UAVs

The US Army has restored funding for an improved version of the Northrop Grumman Viper Strike munition for UAVs, with the first weapons scheduled to be delivered into the combat zone shortly.

The formerly laser-guided munition is now upgraded with a GPS guidance system, Northrop says.

The "GPS Viper Strike" will be flight tested the week of 16 August, and be shipped overseas "for employment", Northrop says.

The company developed Viper Strike as the weapon for the MQ-5B Hunter UAV. The Viper Strike is derived from the Brilliant Anti-armour (BAT) round, a cancelled munition for the army tactical missile system (ATACMS) block two.