Northrop Grumman to develop Marine Corps CCA with Kratos' Valkyrie UAS

Northrop Grumman was competitively awarded the Marine Corps' MUX TACAIR CCA program and will integrate its mission systems with Kratos' Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system.

Northrop Grumman was competitively awarded the U.S. Marine Corps' MUX TACAIR Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort and will develop and rapidly deliver CCA platforms. The work pairs Northrop Grumman's mission systems with Kratos Defense & Security Solutions' Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system to operate alongside crewed fighters. Northrop Grumman says it has packaged sensors and mission capabilities into a smaller envelope aimed at making the solution compatible with uncrewed platforms and more cost-effective. Kratos and Northrop Grumman report more than 20 successful flight demonstrations in operationally relevant environments. Key points: - Northrop Grumman was awarded the Marine Corps' MUX TACAIR CCA effort through a competitive award. - The program pairs Northrop Grumman mission systems with Kratos' Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system. - The companies report over 20 flight demonstrations in operationally relevant environments. - The missionized CCA is described as including survivability, connectivity, lethality, and supportability elements. - Northrop Grumman says packaging sensors into a smaller envelope made the solution compatible with uncrewed platforms and more cost-effective. Summary: The announcement presents an expedited, low-risk path to MUX TACAIR mission capability for the U.S. Marine Corps. Undetermined at this time.