RESTON, Va., June 10, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced today that it participated in the U.S. Government's Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) Industry Day on May 29 at Ft. Monmouth, N.J.
Northrop Grumman is leading a team competing for the ACS program, an airborne collection and exploitation platform that will provide the warfighter with net-ready, survivable and sustainable, multi-sensor, tactical, persistent surveillance resulting in actionable intelligence to see first, understand first, act first and finish decisively.
The Northrop Grumman team includes AAI Corporation, an operating unit of Textron Systems Corporation; General Dynamics; and L-3 Communications Corporation.
"The ACS program will significantly increase joint battlespace awareness and enable real-time precision targeting," said Frank Moore, sector vice president and lead executive for the Aerial Common Sensor program for Northrop Grumman. "As the Army moves forward in getting this critical capability to the operational commanders, the Northrop Grumman-led team stands ready to integrate a risk-managed, affordable solution now. We are drawing on our team's collective expertise and building on mature, battle-proven technologies to help the Army realize its vision and provide soldiers a coherent, integrated airborne and ground tactical picture that will be unprecedented in warfare."
Industry Day offered participants a detailed status of the ACS program, including current information on the risk-managed, incremental capability acquisition strategy and schedule, comprehensive Concept of Operations, and requirements as outlined in the Capability Development Document.
The ACS acquisition is being managed by Project Manager, Aerial Common Sensors (PM ACS), Ft. Monmouth, N.J. An RFP is expected to be released this fall, with contract award slated for 2009.
From soldiers to brigade combat team commanders to the division level and above, ACS will offer a unique multi-sensor, tactical, persistent surveillance capability that will provide direct support to tactical formations worldwide. It will reduce sensor-to-shooter timelines and fuse multi-intelligence data to enable actionable, precision targeting.
The Northrop Grumman team brings decades of experience partnering with the Army to design, develop, and integrate airborne command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) platforms and sensors. The team will leverage its broad expertise integrating complex mission-equipment requirements onto a broad range of C4ISR platforms. This combined expertise ideally positions the Northrop Grumman team to serve as the Army's systems integrator partner for ACS.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.