Northrop Grumman to Evaluate and Test Sensors for Open Skies
;EL SEGUNDO, Calif.---Northrop Grumman Corporation's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures (ISA) sector has been awarded a $4.9 million contract to evaluate and test the performance of new, advanced sensors that may be used on specialized observation aircraft in support of the Open Skies international arms control treaty.
Signed in March 1992, the Open Skies treaty is designed to prevent conflict and manage crises by promoting openness and transparency in military activities through reciprocal, unarmed observation flights in 27 countries. The United States, Canada and 25 countries in Europe and the former Soviet Union are treaty signatories.
Northrop Grumman became involved in Open Skies in 1991 when it was requested by the U.S. Department of Defense to apply models previously developed for other programs to certain treaty negotiation issues. Since then, it has provided the ground-based and portable mission planning systems and all of the airborne moving map and data annotation systems used on the aircraft. In addition, the company maintains the special avionics on two observation aircraft and provides technical expertise to the Open Skies negotiations in Vienna.
Work on the new contract, which will be performed in Pico Rivera and El Segundo, Calif., includes technical support for U.S. treaty negotiations; sensor performance definition and evaluation, and testing, development and support for replacement sensors that gather video, electro-optical, infrared and synthetic aperture radar images. The contract is for three years with two one-year options. Northrop Grumman's ISA sector also provides training and technical support for existing sensors.
Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures sector, headquartered in Dallas, is a premier aerospace systems integration enterprise. ISA has the capabilities to design, develop, integrate, produce and support complete systems, as well as airframe subsystems, for airborne surveillance and battle management aircraft, early warning aircraft, airborne electronic warfare aircraft, air combat aircraft, and commercial aerostructures.
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Northrop Grumman to Evaluate and Test Sensors for Open Skies
