• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy's MQ-4C Triton UAV takes flight

  23rd May 2013

  The MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) under development by Northrop Grumman for the US Navy has completed its first flight on 22 May. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Australia to issue LOR for US Navy MQ-4C Triton UAV

  17th May 2013

  The Australian Minister for Defence has announced that Australia is considering the US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) as part of the replacement …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Germany ends Eurohawk programme

  15th May 2013

  Germany plans to end the Eurohawk UAV programme due to problems relating to air space integration and airworthiness, it has emerged. The German government informed …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B completes first carrier-based catapult launch

  15th May 2013

  The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator has become the first unmanned aircraft to be launched by catapult from a ship, following the completion …

• Defence Helicopter

  Bids invited for reopened VXX programme

  8th May 2013

  The US Navy has called for proposals from industry to provide 21 aircraft to replace the existing presidential helicopter fleet – known as Marine One. …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B UCAS-D makes first arrested landing

  7th May 2013

  Northrop Grumman has announced that the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator under development with the US Navy has conducted its first fly-in arrested …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northrop Grumman launches UGV on international market

  23rd April 2013

  Northrop Grumman will unveil the Cutlass, its latest generation UGV, at the Counter Terror Expo in London on April 24, as it eyes international sales …

• Defence Notes

  Northrop Grumman pushes SABR for USAF F-16

  17th April 2013

  Northrop Grumman continues its efforts to provide its Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) for the US Air Force’s F-16 aircraft, outlining the advanced mapping capabilities …

• Land Warfare

  Northrop Grumman upgrades Hawk EO/IR sensors

  26th March 2013

  Northrop Grumman has announced the release of the latest upgrade for the Hawk Air Defense System’s electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors, the Fourth Generation Tracking Adjunct Sensor …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Rockwell Collins provides TTNT for X-47B deck handling trials

  20th March 2013

  Rockwell Collins has supplied its Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) for use in a series of deck handling trials of the X-47B Unmanned Combat Air …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman announces new CIP capability

  15th March 2013

  Northrop Grumman’s Common Imagery Processor (CIP) has demonstrated the ability to process Global Hawk Block 40 data on the Distributed Common Ground System – Imagery …

• Defence Helicopter

  US Navy orders six more MQ-8C Fire Scout UAVs

  12th March 2013

  Northrop Grumman will supply six additional next-generation Fire Scout unmanned helicopters to the US Navy under a $71 million contract announced on 12 March. The …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk exchanges radar data with Joint STARS

  7th March 2013

  The US Air Force’s (USAF’s) E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft has successfully exchanged radar data with the Northrop Grumman RQ-4B …

• Defence Helicopter

  Heli-Expo 2013: Rolls Royce announces latest engine evolution

  5th March 2013

  Rolls Royce used the start of the Heli-Expo exhibition in Las Vegas to launch the latest variant of its M250 engine. The M250-C47E features the …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Avalon: Australian opposition hints at return to BAMS

  28th February 2013

  Northrop Grumman has noted a commitment by Australia’s conservative opposition that Australia would return to the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) system, but is not …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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 - 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

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & 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 - 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

• Air: Helmet-mounted displays

  Air: Helmet-mounted displays | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

• Data links

  Data links | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

• Air: Head-up displays

  Air: Head-up displays | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

• Transponders and IFF

  Transponders and IFF | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA)

  USAF is working on Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) aircraft concept which may replace F-15C/Ds and F-22s in service and complement F-35s. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and ...

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.

• 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 ...

• R-Bat

  The Rotary Bat (R-Bat) is the rotary-wing member of the Bat family of sUAS. The R-Bat was designed with Yamaha Motor USA and has been ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

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

• 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 ...

• 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, 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 ...

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Unguided Medium Calibre Ammunition

  30mm PGU-15B Training Practice Round

  The 30mm PGU-15B Training Practice (TP) Round is a medium-calibre training round manufactured by Northrop Grumman.

• 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 ...