EL SEGUNDO, Calif., June 7, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- For the fifth consecutive year, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been honored by the U.S. Department of Defense for achieving 100 percent product quality and 100 percent on-time delivery of aircraft parts and assemblies.
The Defense Logistics Agency's Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR) awarded a Best Value Gold Medal to Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector for its work on the F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-5 fighter and T-38 trainer programs in El Segundo, Calif.
Northrop Grumman also received a Best Value Gold Medal for perfect performance on its BQM-34A/S and BQM-74E target programs in San Diego, Calif. This is the first year the Targets program has received a gold medal; last year it received a silver medal.
The medals were presented June 6 at the annual DSCR Aviation Supply Chain Business Conference in Richmond, Va.
"Northrop Grumman employees are proud that our customer recognizes the value of our products," said Corey S. Moore, vice president of Tactical Systems for Integrated Systems' Western region. "We work hard to deliver unquestionable quality on time, every time, and winning the DSCR Gold Medal five years in a row is especially rewarding."
"This award reflects the unwavering commitment to our customers and the quality of our products," said Chris Lape, Northrop Grumman's Targets program director. "We are committed to continuously improving our processes to meet or exceed our customer's requirements and expectations."
As the primary procurement center for aircraft equipment spares and maintenance items, the DSCR uses its Automated Best Value System database to collect delivery and quality records for all manufacturers providing products to the DLA. Contractor rating from this system is one of the factors considered by the government when making best-value contract award decisions.
To receive a Gold Medal, the contractor must achieve a perfect rating on every contract line item shipped to the supply center over a 12-month period. In 2005, Northrop Grumman delivered 360 contract line items and 4,143 parts worth more than $7.7 million.
As principal subcontractor to The Boeing Company, Northrop Grumman produces the F/A-18's center/aft fuselage section and twin vertical tails and integrates all associated subsystems. Northrop Grumman is prime contractor for the F-5, an agile, highly maneuverable fighter in service with the United States and several other countries, and the T-38, the U.S. Air Force's primary supersonic trainer.
Northrop Grumman's targets programs are the world's longest-running unmanned aircraft system production programs and can be traced back to U.S. Army and Navy targets contracts in 1939. Since then, Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 100,000 aerial targets to all branches of the U.S. military and its allies. The BQM-74 series, of which the F model is the latest version, first entered production in 1966.
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.