Northrop Grumman Dedicates Production Facility In Palmdale


PALMDALE, Calif., Aug. 8, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems Sector (ISS) dedicated a facility today at U.S. Air Force Plant 42 here as the production center for its unmanned systems business. U.S. Representative Howard "Buck" McKeon of California's 25th Congressional District and other local dignitaries participated in the ceremony.

"We are pleased to be increasing our presence in the Antelope Valley after many years of successful operations here," said Robert A.K. Mitchell, vice president-Unmanned Systems. "Our unmanned systems facility is designed to deliver high-quality, low-cost products to our customers."

The 294,000 square foot facility, with about 45 employees, houses operations, assembly and integration testing. Northrop Grumman has worked on the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber at its adjacent Site 4 facility since 1986, initially for final assembly and currently for programmed depot maintenance of the B-2.

Work began in April 2000 at Site 3 on the Global Hawk high-altitude, long-endurance reconnaissance system. Assembly of the BQM-74/Chukar and BQM-34 Firebee aerial target programs started in June and July, respectively. Northrop Grumman is currently building Global Hawk vehicles six and seven for the Air Force and is delivering BQM-74 targets to the U.S. Navy and Firebee targets to the Air Force.

The company is prime contractor for the Navy's Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing tactical unmanned aerial vehicle (VTUAV), which is currently in development at the Ryan Aeronautical Center in San Diego, headquarters for the company's unmanned systems business. Northrop Grumman also works on the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy and other UAV programs in San Diego.

Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems Sector, based in Dallas, Tex., is a premier aerospace systems integration enterprise. ISS has the capabilities to design, develop, integrate, produce and support complete systems, as well as airframe subsystems, for airborne surveillance and battle management aircraft, early warning aircraft, airborne electronic warfare aircraft and air combat aircraft.

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