Northrop Grumman Plans To Install STARlite Radar On TigerShark UAS

Northrop Grumman and Navmar Applied Sciences are working together on the installation of the STARlite radar on the TigerShark UAS for the U.S Navy and special operations requirements. The AN/ZPY-1 STARlite system is operational with the US Army’s MQ-1Q Gray Eagle. A contract worth $41 million was awarded to Navmar for a number of TigerShark Block III upgrades, including a ‘Laser Detection and Ranging Identification Demonstration’. Delivery will begin in April 2013 and will continue until March 2014. Northrop Grumman will supply 44 STARlite systems to the US Army for the Gary Eagle. Mike Lobb, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems business development director, said, “We are seeing a mindset change with the services now realising that we can provide an ISR capability with a radar. Previously, it was always thought of as a fire control application but that is now changing. The company was chasing an opportunity to install the STARLite on the MQ-8C Fire Scout and had reduced the weight of the system to 45 pounds for deployment on smaller UAS such as the RQ-7 Shadow".