• Digital Battlespace

  Third AEHF makes final preparations before launch

  17th July 2013

  The USAF has announced that it has transported its third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) communications satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Stations (CCAFS) ahead …

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon mixes up international ISR offerings

  16th July 2013

  The future of airborne ISR will come from the ‘optimisation’ of modular and flexible systems, say Raytheon officials. According to executives from the company’s airborne …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Raytheon considers UGV solution for C-IED mission

  16th July 2013

  Raytheon has revealed details of its SafeRoute concept, which comprises a UGV equipped with counter-IED technology for autonomous route-clearing operations. Addressing the media on 16 …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Malfunction sees X-47B abort final carrier landing

  12th July 2013

  A malfunction on board the X-47B UAV forced the air vehicle to abort its third test-landing on the US Navy aircraft carrier, USS George H W Bush, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B completes carrier landing

  10th July 2013

  The X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstrator (UCAS-D) has become the first unmanned jet to complete an arrested landing on board a moving aircraft carrier. The US Navy …

• Naval Warfare

  Raytheon awarded US Navy jammer contract

  10th July 2013

  Raytheon will conduct the Technology Development phase of the US Navy's Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) programme following the company’s selection for a $279.4 million cost-plus-incentive-fee …

• Defence Helicopter

  Crowsnest edges closer to assessment phase

  9th July 2013

  After a two-year delay in funding, the UK’s development of a new helicopter-based early warning radar system is gathering momentum – although critical capability gaps …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Stalemate continues for major Euro UAVs

  8th July 2013

  Progression of two of Europe’s most high-profile UAV programmes continues to be questioned as rumours of delay and cancellation rebound throughout the market, defence sources …

• Digital Battlespace

  RAF hopeful of Sentinel role beyond 2014

  5th July 2013

  The future of the RAF’s Sentinel R1 reconnaissance aircraft remains unclear according to service chiefs, despite positive feedback from recent operations in Mali earlier this …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF takes delivery of third SBIRS satellite

  1st July 2013

  The US Air Force has taken delivery of the third of four Highly Elliptical Orbit (HEO) satellite payloads as part of its Space Based Infrared …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US details French Reaper purchase ahead of Mali ops

  1st July 2013

  The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has progressed with plans to sell 16 MQ-9 Reaper UAVs to France as the European nation considers deploying …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Sense and avoid sensor for UAVs makes progress

  25th June 2013

  Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has conducted the second airborne demonstration of its prototype radar Airborne Sense and Avoid (ABSAA) sensor for UAVs. The company reported …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop Grumman to work on GPS solution for USAF

  24th June 2013

  Northrop Grumman will continue work to improve geo-registration accuracy for positioning and pointing applications for the US Air Force under a phase two inertial navigation …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Paris Air Show 2013: Europe questions UAV progress

  21st June 2013

  European UAV development has been slow at best in recent years, but industry is confident that indigenous designs will impact the market in the years …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop Grumman announces UK Sentry FQIS order

  20th June 2013

  Northrop Grumman will design, develop, integrate, test and support a Fuel Quantity Indicator System (FQIS) for the UK’s Sentry E-3D Airborne Warning and Control System …

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• 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

  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 ...

• Light attack, Trainer

  IAR-99 Replacement (Romania)

  On 29 August 2017, Leonardo announced that the IAR-99 trainer technology demonstrator (TD) will be fitted with company's Vixen 500E AESA radar. The Vixen 500E AESA ...

• 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 ...

• Fighter - multirole

  Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) [Japan]

  Programme Background Shephard notes that GCAP's Japanese, British and Italian components are tracked in separate entries. Programme Timeline 2020: The Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency of Japan issued ...

• AEW&C

  E-2D (France)

  Programme Background In July 2020, France revealed its intention of buying a fleet of three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Aircraft with a $2 billion potential FMS deal, ...

• 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, ...

• Fighter - multirole

  F-16V [Türkiye]

  Programme Background Requirement Turkish Air Force ordered 100 F-35A aircraft as a partner nation, however, the country was removed from the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter programme ...

• 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 ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

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

  Osprey 30

  The Osprey multi-mode surveillance radar is a low SWaP system that provides an affordable second-generation AESA surveillance capability as the primary sensor on airborne assets ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-83 SABR

  The AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR) is being developed as an upgrade option for the F-16. It is designed to replace the existing AN/APG-66 ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-80

  The AN/APG-80 is an agile beam radar with an AESA antenna designed to continuously search for and track multiple targets within the forward hemisphere of ...

• Air: surveillance and maritime patrol radar

  AN/APQ-181

  The AN/APQ-181 is a low-probability-of-intercept radar fitted to USAF Northrop Grumman B-2 stealth bombers. During the B-2 Radar Modernization Program – completed in 2012 – the ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-81

  The AN/APG-81 is an AESA multifunction radar for the F-35 joint strike fighter that incorporates the agile beam-steering capabilities developed for the F-22’s APG-77. Its ...

• 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: 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Land: air defence radar

  AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR

  AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) is a multi-mission system designed to support worldwide expeditionary requirements. It provides detection and tracking capabilities and offers traffic ...

• Air: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

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

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  Grifo-346

  The Grifo-346 is a combat aircraft X-band radar covering +/-60° in azimuth and elevation and a weight under one kilogram. It can track up to ...

• Military UAS - rotary-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  MQ-8C Fire Scout

  The MQ-8C is a newer version of the Fire Scout and is based on a Bell 407 commercial helicopter. It offers a greater range, endurance and ...

• 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 ...

• Air: AEW/fire control radar

  AN/APG-77

  The AN/APG-77 is a low-probability-of-intercept fire control radar for the F-22 Raptor. It is designed to significantly improve capability in air-to-air combat, allowing the pilot ...

• 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, ...