DARPA Awards Northrop Contract for Tern Demonstration Program
Northrop Grumman’s Tern demonstrator will take off vertically, but then it will convert for horizontal flight. Image: Northrop Grumman.
In early January, DARPA and the Office of Naval Research awarded Northrop Grumman a phase-three contract for the Tern unmanned systems program, which includes the final design, fabrication and at-sea demonstration of an autonomous intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike system that can be launched and recovered from small-deck naval vessels.
Tern will expand current mission capabilities in the maritime environment, according to a Northrop press release. The unmanned aircraft will not need land bases or aircraft carriers to launch, instead using ships with minimal modifications.
“We intend to highly leverage our Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence to develop and demonstrate this type of demanding unmanned systems capability to advance the Navy’s mission,” says Chris Hernandez, vice president of research, technology and advanced design at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “We believe our unique ship-based unmanned systems experience, expertise and lessons learned … is critical to the success of the Tern.”
Northrop has previously worked on a similar demonstrator for Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike — a Navy program that has run into multiple delays stemming from ever-changing requirements — the X-47B, which was successfully flight tested from aircraft carrier on multiple occasions.
Northrop’s team also includes subsidiary Scaled Composites as well as General Electric Aviation, AVX Aircraft Co. and Moog.
Northrop says its demonstrator will have a “distinctive” propulsion solution to help expand its persistent ISR and strike capabilities.
“Using an innovative design that integrates vertical takeoff and landing, transitioning to an efficient flying wing for cruise, our team is creating a system that we believe would achieve Tern’s revolutionary performance objectives in support of our combatant commanders,” says Ralph Starace, director of advanced design at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
“Our full-scale demonstrator system is highly traceable to our operational concept to burn down risk, resulting in a compelling step forward for this game-changing, multimission capability,” says Bob August, Tern program manager at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
