EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Nov. 12, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has announced the appointments of three executives at its Integrated Systems sector. Gerard A. "Duke" Dufresne was named sector vice president, Western Region; Thomas E. Vice was appointed sector vice president, Eastern Region; and Charles Wands was named sector vice president and chief financial officer (CFO). The appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2008.

Dufresne will succeed Gary W. Ervin, who in September 2007, was elected corporate vice president and president of Integrated Systems, a position he will assume in January. Dufresne currently serves as sector vice president, Eastern Region, a position he has held since 2006. He joined Northrop Grumman in 1987 on the B-2 stealth bomber program and has served in a variety of senior positions, including sector vice president, Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare; vice president and deputy, Air Combat Systems, and vice president, Unmanned Systems. He earned a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master's in business administration from the University of West Florida.

Vice, who will succeed Dufresne in the Eastern Region position, currently serves as vice president, Airborne Early Warning and Battle Management Command and Control-Navy Programs. In his 21 years with the company, Vice has held a variety of key positions, including sector vice president, Business Development; sector vice president, Operations; and sector vice president, Materiel. He earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California and has completed management programs at the Defense Systems Management College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Wands will succeed Lance G. Newquist, who is retiring in January. Wands' current position is vice president and CFO, Integrated Systems Western Region. He joined Northrop Grumman in 1999 when the company acquired Ryan Aeronautical, where he served as vice president and CFO, and has more than 25 years of business management experience. Wands earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Chaminade University in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector designs, develops, produces and supports network-enabled systems and subsystems in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; battle management command and control, and integrated strike warfare. Major programs include the RQ 4 Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance system, E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning battle management system, E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS), B-2 stealth bomber, F 35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (as a principal member of the Lockheed Martin team), and F/A-18 Super Hornet (as principal subcontractor to The Boeing Company).

Based in El Segundo, the sector also has major sites in Bethpage, N.Y.; Hollywood, Md.; Melbourne, Fla.; Palmdale, Calif.; Rancho Bernardo, Calif., and St. Augustine, Fla.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide. 

  CONTACT:  Jim Hart
          Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems
          +1-310-466-5509
          james.f.hart@ngc.com