RADAR PACT FOR THE B-2 GIVEN NORTHROP GRUMMAN WILL DO UPGRADES.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer PALMDALE - 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. was awarded a $388 million contract Thursday by the Air Force to continue work to upgrade the B-2 stealth bomber's radar system. Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector, the B-2 prime contractor, will replace the current radar antenna with one that will avoid potential interference with commercial signals and improve radar performance. The upgraded radar will avoid conflicts with the Ku Band frequency spectrum, which the Federal Communications Commission Federal Communications Commission (FCC), independent executive agency of the U.S. government established in 1934 to regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest. opened up to commercial transmissions. During the phase covered by the contract, Northrop Grumman will develop and test the antenna and integrate six new radar systems on B-2 aircraft for initial demonstration and operational training. Operational testing (testing) operational testing - A US DoD term for testing performed by the end-user on software in its normal operating environment. will be conducted at Edwards Air Force Base Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. . The subsequent production and deployment phase will include low-rate initial production and full-rate production to field the upgraded radar. Installation of the new antenna on all of the B-2 aircraft is expect to run through 2011. In addition to replacing the antenna, Northrop Grumman will modify the B-2 defensive management system and the radar transponder A receiver/transmitter on a communications satellite. It receives a microwave signal from earth (uplink), amplifies it and retransmits it back to earth at a different frequency (downlink). A satellite has several transponders. to support the change in operating frequency. Northrop Grumman's work on the radar modernization program began in October 2002 under a $34 million contract. The entire program is estimated to be worth more than $900 million. Raytheon Co.'s Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo El Segundo (ĕl sēgŭn`dō), industrial city (1990 pop. 15,223), Los Angeles co., S Calif., on Santa Monica Bay; inc. 1917. Its products include navigation and computer systems, aircraft parts, office machines, telephone apparatus, and , which provided the original B-2 radar, is the principal subcontractor. Jim Skeen, (661) 267-5743 james.skeen(at)dailynews.com |
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