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Northrop Grumman
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Northrop Grumman

US defence and aerospace corporation building bombers, drones, and missile defence systems.

On 17 June, Northrop Grumman lost the US Air Force's first funded autonomous wingman contracts to Anduril and General Atomics, testing a defence prime whose portfolio spans bombers, surveillance drones and missile defence.

Last refreshed: 22 September 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics

Key Question

Can a legacy prime beat Anduril's drones on price for the US Air Force CCA contract?

Timeline for Northrop Grumman

#14 1 Jul

Mentioned in: Pentagon orders 120 drones in five weeks

Drones: Industry & Defence
#13 17 Jun

Competed in CCA source selection and was not awarded production contract

Drones: Industry & Defence: Air Force hands robot fighter to upstarts
#11 8 Jun

Set common payload standard for 200,000 FPV drones in the Drone Dominance programme

Drones: Industry & Defence: Drone Dominance Gauntlet opens 8 June
#11 3 Jun

Mentioned in: Two Ukrainian firms enter Pentagon gauntlet

Drones: Industry & Defence
#9 18 May

Won $325.5M RangeHawk HALE contract on 15 May and Drone Dominance Common UAS Payload preferred provider status on 18 May

Drones: Industry & Defence: Northrop banks two drone awards in one week
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Background

Northrop Grumman is a US defence and aerospace corporation that builds strategic aircraft, unmanned systems, missile-defence equipment and space systems. Its programme base includes the B-2 Spirit, B-21 Raider and RQ-4 Global Hawk, placing it among the established contractors that supply long-cycle military capabilities.

The company remains relevant because US defence demand spans both exquisite systems and cheaper unmanned equipment. On 15 May, the Army awarded Northrop a contract for RangeHawk, a high-altitude drone derived from the Global Hawk airframe for hypersonic-test tracking. Three days later, the Pentagon selected it as a preferred effects-module supplier for a large drone programme.

Its position rests on systems integration across air, space and missile defence rather than a single product line. The US Space Force included Northrop in the Golden Dome contract pool on 24 April, extending that role into proposed space-based missile-defence work.

Key Issues
Combat drones

Northrop loses the wingman contest

On 17 June, the US Air Force selected Anduril and General Atomics for its first funded autonomous combat-drone wingman contracts. The selection passed over Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The target price was below $30m per aircraft, placing production cost at the centre of a competition long dominated by established aviation primes.

For Northrop, the result narrows its route into the Collaborative Combat Aircraft market while leaving its wider unmanned portfolio intact. The company was also a payload-standard contractor in the Pentagon's Drone Dominance programme, where the department sought equipment for 200,000 drones. That role gives Northrop exposure to high-volume drone procurement even after its autonomous wingman bid failed.

Common Questions
What is Northrop Grumman?
Northrop Grumman is a major US defence and aerospace corporation founded in 1939, with revenues of roughly $42 billion and around 95,000 employees. Its portfolio spans strategic bombers, unmanned aircraft, missile defence radar, and space systems.Source: event
What is the Northrop Grumman YFQ-48A Talon Blue?
The YFQ-48A Talon Blue is Northrop Grumman's entry in the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) competition, competing against Anduril's YFQ-44A Fury and General Atomics' YFQ-42A Dark Merlin for a $680 million initial production contract.Source: event
How does Northrop Grumman compare to Anduril for the CCA contract?
Northrop Grumman brings scale and classified-programme experience with its YFQ-48A Talon Blue; Anduril counters with a software-first, low-cost approach and Arsenal-1's 150-aircraft-per-year production rate. The contest is seen as a test of legacy integration versus attritable mass production.Source: event
Is Northrop Grumman involved in the Iran conflict?
Northrop Grumman radar infrastructure was included in the $8 billion Kuwait emergency arms waiver signed during the Iran-Gulf conflict in March 2026, deepening the company's air-defence presence in The Gulf region.Source: event
Who makes the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber?
The B-2 Spirit was designed and built by Northrop Grumman. Twenty airframes remain in service with the US Air Force. Northrop Grumman is also developing the successor B-21 Raider, which is currently in flight testing.Source: event
What is Northrop Grumman's YFQ-48A Talon Blue drone?
The YFQ-48A Talon Blue is Northrop Grumman's autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, designed to fly alongside manned fighters. It competes against Anduril and General Atomics platforms in the US Air Force CCA programme.Source: event
What is Northrop Grumman's role in the Golden Dome programme?
Northrop Grumman is one of twelve companies awarded a share of the US Space Force's $3.2 billion Golden Dome OTA pool in April 2026, covering Space-Based Interceptor prototypes alongside Anduril, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon.Source: event
What is the B-21 Raider and how is it different from the B-2?
The B-21 Raider is Northrop Grumman's next-generation long-range stealth bomber, currently in flight testing. It succeeds the B-2 Spirit with a more modern, open-architecture design intended for lower sustainment costs and adaptable payloads.Source: event
How did the Iran conflict affect Northrop Grumman's business?
Northrop Grumman's radar systems were included in the emergency $8 billion Kuwait arms deal during the Iran-Gulf conflict, accelerating Gulf demand for air-defence infrastructure at a time when the company is also competing for the CCA and Golden Dome contracts.Source: event
How large is Northrop Grumman compared with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon?
Northrop Grumman generates roughly $42 billion in annual revenues. Lockheed Martin is significantly larger at around $68 billion; Raytheon (RTX) is similar to Lockheed. All three compete and co-operate on major US government contracts.Source: event
What is Northrop Grumman's role in the Drone Dominance programme?
In May 2026, Northrop Grumman was named one of five preferred payload providers for the Pentagon's Drone Dominance Common UAS Payload programme, supplying standardised fuze, warhead, and interface modules for the 200,000-drone Group 1 FPV fleet by 2027.Source: event