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Kratos Valkyrie Selected for Marine Corps Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Kratos will supply its Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system as the air vehicle for a U.S. Marine Corps CCA program integrating autonomous mission systems for crewed–uncrewed expeditionary air operations.
www.kratosdefense.com
This agile solution integrates Northrop Grumman’s proven mission systems with Kratos’ mature Valkyrie. (Photo Credit: U.S. Marine Corps)
Northrop Grumman has been competitively selected by the U.S. Marine Corps to develop the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft, combining autonomous mission systems with an existing uncrewed air vehicle platform to accelerate operational deployment.
The program brings together Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed mission systems and autonomy software with the Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system developed by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. The resulting aircraft is designed to operate alongside crewed fighters, supporting air dominance missions in contested and high-threat environments while maintaining a cost structure suitable for scalable deployment.
At the core of the platform is a compact mission kit developed by Northrop Grumman, integrating sensors and software-defined technologies tailored specifically for uncrewed aircraft. The mission kit is designed to support both kinetic and non-kinetic effects, enabling the aircraft to perform a wide range of combat and support roles while remaining adaptable to evolving mission requirements.
Autonomous flight operations will be managed through Northrop Grumman’s open-architecture autonomy software, known as Prism. The software is designed to control mission execution, coordination, and aircraft behavior without continuous human intervention, supporting complex crewed–uncrewed teaming concepts. Its open architecture allows for future upgrades and integration of additional capabilities without redesigning the core system.
The air vehicle component is based on the Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system from Kratos, which has been configured for the Marine Corps mission set. The platform supports conventional takeoff and landing, modular payload bays, and flexible runway operations, allowing it to operate from austere or distributed locations. The modular airframe enables rapid reconfiguration for different mission profiles, supporting expeditionary operations.
Northrop Grumman, Kratos, and commercial partners leveraged existing product lines and previously demonstrated technologies to reduce development risk and accelerate delivery. The integrated system incorporates survivability, connectivity, lethality, and sustainment features required for joint expeditionary operations. More than 20 successful flight demonstrations in operationally relevant environments have already been completed, providing a validated foundation for the MUX TACAIR mission.
By packaging advanced sensing, autonomy, and mission systems into a smaller and more affordable footprint, the program is intended to provide the U.S. Marine Corps with a scalable collaborative combat aircraft that can be fielded quickly and deployed in coordination with crewed platforms. The approach emphasizes rapid capability delivery, cost control, and adaptability to future operational needs.
www.kratosdefense.com
Northrop Grumman has been competitively selected by the U.S. Marine Corps to develop the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft, combining autonomous mission systems with an existing uncrewed air vehicle platform to accelerate operational deployment.
The program brings together Northrop Grumman’s uncrewed mission systems and autonomy software with the Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system developed by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. The resulting aircraft is designed to operate alongside crewed fighters, supporting air dominance missions in contested and high-threat environments while maintaining a cost structure suitable for scalable deployment.
At the core of the platform is a compact mission kit developed by Northrop Grumman, integrating sensors and software-defined technologies tailored specifically for uncrewed aircraft. The mission kit is designed to support both kinetic and non-kinetic effects, enabling the aircraft to perform a wide range of combat and support roles while remaining adaptable to evolving mission requirements.
Autonomous flight operations will be managed through Northrop Grumman’s open-architecture autonomy software, known as Prism. The software is designed to control mission execution, coordination, and aircraft behavior without continuous human intervention, supporting complex crewed–uncrewed teaming concepts. Its open architecture allows for future upgrades and integration of additional capabilities without redesigning the core system.
The air vehicle component is based on the Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system from Kratos, which has been configured for the Marine Corps mission set. The platform supports conventional takeoff and landing, modular payload bays, and flexible runway operations, allowing it to operate from austere or distributed locations. The modular airframe enables rapid reconfiguration for different mission profiles, supporting expeditionary operations.
Northrop Grumman, Kratos, and commercial partners leveraged existing product lines and previously demonstrated technologies to reduce development risk and accelerate delivery. The integrated system incorporates survivability, connectivity, lethality, and sustainment features required for joint expeditionary operations. More than 20 successful flight demonstrations in operationally relevant environments have already been completed, providing a validated foundation for the MUX TACAIR mission.
By packaging advanced sensing, autonomy, and mission systems into a smaller and more affordable footprint, the program is intended to provide the U.S. Marine Corps with a scalable collaborative combat aircraft that can be fielded quickly and deployed in coordination with crewed platforms. The approach emphasizes rapid capability delivery, cost control, and adaptability to future operational needs.
www.kratosdefense.com
