The US Army has reached an agreement with Northrop Grumman to deploy next-generation platforms that will collect real-time data from the air during missile flight tests, replacing sea-based tracking ships.
The US Army Contracting Command has taken a new step to increase data collection flexibility during high-speed system test programs. As part of this effort, a contract worth over $325 million has been signed with Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. for a prototype of the RangeHawk universal payload architecture. The project, which was conducted online with only a single bid received, involves the development of a high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) airborne test platform.
Replacing Traditional Tracking Ships
Under the project, all engineering work will be carried out in San Diego. Northrop Grumman will be responsible for prototype development, structural modification of an existing aircraft, advanced sensor integration, as well as demonstration, validation, and related logistics preparations. The RangeHawk architecture is particularly significant because it is intended to replace costly, time-consuming sea-based tracking ships during flight tests of hypersonic missiles and munitions. It will also bring telemetry and real-time data collection capabilities together in a modular structure on a flying platform.
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First Allocation Made from FY2026 Budget
At the time of the contract signing, $65,657,001 was directly allocated to the project from the US Army’s Fiscal Year 2026 Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) funds. The RangeHawk project, which is part of the Pentagon’s strategy to increase annual hypersonic testing capacity and is expected to speed up test qualification processes, has a projected completion date of 14 May 2031.
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Source: C4Defence
