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Northrop Grumman employs three Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft to test fighter jet noses, radar systems, and avionics. The company operates these testbed aircraft, identified as N804X, N805X, and N806X.
The CRJ700 series of regional jets are commonly used for feeder flights worldwide. Bombardier produced nearly 2,000 of these aircraft between 1994 and 2020, including 330 CRJ700s. Northrop Grumman's use of this type of aircraft to test fighter jet noses marks a notable role change.
Northrop Grumman has equipped one of its Bombardier CRJ700s in a way that allows it to test fighter jet noses, extending the length of its pointy front end even further. This modification is particularly striking on the aircraft bearing the registration N804X. According to ch-aviation data, this plane is 25 years old and first flew on June 17th, 1999. It began as a testbed aircraft for Bombardier itself before joining Northrop Grumman in February 2011.
