Northrop Grumman [NOC] yesterday said it is designating five centers of design and integration excellence in support of manned aircraft, unmanned systems, electronic attack, and two for aircraft integration.
The company also said that it plans to close an Information Systems sector facility in Dominguez Hills, Calif., as part of a long-term plan to reduce facilities and costs. The company said that the work here supporting the development and integration of C4I networked communications capabilities and solutions will be transitioned over time to other company facilities.
Northrop Grumman also plans to complete the closure of its Electronic Systems sector’s Norwalk, Conn., facility, including radar test range operations.
“Consolidating these centers of excellence will improve our strategic alignment with our customers’ needs for increasingly innovative and affordable products, services and solutions,” Wes Bush, the company’s chairman, president and CEO, said in a statement. “Given the current budget environment, it is imperative that we act to enhance future performance, innovation and affordability for our customers.”
The Manned Aircraft Design Center of Excellence (CoE) will be based in Melbourne, Fla., and will include aircraft design work currently being performed at the company’s Bethpage, N.Y., facility. Northrop Grumman said that the B-2 stealth bomber, F/A-18 fighter, and F-35 fighter programs will remain in Palmdale, El Segundo and Redondo Beach, Calif., respectively.
The Unmanned Systems CoE will be located at its Rancho Bernardo facility in San Diego. The MQ-4C Triton program in Bethpage and the NATO Airborne Ground Surveillance program in Melbourne will transition to Rancho Bernardo.
An Electronic Attack CoE will be located in Bethpage and will include the Aerospace Systems sector’s Electronic Attack program team.
Two Aircraft Integration CoEs will be located in St. Augustine, Fla., and Palmdale. Integration activities in Moss Point, Miss., and New Town, N.D., are not included in this transition.