RESTON, Va., June 5, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will promote international cooperation on key missile defense programs at the Association Aeronautique et Astronautique de France (AAAF) International Conference on Missile Defence, June 7-9 in Seville, Spain.
Northrop Grumman leads a team competing for NATO's Active Layered Theater Ballistic Missile Defense (ALTBMD) Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) contract, and is closely partnered with EADS, a pan-European company, and Indra, the leading defense and information technology company in Spain. During the Seville Conference, Northrop Grumman will:
-- Demonstrate the company's Ballistic Missile System International
Simulation, a modeling and simulation tool used to assess the
performance of proposed command-and-control architectures,
procedures and decision timelines by employing various concepts
in a wargaming environment
-- Chair and moderate two June 7 sessions: Command, Control and
Battle Management Communications (C2BMC) and International and
European Cooperation
-- Chair and moderate two June 8 sessions, both on Interceptors
Systems
-- Along with conference organizer, AAAF, co-host the opening-night
reception
"In concert with the Missile Defense Agency, Northrop Grumman is ever increasing its overseas presence when it comes to missile defense, and in close cooperation with our two partners Indra and EADS, we intend to continue that expansion," said Frank Moore, Northrop Grumman's executive lead for the NATO/Europe missile defense collaboration. "This conference will showcase our partners in the SE&I pursuit -- EADS and Indra. ALTBMD SE&I is important because it sets up the baseline architecture for a missile defense structure in Europe, and we're coming out to demonstrate our team's capabilities and commitment to run that program for NATO."
ALTBMD SE&I will link the assets of NATO member nations into a multi-layered system that will protect deployed alliance forces against short- and medium-range ballistic-missile attack. The winning team for the NATO contract will also design and operate an integration test bed in Europe that will help NATO prepare its member-nations' assets for inclusion into this unified theatre ballistic-missile defense system. Award of the contract is expected in the third quarter of 2006.
"We've chosen to keep our team smaller, more nimble and more closely knit to better serve our customer," Moore said. "In doing so, we can react rapidly to our customer's changing needs, more efficiently share ideas and lessons learned, and work as a unified team with one common goal--to serve the customer."
With revenues of about GBP 5.6 billion in 2005 and roughly 23,000 employees across nine nations, EADS Defence & Security Systems Division (DS) forms the defence and security pillar within EADS. As a Large Systems Integrator, it offers integrated systems solutions to the new challenges confronting armed forces and global security. It is active in the areas of manned and unmanned integrated combat and mission air systems, including related training services, and in missile systems, battlefield management systems for all branches, global security solutions, secure networks, defence electronics, sensors and avionics, as well as related services. EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2005, EADS generated revenues of GBP 34.2 billion and employed a workforce of about 113,000.
Indra, the leading Spanish defence systems and information technology company, delivers C4ISR and air defence systems and equipment to national, NATO and international customers. Indra's capabilities include systems development, integration and engineering.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With approximately 125,000 employees and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.