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The prime is set to support hypersonic missile flight testing by reconfiguring its remotely piloted aircraft.
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Northrop Grumman has confirmed plans to modify its Block 20 and 30 RQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft to support the US Department of Defense’s SkyRange program, which involves hypersonic missile flight tests from its Grand Sky facility near Grand Forks, North Dakota.
The reconfiguration of the Global Hawks to RQ-4 RangeHawk aircraft is expected to involve integrating advanced payloads to equip the platform with the capability to support the testing of hypersonic vehicles and other long-range weapons.
RangeHawks are tipped to provide over-the-horizon altitude, endurance and flexibility, capable of collecting telemetry and other data to monitor the vehicle during flight tests.
“Our RQ-4 RangeHawks will support the emerging class of hypersonic weapons and provide a combination of range, endurance and payload capacity,” Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager, global surveillance, Northrop Grumman, said.
“These aircraft will continue their role in vital national security missions while enabling us to bring premier aircraft design, modification, operations and sustainment work to the Grand Forks community.”
RangeHawks leverage sensors designed to demonstrate an alternative data-collection support system to test hypersonic systems.
The SkyRange program, an initiative of the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), ultimately aims to accelerate the pace of testing hypersonic systems.
“Northrop Grumman’s RangeHawk is ideally suited to collect data by providing persistent time-on-station positioned closer to flight path and agility to adapt to the dynamics of a testing environment – a force multiplier as we evolve critical national security capabilities,” George Rumford, acting director and principal deputy, TRMC, said.
Northrop Grumman has also been tasked with managing operations and sustainment of the RQ-4A RangeHawk prototype fleet in partnership with NASA at the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base.
The prime is also expected to integrate new payloads for the future RQ-4B RangeHawk fleet.
[Related: Northrop Grumman tests missile defence radar capability ]
