SAN DIEGO, June 15, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) reached a significant technical milestone for its maritime Global Hawk program May 20 when the unmanned air vehicle, operating at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., streamed real-time electronic information to analysts at its future operating base, Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md.
Through use of on-board sensors, Global Hawk, designated N1, collected the data and transferred it via satellite to the Navy ground control station in San Diego. From San Diego, the data was flowed to NAS Patuxent River through the Navy's information network. Analysts at NAS Patuxent River viewed the data in real time as the Global Hawk successfully completed its sensor ground tests at Edwards Air Force Base.
The company conducted the test as part of its Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration program for the U.S. Navy. Northrop Grumman currently produces Global Hawk for the U.S. Air Force.
"This technical achievement is a critical step for the demonstration program and for our unmanned systems business," said Terry Barefoot, deputy program manager for the Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration program at Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "The successful execution of this cross-country test required the integrated efforts of a diverse customer and contractor team that included the Navy's unmanned air vehicle program office at NAS Patuxent River; Air Force and industry test engineers, mechanics, and technicians at Edwards Air Force Base and at Northrop Grumman in San Diego; industry teammates Raytheon Company and L-3 Communications for ground control support; and Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector, the sensor provider. Each member is credited with the success of this test."
Operating from NAS Patuxent River, the demonstration program will employ two RQ-4A Global Hawks to serve as testbeds as the Navy develops maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance requirements. The air-vehicle demonstrators will fly to NAS Patuxent River in late summer. The program will also support fleet experiments and exercises over the next several years, including the Trident Warrior exercise planned for later this year.
Global Hawk flies autonomously at an altitude of 65,000 feet, above inclement weather and prevailing winds for more than 35 hours. During a single mission, it covers an area approximately half the size of the United States, providing detailed image-based intelligence on 40,000 square miles.
Northrop Grumman is the leading producer of unmanned systems for the U.S. military with a portfolio that spans a broad spectrum of capabilities. Current systems in service, production or development include the combat-proven Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk and U.S. Army RQ-5 Hunter unmanned reconnaissance systems currently supporting the global war on terrorism; the BQM-34 and BQM-74 aerial targets; the RQ-8 Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing tactical UAV in low-rate initial production for the Navy and for U.S. Army Future Combat Systems Class IV unmanned air vehicle program; the multi-role Hunter II proposed for the Army's next-generation, extended-range, multi-purpose UAV program; and the X-47 Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Air Force and Navy.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems is a premier aerospace and defense systems integration organization. Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., it designs, develops, produces and supports network-enabled integrated systems and subsystems optimized for use on networks. For its government and civil customers worldwide, Integrated Systems delivers best-value solutions, products and services that support military and homeland defense missions in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; space access; battle management command and control; and integrated strike warfare.