FARNBOROUGH 2002 AIR SHOW, FARNBOROUGH, U.K., July 23, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems sector and EADS Systems and Defence Electronics announced the completion of preliminary compatibility testing of EADS' electronic intelligence (ELINT) payload with Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk at the Integrated Systems facility in San Diego, Calif.
The payload is targeted for integration on Global Hawk for a series of flight evaluations for the German Ministry of Defence scheduled for late fall at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and next year in northern Germany.
"We conducted payload integration tests in the spring and early summer at our Global Hawk system integration center in San Diego," said Gene Ostermann, Northrop Grumman program manager for the planned German evaluation. "The successful laboratory test series moves us one step closer to integrating the payload on Global Hawk in advance of the flight evaluations."
"We are proud of this first step, which proves our capability to develop within a very short period of time a new ELINT system fulfilling specific requirements for standoff reconnaissance installed on a high-flying unmanned air vehicle," stated Karl-Friedrich Weitzel, EADS EURO HAWK senior manager.
EADS and Northrop Grumman are working together on a system concept called EURO HAWK, a standoff surveillance system based on Global Hawk and the needs of the German and other potential European NATO customers. The flight evaluations in Germany pave the way towards a replacement system offered by EADS and Northrop Grumman for the aging Breguet Atlantic SIGINT currently operated in Germany.
Global Hawk is a high-altitude, unmanned aerial reconnaissance system that operates autonomously from takeoff to landing. Flying at an altitude of 65,000 feet and with an endurance of more than 30 hours, the Global Hawk provides intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance information to the warfighter in near real-time. Northrop Grumman is prime contractor for the U.S. Air Force program.
With revenues amounting to Euro 30.8 billion and 103,000 employees, EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company is the largest aerospace and defence company in Europe and number two worldwide. EADS offers a wide range of defence systems and skills in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, in command, control and communications, in military aircraft and missile systems as well as in commercial aircraft, helicopters, space launchers and satellites.
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.
LEARN MORE ABOUT US: Northrop Grumman news releases, product information, photos and video clips are available on the Internet at: http://www.northropgrumman.com. Information specific to the Integrated Systems sector is available at: http://www.iss.northropgrumman.com.