LOS ANGELES, Oct. 26, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced today that, as result of the selection by the Pentagon of the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) team, it is a principal member in the largest defense procurement in U.S. history.
Kent Kresa, chairman and chief executive officer of Northrop Grumman said, "We are very pleased and proud to be a principal member of the Lockheed Martin JSF team. This award is a very important victory for Northrop Grumman. Drawing on decades of experience, the talented men and women of three of our operating sectors -- Integrated Systems, Electronic Systems and Information Technology, have been developing advanced technologies for JSF in areas that include aircraft systems, stealth, sensors and software engineering. Our team is eager to move forward to build the JSF which will truly transform fighter aircraft capabilities for decades to come."
JSF is a stealthy, supersonic aircraft designed for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as the British Royal Air Force and Navy. Plans call for more than 3,000 aircraft over the life of the program.
The announcement today gives the Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE SYSTEMS team the go-ahead to begin the program's System Design and Development phase to produce 22 test aircraft.
Integrated Systems is responsible for detailed design and integration of the JSF center fuselage and weapons bay, including installation design and integration of installed subsystems; substantial portions of systems engineering including operational analysis, mission systems architecture design and specialty engineering; development of a substantial portion of mission systems software; ground and flight test support; training courseware; development support in the area of signature/low observables; and support of modeling and simulation activities including pilot-in-the-loop simulations. Integrated Systems, which is headquartered in Dallas, performs its JSF work in El Segundo, Calif.
"This announcement represents a significant win for Northrop Grumman," said Ralph D. Crosby, Jr., corporate vice president and president of Integrated Systems. "As one of a handful of companies with expertise in total systems design and integration, our role in advanced stealth, airframe and mission systems and composites design and manufacturing adds significantly to this strong team. We are extremely pleased that this trust has been given to us and the other members of the team, and we will work to honor that commitment," Mr. Crosby said.
Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, a key JSF subcontractor headquartered in Baltimore, will be responsible for the development and production of the advanced fire control radar system and several other key elements of the aircraft's integrated mission systems.
"This decision is the culmination of many years of work with an exceptional team and we look forward to applying our sector's vast experience and expertise in advanced sensor development and integrated weapons systems for the benefit of the JSF program," said Robert P. Iorizzo, corporate vice president and president of Electronic Systems. "Our advanced JSF sensors provide exceptional multi-mission capabilities, and when integrated into the JSF weapon system will open a new exciting era in combat effectiveness for aviators of the future."
In a joint effort with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control of Orlando, Fla., Northrop Grumman will provide two other key electronic sensors for the JSF -- the Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS) and the Electro-Optical Targeting System (EOTS). Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems will lead the work on DAS, which will provide pilots with a unique protective sphere around the aircraft for missile warning, navigation support and night operations. EOTS, led by Lockheed Martin, will provide long-range detection and precision targeting against ground targets, plus long-range air-to-air targeting.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems will also provide electronic warfare equipment to BAE SYSTEMS for the JSF electronic warfare suite. During the System Design and Development program phase, the Electronic Systems sector's specially equipped BAC 1-11 aircraft will serve as the avionics flying testbed.
Northrop Grumman's Information Technology sector, with headquarters in Herndon, Va., will provide system and software engineering support to help Lockheed Martin develop the JSF unit-level mission planning system.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $15 billion, global aerospace and defense company with its worldwide headquarters in Los Angeles. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in defense and commercial electronics, systems integration, information technology and non-nuclear shipbuilding and systems. With 80,000 employees and operations in 44 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.