MELBOURNE, Fla., June 7, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) will integrate a new, more capable weather radar system on U.S. Air Force E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft under a recent award from the Air Force's Electronic Systems Center. The new radar will give pilots more accurate information about weather conditions along their flight route.
The $5.9 million award - a modification to the company's existing Joint STARS production contract - covers the first 16 Joint STARS aircraft previously delivered to the Air Force, plus a test bed aircraft and a flight trainer aircraft.
Northrop Grumman is scheduled to install the new radar in the 17th Joint STARS prior to its delivery early next year. "This upgraded radar capability becomes the baseline standard for the E-8C platform," said Dave Nagy, Northrop Grumman's vice president for Joint STARS. "It's one of many incremental enhancements we've made over the years to the Joint STARS fleet to maintain its value as one of the nation's critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets."
The company expects to complete the upgrade work by March 2005.
The E-8C Joint STARS is the world's most advanced airborne ground surveillance, targeting and battle management system. From a standoff position, it detects, locates, classifies, tracks and targets hostile ground movements, communicating real-time information through secure data links with U.S. command posts.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems is a premier aerospace and defense systems integration organization. Headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., it designs, develops, produces and supports 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 missions in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; space access; battle management command and control; and integrated strike warfare.