REDONDO BEACH, Calif., March 2, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered the payload module for the third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (EHF) military communications satellite on Feb. 27, marking three consecutive early deliveries by the company for the sophisticated flight hardware and software.
The third communications payload module arrived 22 days ahead of schedule at the Sunnyvale, Calif., facilities of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT), prime contractor for the Advanced EHF program. Northrop Grumman also delivered payload modules for the first and second Advanced EHF satellites ahead of schedule in 2007 and 2008, respectively.
Lockheed Martin now will begin mating the payload module with its A2100 satellite bus and other space vehicle components, followed by environmental and acceptance testing of the fully integrated space vehicle. The payload module consists of the complete set of processing, routing and control hardware and software that perform the satellite's communications function, including critical features to protect the communications against interception or jamming threats.
"Delivering timely, complex space flight hardware is an especially noteworthy accomplishment in any environment," said Stuart Linsky, vice president and program manager for Advanced EHF at Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "Three consecutive early deliveries are a true testament to the caliber of the government and industry team that has come together over the past three decades to develop the first and most advanced global, protected communications space network."
He noted that the unique technologies, techniques and flight hardware proven on the current Milstar constellation have been leveraged for the next-generation Advanced EHF system. The Lockheed Martin-Northrop Grumman team is applying that foundation to ensure a low-risk path for increasing functionality for Advanced EHF's successor, the Transformational Satellite Communications (TSAT) system.
Lockheed Martin currently is under contract to provide three Advanced EHF satellites and the Mission Control System to its customer, the Military Satellite Communications Systems Wing, located at the Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif. The program is in the process of adding a fourth spacecraft to the planned constellation.
"Milstar provides our country with a unique capability and Advanced EHF will greatly expand warfighter communications that are secure and jam-resistant," said John Miyamoto, Lockheed Martin's AEHF vice president. "This achievement is due to the government and industry team's focus on successful program execution, leveraging proven expertise and highly effective processes to deliver this critical capability to the warfighter."
One Advanced EHF satellite will provide greater total capacity than the entire Milstar constellation currently on orbit. Individual user data rates will be five times improved. The higher data rates will permit two-way, jam-resistant transmission of tactical military communication such as real-time video, battlefield maps and targeting data.
In addition to its critical tactical mission, Advanced EHF also will provide the critical survivable, protected and endurable communications to National Command Authority including Presidential conferencing in all levels of conflict.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.