Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy are progressing rapidly in flight-testing the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft. Read More

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy are progressing rapidly in flight-testing the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft. Read More
As potent weapons as they have been in the years since the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, unmanned aircraft — or drones as they are colloquially known — will have to evolve as the U.S. moves to counter rising challenges in the Western Pacific. Read More
An image of guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) following a collision with a BGM-74 target drone on Saturday. The impact area is circled. NBC 7 San Diego Image/U.S. Naval Institute photo illustration
The U.S. Navy ship that was struck by an errant target drone will need an estimated six-months of repairs costing around $30 million, according to a statement from the Navy provided to USNI News on Monday. Read More
X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator taxies on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) in May 2013. US Navy Photo
The U.S Navy’s unmanned carrier launched airborne surveillance and strike (UCLASS) program has evolved to call for a jet that is much larger and much more capable than what was envisioned just six months ago, Navy officials told USNI News.
Industry trade journal Aviation Week suggests that a new extremely stealthy long-range strategic unmanned intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft — the Northrop Grumman RQ-180 — not only exists but that it could be operational by 2015. Read More
An image of guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) following a collision with a BGM-74 target drone on Saturday. The impact area is circled. NBC 7 San Diego Image/U.S. Naval Institute photo illustration
Engineers with U.S. Navy are still tallying the damage caused when a 13-foot target drone punched a three to four foot hole in the side of guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville (CG-62) on Saturday, Navy officials told USNI News on Tuesday. Read More
The U.S. Navy appears to have shifted its position on the requirements for its next generation carrier-based unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), Navy officials told USNI News.
Instead of developing the planned Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (UCLASS) to only conduct operations in uncontested airspace, the service will instead pursue a design that can be adapted over time to operating against higher threat levels.
An MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle takes off from Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu on Oct. 31, 2013. US Navy Photo
The Navy’s next generation rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) had its first flight on Thursday at Naval Base Ventura County at Point Mugu, Calif., according to a statement from the service. Read More
An artists conception of Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s 2009 bid for the Next Generation Bomber (NGB). Boeing Photo
Boeing and Lockheed Martin are joining forces in the competition to build the U.S. Air Force’s new Long-Range Strike-Bomber (LRS-B), the two companies announced on Friday Read More
A X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator launches from the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) on July, 10 2013. US Navy Photo
The Navy is making plans that could extend the testing of Northrop Grumman’s X-47B into 2015 with possible new carrier tests as early as next month, USNI News has learned.
Last week the Navy issued a contract solicitation to extend the testing of the two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) — dubbed Salty Dog 501 and Salty Dog 502 — as part of the Unmanned Combat Air System demonstration (UCAS-D) program. Read More