Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 RangeHawks Take Flight on an Exciting New Venture

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) RQ-4 RangeHawk is ready to bolster the SkyRange program’s U.S. hypersonic missile flight trials from its Grand Sky facility adjacent to Grand Forks, North Dakota. SkyRange represents the Department of Defense Test Resource Management Center’s (TRMC) unmanned high-altitude, long-endurance, responsive mobile flight evaluation system,

To advance the SkyRange project, Block 20 and 30 RQ-4B Global Hawk aircraft are being transitioned to TRMC for conversion into RangeHawks. This transformation will incorporate state-of-the-art payloads to empower the aircraft with the capability to facilitate the assessment of hypersonic vehicles and other long-range armaments. RangeHawks offer over-the-horizon altitude, endurance, and adaptability, which are essential for gathering telemetry and additional data to oversee the vehicle during flight evaluations. Expanding the capabilities of hypersonic vehicle assessments propels the necessary research and development to maintain a competitive edge in the global arena.

“Our RQ-4 RangeHawks will support the rising category of hypersonic munitions and furnish a mix of range, endurance, and payload capacity,” stated Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager of global surveillance at Northrop Grumman. “These aircraft will uphold their mission in critical national security operations while allowing us to deliver premier aircraft design, modification, operational, and maintenance functions to the Grand Forks community.”

While prior evaluations depended on ship-based sensors, RangeHawks can execute such assignments using fewer resources, thereby minimizing costs and complexities. RangeHawks are fitted with sensors to showcase an alternative data-gathering support system for hypersonic assessments and have been involved in various hypersonic test activities in the Pacific and beyond.

“SkyRange will empower the Department of Defense to quicken our tempo of assessing hypersonic systems,” said George Rumford, acting director and principal deputy at TRMC. “Northrop Grumman’s RangeHawk is perfectly equipped to gather data by offering persistent time-on-station positioned closer to the flight trajectory and the agility to adjust to the dynamics of a testing environment – acting as a force enhancer as we advance crucial national security capabilities.”

Northrop Grumman is also overseeing operations and maintenance of the RQ-4A RangeHawk prototype fleet in collaboration with NASA at the Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, alongside integrating new payloads for the forthcoming RQ-4B RangeHawk fleet.

Northrop Grumman supports numerous systems crucial for connecting each service across diverse domains while pushing forward aeronautics to help ensure defense forces maintain an advantage over competitors. As a recognized innovator in autonomous systems, Northrop Grumman’s current and impending platforms are groundbreaking in deterring and confronting adversaries on the battlefield.

Northrop Grumman is a technology corporation, focused on global security and human exploration. Our pioneering solutions equip our clients with the capabilities necessary to connect, advance, and safeguard the U.S. and its allies. Driven by a strong commitment to innovation…