NORTHROP GRUMMAN – BUILDING A U.K. PRESENCE
By Julian Nettlefold, Editor, BATTLESPACE
05 Sep 07. Northrop Grumman Corporation highlighted its UK-based technologies and capabilities to be shown at DSEI at a Press conference at UK corporate office established in London in early 2006.
Background
Northrop Grumman’s electronic solutions span the spectrum. The company is a leading developer, manufacturer, integrator and supporter of a variety of advanced electronic and maritime systems for U.S. and international customers for national security and non-defense applications.
Systems include high performance sensors and intelligence processing and navigation systems operating in all environments from undersea to outer space. Applications include airborne surveillance, space sensing, biochemical detection, intelligence fusing and analysis, aircraft fire control, precision weapon engagement, electronic countermeasures, inertial navigation, air and missile defense, air traffic control, ship bridge control, communications, mail processing, and robotic bomb disposal.
Maritime systems include propulsion and power-generation systems for ships and submarines, control systems, shipboard launch systems and unmanned semi-autonomous systems.
The company builds active electronically scanned array radars for F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II fighters that provide tremendous versatility and speed, as well as much greater range and resolution, for searching, mapping and targeting missions; designed and manufactured the airborne surveillance radars for the world-renowned AWACS and Joint STARS platforms and is providing multi-role electronically scanned array radars for next-generation airborne early warning aircraft systems for the governments of Australia and Turkey; produces standard-setting infrared countermeasure systems that protect more than 300 military aircraft; provides LITENING AT targeting pods that use electro-optical sensing and laser range finding to geo-locate targets for engagement with GPS-guided munitions; develops industry-leading global positioning inertial navigation systems that, combined with its identification and avionics systems, are used in air, land, sea and space applications; develops advanced infrared payloads for the next-generation SBIRS High satellite constellation that will detect ballistic launches; produces night vision and laser targeting systems for ground forces; builds hazardous duty robots used to investigate possible explosive devices without endangering soldiers or civilians; and develops main propulsion units and ship service turbine generators for Virginia-class submarines.
UK Facilities
Dr Graham Thornton, Managing Director of Northrop Grumman UK Limited gave an overview to the Company’s U.K. activities. Northrop Grumman has $400m in sales and 700 employees in the U.K. and is in the top ten companies.
“Some people say we cam late to the U.K. Defence party as our competitors Lockheed Martin and Raytheon had been established here since the early 1990s,” Graham Thornton said.
“The U.K. market is one eighth the size of the U.S. market but overcrowded with many more players and hence competition.”
Northrop Grumman operates from seven primary locations in the UK, Fareham, Chester, Coventry, New Malden, Peterborough, RAF Waddington and Solihull, providing avionics, communications, electronic warfare systems, marine navigation systems, robotics, C4I and mission planning, IT systems and software development.
Whilst the Corporate profile has not been as apparent as its competitors, Northrop has been quietly building a U.K. presence since the early 1980s. Kent Kresa began an acquisition programme in the nineties buying 41 companies including Litton and Sperry and thus the old Racal-Decca business in New Malden which is currently undergoing a refurbishment.
Electronic Systems
Malcolm White gave a comprehensive brief about Northrop’s Electronic Systems Segment, which uses i