The contract also has units destined for space flight. Credit: Northrop Grumman Corporation.

Northrop Grumman has received a contract from the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the Blackjack programme.

The contract has been awarded for the Phase II development of an advanced, software-defined positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) payload.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Premium Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

It has options to build units destined for space flight.

The Phase II effort is worth $13.3m if all options are exercised.

Northrop Grumman’s Future PNT Systems Operating Unit in Woodland Hills is leading the PNT payload work.

This team supports DARPA Tactical Technology Office’s aim of achieving ‘resilient and affordable national security space capabilities’ from low-Earth orbit (LEO).

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The payload has been developed to keep troops on target even in confined environments against advanced threats.

Blackjack project aims to build a constellation of cost-effective, small, secure, and resilient military satellites leveraging commercial satellite technologies.

Northrop Grumman emerging capabilities development sector vice-president chief technology officer Nicholas Paraskevopoulos said: “Northrop Grumman’s software-defined positioning, navigation and timing technology will offer military users an agile new signal from LEO that is not dependent on existing satellite navigation systems.

“Warfighters depend on assured PNT for traditional missions like force projection and joint operations, but also for emerging autonomous and distributed missions.”

The PNT payload comprises Northrop’s Software Enabled Reconfigurable Global Navigation Satellite System Embedded Architecture for Navigation and Timing (SERGEANT) capability.