Northrop Grumman Firebird

The Northrop Grumman Firebird is a high‑altitude, long‑range unmanned aircraft system developed by Northrop Grumman to meet the U.S. Air Force’s Persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) requirements. Conceived in 2016 under the Air Force’s Advanced Battle Management System program, the aircraft first flew in 2018 and entered operational testing in 2020. Its distinctive blended‑wing design, derived from the Global Hawk family, incorporates a lightweight composite airframe and a single Rolls‑Royce AE 3007 turbofan that enables endurance of up to 30 hours at altitudes above 55,000 feet. The Firebird carries a modular payload bay capable of supporting electro‑optical/infrared cameras, synthetic‑aperture radar, signals‑intelligence suites and emerging AI‑driven processing nodes, allowing rapid re‑configuration for diverse missions. By combining high‑altitude persistence with a reduced radar cross‑section, the platform offers strategic ISR coverage while minimizing vulnerability in contested airspace. Its development underscores Northrop Grumman’s leadership in autonomous aerospace technology and represents a pivotal step toward integrating advanced data‑fusion and machine‑learning capabilities into next‑generation ISR architectures. The Firebird is slated for incorporation into the U.S. Air Force’s Distributed Common Ground System, where its real‑time data streams will augment decision‑making for both kinetic and non‑kinetic operations across the Indo‑Pacific and European theaters.

Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman Firebird

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