Red 6 Partners with Northrop Grumman to accelerate the development and integration of autonomous systems

Rhea-AI Summary

Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) has partnered with Red 6 to enhance its Beacon™ initiative, an open-access next-generation testbed ecosystem for autonomous mission capabilities. The collaboration will integrate Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into the Beacon platform.

Red 6's ATARS technology creates virtual outdoor environments for threat-relevant training scenarios, enabling collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) formation training. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of autonomous systems by providing a testing environment that combines Northrop Grumman's flight software with third-party mission software solutions.

The Beacon platform offers an integrated environment for testing new autonomous solutions while providing exposure to industry leaders capable of scaling these innovations.

Positive

• Partnership enhances Northrop Grumman's autonomous mission capabilities through Red 6's proven ATARS technology
• Integration enables more sophisticated training scenarios for both crewed and uncrewed formations
• Open-access ecosystem allows for faster development and testing of autonomous solutions

Negative

• None.

ORLANDO, Fla., July 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Red 6, a hardware-enabled software company revolutionizing military flight training, today announced its partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) on the Beacon™ initiative – Northrop Grumman's open-access next-generation testbed ecosystem designed to rapidly deliver new autonomous mission capabilities.

The collaboration will specifically focus on equipping the Beacon platform with Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS). ATARS creates virtual outdoor worlds that deliver threat-relevant, near-peer level training scenarios at speed and scale – affordably increasing safety, easing airspace limitations, enabling next-generation aircraft training, and providing significant environmental benefits. Red 6 pilots are currently training in CCA formations using ATARS, making Red 6's technology essential for preparing aviators for the collaborative combat aircraft era.

"The Beacon program represents the future of autonomous mission development, and we're excited to contribute Red 6's innovative augmented reality capabilities to this groundbreaking initiative," said Daniel Robinson, Founder and CEO of Red 6. "Red 6 already supports some of the USAF's most sophisticated training scenarios, involving both crewed and uncrewed formations. Our partnership with Northrop Grumman will accelerate the integration of these proven capabilities into the autonomous systems that will define the future of collaborative combat operations."

"We look forward to working with our partners to integrate their innovative capabilities that will accelerate the development of future autonomous platforms," said Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Aeronautics Systems, Northrop Grumman. "Beacon is about collaboration across industry between companies of all sizes and expertise. By providing open access to the Beacon ecosystem, we're enhancing the innovation, new competition and ultimately the autonomous capabilities that industry can deliver to our customers – with unmatched speed and at scale."

Beacon provides an integrated environment that mimics relevant mission scenarios, giving third-party partners an opportunity to test new autonomous solutions with exposure to industry leaders who can scale them. The platform brings multiple partners' mission software together with Northrop Grumman's proven flight software to connect the best in industry and accelerate the development of autonomous capabilities.

About Red 6

Red 6 is revolutionizing military pilot training through the development of ATARS (Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System), the world's first outdoor, airborne augmented reality training system. ATARS creates completely realistic synthetic flight training experiences with visible outdoors and full daylight capabilities, low-latency performance in high-speed dynamic environments, the highest field of view with full color display, multi-player environment support, and custom scenario development. Red 6's technology enhances readiness, lethality, and efficiency for military aviation training programs worldwide.

About Northrop Grumman

Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers' toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.

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SOURCE Red 6

FAQ

What is the partnership between Northrop Grumman (NOC) and Red 6 about?

The partnership integrates Red 6's Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) into Northrop Grumman's Beacon™ initiative to accelerate the development of autonomous mission capabilities.

What is Northrop Grumman's Beacon initiative?

Beacon is an open-access next-generation testbed ecosystem that combines Northrop Grumman's flight software with third-party mission software to accelerate autonomous capabilities development.

How does Red 6's ATARS technology benefit military training?

ATARS creates virtual outdoor environments for threat-relevant training scenarios, increasing safety, reducing airspace limitations, enabling next-generation aircraft training, and providing environmental benefits.

What is the significance of this partnership for Northrop Grumman's autonomous systems development?

The partnership accelerates the integration of proven augmented reality capabilities into autonomous systems, enhancing collaborative combat operations and advancing Northrop Grumman's autonomous platform development.

How does the Beacon platform benefit third-party partners?

Beacon provides an integrated testing environment for new autonomous solutions while offering exposure to industry leaders who can help scale these innovations.