SAN DIEGO, Feb. 5, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- (WITH PHOTO) Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a $101 million contract by the U.S. Air Force to begin low-rate initial production of the Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance system.
A photo accompanying this release is available at: http://media.wieck.com/public.html?WIK2002020543749
Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will provide two Global Hawk air vehicles and the mission control element of the system's ground station. Seven air vehicles and two of the mission control elements were produced under earlier phases of the program.
The mission control element will be completed in June 2003, followed by the first air vehicle in September. The second air vehicle is scheduled to be completed in December 2003. Work will be performed at company facilities in Palmdale and San Diego, Calif. The Global Hawk program is managed by the Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Global Hawk, produced by Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector, provides battlefield commanders near real-time, high-resolution reconnaissance imagery. Flying at extremely high altitudes, the system can survey large geographic areas with pinpoint accuracy to give military decision-makers the most current information about enemy resources and personnel.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a premier aerospace systems integration enterprise. Integrated Systems has the capabilities to design, develop, integrate, produce and support complete systems, as well as airframe subsystems, for airborne surveillance and battle management, early warning, airborne electronic warfare and air combat aircraft. It is also integrating these capabilities for emerging network-centric warfare concepts.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an $18 billion, global 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 nuclear and non-nuclear shipbuilding and systems. With nearly 100,000 employees and operations in 44 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
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