Bat Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)
Bat™ is Northrop Grumman’s line of affordable, scalable and reconfigurable Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) that are ideally suited to an irregular warfare environment. The product line offers organic, persistent platforms that provide real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR). Bat™ also can be configured for tactical missions such as communications relay and a variety of other missions.
Runway independent and fully autonomous, the Bat™ is designed to launch and recover from land, air and sea. Recovery options include primary net or optional landing gear. The product line features wingspans from 6.5 to 33.2 feet. The blended wing body design has a high payload volume and a low acoustic, visual, infrared and radar signature. The large, reconfigurable bay can easily accept modular payloads. Northrop Grumman is integrating several new payloads, a common ground control architecture and air vehicle upgrades including a new engine, new launcher capability and several air vehicle capability enhancements.
Northrop Grumman has successfully completed multiple flights of a 10-foot Bat™ that demonstrated a communications payload in a realistic, desert theater setting. The vehicle was flown five times over a four-day period to demonstrate system reliability.
Larger outboard wing sections provide increased altitude and endurance. Advanced construction techniques and proven off-the-shelf avionic components allow reliable system operation in the most extreme environments. The pneumatic catapult launcher and net recovery system can easily be transported by HMMWV, helicopters, V-22 or cargo aircraft.
Multiple air vehicles can be operated simultaneously from a single ground control segment (GCS) that can feed multiple imagery workstations or warfighters with PDA/ruggedized laptops in the field.
Northrop Grumman Contacts
Government and Industry:
John “Jack” Rees
Program Manager
(858) 618-3636
News Media:
Jim Hart
(310) 331-3616