NORTHROP GETS HELP WITH PLANE EFFORT.Byline: Daily News Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is an aerospace and defense conglomerate that is the result of the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. The company is the third largest defense contractor for the U.S. announced that Pratt & Whitney has joined the team competing for the Department of Defense's joint unmanned combat air system program. The addition of Pratt & Whitney, a world leader in the design of military aircraft engines, strengthens Northrop Grumman's efforts to develop a computer-controlled, unmanned bomber that meets the needs of both the U.S. Navy and Air Force. Northrop Grumman will produce two full-scale X-47B unmanned air combat demonstrators for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), U.S. government agency administered by the Department of Defense (see Defense, United States Department of). . Pratt & Whitney will provide an advanced propulsion system Noun 1. propulsion system - a system that provides a propelling or driving force system - instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity; "he bought a new stereo system"; "the system consists of a motor and a for the X-47B's, which will be designed for Navy and Air Force objectives. Lockheed Martin For the former company, see . Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is a leading multinational aerospace manufacturer and advanced technology company formed in 1995 by the merger of Lockheed Corporation with Martin Marietta. Aeronautics Co. is also on Northrop Grumman's team. ``Pratt & Whitney's expertise in military aircraft engines adds another element of technical innovation to our ... team,'' said program director Scott Winship. ``Our three companies are already working together successfully on the F-35 joint strike fighter A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from an attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter. . We will leverage that experience for DARPA DARPA: see Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) The name given to the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency during the 1980s. It was later renamed back to ARPA. , the Air Force and the Navy.'' Kevin Farrell, general manager for Pratt & Whitney's effort, said the company is confident that innovative approaches to integrating vehicle power and thermal management systems will offer significant benefits to the program. On Wednesday, the Department of Defense plans to create a Joint Systems Management Office led by DARPA to manage the unmanned combat air system program. The joint office plans a demonstration program for the Air Force's and Navy's requirements. Northrop Grumman's concept builds on the company's experience with autonomous flight control, including thousands of flight hours by its RQ-4A Global Hawk robot reconnaissance plane and the RQ-8 Fire Scout robot helicopter. Northrop Grumman is also working on the preliminary design for an armed robot helicopter for DARPA and the Army. |
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