Northrop Grumman to Supply the Platform Management System for U.K. Royal Navy's Next Astute-Class Submarine

LONDON, March 25 /PRNewswire/ --

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been chosen to provide the Platform Management System (PMS) for the next Royal Navy Astute Class submarine, HMS Audacious.

BAE Systems has selected Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit as the preferred bidder to supply the PMS for the fourth Astute-Class submarine. The PMS will control and monitor platform machinery and on board systems.

Based on Sperry Marine's innovative approach to configuring commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and software to meet exacting military and commercial applications, the PMS for Astute Boat 4 will reduce costs and minimise programme risk. Supported by Sperry Marine's programme management expertise, the system will provide an advanced network design that includes the stringent levels of safety and redundancy associated with nuclear submarine control systems. The COTS hardware and software will provide significant cost savings at delivery and, most importantly, reduced cost of ownership in comparison to bespoke solutions.

The system's open architecture allows interfacing with third-party equipment via standard field-bus technology to provide an extremely versatile and expandable PMS solution. Training and support is available from a wide variety of global suppliers, simplifying support logistics.

"The Astute project is crucial to the U.K.'s defence posture, and we are particularly pleased to increase our involvement with this program," said Nolasco DaCunha, managing director of Sperry Marine. "This contract will help us to consolidate our presence in the U.K. naval market and provide us with an opportunity to enhance our position in the military PMS market for naval ships around the world."

Sperry Marine in the U.K. has had a long and successful relationship with the Royal Navy, supplying and supporting machinery control systems, navigation radars, gyrocompasses and other navigation equipment. The company is also currently providing the PMS for the Royal Navy's Type 45 destroyers and has provided ships' inertial navigation systems for a variety of other surface ships and submarines.

"Our experience in configuring advanced technology systems for naval applications and strong programme management capabilities are ideally suited to the demanding requirements for the Royal Navy's submarines," said Chris Holgate, PMS programme director for Sperry Marine in the U.K.

Sperry Marine, headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and with major engineering and support offices in New Malden, United Kingdom and Hamburg, Germany, provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support through offices in 16 countries, sales representatives in 47 countries and authorized service depots in more than 250 locations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman in the U.K. operates from primary locations at Chester, Coventry, Fareham, New Malden, Peterborough, RAF Waddington and Solihull, providing avionics, communications, electronic warfare systems, marine navigation systems, robotics, C4ISR solutions and mission planning, IT systems and software development.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a US$32 billion global defence 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.

For commercial sales inquiries, contact Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine by phone, +1-434-974-2656 or by e-mail, sales_commercial@sperry.ngc.com. For military sales inquiries, call +1-434-974-2134 or e-mail sales_military@sperry.ngc.com. Visit our Web site at http://www.sperrymarine.northropgrumman.com.

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