Northrop Grumman lands $338M helicopter avionics contract

Northrop Grumman has received a $338 million contract from the Navy for continued integration and development of the Marine Corps’ H-1 helicopter fleet’s avionics systems and weapons.

Under the contract, the Falls Church-based Fortune 500 aerospace, defense and technology contractor will research alternatives to and investigate and document new capabilities and anomalies of H-1 avionics and weapons; develop, integrate and test systems; and identify maintenance and equipment to support the systems, the Pentagon said in a July 1 announcement.

The H-1 fleet includes the AH-1Z Viper and UH-1Y Venom light attack helicopters. The H-1 fleet began using Northrop Grumman mission computers in 1997, according to Lindsay McEwen, vice president of navigation, targeting and survivability for Northrop Grumman. The contractor provides the digital cockpit and mission computer to the airframes, and recently integrated the Link 16 network, allowing crews to share data and communicate with other aircraft and users on military networks, as well as the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile.

Work is expected to be complete by June 2027. Funds under the award will be obligated as individual orders are made, the announcement said. The contract, which is cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, was not competitively bid.