• Defence Notes

  Aero India 2017: Indian fighters deliver déjà vu

  21st February 2017

  There was a strong sense of déjà vu at Aero India 2017, as the Indian Air Force (IAF) is yet again on a hunt for …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  X-47B trucks it across US

  27th January 2017

  One of the most iconic unmanned systems ever to fly is being moved from its home at Naval Air Station Patuxent River to a Northrop …

• Training

  T-X contenders begin to evaporate

  28th January 2017

  With the request for proposal documents issued in late December for the US Air Force’s 350 aircraft T-X programme, Raytheon and Leonardo have decided they …

• Digital Battlespace

  F-35 and Typhoon share data

  1st February 2017

  Interoperability trials between the UK RAF’s F-35 Lightning II and Typhoon jets have been successful. According to Air Cdre Harv Smyth, the UK's Lightning Force …

• Military Logistics

  Northrop signs Lufthansa Technik for KC-30A support

  19th January 2017

  Northrop Grumman Integrated Defence Services (IDS) has teamed with Lufthansa Technik to provide support services to the Royal Australian Air Force’s fleet of KC-30A Multi-Role …

• Digital Battlespace

  F-16V upgrade kicks off in Taiwan

  29th January 2017

  At the beginning of 2017, four Republic of China Air Force (ROCAF) F-16A/B Block 20 fighters began undergoing upgrades under Taiwan’s Feng Zhan (Phoenix Rising) …

• Training

  Taiwan’s new AJT to take off in 2020

  12th February 2017

  Taiwan kicked off its air force's advanced jet trainer (AJT) programme on 7 February. A memorandum of cooperation was signed between the Republic of China …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  South Korea counters neighbour with UAV tech

  23rd January 2017

  Earlier this month the Ministry of National Defense in South Korea announced plans to field a laser-based counter-UAV system by 2020. Seoul estimates that North …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Northern Plains granted flight upgrade

  20th January 2017

  The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted the Northern Plains UAS test site in North Dakota authorisation to fly large UAVs beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS), starting …

• Defence Helicopter

  AN/AES-1 ALMDS reaches IOC

  13th January 2017

  Initial Operational Capability (IOC) has been reached for the US Navy’s AN/AES-1 Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS), system manufacturer Northrop Grumman announced on 12 January. …

• Digital Battlespace

  USAF releases JSTARS Recap RFP

  4th January 2017

  The US Air Force has released the development request for proposal (RFP) for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) Recapitalization programme. JSTARS provides …

• Digital Battlespace

  EW Singapore: E-2D Hawkeye coming to Asia

  11th January 2017

  Next month the US Navy (USN) will move a squadron of Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft from Norfolk Naval Station …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Prox acquisition presents opportunities

  6th January 2017

  Flir Systems’ acquisition of Prox Dynamics has bolstered its presence in the unmanned space, marking its entry into producing end-to-end systems and presenting particular opportunities …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  The year ahead: Military UAVs

  9th January 2017

  Unmanned aerial vehicles are now a firmly established capability in nearly all advanced militaries. In 2017, expect to see western militaries invest more in complex …

• Digital Battlespace

  E-2D flies with aerial refuelling kit

  20th December 2016

  Northrop Grumman has successfully completed the first flight of its E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft equipped with aerial refuelling equipment, it was announced on 15 December. The …

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 ...