Northrop Grumman bags multibillion-dollar Global Hawk deal
Ten-year contract aims to provide flexibility to accommodate the broad enterprise of activities associated with the Global Hawk programme
Northrop Grumman has received a $4.8 billion sole-source contract from the US Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for development, modernisation, retrofit and sustainment activities ‘for all Air Force [RQ-4] Global Hawk variants’, the DoD announced on 25 November.
The DoD added that indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract covers numerous functions, such as programme, business and technical management; engineering efforts, including configuration management, data management, reliability, availability and maintainability; ‘related areas of concern’ such as technical refresh and diminishing manufacturing sources; and design, development, integration, test and evaluation.
Additional and more specific guidance will be included within each individual delivery order or task order statement of work.
Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by 30 September 2030.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, 42 out of the 45 Global Hawk variants on order to the USAF and USN have been delivered.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Uncrewed Vehicles
-
![Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures]()
Jammer resistant drone designs spark search for countermeasures
The Russia-Ukraine conflict has driven another stage of evolution for drones and the counter measures to defend against them.
-
![L3Harris launches Amorphous software for control of uncrewed platforms]()
L3Harris launches Amorphous software for control of uncrewed platforms
The new Amorphous software is a universal controller that would allow a single operator to control a swarm of “thousands” of uncrewed systems, from drones to underwater platforms.
-
![ideaForge unveils new UAVs at Aero India 2025]()
ideaForge unveils new UAVs at Aero India 2025
India UAV supplier ideaForge has launched the Netra 5 and Switch V2 drones at Aero India 2025, boasting of enhanced endurance, AI-driven autonomy and improved operational capabilities.
-
![Shaping the future of defence: What 2025 holds for the global drone market]()
Shaping the future of defence: What 2025 holds for the global drone market
The UAV market is experiencing unprecedented growth, with innovations in technology and battlefield applications driving demand across military sectors. From the battlefields of Ukraine to NATO exercises and beyond, drones are transforming how wars are fought and supported.
-
![Maris-Tech confirms customers signing up for Jupiter Drones codec and AI-powered system]()
Maris-Tech confirms customers signing up for Jupiter Drones codec and AI-powered system
Launched at AUSA in October, the company’s multi-stream video codec is attempting to bring a new lease of life to drone technology through its AI accelerator.
-
![AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments]()
AUSA 2024: Quantum-Systems targets big 2025 with UAS developments
Quantum-Systems has been upgrading its UAS family, with new versions of the Vector, Reliant and Twister drones set for release throughout 2025.
