Marine Corps selects Northrop Grumman for Collaborative Combat Aircraft effort
NewsJanuary 09, 2026
BALTIMORE, Maryland. Northrop Grumman was chosen by the U.S. Marine Corps for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force Uncrewed Expeditionary Tactical Aircraft (MUX TACAIR) Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort, the company announced in a statement.
Northrop Grumman says the approach pairs its mission systems with Kratos’ Valkyrie uncrewed aerial system (UAS) to support operations alongside crewed fighter aircraft. The planned configuration includes a mission kit with sensors and software-defined components intended for uncrewed platforms, the statement reads. Northrop Grumman also plans to provide an open-architecture autonomy software package called Prism to manage aircraft operations, according to the statement.
Kratos’ Valkyrie is expected to provide the air vehicle with conventional takeoff and landing and modular payload bays, the company says. Northrop Grumman adds that the design is intended to support kinetic and non-kinetic mission effects and to emphasize survivability, connectivity, lethality, and supportability for expeditionary operations. Financial terms and a delivery schedule were not disclosed in the statement.
