Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2 Spirit, the flagship of the nation's long range strike arsenal, and one of the world's most survivable aircraft systems. The B-2 is the only combat-proven stealth platform in the current U.S. inventory.

"EHF Increment 1 puts in place the high speed data handling infrastructure that the B-2 will need to perform its most advanced communications and weapons delivery missions in the future," said Col. Kevin Harms, USAF, Commander, 702nd Aeronautical Systems Group. "The beginning of hardware installation means that we are making solid progress getting this new capability out of the lab and into the hands of the warfighter."

"The installation of EHF Increment 1 hardware also means that we're nearly done with a significant task of software development, integration and testing for the program," added Dave Mazur, Northrop Grumman's vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager.

According to Mazur, the new software was developed, integrated and tested by Northrop Grumman employees working at the Air Force's Weapon Systems Support Center, Tinker AFB, Okla. Ground testing of the EHF Increment 1 hardware is planned early in 2010.

The first "kit" of EHF Increment 1 hardware includes:

• A new integrated processing unit (IPU) developed by Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, Owego, NY., that will replace up to a dozen current stand-alone avionics computers on the B-2;
• A new disk drive unit developed by Honeywell Defense and Space Electronic Systems, Plymouth, Minn., that will enable transfer of EHF data onto and off of the B-2; and
• A network of fiber optic cable that will support the high speed data transfers within the aircraft.

The three-increment EHF Satcom program is part of an on-going effort by the Air Force and Northrop Grumman to modernize the B-2 to keep it fully mission capable against evolving enemy threats.

Increment 2 involves installation of a new communications terminal and new antennas that will allow the B-2 to transmit and receive information securely via satellite. Increment 3 will integrate the B-2 into the U.S. Department of Defense's Global Information Grid, a worldwide network of information systems, processes and personnel involved in collecting, storing, managing and disseminating information on demand to warfighters, policy makers and military support personnel.

The B-2 is the only U.S. aircraft that combines stealth, long range, large payload and precision weapons in a single platform. In concert with the Air Force's air superiority fleet, which provides airspace control, and the Air Force's tanker fleet, which enables global mobility, the B-2 helps ensure an effective U.S. response to threats anywhere in the world. It can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and more than 10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling, giving it the ability to reach any point on the globe within hours.

The 20-aircraft fleet of B-2s is operated by the 509th Bomb Wing from its headquarters at Whiteman AFB, Mo.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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If all options of the contract are exercised, the full potential value of the contract could reach $678.6 million.

The company's Shipbuilding sector is the prime contractor for the work, which includes planning, design, documentation, engineering, material procurement, shipboard inspections, fabrication and preliminary shipyard or support facility work.

"Lincoln's RCOH will be a large and complex project," said Jim Hughes,Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's vice president of aircraft carrier overhaul and carrier fleet support. "Advance planning for a project of this size is critically important to the success of the overall effort. A group of experienced shipbuilders will partner with the Navy using lessons learned from the four previous RCOHs accomplished at our Newport News shipyard to ensure the successful completion of this project from the planning stages to redelivery of the ship."

Christened in 1988 and delivered to the Navy in 1989, USS Abraham Lincoln is the fifth Nimitz-class carrier built by Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, the nation's sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. It will also be the fifth ship of the class to undergo this major life-cycle milestone. More than 1,000 employees will support the planning effort.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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Representatives of the U.S. Navy and Air Force were on hand to commemorate the event, which took place at the company's facility in Rolling Meadows, Ill.

"Your IRCM system is a high priority inside the U.S. Marine Corps because it protects the pilots out flying important missions every day," said Dan Johnson, Integrated Product Team lead for the Department of the Navy's DIRCM Systems. "It allows us to go where we need to go, whenever we need to be there."

"Since the program's inception, our team members have been focused and dedicated to producing high-quality self-protection systems to protect our nation's warfighters," said Carl Smith, vice president of Infrared Countermeasures Programs at Northrop Grumman's Land & Self Protection Systems Division. "The work we do here provides the most robust, battle-proven capability to protect the warfighter on the battlefield today."

The only such aircraft protection system currently in full production, Northrop Grumman's DIRCM system is now installed or scheduled for installation on several hundred military aircraft to protect approximately 50 different types of large fixed-wing transports and rotary-wing platforms from infrared missile attacks. The system functions by automatically detecting a missile launch, determining if it is a threat and activating a high-intensity laser-based countermeasure system to track and defeat the missile.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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The IBS orders were placed with Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine unit by the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri, which is under contract to build the two tankers at its shipyards in Liguria and Palermo. Terms of the contract for the IBS were not disclosed.

Each of the ships will be fitted with a complete Sperry Marine VisionMaster FT IBS, including radars, electronic chart display and information systems, adaptive self-tuning autopilots, gyrocompasses and repeaters, speed sensors, echosounders, differential GPS and other navigation subsystems and sensors. All critical systems have been duplicated for built-in redundancy and survivability. Sperry Marine will also supply the ship's inertial navigation system and data distribution system, which will be interfaced with the combat management system.

Compagnia Generali Telemar S.p.A, Sperry Marine's sales and service representative in Italy, will be responsible for the installing, commissioning, testing and technical support for the project.

"This important contract win builds on our longstanding relationship as a key supplier to the Indian Navy," said J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of International Naval Systems at Northrop Grumman's Naval and Marine Systems Division. "We are especially pleased to have this opportunity to work with Fincantieri on this major naval shipbuilding program."

The 175-meter tankers are being built with double hulls to meet the International Maritime Organization's requirements for marine pollution control. They are scheduled for delivery to the Indian Navy in 2010-2011.

Northrop Grumman has a well-established relationship with India that spans more than 25 years and has an office in New Delhi.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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"During the 1.5 hour flight conducted at the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., LITENING demonstrated its performance, flexibility and interoperability under operationally representative conditions," said Mike Lennon, vice president of Targeting and Surveillance Programs for Northrop Grumman's Targeting Systems Division. "With LITENING, Northrop Grumman offers advanced sensor technology, unique features, high reliability, proven worldwide support and a demonstrated ability to easily integrate emerging technologies, all at a very competitive price and delivery schedule. As a result of this successful integration of LITENING on the F/A-18E/F aircraft, potential international Super Hornet customers now have another advanced targeting system choice to maximize their targeting and surveillance capabilities."

Northrop Grumman's LITENING pod is a self-contained, multi-sensor system that enables operators with surveillance and situational awareness, and the ability to detect, acquire, identify, and auto-track targets for highly accurate delivery of both conventional and precision-guided weapons. Fully integrated to support both air-to-air and air-to-ground engagements, LITENING features advanced image processing for target identification; coordinate generation for GPS weapons; a 640 x 512 or 1,024 x 1,024 pixel forward-looking infrared sensor for effective day and night operations; a 1,024 x 1,024 pixel charge-coupled device television sensor; a dual waveband infrared laser designator and eye-safe laser range finder; a laser spot tracker; an infrared laser marker; and optional air-to-ground video data link and digital video recorder.

To date, more than 600 LITENING pods have been ordered by the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, and seven allied nations. More than 500 systems have been fielded, the largest number of any advanced targeting and sensor system. LITENING is combat proven on the AV-8B, A-10A/C, B-52H, EA-6B, F-15E, F-16 (Blocks 15-52) and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft. Together, all variants of the LITENING pod have amassed more than 1,000,000 flight hours, with over 500,000 hours logged under deployed or combat conditions.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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"After a comprehensive analysis of the final RFP, Northrop Grumman has determined that it will not submit a bid to the Department of Defense for the KC-X program. We reached this conclusion based on the structure of the source selection methodology defined in the RFP, which clearly favors Boeing's smaller refueling tanker and does not provide adequate value recognition of the added capability of a larger tanker, precluding us from any competitive opportunity.

"Northrop Grumman fully respects the Department's responsibility to determine the military requirements for the new tanker. In the previous competition, Northrop Grumman was selected by the Air Force as offering the most capable tanker for the warfighter at the best value for the taxpayer. However, the Northrop Grumman and EADS team is very disappointed that the revised source selection methodology now dramatically favors Boeing's smaller refueling tanker.

We agree that the fundamental military requirements for the new tanker have not changed since the last competition, but the Department's new evaluation methodology now clearly favors the smaller tanker.

"We continue to believe that Northrop Grumman's tanker represents the best value for the military and taxpayer – a belief supported by the selection of the A330 tanker design over the Boeing design in the last five consecutive tanker competitions around the globe. Regrettably, this means that the U.S. Air Force will be operating a less capable tanker than many of our Allies in this vital mission area.

"Our prior selection by the Air Force, our firm belief that we provide the best value offering, and the hard work and commitment of the many individuals and communities on our team over many years made this a difficult decision for our company. But we have a fiduciary responsibility to our shareholders to prudently invest our corporate resources, as do our more than 200 tanker team suppliers across the United States. Investing further resources to submit a bid would not be acting responsibly.

"We have decided that Northrop Grumman will not protest. While we feel we have substantial grounds to support a GAO or court ruling to overturn this revised source selection process, America's service men and women have been forced to wait too long for new tankers. We feel a deep responsibility to their safety and to their ability to fulfill the missions our nation calls upon them to perform. Taking actions that would further delay the introduction of this urgent capability would also not be acting responsibly.

"We recognize that our decision likely creates a sole-source outcome for Boeing. We call on the Department to keep in mind the economic conclusions of the prior round of bidding as it takes actions to protect the taxpayer when defining the sole-source procurement contract. In the previous round, the Air Force, through a rigorous assessment of our proposal, determined that it would pay a unit flyaway cost of approximately $184 million per tanker for the first 68 tankers, including the non-recurring development costs.

With the Department's decision to procure a much smaller, less capable design, the taxpayer should certainly expect the bill to be much less."

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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The team has just completed a paper "fly-off" between two alternate approaches for redesigning the aft deck. The goal of the program is to develop and produce a new aft deck that can span normal long-term B-2 maintenance cycles without needing additional service or repairs.

Northrop Grumman is the Air Force's prime contractor for the B-2, the flagship of the nation's long range strike arsenal, and one of the most survivable air systems in the world.

"Resolving the aft deck problem is an important part of guaranteeing the long term viability of the B-2," said Dave Mazur, Northrop Grumman's vice president of long range strike and B-2 program manager. "We are committed to helping the Air Force develop and implement the solution that is in the best long term interests of both the B-2 fleet and U.S. taxpayers."

Located behind the B-2's exhaust outlets, the aft deck is exposed to extreme temperatures and acoustic-induced vibrations, making it vulnerable to fatigue and cracking.

"The key to producing a reliable, high performance aft deck is creating a balance between stiffness and flexibility," explains Chuck Osberg, Northrop Grumman's aft deck program manager. "If the deck is too flexible, high cycle fatigue will cause premature failure; if it's too stiff it can put undue stress on adjacent structures."

According to Osberg, the winning aft deck design -- a fundamentally new approach -- was selected on the basis of cost and performance. It reflects many years of thermal and structural analysis of the aft deck, the structures to which it attaches and its operating environment by Northrop Grumman engineers. It also includes new stiffening elements designed to significantly reduce the vibration and metal fatigue currently experienced in flight by the aft deck.

The aft deck upgrade program is the latest in a series of modernizations that the Air Force, Northrop Grumman and its subcontractors have undertaken to ensure that the B-2 remains fully capable against evolving threats.

The B-2 Spirit stealth bomber is one of the most survivable aircraft in the world. It remains the only long-range, large-payload aircraft that can penetrate deeply into protected airspace. In concert with the Air Force's air superiority fleet, which provides airspace control, and the Air Force's tanker fleet, which enables global mobility, the B-2 helps ensure an effective U.S. response to threats anywhere in the world. It can fly more than 6,000 nautical miles unrefueled and more than 10,000 nautical miles with just one aerial refueling, giving it the ability to reach any point on the globe within hours.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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"This was the first time ever that the same Global Hawk has taken off and landed in a single mission from Palmdale, heralding a new era of flights in and out of the facility," said George Guerra, Northrop Grumman vice president of High-Altitude, Long-Endurance systems.

"It's also a huge leap forward for the site as we achieve full production acceptance activities and direct deliveries to the aircraft's main operating base at Beale Air Force Base, Calif."

AF-20 is the eighth consecutive production Global Hawk to complete its operational check flight on the first attempt. The mission also marked the first time the sixth Air Force mission control element and a King Air chase aircraft were utilized.

Prior to this flight, two Global Hawks, AF-12 and AF-16, simultaneously flew historic missions on Dec. 14, 2009. AF-12, one of two Block 20 aircraft to be modified with the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) Joint Urgent Operation Need (JUON) system payload, became the first UAS to land at Palmdale.

At the same time, the AF-16 aircraft, which will be equipped with an airborne signals intelligence payload, became the first Block 30 to fly out of Beale Air Force Base, where it is currently being used for training and for initial operational test and evaluation later this year.

Part of the Air Force's Objective Gateway program, BACN is an airborne gateway and communications relay system that enables warfighters to rapidly share data and information gathered by multiple users across multiple dissimilar systems present within the battlefield," said Guerra. "It is the top urgent operational need requested by field commanders and scheduled for deployment by the end of this year."

AF-16 was first delivered to Beale Air Force Base on Nov. 24, 2009, after completing months of development flight tests at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and receiving a military airworthiness certification from the Air Force.

Since then, two additional Block 30 aircraft have been delivered to Beale Air Force Base, with all three planned for deployment later this year in support of overseas contingency operations. To date, 21 production Global Hawks have been delivered to the Air Force and other customers.

"Logging more than 30,000 combat hours since its first deployment nine years ago, Global Hawk is a highly sought after intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system in theater," said Steve Amburgey, Global Hawk program director for the 303d Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

"Demonstrating its versatility and persistence, it was recently used for disaster relief support in Haiti where it provided more than 3,600 images of affected areas."

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Fire Scout demonstrated how the soldier can rely on its multifunctional capability for force protection, reconnaissance surveillance target acquisition (RSTA) and communications relay that only a VUAS of its caliber can provide.

During the AEWE, Fire Scout flew to a named area of interest, surveyed the area to ensure it was clear, and landed autonomously within its pre-planned landing point. When Fire Scout's on-board skid sensors detected contact with the ground, a command was sent to release the unmanned ground vehicle. Seconds later, Fire Scout ascended and then loitered at a higher altitude to observe and provide a relay for commands between the UGV and its controller.

"Use of an unmanned system to carry other unmanned systems into battle could improve the speed of operations while protecting U.S. lives," said Al Nikolaus, program manager of land-based Fire Scout at Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "This demonstration provides another example of Fire Scout's maturity, reliability, flexibility, and its ability to operate successfully with currently deployed systems."

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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Since acquiring the Bat product line from Swift Engineering in April 2009, Northrop Grumman has implemented an aggressive demonstration schedule for the Bat family of aircraft to expand flight operations and military utility for numerous tactical missions. During recent testing, the 12-foot and 10-foot wingspan Bat were each successfully launched from an AAI Shadow UAS launcher and autonomously operated from a single ground control station before recovery via net. As a communications relay using Northrop Grumman's Software Defined Tactical Radio, Bat has also demonstrated its capacity to provide beyond line-of-sight tactical communications relay for ground forces in denied environments, a critical role in irregular warfare.

Recently, the Bat UAS has been integrated and tested with new payloads and systems including a T2 Delta dual payload micro-gimbal from Goodrich Corporation's Cloud Cap Technology Inc., Sentient Vision Systems' Kestral real-time moving target indicator, and short wave infrared camera from Goodrich. In February, payload integration and testing was expanded to include ImSAR's Nano-SAR-B fused with Cloud Cap's T2 gimbal in a cursor-on-target acquisition mode.

Ideally suited to an irregular warfare environment, Bat offers real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications relay, and future capabilities in a modular system that is affordable, organic, persistent, runway independent, and fully autonomous.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

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