USMC XQ-58 Valkyrie development advances with Northrop Grumman mission-kit contract

Northrop Grumman won a competitively awarded MUX TACAIR deal to supply a mission kit — including its Prism autonomy software and sensors — to help turn Kratos' XQ-58A Valkyrie into a Marine Corps Collaborative Combat Aircraft; the company told Breaking Defense the agreement is about $231.5 million over 24 months.

The Marine Corps is moving its experimental work with the XQ-58A Valkyrie toward an operational Collaborative Combat Aircraft role, and Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract to support that effort. Northrop Grumman says it will supply a mission kit that includes its Prism autonomy package, sensors, and other software-defined technologies to enable autonomous operations. Kratos remains involved as the airframe supplier and is supporting development, testing, and integration work. Officials and companies involved say prototype work and flight testing will continue as the program advances. Key points: - Northrop Grumman received a competitively awarded deal under the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft program to deliver a "mission kit." - The mission kit is reported to include the Prism autonomy software, a multi-function sensor suite covering multiple frequency bands, and other software-defined capabilities. - Northrop Grumman told Breaking Defense the agreement is valued at roughly $231.5 million and covers about 24 months under an Other Transactional Agreement for rapid prototyping. - Kratos is a subcontractor on the effort, supplying Valkyrie aircraft, supporting development and flight testing, and working on a fixed-landing-gear (CTOL) derivative alongside runway-independent variants. - The Marines have acquired at least three Valkyries since 2023 and have previously explored crewed-uncrewed teaming, including tests involving the F-35B. - Program officials and budget documents emphasize that many operational questions remain about how CCAs will be launched, recovered, supported, and employed tactically. Summary: The Northrop Grumman mission-kit award represents a concrete push to add autonomy and sensing capabilities to the XQ-58A Valkyrie as part of the Marine Corps' MUX TACAIR CCA effort. The agreement supports rapid prototyping over a roughly 24-month period and companies involved say prototype delivery and further flight testing are expected as work continues. Significant technical and operational integration work remains to finalize how CCAs will operate alongside crewed aircraft and how they will be launched, recovered, and employed.