• Defence Notes

  Northrop Grumman speeds up additive manufacturing process for advanced weaponry

  9th September 2022

  Scalable Composite Robotic Additive Manufacturing system promises to cut manufacturing time, says Northrop Grumman.

• Air Warfare

  Northrop Grumman unveils first Australian Triton

  15th September 2022

  Although behind schedule for handover to the RAAF compared to the original schedule, the first Triton has been unveiled.

• Digital Battlespace

  First Royal Air Force Wedgetail aircraft fitted with MESA surveillance sensor

  7th November 2022

  The first of three Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF) has been fitted with its Northrop Grumman MESA main sensor.

• Defence Notes

  Rules may need to be broken for successful rollout of JADC2

  26th October 2022

  Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) panel speakers at the AOC event in Washington DC highlighted the need to take a new approach to acquisition timelines and learn from the commercial world as the DoD moves towards a data-centric philosophy.

• Training

  Northrop Grumman and Terma to develop EW sim for European market

  1st September 2022

  A new MoU between Northrop Grumman and Terma expands a long-standing partnership and will see the development of EW simulation and training systems for European customers.

• Air Warfare

  US Navy Super Hornet LITENING pod makes first flight

  8th September 2022

  Northrop Grumman's LITENING pod has successfully flown on a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet for the first time.

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to develop radar technology for NATO drone

  5th September 2022

  Northrop Grumman will develop, implement, test and sustain Radar Technology Insertion Program technology for NATO.

• Digital Battlespace

  DARPA envisages smarter sensors with FENCE Phase 2 awards

  2nd September 2022

  Raytheon and Northrop Grumman are working on a DARPA programme to create neuromorphic IR camera technologies.

• Air Warfare

  Turkish F-16 endeavours impaired by Democrats' US Senate control

  15th November 2022

  The Turkish president was confident a Republican-controlled Senate would deliver the country's coveted F-16 deal. With a Democratic Senate confirmed after mid-term elections, Ankara's position to up its fighter jet game seems as doubtful as ever.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Air Force admits more work needed on acceptance of AI-piloted aircraft

  12th October 2022

  While the USAF and industry push the boundaries on autonomous aircraft, the air force has still not fully defined what it wants and how the reliability of these next-generation aircraft will be proven.

• Defence Notes

  RQ-4 to support US hypersonic missile test efforts

  25th August 2022

  RQ-4B Global Hawks will be integrated with advanced payloads to give the aircraft the capability to support testing of hypersonic vehicles for the US military.

• Air Warfare

  B-21 still makes ‘good progress’ towards possible first flight this year

  16th September 2022

  The USAF says the B-21 Raider bomber — currently in the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase — is on track for initial deliveries in the mid-2020s.

• Air Warfare

  B-2 modernisation reaches next stage

  26th August 2022

  Newly integrated capabilities on the B-2 stealth bomber include missiles with extended range, a radar-aided targeting system and crypto communication capabilities.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy trials Fire Scout for Expeditionary Advance Base Operations

  17th August 2022

  The MQ-8C Fire Scout has completed its first Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations exercise with a successful ship-to-shore transition.

• Air Warfare

  Turkey's MURAD radar to fly on Akinci drones by 2023

  14th November 2022

  Aselsan's MURAD radar, which aims to compete with the US AN/APG-83 on the international market, will be integrated on the Akinci drone by early 2023.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  Long-Range Drones [Norway]

  Programme 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (Contracted) [Australia]

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

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  RQ-4 Global Hawk (Japan)

  Programme Background Selection & Contract AwardIn 2015, Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk UAS and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft were selected by Japan to ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - HALE

  MQ-4C Triton (Option) [Australia]

  Programme 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 ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

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

  Programme 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, ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Radio and SATCOM

  Air: Radio and SATCOM | Penetrating Counter Air (PCA) [USA]

  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) [USA]

  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) [USA]

  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) [USA]

  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) [USA]

  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

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

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

• 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 ...

• 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: Defensive Systems - MLDS, EO/IR systems

  AN/AAQ-37 DAS

  Although not electronic warfare apparatus in the purest sense, Northrop Grumman/Raytheon’s AN/AAQ-37 optronic distributed aperture system is still tactically relevant to this mission. The AN/AAQ-37 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: sonar systems

  AQS-24B

  The AQS-24B is an airborne and surface minehunting system, designed for the USN and coalition partners. On 21 September 2016, it was announced that Northrop ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  ITAS

  Northrop Grumman is a major producer of tactical information management systems for maritime patrol, ASW, ASuW, SAR and related applications. The Northrop Grumman AN/ASN-150 and ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar, Air: UAS radar

  AN/ZPY-5 VADER

  The Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER) is being developed for use with the Sky Warrior UAV to enable accurate ground moving target indication data ...

• 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, ...

• EO/IR systems

  LITENING

  LITENING is an EO/IR pod that detects, acquires, identifies and tracks targets at extended ranges. According to Northrop Grumman, it enables various missions, including precision targeting, ...

• 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: Displays

  B-2 Multi-Function Displays

  Developed and produced by Northrop Grumman, new multi-function displays procured under the B-2 Display Modernisation Program will replace the ageing MDU-F3 screens on 20 aircraft.

• Air: Electronic Attack - Jamming

  CIRCM

  The Common Infrared Countermeasure (CIRCM) system is an infrared (IR) countermeasure designed to defeat IR-guided Surface-to-Air Missiles (SAMs). It is intended to yield cost savings ...

• Air: Integrated Defensive Systems

  Defensive Management System-Modernisation

  The Defensive Management System-Modernisation (DMS-M) is the overarching effort to substantially enhance the Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit strategic bomber’s Integrated Self-Protection System (ISPS) which includes ...