LE BOURGET, France, June 14, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will work with a multi-national group of companies to design and develop training-system courseware products that will train future pilots and maintainers of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The group -- comprising companies in the United Kingdom, Italy, Canada, Australia, Norway and the United States -- is the result of an 18-month selection process that included more than 120 world-wide training suppliers.
"Northrop Grumman has assembled an international team that possesses military training design and technology expertise like no other and represents best value for the program," said Janis Pamiljans, Northrop Grumman vice president and F-35 program manager.
As a principal member of the Lockheed Martin F-35 team, Northrop Grumman's responsibilities include the global effort to create F-35 training system courseware that addresses all aspects of pilot and organizational maintenance training, including mission planning system operations and maintainer use of the portable maintenance aids. The company is also responsible for pilot and maintainer cadre training development and course instruction in support of the Flight Test Program.
Initially the supplier team will participate in the design and development of courseware methodologies and tools to be used in the production of training lessons and associated materials for F-35 pilots and maintainers. This Phase I effort, valued at $680,000, extends through September 2006.
Following U.S. State Department approval, the courseware suppliers will enter Phase II, which is worth nearly $20 million and includes actual production development of lessons and training material. Phase II concludes at the end of the program's system design and development phase. The selected suppliers will also have an opportunity to participate in the follow-on low-rate, initial-production phase of the program.
"The impact of these new contracts will be seen over the coming year as Northrop Grumman identifies the specific statement of work for each supplier," Pamiljans said.
The supplier team comprises the following companies:
UNITED STATES:
-- American Systems Corporation, Winter Park, Fla., a direct
supplier to Northrop Grumman Corporation
-- Carley Corporation, Orlando, Fla., a direct supplier to
Northrop Grumman Corporation
-- D.P. Associates, Orlando, Fla., a direct supplier to
Northrop Grumman Corporation
-- Logistics Services International, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla.,
a direct supplier to Northrop Grumman Corporation
-- Delex Corporation, Vienna, Vir., a supplier of American
Systems Corporation
-- BGI, Dallas, Texas, a supplier to Carley Corporation
UNITED KINGDOM:
-- Computerised Training Systems, Scunthorpe, South Humberside,
a supplier of D.P. Associates
-- Pennant Training Systems Limited, Cheltenham, Gloucester,
a supplier of Carley Corporation
ITALY:
-- Alenia Aeronautica, Torino, a direct supplier to
Northrop Grumman Corporation
CANADA:
-- Simgraph, Laval, Quebec, a supplier of D.P. Associates
AUSTRALIA:
-- Kellogg, Brown & Root, Canberra, Australian Capitol Territory,
a direct supplier to Northrop Grumman Corporation
-- Adacel, Brighton, Victoria, a supplier of Kellogg, Brown & Root
-- Catalyst Interactive, Fyshwick, Australian Capitol Territory,
a supplier of Kellogg, Brown & Root
NORWAY:
-- Applica Training Systems, Kristiansand, a supplier to
American Systems Corporation.
The F-35 is a stealthy, supersonic multi-role fighter designed to replace a wide range of aging fighter and strike aircraft. Three variants derived from a common design will ensure F-35 meets the performance needs of allied defense forces worldwide, while staying within strict affordability targets.
The international signatories - the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway - have had direct input in the design phase of the aircraft and companies worldwide are participating in the F-35's development. More recently, Israel and Singapore have joined the F-35 program as security cooperative participants.
Northrop Grumman plays a critical role in the development and demonstration of the F-35. Responsibilities range from integrating a major section of the aircraft's structure to producing key avionics and communications subsystems to developing mission-planning software and training systems. Working as an integrated team with its customers, teammates, and suppliers, Northrop Grumman delivers products and services that help make the F-35 the world's most advanced multi-role, stealthy combat aircraft.
Northrop Grumman's support of the F-35 program spans five of its seven sectors. The Integrated Systems sector is a principal F-35 teammate designing and building the center fuselage and providing systems test, vehicle systems, mission systems, and autonomic logistics products and service. The Electronic Systems sector provides the fire control radar and, in joint efforts with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, is developing the electro-optical distributed aperture system and the electro-optical targeting system. The Mission Systems sector provides system and software engineering support for the mission planning system. The Space Technology sector provides the integrated communications, navigation and identification avionics suite. The Information Technology sector, in joint efforts with Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support, provides training management software.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With more than 125,000 employees, and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.