Northrop Grumman to Rapidly Develop Marine Corps CCA with Kratos’ Valkyrie UAS

Northrop Grumman has been competitively awarded a contract by the U.S. Marine Corps to lead development of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). The program is designed to accelerate the deployment of uncrewed aircraft capable of operating alongside crewed fighter platforms, enhancing air dominance in contested and high-threat operational environments.

Under the award, Northrop Grumman will rapidly develop and deliver a missionized uncrewed platform that integrates advanced autonomy, sensing, and mission systems. The solution combines Northrop Grumman’s leadership in autonomous operations and mission systems with a proven uncrewed air vehicle supplied by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, providing the Marine Corps with a low-risk and scalable collaborative combat aircraft capability.

Integrated Mission Systems and Autonomy
At the core of the platform is Northrop Grumman’s advanced mission kit, which packages sensors and software-defined technologies into a compact, cost-effective architecture optimized for uncrewed aircraft. The mission kit is designed to support a wide range of kinetic and non-kinetic mission effects, enabling flexible mission execution across evolving operational scenarios.

The aircraft will be operated using Northrop Grumman’s open-architecture autonomy software, known as Prism. This autonomy framework manages flight operations and mission execution while allowing future upgrades and integration with joint and allied systems. The open architecture approach supports rapid adaptation as mission requirements evolve.

Proven Uncrewed Air Vehicle Platform
The solution incorporates the Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system from Kratos, configured to support the Marine Corps’ expeditionary and operational requirements. The platform features conventional takeoff and landing capability, a modular airframe, and adaptable payload bays, allowing it to support a broad range of mission configurations and deployment concepts.

Accelerated Path to Operational Capability
By packaging sensors, autonomy software and mission systems into a streamlined footprint, Northrop Grumman has reduced integration complexity while improving affordability and deployability. The collaborative effort draws on existing product lines and mature technologies from Northrop Grumman, Kratos and commercial partners.

The missionized CCA solution incorporates survivability, connectivity, lethality and supportability features designed for persistent joint crewed and uncrewed expeditionary operations. With more than 20 successful flight demonstrations conducted in operationally relevant environments, the team is offering the U.S. Marine Corps a low-risk and expedited path to achieving MUX TACAIR mission capability.

Executive Perspectives
“Northrop Grumman remains at the forefront of advanced sensing and autonomous mission capabilities, delivering solutions that meet the needs of the warfighter with speed and reliability,” said Krys Moen, vice president of advanced mission capabilities at Northrop Grumman. “This program demonstrates how crewed and uncrewed platforms can operate together effectively to deliver combat-ready capability in demanding environments.”

Steve Fendley, president of the Unmanned Systems Division at Kratos, added that integrating Valkyrie with Northrop Grumman’s mission systems results in a high-capability collaborative combat aircraft that can be deployed at scale alongside crewed aircraft.

www.northropgrumman.com