Northrop Grumman news stories on Newser

Spy Plane Can Be Flown by Pilot—or Act as Drone

Matt Cantor — Mon, 09 May 2011 12:20:01 CDT

Northrop Grumman’s latest aircraft isn’t just a drone—nor is it only designed for manned flight. The Firebird, set for unveiling today, can do both with just a few modifications, the Los Angeles Times reports. From 30,000 feet in the air, the spy plane can eavesdrop on phone chats,...

Navy's New Stealth Drone Makes Maiden Flight

Rob Quinn — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 05:28:38 CST

The US Navy says the next big leap forward in unmanned aerial warfare has successfully made its first flight. The robotic, bat-winger X-47B drone is designed to take off and land from aircraft carriers, a feat described as one of the most difficult in aviation. The military hopes the technology...

US Testing Next Generation of Spy Drones

Kevin Spak — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:57:11 CST

Last week, the US ran a secret test of an experimental spy plane that could revolutionize the war in Afghanistan. The $30 million plane, dubbed the Global Observer, has a wingspan almost as long as a Boeing 747, and can fly at stratospheric heights for days, keeping its “unblinking eye”...

Pentagon Investing $1B in Spy Blimps

dmhare — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:46:50 CDT

Between Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, the US military will pay out nearly a billion dollars to get spy blimps in the air over tactical areas. Northrop (with a $517 million contract) is due to produce three seven-story blimps, each the length of a football field and able to stay...

Northrop Ditches, Leaves Boeing With Air Force Tanker

Kevin Spak — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:43:02 CST

Boeing seems to have won its drawn out battle to build the Air Force’s new fleet of refueling planes by default; competitor Northrop Grumman withdrew its bid for the $40 billion contract. Northrop’s CEO said the company wouldn’t protest if Boeing got the contract without any real competition. “America's service...

Pentagon Builds Legion of 'Hacker Soldiers'

Matt Cantor — Sun, 31 May 2009 10:52:19 CDT

Military recruiters may still prize the strapping jock, but military contractors are wooing the scrawny computer geek to join the ranks of young "hacker soldiers" enlisted to defend the US in cyberwarfare, the New York Times reports. Most of the biggest companies, like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, have “cyber...

Northrop Settles Whistleblower Case for $325M

Matt Cantor — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:43:25 CDT

Northrop Grumman has settled a whistleblower case with the government for $325 million, but the defense contractor doesn't need to get out its checkbook: In a separate case, the federal government agreed to pay Northrop the same amount, the Los Angeles Times reports. The two cases offset each other and...

Pentagon Delays $35B Tanker Deal for Next President

Kevin Spak — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:58:14 CDT

The Pentagon has put a $35 billion contract for new Air Force refueling tankers on hold, Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced today, reasoning that the White House didn’t have enough time left to “complete a competition that would be viewed as fair.” The contract was awarded to a European-American partnership,...

Boeing Threatens to Ditch Air Force Tanker Bid

Rob Quinn — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:27:55 CDT

Boeing has warned the Pentagon it will pull out of the new bidding to build a fleet of air tankers unless it gets an extra four months to prepare a bid, the Wall Street Journal reports. A Boeing pullout would leave the Air Force with no competition for a $35...