Northrop Grumman has introduced a new “low-cost” video information system for unmanned aerial vehicles that will provide data on enemy positions to US military commanders, states a company release. Called HURT, or heterogeneous urban RSTA (reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition) team, the system controls a small network of low-flying UAVs to send video images in real time to commanders, a capability they currently lack, says Northrop, which is working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the Air Force Research Lab on the project. Ground forces can view HURT images and request specific information about an enemy position by using a simple touch screen. The system prioritizes requests and sends the appropriate UAV to go capture additional imagery. Northrop has tested HURT with smaller UAVs, most recently earlier this month, but says it eventually could be integrated on larger UAVs.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability to prevail.
