MELBOURNE, Fla., Jan. 8, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) was recently awarded a $22.9 million cost-plus-award-fee contract to demonstrate the next phase of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Affordable Moving Surface Target Engagement (AMSTE) program. The company's Integrated Systems sector was selected in September 2001 for this phase following an earlier demonstration completion.
The project is funded by the DARPA Information Exploitation Office in conjunction with the contracting activity, the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, N.Y. Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems' Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management (AGS&BM) Systems business area here will develop, integrate and demonstrate system technologies required for precision engagement of moving surface threats from long range. The work is scheduled to be completed in November 2002.
"The success we had in the earlier AMSTE phase demonstrates our commitment to developing and integrating cost-effective system of systems solutions," said Alan Doshier, sector vice president AGS&BM Systems. "Integrating surveillance, reconnaissance and strike platforms give the warfighter real-time solutions for effectively stopping mobile forces."
In August 2001, the Northrop Grumman team successfully demonstrated the capability to precisely engage a moving target with a seekerless weapon. The test, conducted in overcast conditions at Eglin AFB, Fla., scored a direct hit through the top center of a moving vehicle on the first try.
For this next phase, the team will explore employing the Northrop Grumman-developed E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), the Global Hawk unmanned platform, the B-2 stealth bomber, and Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems' BAC 1-11 test bed with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter radar sensor. In addition, the team plans to use the Navy's F/A-18 and airborne P-3 test bed, "Hairy Buffalo," which is equipped with the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems-developed APY-6 radar. Weapons being considered for the next test include a Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) from The Boeing Company and the newly developed On-target Weapon, Long-range munition from Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control of Orlando, Fla., will provide a weapon and precision navigation capability. Boeing, St. Louis, Mo., will modify an inventoried JDAM weapon. Orincon, San Diego, Calif., brings precision fire control target-tracking capabilities to the Integrated Systems AMSTE team. Alphatech, Burlington, Mass., provides technology used in long-duration target tracking. Neural Computing Systems, LLC, Irvine, Calif., will develop a scattering-based computer-aided tomography approach to target modeling and discrimination using high-range resolution and synthetic aperture radar data.
Northrop Grumman's AGS&BM Systems, a business unit of the company's Integrated Systems sector, is the development and production site for the Air Force's Joint STARS program, the world's most advanced battle management asset.
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems, headquartered in Dallas, Tex., is a premier aerospace systems integration enterprise. Integrated Systems 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.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an $18 billion, global aerospace and defense company with its worldwide headquarters in Los Angeles. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advance, innovated products, services and solutions in defense and commercial electronics, systems integration, information technology, and nuclear and non-nuclear shipbuilding and systems. With more than 100,000 employees and operations in 44 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
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