, WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 7, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems sector today announced that Sikorsky Aircraft, a world leader in the design, development, production and support of advanced technology military rotorcraft systems, has joined the Northrop Grumman-led Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (UCAR) team.

The Northrop Grumman UCAR team is currently competing for the opportunity to develop the jointly sponsored U.S. Army/Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency UCAR system under an $8.7 million Phase II contract awarded to Northrop Grumman in July.

“We're delighted to add Sikorsky to the list of talented companies that make up the Northrop Grumman UCAR team,” said Martin E. Dandridge, executive vice president of Integrated Systems and general manager of the sector's Unmanned Systems unit in San Diego. “They bring world-class expertise in producing and supporting advanced technology military rotorcraft systems. Sikorsky also will help us refine the UCAR system cost and capability to give the Army the optimum war fighting system.”

The Northrop Grumman UCAR team includes three other company sectors: Electronic Systems, Baltimore; Mission Systems, Reston, Va.; and Information Technology, Herndon, Va. Other key members of the team include Kaman Aerospace Corporation, L-3 Communications, and BAE SYSTEMS. Several nontraditional suppliers — Natural Selection, Inc.; The Saber Group LLC; and Aero Sciences Technology Associates LLC — also fortify the team with their innovative technologies and unique experience.

Located in Stratford and Bridgeport, Conn., Sikorsky Aircraft has production facilities, structural test labs, whirl towers, software integration labs, a radar cross section measurement range, and other facilities that will be used during the design and development phases of the UCAR program. The company also will leverage its considerable experience from the RAH-Comanche development program to support the UCAR effort.

UCAR is an eight-year, four-phase program to produce and demonstrate an affordable unmanned system that can identify and prosecute concealed ground targets in close combat situations without putting a pilot in harm's way. The system will operate seamlessly with other components in the Army's system-of-systems objective force construct while performing a broad range of “dull, dirty or dangerous” missions.

Phase II of the UCAR program will last for approximately 15 months, culminating with a preliminary design review of the demonstrator system.

Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., is a premier aerospace and defense systems integration enterprise. As one of Northrop Grumman's seven sectors, it designs, develops, produces and supports network enabled integrated systems and subsystems for government and civil customers worldwide. Integrated Systems delivers best-value solutions, products and services that support military and homeland security missions in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; battle management command and control; and integrated strike warfare.

Source: Northrop Grumman Corp.