- Northrop Grumman received a $59.98 million Air Force Research Laboratory contract for VEYRON digital beamforming ASIC research and development.
- The program will design and demonstrate a secure transceiver chip with on-chip Root of Security features to address supply chain risks.
Northrop Grumman has been awarded a nearly $60 million research and development contract to advance secure semiconductor technology for digital beamforming applications, according to a U.S. government contract announcement.
The cost-plus-fixed-fee award totals $59,978,362 and supports research and development for the VEYRON effort. As noted in the contract description, the work will develop, fabricate, and demonstrate a digital beamforming transceiver Application Specific Integrated Circuit, or ASIC, that integrates supply chain vulnerability mitigation through on-chip Root of Security technology components.
The contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., based in Linthicum Heights, Maryland. All work under the award will be performed at that location and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2028.
According to the award notice, the effort is focused on creating a secure, purpose-built semiconductor design that supports advanced digital beamforming while addressing growing concerns about supply chain integrity. By embedding Root of Security components directly onto the chip, the VEYRON program is intended to reduce exposure to tampering, counterfeiting, and other risks associated with complex global semiconductor supply chains.
Digital beamforming transceivers are central to a wide range of modern military systems, including advanced radar, electronic warfare, communications, and sensing platforms. These systems rely on precise control of signal direction and timing, capabilities that increasingly depend on custom-designed integrated circuits rather than off-the-shelf components.
The VEYRON effort is being managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, which is listed as the contracting activity. Fiscal 2025 Office of the Secretary of War research funds totaling $7 million are being obligated at the time of award, with the remaining funding expected to be provided incrementally over the life of the contract.
While the government did not release technical specifications for the ASIC under development, the scope of work includes design, fabrication, and demonstration, indicating the program is expected to progress beyond theoretical research into working hardware prototypes.
Northrop Grumman has longstanding experience in radar, sensor, and electronic systems that rely on digital beamforming technologies. The company’s Linthicum Heights site is a major center for development of advanced electronics used across air, land, sea, and space platforms.
The cost-plus-fixed-fee structure of the contract reflects the research-heavy nature of the work, where technical risk and iterative development are expected. Such contracts are commonly used for early-stage or advanced technology efforts that may later transition into acquisition programs if successful.