SAN BERNARDINO, Calif., Feb. 21, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Securing the future of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) operations in San Bernardino, the company cut the ribbon today on its newly-constructed Missile Engineering Center, located on Hospitality Lane near the junction of Interstates 10 and 215.
Northrop Grumman's presence in San Bernardino spans more than 43 years of critical support to our nation's defense. With more than 230 scientists, engineers and other professionals in the area, the company occupies 85,000 sq. feet in this new three-story location known as Brier Corporate Center.
The event focused on the company's legacy in San Bernardino and its recruiting and nurturing of the next generation of missile engineers, and included remarks by Jerry B. Agee, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems; Frank Moore, sector vice president and general manager of the Missile Defense Division for Northrop Grumman Mission Systems; and Ben Overall, division director of the Missile Engineering Center for Northrop Grumman Mission Systems.
"We have a rich and historic legacy in San Bernardino with the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program and we are moving forward to develop the next generation of missile engineers and scientists who will provide the skills needed to support a broader customer base," said Overall.
"Extending the ICBM technology made possible everything from going to the moon to commercial communication satellites to TV between continents ... not to mention a whole slew of spacecraft satellites for command and control, intelligence, reconnaissance and other military applications," said Simon Ramo, co-founder of the former TRW Inc. (acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2002) who addressed employees at the event via videotape. "There are many great needs ahead of us today and this group is going to have ideas that will further explore the basic ICBM technology in the next decade."
The center was built by OPUS Corporation under contract to Glenborough Realty Trust Incorporated. Among its many features, the building is wired with a robust communications network and boasts an expansive research and demonstration laboratory to accommodate the latest software and hardware computer equipment in support of the company's U.S. Department of Defense customers.
"I am very pleased that Northrop Grumman is maintaining its operations here in San Bernardino and drawing upon our young talent in the community to foster a workforce that will be the next generation of missile engineers," said U.S. Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-CA), 41st Congressional District.
The Missile Engineering Center serves as a vital proving ground for missile technology development and provides support to several key government missile programs. The center's flagship programs include the ICBM Minuteman III modernization program where Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor responsible for maintaining, sustaining and modernizing the nation's fleet of Minuteman III missiles; and the Kinetic Energy Interceptor program -- a critical boost/ascent or midcourse-phase missile defense program where Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor developing and testing this capability.
The center's leadership made a strategic commitment to recruiting additional talent and creating opportunities for the development of its junior staff members with mentoring programs, a lecture series and other developmental initiatives. As a long-standing participant in the community, Northrop Grumman continues its partnerships with the University of California, Riverside; the International Council for Systems Engineering (INCOSE), Empire Chapter; the Assistance League of San Bernardino; the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation; Santa Claus Inc.; and other charitable organizations.
Northrop Grumman came to San Bernardino in 1962 when the former TRW Inc. moved into the area from Los Angeles. The company co-located with its customer at Norton Air Force Base to work on the Titan missile and the Minuteman II missile programs. When Norton was closed in 1994, the company temporarily moved off the base while offices were being refurbished by the Inland Valley Development Agency. In February 1996, Northrop Grumman returned to become the first major tenant in the redeveloped former Air Force base.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, based in Reston, Va., is a global integrator of complex, mission-enabling systems and services for defense, intelligence and civil government markets. The sector's technology leadership and expertise spans areas such as strategic systems, including ICBMs; missile defense; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; command and control; and technical services and training.