DARPA’s Tern program could conduct a series of technology demonstrators next year, DARPA said. The agency, along with the U.S. Office of Naval Research and Northrop Grumman, are currently planning at-sea flight tests of a full-scale technology demonstration system, slated for late 2018.

A possible contender for both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the Tern program should result in a long-endurance drone capable of completing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; electronic warfare; and light strike missions. The drone would have all-weather and day/night capabilities, as well. Tern aims to be a VTOL aircraft that can transition to horizontal flight once airborne, based on small-deck, helicopter-capable ships.

Northrop Grumman won the $93 million Tern Phase 3 contract in 2015 to complete a detailed aircraft design, develop two full-scale demonstrators, land-based testing and at-sea demonstrations of launch and recovery. The drone has successfully completed critical design reviews (CDR) for its engine and management system.