BALTIMORE, June 26, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Marine Corps' new Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) moved an important step closer to production with the successful conclusion of the formal Preliminary Design Review (PDR) at Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Electronic Systems sector headquarters.

G/ATOR is a highly mobile system intended to fully support the Marine Corps' expeditionary warfare requirements. The new multi-mission radar system will provide the Marines with enhanced capabilities to detect, track and provide target quality data to engage hostile aircraft, cruise missiles, unmanned air vehicles, and provide location of hostile rockets, mortars and artillery. Intended as a replacement for five existing Marine Corps radars, G/ATOR will also provide robust air traffic control capabilities to enhance the safety of Marine Corps air operations.

"You have approval to proceed to critical design," declared John Burrow, Marine Corps Systems Command Deputy Commander for Systems Engineering, Integration, Architectures, and Technology at the conclusion of a comprehensive three-and-a-half day technical review.

The PDR involved an extensive U.S. government review and subsequent approval of the G/ATOR system and subsystem design for both hardware and software including a program management review of cost and schedule. The PDR was attended by more than 70 Marine Corps, Navy, Army, and other Department of Defense officials and civilian subject matter experts.

"The G/ATOR program continues to be characterized by outstanding communication and teamwork at all levels and is making tremendous progress," said Emmitt E. Gibson, vice president of Ground Based Tactical Radars at Northrop Grumman's Land Forces Division. "G/ATOR will provide unprecedented capabilities to the Marine Corps and Department of Defense. We are pleased to now proceed to Critical Design, the last major milestone before production begins."

Northrop Grumman is the G/ATOR prime contractor under a $256 million contract competitively awarded by Marine Corps Systems Command. Key team members include Sensis Corporation, Syracuse, N.Y.; CEA Technologies, Inc., Canberra, Australia; Stanley/Techrizon, Lawton, Okla.; and Caterpillar Logistics, Morton, Ill.

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.