Northrop Grumman has secured an $18.8m contract from the US Army to develop and integrate solid-fuel ramjet propulsion for missile prototypes in the eXtended Range Counter-Uncrewed Aircraft System (XRC) programme.
The contract will be executed in collaboration with the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Centre.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Work will take place at the company’s Allegany Ballistics Laboratory facility in West Virginia, a site specialising in propulsion systems and energetics.
The development will include ground and flight testing to assess the design and production processes.
According to the company, a solid-fuel ramjet uses atmospheric oxygen as the oxidiser during flight rather than carrying a chemical oxidizer within the propellant.
This mechanism frees up internal space for additional fuel, delivering greater range and energy for engagements against highly manoeuvrable aerial threats.
The resulting design is intended to support scalable manufacturing and a rapid response to defence requirements.
Northrop Grumman missile products vice president Erik Buice said: “The rapid evolution of unmanned aerial threats demands innovative solutions. By aligning the Army’s vision for next-generation air defence with our advanced propulsion expertise, we’re delivering capability that engages targets farther away, protects mobile forces and strengthens layered defence against emerging aerial threats.”
The XRC programme is focused on enhancing the US Army’s Manoeuvre Short Range Air Defence (M-SHORAD) system, which is designed to protect manoeuvring forces from low-altitude aerial threats.
Compatibility with the Stinger Vehicle Universal Launcher will support the system’s use against unmanned aircraft, fixed-wing aircraft and rotary-wing aircraft.
Northrop Grumman also serves as prime contractor for the Forward Area Air Defence Command and Control (FAAD C2) system, the Army’s short-range air-defence programme of record.
In addition to the XRC programme, the company’s AI-powered AiON command system enables the coordination of multiple sensors and engagement of large drone swarms, strengthening the tactical response to evolving threats.
