LINTHICUM, Md., July 10, 2012 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced today that its Next Generation Automated Detection System (NG-ADS) for homeland defense applications has successfully completed a rigorous field test and is ready for the program's next phase.

The NG-ADS technology is a competitor for the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) upcoming BioWatch Gen-3 Phase II acquisition. The program seeks to deploy a nationwide network of fully autonomous bio-detectors in major metropolitan areas across the United States to provide early warning of a biological attack. DHS recently announced that a request for proposals will be issued later this year.

As a fully automated biological detection system, the NG-ADS continuously collects air samples, analyzes the samples for the presence of multiple biological pathogens, and automatically reports results to public health officials multiple times each day through a secure data network. More than 20,000 samples were collected and analyzed during the recent field test in a variety of indoor and outdoor locations in a major city in the United States.

"There are concerns that our nation won't be ready to respond should a biological attack occur," said Dave Tilles, director of Homeland Security programs at Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector. "Early warning provided by an automated detection system such as the NG-ADS will allow the nation's public health and public safety officials to proactively manage the response to a biological event to reduce exposure and treat the affected population to minimize casualties."

Since the successful field test, additional improvements have been made to the NG-ADS to enhance the system's performance while reducing its life-cycle cost. The proven, life-saving capability of the NG-ADS draws upon Northrop Grumman's decade long experience developing, testing, deploying, and operating bio-detection systems for the U.S. government and other customers.

More information about Northrop Grumman's biodefense technology and solutions can be found at: http://www.northropgrumman.com/biodefense/ .

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information. 

  CONTACT: Yolanda Murphy
         (410) 648-0640
         yolanda.murphy@ngc.com