BETHPAGE, N.Y., Nov. 21, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Integrated Systems Sector (ISS), prime contractor on the U.S. Navy's E-2C aircraft, has been selected by the Japan Defense Agency to provide two additional upgrade kits and related services valued at $60 million for that country's Hawkeye 2000 fleet. Japan has already ordered one kit, with completion of the first modified E-2C planned for 2004.
Along with these two additional kits, the potential exists for more upgrades during the next five years. A phased upgrade of the entire fleet of 13 Northrop Grumman E-2C Hawkeye aircraft has a potential value in excess of $400 million.
"The Japan Air Self Defense Force is our largest E-2C international customer and this upgrade will help it in several ways," said Ralph D. Crosby Jr., Northrop Grumman corporate vice president and president of ISS. "The continuing enhancement of their Hawkeyes will assure lower operating and maintenance costs. Additionally, the upgrades mean enhanced interoperability with U.S. forces. This upgrade gives the U.S. and Japan a common Hawkeye configuration, and commonality is essential for these nations to keep their leading edge in airborne early warning technologies and benefit from the U.S. Navy's continuing development of advanced systems."
The upgrade includes the new mission computer by Raytheon Systems Company, Marlborough, Mass.; AN/APS-145 radar and Advanced Control Indicator Set displays from Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics & Surveillance Systems, Syracuse, N.Y.; enhanced software; and a new vapor cycle cooling system. Engineering work will be done in Bethpage by the ISS Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare Systems business unit, and kits will be manufactured at a company facility in St. Augustine, Fla. Kawasaki Heavy Industries will modify the aircraft and install the kits at its facility in Gifu, Japan.
Because Japan flies its Hawkeyes exclusively from land bases, the aircraft service life is twice that of the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier-based E-2C's. Consequently, Japan continues to invest in system and supportability enhancements for its Hawkeyes, projecting a service life beyond the year 2020.
Northrop Grumman's ISS, headquartered 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.
Northrop Grumman Corporation, headquartered in Los Angeles, is a world-class, high technology company providing innovative solutions in systems integration, defense electronics and information technology for its U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers, as a prime contractor, principal subcontractor, team member or preferred supplier. The company had revenues of $7.6 billion in 1999 (restated) and has a workforce of approximately 39,000 employees.
LEARN MORE ABOUT US: Northrop Grumman news releases, product information, photos and video clips are available on the Internet at: http://www.northgrum.com. Information specific to the Integrated Systems Sector is available at: http://www.iss.northgrum.com.