ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., April 27, 2010 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has announced on-schedule delivery of the 150th Operations Central (OC)/Shelter for the Firefinder AN/TPQ-36 Radar System to the U.S. Army. This Firefinder radar system configuration, commonly referred to as the Q36, is an integrated radar system that detects and tracks hostile mortar rounds, artillery shells and rockets, instantaneously locating their source.  It can handle simultaneous fire at multiple locations, detecting and reporting positions on the first round and is suitable for rapid deployment missions.  The Firefinder AN/TPQ-36 (Q36) is a C-130 transportable, ground mobile on HMMWV vehicles, helicopter transportable and easy to move across the battlefield.

Northrop Grumman's Land & Self Protections Systems Division has been providing production and repair capabilities for the Firefinder AN/TPQ-36 (Q36) OC/Shelters and associated spare parts under a $285 million Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract with the U.S. Army.  The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) has recently increased its inventory of these OC/Shelters from Northrop Grumman.

"Our partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation has seen the achievement of another significant milestone by the delivery of Firefinder Shelter Number 150," said Lt. Col. Robert J. Thomas, Product Manager Radars.  "This system was fielded in support of the U.S. Army's Modularity Concept.  The delivery of these Operation Central Shelters is a welcome addition to the Army and USMC inventory as part of their sustainment and modernization programs necessary to support the warfighter and the war on terrorism.  Northrop Grumman's transformation of the S-788 Lightweight Multipurpose Shelter (LMS) into the Radar's Operations Central marked a significant milestone in the U.S. Army and USMC Radar modernization process.  This Operations Central/Shelter provides the soldier with more operating space, and adds a lightweight computer system greatly enhancing the radar's performance.  I'm confident that shelter 150 will serve the Soldiers and our nation well."

"Tobyhanna Army Depot is proud to be a member of the Firefinder team and to support Firefinder ATGs and Shelters worldwide," said Col. Charles Gibson, the depot commander.  "Tobyhanna personnel are dedicated to providing the finest C4ISR systems and support to our warfighters.  Over the last several years, we have substantially increased the rate of production on these critical weapons-detecting radars by applying Lean Six Sigma techniques to our repair and overhaul processes."

"The delivery of our 150th Firefinder shelter represents a key milestone in the Army's effort to improve the operational performance, reliability, and long-term supportability of the AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder system," said Pat Newby, vice president of Weapons and Sensors for Northrop Grumman's Land & Self Protection Systems Division.  "Thanks to these shelter electronics enhancements, Firefinder will continue to provide essential ground based surveillance and weapons tracking capabilities for our nation's Warfighters and international customers for many years to come."

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. 

  CONTACT:  Ellen Hamilton
          Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
          (224) 625-4693
          ellen.hamilton@ngc.com