Northrop integrates electronic warfare payload on small UAS

CHINA LAKE, Calif., Nov. 14  – Northrop Grumman reports its first integration of an internal, miniature electronic attack payload on a small unmanned aircraft system.

The company’s Pandora payload – derived from the APR-39 systems for electronic attack, support and protection – was integrated on a Bat unmanned aircraft system and during demonstration flights and successfully jammed radars.

The testing, which involved other unmanned aircraft systems and fixed-wing aircraft, took place last month at the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron One Weapons and Tactics Instructor event at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif. Additional details of the demonstrations were not disclosed.

Bat is a low-flying system with a maximum flight speed of 70 miles per hour and an endurance of 15 hours. It is being developed for the U.S. military and features different sensor payloads for tactical missions, such as intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition and communications relay.

“Bat continues to demonstrate capabilities that can normally only be achieved by larger, more expensive unmanned aircraft,” said George Vardoulakis, Northrop Grumman’s vice president of Medium Range Tactical Systems. “Our customers now have a more mobile and affordable option for electronic warfare missions.”