Is This The Future Of Aerial Intelligence Gathering Platforms?

Northrop Grumman

Warzone/The Drive: Northrop Grumman Plans To Upend Aerial Surveillance Market With Their Optionally Manned Firebird

The massively flexible and super-efficient design is intended to compete with both unmanned and manned aerial intel gathering platforms and win.

One of the most exciting developments in aerial surveillance isn't happening at some shadowy Air Force Base in the middle of Nevada desert, it's occurring at Mojave Air and Space Port, a bustling bastion of aerospace creativity, located 50 miles to the southeast of Bakersfield, California. There, Northrop Grumman is working hard to make Medium Altitude, Long Endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft capabilities accessible to a far larger global customer base than what exists today. They believe this lofty goal can be achieved by bringing an optionally manned, highly unique looking aircraft to the marketplace. That aircraft is the Northrop Grumman Firebird, a plane whose obscure development we here at The War Zone followed intensely, albeit from a distance, as nobody in an official capacity has been willing to discuss it—that is until now.

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WNU Editor: Simple design. Probably very cheap Easy to maintain. Looks like a winner.