Northrop Grumman’s Tern UAS Passes Two Important Reviews
Northrop Grumman recently completed two milestones for its Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) program, which seeks to build a UAS designed for multiple medium altitude, long endurance missions.
Back in October, the Tern UAS’ General Electric engine underwent a successful critical design review (CDR). The reviewers approved a configuration to the Tern’s engine that will give it the capability to fly both vertically and horizontally.
After that successful review of the General Electric engine, the Tern’s vehicle management system underwent a successful CDR as well. In this review, approval was given for hardware and software architecture that will give the Tern the ability to launch and recover vertically from ships and move to horizontal flights.
In a press release published earlier this week, Tern’s program manager Bob August talked about the distinctive features of the UAS and when he hopes to see it be tested.
“Tern’s unique combination of speed, long endurance, range, and altitude would give the Navy and Marine Corps a cost-effective, transformational capability to conduct ISR, light strike, and other missions from the sea at ranges exceeding 600 nautical miles,” August said.
“These successful milestones add confidence to our plan to demonstrate this new vehicle capability in 2018.”
The vision of the Tern team is to launch the system from small surface ships and travel anywhere between 600 and 900 nautical miles from its launch vessel, all while carrying a 600-pound payload, to conduct missions for the military.
