Northrop Grumman Corporation , MELBOURNE: The U.S. Air Force has selected a Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC – News)-led team to develop the service's E-10A aircraft's Battle Management Command and Control (BMC2) subsystem, one the most important programs in the development of Joint Network Centric Warfare in this decade.
The company's BMC2 team was selected following a 15-month competitive process for the estimated $308 million system design and development phase of the program. The BMC2 subsystem is the backbone of the E-10A program. It provides the information processing capability for the E-10A's Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) radar as well as the command and control functions key to the aircraft's mission. BMC2 is also capable of accessing and correlating sensor data from other sources to provide commanders with a comprehensive battlespace picture.
BMC2 will provide critical seamless real-time communications, while supporting full spectrum dominance and persistent situation awareness for the warfighter. The result will be reducing the time required to find, fix, track and target fleeting and mobile targets and other hostile forces. The subsystem's cutting edge technology will fulfill the Air Force's vision for cruise missile defense and executable decision-quality information.
“This is a key win for Northrop Grumman, one that reaffirms our position as a premier battle-management C4ISR system supplier and puts us in a good position to offer similar technology for future platforms,” said Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman chairman, CEO and president. “Northrop Grumman's team has a great deal of experience ranging from operational airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to systems integration. We will deliver to the Air Force a transformational system that will play a pivotal role in the multi-dimensional battlefield.”
The Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems sector leads the team, which also includes the company's Electronic Systems, Information Technology and Mission Systems sectors. Two other top-tier team members, Harris Government Systems and General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, will have key roles along with support from second-tier partners located throughout the United States. These include Cisco Systems, San Jose, Calif.; Oracle Corp., Redwood Shores, Calif.; Zel Technologies (ZelTech), Hampton Roads, Va.; Alphatech, Burlington, Mass.; L-3 Communications West, Salt Lake City, Utah; and L-3 Comcept, Rockwall, Texas.
The E-10A's MP-RTIP radar sensor will provide high-resolution radar imagery of ground targets and be able to track cruise missiles in flight.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With 125,000 employees, and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
