MELBOURNE, Fla., Sept. 13, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) Total System Support Responsibility (TSSR) program received the David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award this week.
The Packard Award recognizes Department of Defense (DoD) teams that have made highly significant contributions that demonstrate exemplary innovation and best acquisition practices. The Joint STARS TSSR program was one of four DoD Packard Award winners. E.C. "Pete" Aldridge, undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, presented the award to the TSSR team.
According to the award citation, the team established an innovative approach to systems acquisition resulting in the TSSR contract. The team was developed through joint U.S. Air Force, Defense Contract Management Agency and Northrop Grumman efforts. This structure reduced the number of Joint STARS sustainment contracts from 11 to one that focuses on aircraft availability to the warfighter, trained aircrews and cost performance. Where the government normally handles these responsibilities, Northrop Grumman is now in charge of total systems support with the single role of integrating all activities.
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector manages the Joint STARS TSSR program at its Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management (AGS&BM) Systems business area in Melbourne. The Air Force also nominated two other Northrop Grumman programs for the award: the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle and the LITENING II targeting pod, which is produced by the company's Electronic Systems sector.
"I am extremely proud of the excellent teamwork that AGS&BM Systems enjoys with our government customer. The Air Force operators at the 93rd Air Control Wing are especially supportive of this concept. With regular maintenance and support, TSSR reduces aircraft downtime, operating and support cost, and increases reliability and availability," according to Ralph D. Crosby Jr., corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems.
Frank Moore, AGS&BM Systems vice president for Joint STARS, added, "The TSSR concept continues to gain support from the operational community and the logisticians in the Air Force. It is fast becoming a preferred best business practice, and is being reviewed for potential applications on the B-2 and other programs. This is a singular accomplishment by the team that has made TSSR a reality."
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.
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