• Digital Battlespace

  E-2D refuelling system passes CDR

  1st July 2015

  The E-2D Advanced Hawkeye's Aerial Refuelling (AR) system has completed its critical design review (CDR) conducted by the US Navy and Northrop Grumman, it was …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Global Hawk flies with OMS architecture

  23rd June 2015

  Northrop Grumman has successfully flown an Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture on a NASA Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The architecture implementation flight, which took …

• Digital Battlespace

  US approves Aegis sale to ROK Navy

  10th June 2015

  South Korea has taken a step closer to the purchase of three Aegis shipboard combat systems, following the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency's (DSCA) notification to Congress …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  NATO unveils first AGS UAV

  8th June 2015

  NATO, along with Northrop Grumman and industry partners, unveiled its first Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) UAV on 4 June. The aircraft is a wide-area surveillance …

• Digital Battlespace

  CANES passes first deployment

  3rd June 2015

  Northrop Grumman has completed the design, development and limited deployment phase of the Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services (CANES) programme for the US Navy, …

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  China advances UAV tech

  3rd June 2015

  China's UAV industry is emerging in both military and civilian sectors, employing 3D-printed UAVs and a new military UAV. A Chinese Antarctic Expedition Team has …

• Digital Battlespace

  Northrop receives LAIRCM order

  3rd June 2015

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) hardware and support contract modification from the US Air Force, it announced on 1 …

• Digital Battlespace

  Japan’s E-2D Hawkeye buy gets closer

  3rd June 2015

  Japan’s acquisition of the Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning (AEW) aircraft has moved a step closer. The AEW capability is particularly important …

• Digital Battlespace

  Ultra acquires Kratos' EPD division

  1st June 2015

  Ultra Electronics has acquired Kratos Defense & Security Solutions' Electronic Products Division (EPD), a producer of RF and microwave subsystems and systems for electronic warfare …

• Digital Battlespace

  Australia declares Wedgetail fully operational

  26th May 2015

  The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has declared its six Boeing E-7A Wedgetail Early Warning Aircraft fully operational. The type’s ‘entire capability’, from the actual …

• Defence Helicopter

  IMDEX Asia: AgustaWestland pitches AW101 to Asian market

  21st May 2015

  AgustaWestland has launched a marketing drive of its AW101 medium multirole helicopter in Asia, with an eye on several opportunities in the region. In particular, …

• Digital Battlespace

  US Navy approves Northrop's VMS 9.3

  20th May 2015

  Northrop Grumman's Voyage Management System (VMS) version 9.3 has been approved by the US Navy on board the SSN and SSGN nuclear-powered submarines, as announced …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: Twenty warships dock for exhibition

  20th May 2015

  Twenty warships from the Asia-Pacific region are tied up at Changi Naval Base for this year’s IMDEX Asia maritime defence exhibition. Originating from Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: USS Fort Worth makes itself at home in Changi

  19th May 2015

  The Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth departed San Diego on 17 November 2014 to begin her 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore, arriving …

• Naval Warfare

  IMDEX Asia: USN confirms LCS deployment plans

  16th May 2015

  The US Navy (USN) has publicised its plans for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) forward deployments to Singapore, with a spokesperson confirming to Shephard that four …

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

  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 - 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 - 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

• 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: Integrated cockpit systems

  H-1 Family of Avionics

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

• 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 ...

• 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 ...

• Air: Defensive Systems - Radar Warning Receivers

  APR-39(V)

  The ARP-39(V) is an RWR system for combat helicopters, low-speed aircraft and fast attack craft. The system comprises two dual-video receivers, four spiral cavity-backed antennas, ...

• 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, ...

• Air: aerial targets

  Chukar III

  The Chukar III, based on Northrop Grumman’s BQM-74E developed for the USN, is a high subsonic aerial jet target for export customers.

• 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: 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: 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 ...