• Digital Battlespace

  Lockheed Martin looks to future of GPS

  28th March 2016

  The Lockheed Martin GPS III programme has not been without its challenges. Nevertheless, the company remains confident that it will meet the August 2016 available-for-launch …

• Military Logistics

  KC-46A delays unlikely to have big impact

  24th March 2016

  A possible delivery delay of seven months for the US Air Force’s next-generation KC-46A is unlikely to have a long-term effect on the service’s tanker …

• Naval Warfare

  US tests AN/SPQ-9B’s PDD capability

  22nd March 2016

  The upgraded Periscope Detection and Discrimination (PDD) capabilities of the AN/SPQ-9B anti-ship missile defence radar have been successfully tested by the US Navy, it was …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop receives DARPA MEMS contract

  16th March 2016

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $6.27 million contract by DARPA to develop a next-generation navigation-grade inertial measurement unit (IMU) based on advanced micro-electromechanical systems …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop technology on nEUROn UCAV

  8th March 2016

  Northrop Grumman, together with Saab Aerosystems, has supplied the attitude and heading reference system (AHRS) for the nEUROn unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator, it …

• Training

  ROCAF Invests in F-16 MTC

  4th March 2016

  The Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) is currently undergoing a period of turmoil with budgetary pressures and political intervention from the People’s Republic of …

• Defence Notes

  Australia goes on spending spree

  26th February 2016

  Australia plans to spend some US$140.5 billion over the next decade ‘to fund investment in support of the future force,’ and bring the defence budget …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk flies with SYERS-2 sensor

  26th February 2016

  Northrop Grumman has demonstrated the ability of the RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS to carry the SYERS-2 intelligence gathering sensor during flight testing as it looks …

• Digital Battlespace

  US mulls LAIRCM sale to UAE

  25th February 2016

  The US State Department has made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale of AN/AAQ-24(V)N Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) equipment and logistics support …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Singapore Airshow: Boosted performance for Global Hawk

  19th February 2016

  Northrop Grumman announced completion of the MQ-4C Triton’s operational assessment during the Singapore Airshow, but the company also disclosed of a number of other developments. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Triton completes operational assessment

  17th February 2016

  Northrop Grumman’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in development for the US Navy has completed operational assessment (OA), it was announced on 16 February. …

• Defence Helicopter

  UH-60V undergoes CDR

  16th February 2016

  Northrop Grumman, the US Army, Redstone Defense Systems and the prototype integration facility have successfully conducted the critical design review (CDR) of the UH-60V Black …

• Training

  Singapore Airshow: New Indonesian simulator ready

  10th February 2016

  Following on from the Australian Government’s decision to gift four of their retired C-130H aircraft to the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) in 2011, a subsequent …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk nears U-2 sensor tests

  2nd February 2016

  The US Air Force (USAF) and Northrop Grumman will begin flight trials of new sensor payloads for the RQ-4 Global Hawk later this month, officials …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Korean Air wins UAV contract

  14th January 2016

  The Aerospace Division of Korean Air (KAL-ASD) has won a substantial contract for tactical UAVs for the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA), confirming Shephard’s report …

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, ...