Boeing Delivered All P-8As to U.S. Navy on Schedule and on Cost in 2014

SEATTLE, Jan. 9, 2015 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] last month delivered the eighth P-8A Poseidon of 2014, completing all planned deliveries to the U.S. Navy for the year on time and on cost.

That airplane, the 21^st overall for the program, flew from Seattle to Naval Air Station Jacksonville in Florida on Jan. 8. It joined other P-8As being used to train Navy crews.

Boeing Delivered All P-8As to U.S. Navy on Schedule and on Cost in 2014

Northrop Grumman Highlights International Capabilities in Unmanned Aircraft Systems at ILA Berlin Air Show 2012

Press release:

News Releases

Northrop Grumman Highlights International Capabilities in Unmanned Aircraft Systems at ILA Berlin Air Show 2012

BERLIN – Sept. 5, 2012 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is participating in the ILA Berlin Air Show, where it will highlight its industry-leading intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities with the EURO HAWK® and NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) platforms, both of which are international derivatives of the RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The company's aircraft navigation and stabilisation sensor technology will also be featured. The air show will take place Sept. 11-16 at the Berlin ExpoCentre Airport directly adjacent to BER Berlin Brandenburg International, the capital's future airport. More than 1,100 exhibitors from 40 countries are expected to attend. The Northrop Grumman pavilion No. 645 and exhibit area are at the west end of the exhibition site. A full-scale model, configured in EURO HAWK® and NATO AGS livery on alternate days, will be on display in front of the company's pavilion. "Northrop Grumman's unrivalled experience in advanced UAS, delivering more than 100,000 unmanned systems to military customers in the U.S. and around the world for nearly 70 years, gives us a strong foundation to produce some of the most capable and reliable unmanned surveillance systems anywhere," said Janis Pamiljans, sector vice president and general manager for Northrop Grumman's unmanned systems business. "The German Air Force's EURO HAWK® and NATO's AGS systems mark important milestones for us – they are the first international versions of the RQ-4 Global Hawk and the first HALE UASs to be used in Europe. We look forward to building on the success of this trans-Atlantic industrial cooperation and the strong partnerships that we have developed through both of these programmes." EURO HAWK® is the first HALE signals intelligence (SIGINT) UAS based on the RQ-4 Global Hawk produced by Northrop Grumman for the German Bundeswehr. It made its first flight to Germany, touching down in Manching in July 2011, and is ready for SIGINT payload flight testing. The EURO HAWK® carries a new SIGINT mission system developed by EADS Deutschland GmbH, operating through Cassidian, the defence and security division of EADS, and integrated in Manching. With a wingspan larger than most commercial airliners, endurance of 30 hours and a maximum altitude of more than 60,000 feet, EURO HAWK® is an interoperable, modular and cost-effective replacement for the fleet of manned Breguet Atlantic aircraft, which had been in service since 1972 and was retired in 2010. Northrop Grumman is also the prime contractor for the NATO AGS system and will provide and initially maintain five Block 40 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft equipped with an advanced ground surveillance radar sensor – the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Programme (MP-RTIP), which is capable of detecting and tracking moving objects as well as providing radar imagery of target locations and stationary objects. Demonstrating its commitment to trans-Atlantic cooperation, Northrop Grumman leads an industry team of European defence companies representing all 13 participating NATO nations to develop and produce an airborne ground surveillance core capability, which is missionized to NATO requirements and leverages national investments already made for the benefit of the entire alliance. The ground element of the programme will be wholly produced by European industry, offering the potential for national reuse in other programmes. The NATO-owned and -operated AGS system is intended to support a broad range of missions, including protecting ground forces, border and maritime security, counter- and anti-terrorism, crisis management, peacekeeping and enforcement, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. Northrop Grumman signed the $1.7 billion (€1.2 billion) contract for the NATO AGS system at the NATO summit in Chicago in May this year. The company's German subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF, will also be represented at the air show. On display in the Northrop Grumman pavilion will be sensors for weapon stabilisation, inertial guidance systems for missiles and Attitude Heading Reference System navigation systems for commercial fixed and rotary wing aircraft based on fibre optic and micro electro mechanical systems technology. Northrop Grumman LITEF systems are in service on aircraft platforms in the U.S., Europe and Asia and are fitted to the Eurofighter Typhoon and the Tornado as well as the Meteor, Taurus and IRIS-T missiles. For more information regarding Northrop Grumman products and scheduled press briefings at the ILA Berlin Air Show, visit www.northropgrumman.com/ila_berlin. Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

GA-ASI Introduces System-wide Enhancements for Predator B/MQ-9

Press release:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sep 05, 2012

GA-ASI Introduces System-wide Enhancements for Predator B/MQ-9

New MQ-9 Block 1-plus Aircraft Completes Successful First Flight

SAN DIEGO – 5 September 2012 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA‑ASI), a leading manufacturer of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), tactical reconnaissance radars, and electro-optic surveillance systems, today announced the successful first flight of the Block 1-plus Predator® B/MQ-9 Reaper, an upgrade to the original Block 1 Predator B that has been in production since 2003. The MQ-9 Block 1-plus test flight occurred on May 24 at the company’s Gray Butte Flight Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., with no discrepancies.

“We continue to enhance the capabilities of our aircraft, improving their performance to meet emerging customer requirements,” said Frank Pace, president, Aircraft Systems Group, GA-ASI. “The first flight of the MQ-9 Block 1-plus follows in the footsteps of the aircraft’s combat-proven Block 1 configuration and is an important technological achievement that will provide increased effectiveness, increased multi-mission flexibility, and even greater reliability.” 

The MQ-9 Block 1-plus is a capability enhancement over the Block 1 configuration, which has amassed more than 420,000 flight hours across all customers. Block 1-plus was designed for increased electrical power, secure communications, auto land, increased Gross Takeoff Weight (GTOW), weapons growth, and streamlined payload integration capabilities.

With the completion of development, testing, and expected Milestone C decision this fall, follow-on aircraft to the MQ-9 Block 1-plus configuration will be designated “MQ-9 Block 5.”

Featuring a new high-capacity starter generator, the aircraft offers an increase in electrical power capacity over the current Block 1 design. This increased power provides the aircraft with significant capacity for growth. In addition, the upgraded electrical system includes a backup generator which is sufficient to support all flight critical functions. This vastly improves the reliability of the electrical power system by providing three independent power sources.

Numerous new communications capabilities also will be available in the Block 5, including dual ARC-210 VHF/UHF radios with wingtip antennas, allowing for simultaneous communications between multiple air-to-air and air-to-ground parties; secure data links; and an increased data transmission capacity. 

Additionally, the new trailing arm main landing gear will be included in Block 5, enabling the aircraft to carry heavier payloads or additional fuel.

Predator B is currently operational with the U.S. Air Force and Royal Air Force as MQ-9 Reaper and the Italian Air Force as MQ-9, with NASA as Ikhana, and with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as Predator B/Guardian. The aircraft is designed to perform multi-mission ISR and “Hunter-Killer” missions over land or sea, with more than 130 vehicles delivered to date.

High-resolution photos of the first flight of the MQ-9 Block 1-plus are available upon request to qualified media outlets from the GA-ASI media contact listed above.

About GA-ASI

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., an affiliate of General Atomics, delivers situational awareness by providing remotely piloted aircraft, radar, and electro-optic solutions for military and commercial applications worldwide. The company’s Aircraft Systems Group is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable remotely piloted aircraft systems, including Predator A, Predator B, Gray Eagle®, and the new Predator C Avenger®. It also manufactures a variety of solid-state digital Ground Control Stations (GCS), including the next-generation Advanced Cockpit GCS, and provides pilot training and support services for RPA field operations. The Reconnaissance Systems Group designs, manufactures, and integrates the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar and sophisticated Claw® sensor control and image analysis software into both manned and unmanned aircraft. It also develops and integrates other sensor and communication equipment into manned ISR aircraft and develops emerging technologies in solid-state lasers, electro-optic sensors, and ultra-wideband data links for government applications. For more information, please visitwww.ga-asi.com.

Predator, Gray Eagle, Avenger, Lynx, and Claw are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.