• Air Warfare

  Indo-Pacific 2022: Schiebel nabs pole position for expedited UAV contract

  11th May 2022

  To speed up acquisition, Australia has selected the Austrian-designed Camcopter for a naval UAV requirement.

• Digital Battlespace

  USN picks partner for EW simulator maintenance

  19th April 2022

  Amherst Systems is to maintain and repair Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator and Advanced Multiple Emitter Simulator systems and subsystems for the Naval Air Warfare Center and FMS customers.

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia requests anti-missile kit for transport aircraft via FMS

  23rd February 2022

  Australia requests an FMS for LAIRCM replacement components to be installed on transport aircraft as part of an RAAF upgrade programme.

• Land Warfare

  Challenger 3 upgrade includes three phases but ammo requirements remain unclear

  21st April 2022

  There are three distinct phases to the Challenger 3 MBT upgrade plan for the British Army, but the MoD is still considering its 120mm ammunition options.

• Training

  USAF adds DMON capability

  31st March 2022

  The USAF continues to expand its collective training capabilities through its Distributed Mission Operations Network.

• Land Warfare

  Compact solution addresses SWaP issue for counter-drone missions

  21st April 2022

  A new high-power microwave system for C-UAS missions has already been tested in the US against a range of UAS targets.

• Digital Battlespace

  DoD to investigate further use of 5G

  6th April 2022

  In its FY2023 budget request, the DoD called for $250 million to be allocated for 5G projects with the goal to deepen the use of this technology in military applications. Providing low-latency and higher speeds communications are among the goals for the US armed forces.

• Defence Notes

  RUAG sells Australian subsidiary to ASDAM

  1st April 2022

  The latest divestment of a RUAG defence business aligns with the Swiss group’s strategy of focusing on the space domain and also dovetails with Australian aims to improve sovereign industrial capabilities.

• Air Warfare

  US hails HAWC test but still plays catch-up on hypersonics

  8th April 2022

  The second successful test flight of the HAWC missile fails to obscure patchy progress overall in US hypersonic programmes.

• Defence Helicopter

  Bell offers Vigilant tiltrotor UAV for FVL maritime strike requirement

  7th April 2022

  At the Navy League meeting on 4-6 April, Bell displayed a model of a specially adapted V-247 crewless tiltrotor for the USN’s Future Vertical Lift Maritime Strike requirement.

• Defence Helicopter

  Northrop Grumman enhances USN Hueys

  9th March 2022

  The USN has contracted Northrop Grumman to improve the avionics of its AH-1Z and UH-1Y fleets in order to keep the platform flying.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NAVAIR orders more Triton support from Northrop Grumman

  10th March 2022

  Continued input from OEM Northrop Grumman will help ensure that the MQ-4C is ready to conduct ISR missions, says NAVAIR.

• Air Warfare

  NATO next-generation ISR plans take shape

  4th April 2022

  As NATO's existing E-3A Sentry AWACS aircraft are set to retire in 2035, the alliance plans to introduce a new networked ISR capability across all domains.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Space Forces issues contract for ballistic and hypersonic missile defence sensor payloads

  2nd March 2022

  The US is augmenting its space-based missile defence capabilities by developing two polar-orbiting satellites with optical and IR sensors.

• Air Warfare

  First Japanese Global Hawk touches down on home soil

  13th March 2022

  The JASDF's new Global Hawks will be able to monitor North Korean missile launch preparations and be useful in the wake of natural disasters.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Data links

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

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | E-6 TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) [USN]

  The TACAMO Recapitalisation Programme (E-130J) will replace the ageing E-6B Mercury and transition the US Airborne Strategic NC3 capability between aircraft. E-130J mission equipment will ...

• 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 - fixed-wing, 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 - fixed-wing, 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 - fixed-wing, 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 - fixed-wing, 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 ...

• 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 ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | RangeHawk (RQ-4 Global Hawk) [US]

  Northrop Grumman received a US$325.5 million US Army contract in May 2026 to develop and acquire the RangeHawk HALE UAV, a modified RQ-4 Global Hawk designed ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | RangeHawk (RQ-4 Global Hawk) [US]

  Northrop Grumman received a US$325.5 million US Army contract in May 2026 to develop and acquire the RangeHawk HALE UAV, a modified RQ-4 Global Hawk designed ...

• UAS: communication systems

  UAS: communication systems | MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  The USN is estimated to have acquired 27 Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Tritons under various contracts worth a combined US$6.31 billion. However, the original scale of ...

• UAS: flight control systems

  UAS: flight control systems | MQ-4C Triton (28-68) [USN]

  The USN is estimated to have acquired 27 Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Tritons under various contracts worth a combined US$6.31 billion. However, the original scale of ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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, Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  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.

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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, and ...

• AEW&C, Maritime patrol

  E-2 Hawkeye

  The E-2 Hawkeye AEW&C; aircraft has gone through several iterations and can be operated from land, as with Egypt and Mexico, or from a carrier, ...

• 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 - fixed-wing

  Talon Blue

  Talon Blue, or YFQ-48A, is a Collobrative Combat Aircraft (CCA) from Northrop Grumman and Scaled Composites. It was initally known as Project Talon. Unveiled in December ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, 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. ...