Northrop Grumman’s Autonomous VTOL X-Plane Advances to Next Design Phase for DARPA
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. – May 22, 2024 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has announced its selection by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for the next design phase of its autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft, part of the AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch And RecoverY (ANCILLARY) program.
- DARPA’s ANCILLARY Phase 1b air vehicle design and system technology maturation award will span a 10-month performance period aimed at increasing modeling fidelity, conducting critical subsystems testing, and mitigating key technical risks.
- Leveraging its extensive expertise in the development and integration of autonomous VTOL systems and long-endurance aircraft, Northrop Grumman will enhance its ANCILLARY air vehicle design for DARPA.
- This phase brings the team closer to building a flight demonstrator. Northrop Grumman will lead a collaborative effort that includes Leigh Aerosystems’ VTOL unmanned aircraft system and Near Earth Autonomy to fulfill project objectives and transition a cost-effective near-term capability to the warfighter community.
Expert Insight:
Christopher Harris, program manager for ANCILLARY at Northrop Grumman, stated, “Northrop Grumman’s expertise in VTOL autonomous systems is built on thousands of flight hours of ship-based operational experience with the U.S. Navy. We are integrating forward-looking and industry-leading technical capabilities to deliver next-generation intelligence gathering solutions through the ANCILLARY autonomous system.”
About ANCILLARY:
The ANCILLARY program aims to develop and demonstrate an X-plane equipped with crucial technologies that enhance the performance of long-endurance VTOL unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). These UAS will be capable of launching and recovering from ship flight decks and small austere land locations in adverse weather without the need for additional infrastructure, enabling expeditionary deployments and locally commanded responsive intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting (ISR/T) with specialized payload capabilities. The smaller UAS size differentiates it from larger VTOL systems, allowing multiple aircraft to be stored and operated from a single ship, thereby creating a tactical, beyond-line-of-sight multi-intelligence sensor network capability.
Northrop Grumman stands as a premier global aerospace and defense technology company, dedicated to equipping its customers with solutions that enhance their capabilities and extend the limits of human exploration throughout the universe. The team is motivated by a shared mission to tackle the toughest challenges faced by customers, continually redefining what is possible.
Source: Northrop Grumman (2024-05-22T00:00:00Z)
