About Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
Leadership | Community Involvement | Our Heritage |
| NG Employee Discount Program |
Northrop Grumman is a premier developer, integrator, producer and supporter of manned and unmanned aircraft, spacecraft, high-energy laser systems, microelectronics and other systems and subsystems critical to maintaining the nation’s security and leadership in science and technology. These systems are used, primarily by government customers, in many different mission areas including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; communications; battle management; strike operations; electronic warfare; missile defense; earth observation; space science; and space exploration.
The systems operate across a wide variety of missions. The defense systems, for example, may have strategic, theater or tactical applications.
Strategic systems include space-based payloads that provide critical worldwide military communications; the B-2 bomber that, flying stealthy strike missions from its base in Missouri, can reach targets anywhere in the world; and the Space Tracking and Surveillance System, a satellite constellation that will enable precise tracking of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.
Theater systems include the Global Hawk unmanned high-altitude surveillance aircraft that has been the leading provider of situational awareness data in Afghanistan and Iraq; Joint STARS aircraft that provide advanced targeting and battle management capabilities; the E-2C Hawkeye airborne battle management aircraft, which has been managing air operations and providing tactical information to ground combat troops in Iraq and controlled air rescue activities in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina; and the F-35 Lightning II that all U.S. military services are acquiring as their primary next-generation fighter aircraft.
Tactical systems include the Fire Scout vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles that will carry out local operations from onboard the next-generation Littoral Combat Ship, and the Skyguard ground-based laser for local missile defense at airports.
Space science and earth observation systems range even further: the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System constellation will monitor the Earth’s atmosphere, while the James Webb Space Telescope, from its viewing orbit a million miles from Earth, will show us the origins of our universe, studying galaxies billions of light-years away.