones [Norway]

  Background Andøya Ambition On 3 April 2023, the Norwegian MoD released a statement confirming its plans for Andøya, the northernmost island in its Vesterålen archipelago. In addition to ...

• Military UAS - small

  AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) [US]

  Background Aims & Timeline As stated by DARPA, the ANCILLARY programme aims to develop and fly an X-plane that will provide a “leap-ahead” in long-endurance, VTOL-capable ...

• ISR/special mission

  E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  Programme Background The E-6 Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) Recapitalisation Programme (E-XX) provides for air vehicle replacement and mission systems modernization to augment and eventually ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton [NATO]

  Background NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum During the July 2026 NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara, Türkiye, NATO announced that Denmark, Finland, Germany and Norway ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Marine Unmanned Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) (Uncontracted) [USMC]

  Background MUX umbrella Since 2016, the USMC has sought to acquire a UAV that can be deployed from a vessel, used for various missions, and ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) [NATO]

  Background Purchase While NATO doesn’t have its own forces and depends on its allies, the alliance does have some of its own assets and equipment. In ...

• Bomber

  B-21 Raider [USA]

  Programme Background Development The US DoD is developing a new long-range bomber called the B-21 Raider, previously known as LRS-B. At least 100 units are ...

• Military UAS - small

  Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) (Increment 1) [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Objective The Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) was to provide a tactical ISTAR capability for US Army Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). It was ...

• Military UAS - HALE

  RangeHawk (RQ-4 Global Hawk) [US]

  Background Contract award Northrop Grumman announced in May 2026 that it had secured a $325.5 million contract from the US Army to develop the RangeHawk ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  MQ-25 Stingray (16-76) [USN]

  Background Initial requirements The programme looked different when it began. In 2013, the USN awarded four Preliminary Design Review (PDR) contracts to Boeing, General Atomics, ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) (Increment 2) [USAF]

  Background Increment 1 In January 2024, during the first increment of the USAF’s CCA effort, the USAF awarded contracts to Anduril, Boeing, General Atomics (GA-ASI), ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - small

  ANCILLARY

  Northrop Grumman has developed a demonstrator tail-sitter UAV for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) ANCILLARY programme. Northrop states its design is a cost-efficient, multiple-mission capable vehicle built ...

• Loitering munitions

  Jackal

  The Jackal is a turbojet loitering munition designed by Northrop Grumman in partnership with AeroVironment.  It features an open architecture that provides the capability to support ...

• Military - UUVs

  Manta Ray

  Manta Ray is an uncrewed underwater vessel (UUV) developed by Northrop Grumman.

• Major networking projects

  IBCS

  The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) is a C2 system designed to integrate current and future sensors. The system also improves ...

• ISR/special mission

  Firebird

  Manufactured by Northrop Grumman, the Firebird is a unique platform that features different cockpit configurations. This feature allows the Firebird to be configured as either an uncrewed ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

  Northrop Grumman produces a family of avionics for Bell H-1-series helicopters.

• Military UAS - MALE

  YFQ-48A Talon Blue

  The YFQ-48A Talon Blue is a Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) from Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites. Unveiled in December 2025, the system is reportedly lighter ...

• Air-to-surface missiles

  Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW)

  The Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area denial ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  Model 437

  Scaled Composites, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, unveiled the Model 437 in September 2021. The conceptual UAS is derived from a Model 401, or Son of Ares. It ...

• Air: aerial targets

  BQM-74F

  Building on the BQM-74E, the BQM-74F aerial target was developed by Northrop Grumman under a USN contract. Introduced in 2005, it has a new airframe ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-80

  The AN/APG-80 is an X-band active electronically scanned array radar system with approximately 1,000 transmit/receive modules, designed for continuous search and multi-target tracking capabilities in ...

• Guided munitions

  Viper Strike

  The GBU-44/B Viper Strike is an air-launched precision-guided munition (PGM) equipped with a relatively small-shaped charge warhead. It has been optimised for employment in urban ...

• Military UAS - MALE

  X-47B UCAS

  The X-47B is a tailless, strike fighter-sized unmanned aircraft, which was developed as part of the USN's Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration project. The aircraft ...

• Bomber

  B-21 Raider

  The B-21 Raider is a strategic stealth bomber aircraft being developed by Northrop Grumman to succeed the B-1 and B-2 fleets in the USAF service. ...

• Cannons

  30/40mm Mk44 Bushmaster

  The 30mm/40mm Mk44 Bushmaster automatic cannon is a next-generation chain gun weapon in widespread use. The weapon has been designed for system simplicity, external power, ...