Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman Shipbuilders Commended On the Completion of Final Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier, USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77)

NEWPORT NEWS, Va., April 9, 2009 -- The shipbuilders of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) were honored by the Virginia House of Delegates during a ceremony held on April 8 at the start of the Reconvened Session.

The 2009 General Assembly adopted a resolution commending the employees of the company's Shipbuilding sector on the completion of the USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the 10th and final Nimitz-class aircraft carrier built in Virginia. During a ceremony on the floor of the House of Delegates, the final signed copy of the resolution was presented to a delegation of shipbuilders who worked on USS George H. W. Bush and other ships in the Nimitz class. The resolution, sponsored by Delegate Glenn Oder of Newport News, was adopted unanimously by both the House of Delegates and the State Senate.

"The shipyard remains a place where the spirit of American craftsmanship lives, grows and is celebrated," said Oder. "I hope we demonstrate with this resolution to these shipbuilders how much we thank and appreciate them."

"It's an honor to be here," said James Witt, a 47-year employee who has worked on every Nimitz class carrier. "I want to thank everyone I have worked with for the past 47 years. This is a great honor and they should share in it. It was a dream come true that I was able to represent the shipyard today."

  HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 806
        Commending the shipbuilders of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding.

        WHEREAS, the shipbuilders of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding are
        recognized for their delivery in 2009 of the nuclear-powered
        aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), the tenth and
        final ship in the Nimitz class, to the United States Navy; and

        WHEREAS, Northrop Grumman is the nation's sole designer,
        builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and
        has built every single ship of the class since the keel was
        laid for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in 1968; and

        WHEREAS, the Newport News shipyard built the first United
        States Navy ship designed as an aircraft carrier, the USS
        Ranger (CV 4), which was launched in 1933; and 27 years later
        in 1960 the same company launched the world's first nuclear
        aircraft carrier, the USS Enterprise (CVN 65); and

        WHEREAS, for more than 30 years, the Virginia-built Nimitz
        carriers and their air wings have given the United States and
        her allies an unchallenged ability to defend freedom and
        protect American interests on every ocean and continent, and
        Nimitz-class carriers will remain with the fleet for the next
        50 years; and

        WHEREAS, tens of thousands of Virginians and thousands of
        North Carolinians have spent five decades designing, building,
        and refueling Nimitz-class carriers, both inside the Newport
        News shipyard and at the hundreds of Virginia firms providing
        parts and supplies for the ships; and

        WHEREAS, the next aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford
        (CVN 78), will mark the start of a new class of warship that
        will include an enhanced flight deck, improved weapons
        movement, a new nuclear power plant, allowance for future
        technologies, and reduced manning; now, therefore, be it

        RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring,
        That the General Assembly commend and congratulate the
        thousands of shipbuilders, suppliers, and associates of
        Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding in Virginia on the delivery of
        the USS George H.W. Bush and the completion of the historic
        Nimitz class; and, be it

        RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates
        prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the
        shipbuilders of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding as an expression
        of the General Assembly's gratitude for the shipbuilder's many
        contributions to the nation's defense and best wishes for
        continued success in the future.
 

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:  Jennifer Dellapenta
          Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding
          (757) 380-3558
          Jennifer.Dellapenta@ngc.com