CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., July 13, 2006 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has received approval from the German classification society Germanischer Lloyd to conduct annual performance testing of shipboard voyage data recorders (VDRs).
The annual performance tests are conducted onboard ships by Sperry Marine service facilities around the world. Sperry Marine has also received similar type approvals from the American Bureau of Shipping, Lloyd's Register and Det Norske Veritas.
Shipboard VDRs are similar to the "black box" data recorders used on aircraft. They record data from the ship's sensors and audio recordings from the bridge into a protected capsule for recovery and analysis after an incident at sea. VDRs are required on all new ships under the International Safety of Life at Sea Convention. Existing cargo ships will be fitted with a Simplified VDR (S-VDR), starting this year.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations state that shipboard VDRs and S-VDRs, including all interfaced sensors, must be inspected and recertified annually. The performance tests must be conducted by an approved testing or service facility to verify the accuracy, duration and recoverability of the recorded data.
Sperry Marine, headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and with major engineering and support offices in New Malden, United Kingdom and Hamburg, Germany, provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support through offices in 16 countries, sales representatives in 47 countries and authorized service depots in more than 250 locations worldwide.
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 more than 120,000 employees and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
For commercial sales inquiries, contact Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine by phone, +1 (434) 974-2656 or by e-mail, sales_commercial@sperry.ngc.com. For military sales inquiries, call +1 (434) 974-2134 or e-mail sales_military@sperry.ngc.com. Visit our Web site at www.sperrymarine.northropgrumman.com