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A U.S. Marine Corps F-35 flies with a Kratos XQ-58, which has been selected as its first Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
Northrop Grumman will provide the autonomy software for the U.S. Marine Corps first loyal wingman uncrewed system, developing the control system for the Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie tapped for the role.
Northrop Grumman announced Jan. 8 that its PRISM software in development will control what is called the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). As part of the selection, Northrop will provide a mission kit including sensors and “software-defined technologies designed specifically for uncrewed aircraft.” This includes the ability to operate weapons, the company said in an announcement.
PRISM will manage the aircraft’s operations autonomously, to include both conventional takeoff and landing along with “enhanced runway flexibility.” Kratos has said Valkyrie can take off in multiple ways, including conventionally on a runway, using a trolley and its current method of booster launched from a stand.
“Northrop Grumman remains at the forefront of advanced sensing capabilities, delivering innovative solutions that meet the needs of the warfighter with unmatched speed and reliability. This enhanced capability set ensures optimal performance for both crewed and uncrewed platforms,” says Krys Moen, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of advanced mission capabilities.
Northrop Grumman has laid out PRISM as the flight software it is using for its uncrewed testbed, the Beacon aircraft—a Scaled Composites Model 437. The company in December also rolled out the YFQ-48A “Project Talon” aircraft, which is an evolved CCA design from what it offered for the U.S. Air Force’s first CCA increment.
Kratos says it will deliver 15-20 Valkyries to customers in 2026, both for the U.S. Marine Corps and potential for Germany. The aircraft first flew in 2019 and has been used for CCA testing both by the Marines and the Air Force.
Steve Fendley, president of the Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, told Aviation Week in December that the company has funded itself to produce 24 of the aircraft on top of the three that were developed as part of the original contract. The company’s rate is just below one per month, but it can accelerate to more. Kratos has started hiring and expanding its facilities to speed up that ramp rate, he says.
Beyond the Marines, Fendley says there is “one more domestic opportunity” potentially including the Air Force’s next increment.
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