Northrop Grumman Delivers Aerial Targets

Northrop Grumman delivered to the U.S. Navy two retrofitted BQM-34 Firebee aerial targets, the first delivery in a series of BQM-34 targets retrofitted with current production avionics hardware and software capability from the BQM-74E product line, the company said. The retrofit addresses avionics obsolescence issues faced by the oldest BQM-34 targets in the Navy inventory. An added benefit of integrating the modernized avionics includes fully autonomous waypoint navigation and improved extreme low altitude performance using the same mission planning system and vehicle avionics suite currently delivered with Navy BQM-74 targets. Under two contracts recently awarded by the Navy, Northrop Grumman will retrofit a total of 15 BQM-34 Firebees.