Northrop Grumman has received contract awards from multiple United States federal government agencies and has been a top Pentagon contractor since the early 2000s. With the Department of Defense and the intelligence community being the company’s primary clients, it has leveraged its expertise and technology to create numerous solutions for the nation’s military forces. Here’s a look at the top Northrop Grumman government contracts!
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1. Long-Range Strike Bomber, $80 Billion Contract
In October 2015, the Pentagon awarded Northrop Grumman an estimated $80 billion contract. It was a high-stakes competition against aerospace giants, Boeing and Lockheed Martin, to build the Air Force’s next-generation long-range strike bomber.
Northrop’s advantage lies in its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, the world’s most survivable aircraft. This is one of the most significant contracts since Lockheed’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter contract in 2001. Under the contract, Northrop was to build 100 planes for the Air Force to replace the aging bombers fleet by 2020.
2. Replacement of the U.S. Ballistic Missiles, $13 Billion Contract
In September 2020, the U.S. Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $13 billion contract for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program’s engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase.
Under the contract, Northrop will replace and modernize the aging stock of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), a part of the nation’s efforts to replace the crumbling nuclear missile infrastructure. The nuclear warhead stock was also prepared to deter aggression from warring countries, such as China and Russia.
The effort will run for 8.5 years with weapon system design, qualification, evaluation, testing, and nuclear certification. After completing the EMD phase, the defense giant’s team will produce and deliver the newly produced weapon system to meet the Air Force’s initial operational capability, dated 2029.
3. Global Hawk Unmanned Surveillance Plane Variants, $3.2 Billion Contract
In September 2015, Northrop Grumman Corporation was awarded a $3.2. billion contract for the Air Force’s continued modernization, development, and maintenance of Global Hawk unmanned surveillance plane variants.
The expected delivery date is on September 2025. Under the contract, Northrop will build multiple variants of high-altitude surveillance drones for the U.S. Air Force. The senior U.S. Air Force general stated that technology upgrades would be incorporated into the Global Hawk plane and a new electro-optical sensor that can cost approximately $4 billion.
The RQ-4 unmanned aerial vehicle will provide broad-area surveillance using long-range infrared sensors and high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR), operate for days and survey about 40,000 square miles per day. Northrop should carry out these upgrades before removing its aging fleet of manned U-2 spy planes from Lockheed Martin.
4. Homeland Ballistic Missile Defense, $3.29 Billion Contract
In 2022, the Missile Defense Agency awarded a potential $3.2 billion contract to Northrop Grumman to manage and integrate weapon systems to defend the country from Iran and North Korea’s potential intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Under this new contract, the defense contractor will design, develop, test, verify, and sustain the next Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) Weapon System Program. The program includes upgrading and modernizing the GMD system’s ground components to better defend against evolving threats and deliver advanced capabilities for warfighters.
5. Support and Maintenance for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (Minuteman III), $2.3 Billion Contract
In April 2021, Northrop Grumman received a Department of Defense contract award worth up to $2.3 billion to support propulsion substems for the Air Force intercontinental ballistic missiles. Under the contract, Northrop provides engineering support and management services to help the government maintain its aging Minuteman III (LGM-30G) weapon system. The work is expected to end on November 2040.
6. Production of the U.S. Army’s Advanced Wartime Control System, $1.4 Billion Contract
In December 2021, Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation in Huntsville won a $1.4 billion contract award from the U.S. Army. Under the contract, Northrop will produce 160 Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command Systems for the Army.
These will link shooters and sensors across the battlefield, enabling the Pentagon to connect all sensors on the battlefield to troops for a faster transfer of information, data, communication, and intelligence. Production commenced in January 2021, and the program’s development has cost more than $2.7 billion to date. The work is expected to finish in five years, with the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Huntsville’s Redstone Arsenal as the director.
7. Production of the Integrated Battle Command System, $1.3 Billion Contract
In December 2021, Northrop Grumman received a $1.38 billion 5-year contract award from U.S. Army Contracting Command to produce the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). It is a system that uses software, hardware, sensors, and systems to track, identify, and neutralize airborne threats. It will also enable soldiers to manage integrated and increase battlefield awareness. The defense contractor will produce at least 160 units for the Army and its allies until December 2026.
8. Production of Prototype Engine for the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion Program, $975 Million Contract
In August 2022, the U.S. Air Force selected Northrop Grumman as one of the companies individually awarded $975 million for the USAF Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. It is a 10-year 5 billion effort to produce a prototype engine for a next-generation fighter.
The IDIQ contract includes delivering risk reduction and technology maturation activities through rig and prototype engine testing, design, analysis, and weapon system integration. The work is expected to end by July 2032.
9. Space Development Agency’s Internet-in-Space Constellation, $692 Million Contract
In February 2022, the DOD’s Space Development Agency (SDA) selected Northrop Grumman as one of the contract awardees of the $1.8 billion contract to manufacture 126 satellites (42 each) for global communication in the low Earth rabbit. Northrop received $692 million for the Transport Layer Tranche 1 mesh satellite communications network.
This supports SDA’s effort to build the Pentagon’s first-ever internet in space. It comprises a small satellite network with secure connectivity to aid military surveillance, enemy and missile tracking, and communications.
10. Production of Three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Airborne Aircraft Variants for France, $354 Million Contract
In December 2021, the U.S. Navy awarded a $354 million contract modification to Northrop Grumman to manufacture three E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft for the French Navy (Marine Nationale) as part of a foreign military sales deal. By 2024, The French E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes will begin production at the Northrop Grumman plant in St Augustine, Florida.
The U.S. Navy will then deliver the aircraft in 2028 to France. It will serve as a replacement for the French Navy’s existing E-2C Hawkeye. The Navy stated that E-2D features an APY-9 radar system capable of detecting cruise missile and aircraft threats across the open ocean, littoral, and overland environments.
About Northrop Grumman
Headquartered in West Falls Church, Virginia, Northrop Grumman is a prime contractor for the government. CEO Kathy J. Warden, along with other members of Northrop Grumman’s executive team leads over 90,000 employees working together to provide a full spectrum of protection, making Northrop Grumman one of the largest weapons manufacturer and military technology providers to date.
