Latest News Releases:
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Northrop Grumman Delivers 100th Common Imagery Processor to the United States Air Force
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Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program Satellite Model Slated for Display at U.S. Air Force Museum
- Northrop Grumman Develops Next-Generation of ASICs for Use in Military and Space Systems
- Northrop Grumman Sponsors Students for Oshkosh Summer Aviation Camps
ISSUED BY: GCIS Communications Command Center
SOURCE: GLOBE NEWSWIRE
4August2010 9:26amPDT
GCIS TECHNOLOGY UPDATE:
Northrop Grumman Delivers 100th Common Imagery Processor to the United States Air Force
LINTHICUM, Md. -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) recently delivered the 100th Common Imagery Processor (CIP) to the U.S. Air Force. The CIP is the primary sensor processing element of the Distributed Common Ground/Surface System.
The CIP is the U.S. Department of Defense standard imagery processor for all U.S. Distributed Common Ground Systems imagery ground stations.�� The CIP also offers the promise for coalition partners to consolidate redundant and stovepiped processing systems.�
"The CIP program continues to exemplify Northrop Grumman's ability to manage, deliver and quickly field multiple advanced and integrated software-based systems through the routine use of commercial-off-the-shelf and government-off-the-shelf materials," said Ed Bush, vice president of C4ISR Networked Systems for the company's Electronic Systems sector. "The CIP expands the warfighter's ability to receive actionable imagery intelligence in the global war on terrorism."
"Northrop Grumman achieved tremendous success in creating quick reaction capabilities for innovative imagery capability, designing an 'enhanced CIP' to quickly process secondary imagery and devising a new methodology to 'stitch' together disjointed imagery returns.� This capability makes CIP a prime candidate for processing, exploitation and dissemination challenges facing today's warfighters," Bush added.
Northrop Grumman, its customer and the end-users are continuing to explore new capabilities of the CIP for anticipated future processing, exploitation and disseminations needs of the warfighter. To address the increased volume of video collected from multiple sensors, Northrop Grumman is exploring opportunities to host advanced post-processing algorithms to the CIP, allowing the sensors to quickly process imagery and give the warfighter information sooner.
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Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program Satellite Model Slated for Display at U.S. Air Force Museum
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- To commemorate 40 years of exceptional reliability and on-orbit performance of its Defense Support Program (DSP) satellites, Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has configured a full-size model of a DSP satellite for display at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
The 35-foot-long model is the only full-size representation of the satellite. It consists of the Structural Test Model (STM) mated to the Infrared Sensor Trailblazer component without the associated electronics. Crews completed work in May and the model was shipped in July to the museum aboard a C5 aircraft, in the same shipping container used for the actual satellite.
The configuration of the satellite model was performed as part of the company's closeout of DSP production contracts for the Air Force.
"We are honored the Air Force has accepted our model to celebrate the 40-year history of DSP's robust performance as one of the nation's vital missile early warning systems," said David DiCarlo, sector vice president and general manager, Space Systems Division. "The DSP constellation continues to provide outstanding mission analysis data from its infrared sensor."
"We are proud to have produced the payload for the primary DSP mission at our facility in Azusa, Calif.," noted John Johnson, sector vice president and general manager, ISR Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. "A display in the Wright-Patterson Museum is a fitting tribute to one of the most successful programs in the history of the U.S. Air Force."
In 2008, the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center awarded a contract to the company to provide technical support for the operational DSP spacecraft, primary infrared sensor and mission analysis. The cost-plus award fee contract is valued at $206 million, which includes the initial year followed by four one-year options. The company is in the second year of the contract.
Northrop Grumman built the DSP infrared sensors in Azusa, Calif., and integrated them with the DSP spacecraft in Redondo Beach, Calif. DSP support and sustainment work will continue at both sites.
The first DSP was launched in 1970 and the final DSP was orbited in 2007. Several times throughout production, the spacecraft and sensor were upgraded to protect against evolving worldwide threats. DSP satellites have demonstrated exceptional reliability, providing an extra 184 satellite-years beyond their required life on-orbit to date.
Northrop Grumman Develops Next-Generation of ASICs for Use in Military and Space Systems
REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has developed a Radiation-Hardened by Design, 90 nanometer, Silicon on Insulator (RHBD 90nm SOI), standard cell and intellectual property library for military and space applications. Radiation hardening by design is a method of making electronic components and systems resistant to damage or malfunctions by ionizing radiation, or particle radiation and high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Silicon on insulator is a high-performance semiconductor wafer technology that produces lower-power and higher performance devices than traditional bulk silicon techniques.
"This next-generation of application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) technology allows a higher level of integration, lower power and faster speeds," said Stuart Linsky, vice president of satellite communications for Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "This cell library enables users to design very large radiation hardened ASICs in a low-power, high-performance semiconductor process for space applications."
The company's RHBD 90nm SOI library includes a full array of intellectual property for custom ASIC development:
- Full array of 1-Volt standard cell gates (340 cells)
- Serializer/Deserializer (3.125 gigabits per second)
- Phase-Locked Loop
- Static Random Access Memory Compiler
- 1.8V and 2.5V Input/Output buffers
Northrop Grumman and Cadence Design Systems of San Jose, Calif. developed the library with RHBD techniques. Using a commercial SOI foundry at Freescale Semiconductor in Austin, Texas, multiple test chips were fabricated, including a 5 million-gate ASIC. All were tested to validate the library's suitability for space applications.
"Northrop Grumman develops cutting edge technology geared toward one goal � mission success," said Mike Doktorczyk, corporate vice president of global services at Cadence. "This sophisticated cell and IP library, developed using state-of-the-art SOI technology, is a testament to what is possible when leading technologists team up to innovate, and we are proud Northrop Grumman turned to Cadence to help create it."
Cadence enables global electronic design innovation and plays an essential role in the creation of today's integrated circuits and electronics. Customers use Cadence software and hardware, methodologies, and services to design and verify advanced semiconductors, consumer electronics, networking and telecommunications equipment, and computer systems. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with sales offices, design centers, and research facilities around the world to serve the global electronics industry. More information about the company, its products, and services is available at www.cadence.com.
Freescale Semiconductor is a global leader in the design and manufacture of embedded semiconductors for the automotive, consumer, industrial and networking markets. The privately held company is based in Austin, Texas, and has design, research and development, manufacturing or sales operations around the world. www.freescale.com.�
For more information regarding Freescale's Foundry Services Operation visit the company's website at www.freescale.com/foundry.
Northrop Grumman Sponsors Students for Oshkosh Summer Aviation Camps
OSHKOSH, Wis., Aug. 4, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For the third consecutive year, Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) Global Hawk program sponsored six high school students to attend this year's Oshkosh Summer Aviation Camps. In addition, the company sponsored two college students to serve as seasonal camp counselors.
Three of the high school students are from the Los Angeles area and three are from the Washington, D.C. area. The college students are from the University of Oklahoma and California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.
The students had a chance to explore a full-scale model of the U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system, which was on display at EAA AirVenture, the nation's largest air show for experimental aviation enthusiasts.
The Global Hawk was available for public viewing at EAA AirVenture from July 26 through Aug. 1.
The high-flying, combat-proven Global Hawk Block 10 with its impressive 116-foot wingspan can carry up to 2,000 pounds of internal payload. An upgraded version now being delivered to the U.S. Air Force carries 3,000 pounds of sensors and is supported by an open system architecture, a "plug-and-play" environment that can accommodate new systems as they are developed to help government customers quickly evaluate and adopt new technologies. The Global Hawk is 47.6 feet long and has a maximum gross takeoff weight of 32,250 pounds. Its typical mission altitude is 60,000 feet, with a maximum endurance of more than 32 consecutive flight hours.
Global Hawks are built and supported by more than 16,200 dedicated men and women from 247 companies, generating approximately $2.2 billion in 36 U.S. states. Global Hawks were deployed in 2001 in support of overseas contingency operations and have flown nearly 32,000 combat hours thus far. Global Hawks have also helped fight wildfires in California and monitor hurricanes along the U.S. Gulf Coast, and conducts critical environmental research for NASA.
[Image: The Infiltrator]
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. For more information visit www.northropgrumman.com
