Northrop Grumman Lumberjack showcased at Operation Lethal Eagle

Northrop Grumman’s Lumberjack uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) recently demonstrated its autonomous strike and surveillance capabilities during a US Army exercise. This development highlights the service’s shift towards using low-cost, expendable systems and distributed lethality.

By Sam Cranny-Evans, editor of Calibre Defence, published on April 2, 2026.

Northrop Grumman has demonstrated the autonomous mission capabilities of its Northrop Grumman Lumberjack uncrewed aircraft system (UAS). The trials took place during the US Army 101st Airborne Division’s Operation Lethal Eagle, according to a March 31 press release. 

During the exercise, Army personnel operated the Group 3 UAS through the Maven Smart System. This integration allowed the Lumberjack to perform autonomously while maintaining human supervision, including continuous beyond line of sight communication.

The demonstration included the deployment of simulated Hatchet munitions, coupled with Palantir’s Agentic AI targeting tools. Those tools enable dynamic adjustment to battlefield conditions, the press release states, which may indicate some ability for in-flight updates. Hatchet is an interesting addition. It is a miniature precision strike weapon that weighs approximately 2.7 kg (6 lbs). Despite its small size, Northrop claims that it provides lethality usually reserved for much larger weapons.

Following the simulated strikes, the Lumberjack transitioned to surveillance roles to gather additional intelligence. Surveillance is an important element of strike operations that is often missed. For instance, just because you hit a target, it does not mean that you had the desired effect. Battle damage assessments allow for re-targeting and additional effects to be brought to bear if needed. 

“While primarily focused on readiness training, Operation Lethal Eagle also provided a unique opportunity to test and evaluate multiple new emerging systems from across the defense industrial enterprise,” said Maj. Jonathon Bless, Public Affairs Officer for the 101st Airborne Division.

Tech profile: Lumberjack

No details were provided on the size of the Lumberjack. However, it was classified as a Group 3 UAS in the press release. According to US Department of Defense standards, Group 3 aircraft typically weigh between 25 kg and 600 kg. They usually operate at altitudes below 18,000 feet and at speeds under 250 knots. So, that helps give an idea of the platform’s size and limits – but it is an admittedly broad standard.

Lumberjack, like the UK’s StormShroud, is designed to be “attritable,” which means they are affordable enough to be lost in combat. Because they are expendable, commanders can deploy them into high-risk areas without the cost concerns of larger platforms. Furthermore, expendable platforms pose less of a risk to an overall formation if lost. For comparison, the loss of several tanks and howitzers could imperil an entire defence, whereas expendable drones are meant to be closer to ammunition. 

• RAF inducts StormShroud to jam enemy radars – Calibre Defence 
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That said, the Lumberjack features a modular centre bay for interchangeable payloads. This allows it to carry either kinetic munitions or non-kinetic effects which may indicate electronic warfare. It can be launched from both air and ground platforms, which provides significant operational flexibility. Because it uses a third-party airframe modified with a mission kit, the system remains cost-effective for rapid production, according to Northrop Grumman.

The Maven integration is key. It is a map-based system that pulls data from diverse sources and fuses it into a single picture, overlaying the outcome onto the digital map. It can also be used to supervise strikes, as was the case in Operation Lethal Eagle. In concept, it sounds similar to Arondite’s product, which was recently procured by the British Army.

Calibre Comment: The US Army and distributed lethality

The Northrop Grumman Lumberjack demonstration aligns with broader US Army efforts to modernise its strike capabilities. For example, the Army is currently testing the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) to enhance deep strike options, and has employed it during Operation Epic Fury. While the PrSM focuses on long-range theatre access, systems like the Northrop Grumman Lumberjack provide organic, tactical lethality. They could support a range of use cases, like deploying them against air defences to jam and degrade them. This would allow a strike package – potentially including PrSM – to be used against the system. 

• M-LRPSM: US Army down-selects Lockheed/Rafael combo – Calibre Defence
• US Army pushes M-LRPSM through with new Lockheed contract – Calibre Defence 
• Grizzly missile launcher – new punch for US forces – Calibre Defence 

Indeed, the Army is increasingly focused on “distributed lethality.” This concept requires many small, mobile systems to fight distributed. Although larger missiles like the PrSM and Typhon system are essential for hitting high-value targets, attritable drones and smaller missiles are being explored as an option for enabling distributed lethality. Programmes like M-LRPSM are expected to increase the number of precision strike options at the tactical level. Other more embryonic efforts like the Grizzly from Lockheed Martin could expand those options yet further. The end result is that the US Army will field a considerably greater number of precision strike weapons in the near future. Systems like the Lumberjack could end up supporting those units. 

The lead image shows a Lumberjack UAS. Credit: Northrop Grumman.