Ready Now: Hatchet Completes Live Drop Testing
Northrop Grumman’s Hatchet munition recently participated in several Department of Defense tests where Hatchet was employed for the first time from Group-3 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) platforms.
One Step Closer
One of the featured demonstrations was the U.S. Army’s premier experimental exercise, Project Convergence 2022, where Hatchet was rapidly integrated with an AeroVironment Jump 20 UAS. Aircraft safety and stores communication was facilitated by the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Dahlgren Division’s Battle Management System (BMS). This U.S. Government-owned micro-BMS provides an open architecture, platform agnostic, stores management system with the capability to launch several weapon types – it now includes the Hatchet miniature precision strike weapon.
“Over the last six months, Hatchet underwent multiple Department of Defense live fire exercises, showcasing its operational capability and integration maturation,” said Joe Esler, business development for Northrop Grumman. “These demonstrations move Hatchet one step closer to field deployment and operational readiness.”
