LINTHICUM, Md., March 4, 2009 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has promoted Michael E. Hinkey to vice president of engineering and manufacturing for the eastern region campuses of its Electronic Systems sector, effective immediately.

In his new position, Hinkey will be responsible for all engineering and manufacturing performance at the sector's various eastern region campuses. He will also oversee flight test, engineering support services including the Product Qualification Laboratory, and test engineering and related facilities and equipment at the company's Linthicum campus.

Hinkey joined the company in 1981 and has held a number of technical and management assignments in systems development, engineering management, operations management and program management. In 1997, he was named director of software and processing systems and led an initiative to standardize processing systems and software across a broad product base. Two years later, he was appointed director of core avionics engineering, expanding the commonality initiative across a broader product base and, in 2001, he spearheaded the establishment of final assembly product cells at the Linthicum campus. In 2002, he was named director of the Joint Strike Fighter radar program.

Most recently, he served as director of Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array radar programs, where he led the final phases of the Wedgetail radar development activity.

Hinkey earned a bachelor's degree in physics and engineering science from Loyola College and a master's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Virginia. He has also completed the Executive Marketing Program at University of California, Los Angeles and the General Management Program at Harvard Business School.

He currently serves on Loyola College's Natural Sciences Industrial Advisory Board and the University of Maryland Baltimore County's Computer Science/Electrical Engineering Visiting Committee.

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:  Jack Martin, Jr.
          Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
          (410) 765-4441
          jm.martin@ngc.com