Northrop Grumman Corporation

In 2001, the company acquired Litton Industries, a shipbuilder and defense electronics systems provider for the U.S. Navy. During the acquisition process, a new Delaware holding company, NNG, Inc., was formed, which merged with Northrop Grumman through a one-for-one common shares exchange in April 2001. Both Northrop Grumman and Litton became subsidiaries of the new holding company. The original Northrop Grumman Corporation then changed its name to "Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation"; the holding company, NNG, Inc., changed its name to "Northrop Grumman Corporation". Later that year, Northrop Grumman acquired Newport News Shipbuilding.

In 2002, Northrop Grumman acquired TRW Inc. Northrop incorporated TRW's space and laser capabilities and system manufacturing infrastructure into its newly created Space Technology sector based in Redondo Beach, California (Space Park), and the Mission Systems sector based in Reston, Virginia.

In July 2003, the company received a $48 million contract to train the Iraqi Army.

In August 2005, the United Kingdom paid $1.2 billion in a contract with the company to provide maintenance of its AWACS radar.

In November 2005, the company won a $2 billion contract with Virginia to overhaul most of the state's IT operations.

On January 1, 2006, Northrop Grumman opened its business sector called 'Technical Services'. Northrop Grumman and Boeing collaborated on a design concept for NASA's upcoming Orion spacecraft (previously the Crew Exploration Vehicle), but the contract went to rival Lockheed Martin on August 31, 2006.

In 2006, Northrop Grumman had intended to bid for the U.S. Air Force's Next-Generation Bomber. Though it has not built a large manned aircraft since wrapping up B-2 Spirit production in the 1990s, the company has "been working hard to turn that perception around, with the skills and capabilities that back it up". However, by 2009, the teams working on that project were dispersed, as USAF's focus turned to a long-range strike instead. Northrop Grumman was one of two teams competing for the Long Range Strike Bomber, and in October 2015 won that contract.

On July 20, 2007, Northrop Grumman became the sole owner of Burt Rutan's Scaled Composites.

In 2007, Northrop Grumman created 'National Workforce Centers' as an alternative to offshoring. Locations are Auburn, Alabama; Corsicana, Texas; Fairmont, West Virginia; Helena, Montana; Johnstown, Pennsylvania; and Lebanon, Virginia. The Rapid City, South Dakota location closed in January 2012.

In August 2007, Northrop Grumman acquired Scaled Composites in which it had previously owned a 40% stake.

In June 2008, Northrop Grumman began working with DHS Systems LLC, manufacturer of the Deployable Rapid Assembly Shelter (DRASH) in New York, as part of the U.S. Army's Standard Integrated Command Post System program.

In July 2008, three of four Northrop Grumman employees (Thomas Howes, Marc Gonsalves and Keith Stansell) were freed during Operation Jaque after five years of captivity following their 2003 aircraft crash in the Colombian jungle. The fourth employee, Tom Janis, had been killed by the FARC shortly after the crash.

2010s

In March 2011, Northrop Grumman spun off its Shipbuilding unit as Huntington Ingalls Industries.

In July 2013, Northrop Grumman won a training-simulation contract potentially worth $490 million to support the U.S. Air Force's next-generation aerial warfare virtual-training network.

In 2015, Northrop Grumman won a contract for the DARPA Tactically Exploited Reconnaissance Node (TERN) program.

In March 2015, the company delivered the first shipset for Australian EA-18G Growler.

In October 2015, the US Military awarded Northrop Grumman the contract for the successor to the B-1 and B-52, subsequently identified as the B-21. The initial value is $21.4 billion, and could eventually be worth up to $80 billion.

In September 2017, Northrop announced the acquisition of missile and rocket manufacturer Orbital ATK Inc for $9.2 billion: $7.8 billion in cash plus $1.4 billion in net debt. On November 29, 2017, the acquisition was approved by Orbital ATK stockholders and on June 6, 2018, the merger closed after final FTC approval. The acquired company assets and naming were absorbed and become a division named Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

In January 2018, Northrop Grumman became the primary contractor for the James Webb Space Telescope.

On June 7, 2018, the acquisition of Orbital ATK was completed, and it was absorbed in Northrop Grumman as a new business sector called Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

2020s

Effective January 1, 2020, the NGIS division was split, with most of the sector merging with other Northrop Grumman businesses into a new Space Systems sector.

In June 2020, NASA granted a $935 million contract to Northrop Grumman for the Lunar Gateway Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module, based on its Cygnus cargo spacecraft. In July 2022, Northrop subcontracted Solstar to provide the wireless-enabling technology to enable a Wi-Fi access for employees and equipment in the module.

In September 2020, Northrop ended development of the OmegA space launch vehicle, intended to carry the U.S. government's national security satellites into space.

In September 2020, Northrop Grumman won a $298 million sole-source contract for the Evolved Strategic Satcom program, an anti-jam communications satellite program intended to replace the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite program where Northrop Grumman was a subcontractor to Lockheed Martin.

In February 2021, Northrop sold its federal IT and mission support business to Veritas Capital for $3.4 billion.

In March 2021, NASA awarded Northrop Grumman the contract to develop the Mars Ascent Propulsion System for a Mars sample-return mission. Northrop designed a solid-fueled rocket to launch samples collected by the Perseverance rover from Mars to Earth.

In August 2022, Northrop Grumman announced it was moving production of the engines and structures for its Antares rockets to the U.S. from Russia and Ukraine in partnership with Texas-based Firefly Aerospace. Northrop Grumman and Firefly Aerospace are jointly producing an upgraded version of the Antares rocket, the Antares 330.

Northrop Grumman's B-21 Raider entered test flights in 2023, with the goal of delivering the first plane by the end of the decade.

On September 15, 2023, Northrop Grumman was sanctioned by the Chinese government due to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan.

In May 2024, Northrop Grumman unveiled the Manta Ray, an underwater drone developed for the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency (DARPA). The drone, which resembles its namesake sea creature, was designed to carry out long-duration, long-range military missions, including extended loitering on the sea bottom. The craft uses two four-bladed propellers on the wings to enhance the propulsion provided by its gliding system, which glides forward while moving up and down in the water column by changing its buoyancy. With an emphasis on minimal human oversight, the creation of the Manta Ray represents a significant advancement in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV) technology.

In September 2024, Northrop Grumman won the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) competition to develop and build the Glide Phase Interceptor (GPI). In 2025, the company secured a contract with the U.S. Space Force to test in-space satellite refueling technology Northrop developed. Northrop Grumman is also constructing ground stations to support the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program. In May 2025, the company invested $50 million in space startup Firefly to support production of their "Eclipse" rocket.

Northrop Grumman Computing Systems, Inc., provides computing services to businesses.

Operations

Northrop Grumman’s business is focused on developing new technology in various sectors, including land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains. Formally, as of 2019 the company is divided into four operating sectors: Aeronautics Systems, Defense Systems, Mission Systems and Space Systems.

Aeronautics Systems

Aeronautics Systems, headquartered in Palmdale, California, produces military aircraft, autonomous systems, and aerospace structures for the U.S. and other nations. Major products include the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, an airborne early warning and control aircraft used by the U.S. Navy; the B-2 Spirit, a strategic bomber introduced in 1988; the B-21 Raider, a strategic bomber with a first flight in 2023; and the MQ-4C Triton, a high-altitude long endurance unmanned aerial system for maritime surveillance.

Mission Systems

Mission Systems, headquartered in Linthicum, Maryland, creates military radar, sensors, and microelectronics like semiconductor chips. This unit developed the AN/APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar upgrade for the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR). It also developed the Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite, a tool to improve situational awareness and detect electronic threats against an aircraft.

Space Systems

The Space Systems sector, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, provides space and launch systems to commercial and government customers. Northrop Grumman's space operations include construction of the James Webb Space Telescope and the construction and operation of the Cygnus spacecraft that delivers supplies to the International Space Station. The company is also creating the Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module for NASA's Lunar Gateway and has begun development of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Polar (NGP) as part of efforts to modernize U.S. missile defense systems.

Northrop Grumman produces solid rocket motors, including for Space Launch Systems and for Graphite-Epoxy Motors, and developed the Glide Phase Interceptor. The company is a contractor for the Space Development Agency's Tranche 1 Transport and Tracking Layer. In April 2025, the U.S. Space Force gave Northrop Grumman a contract for Elixir, a new mission to develop and demonstrate a satellite refueling capability.

Defense Systems

Northrop Grumman's Defense Systems unit encompasses products related to technology services, directed energy, information systems, and tactical weapons. The company supplies the U.S. Army with its Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS), which operates on a modular open systems architecture framework to network sensors and interceptors among different operators. Other products of this unit include the LGM-35 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, Bushmaster chain guns, the AARGM-ER anti-radiation missile, and the M1156 precision guidance kit.

In 2003, the company was among 84 parties with which the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the state of New York reached an estimated US$15 million settlement for the rehabilitation of the Mattiace Petrochemical Company Superfund site in Glen Cove, Long Island. In the same year, Northrop Grumman agreed to pay $33,214 after EPA inspectors found hazardous waste violations at the Capistrano test site.

In October 2010, the company was named one of Computerworld's Top 12 Green-IT organizations for its large-scale data center migration effort.

In 2019, Northrop Grumman was named the US's largest corporate contributor to water pollution by the Political Economy Research Institute of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Political contributions and governmental ties

From 1990 to 2002, Northrop Grumman contributed $8.5 million to federal campaigns. According to Political action committee (PAC) summary data compiled by Source Watch, the company gave US$1,011,260 to federal candidates in the 2005–2006 election cycle, compared to $10,612,837 given by all defense contractors in the same cycle. This donation amount was only behind that of General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin in the defense industry. The majority of the contributions, 63%, went to Republicans.

Former Northrop Grumman Electronics Systems chief James G. Roche served as Secretary of the Air Force for two years under George W. Bush. Roche would eventually be nominated to head the Army, but withdrew his nomination among accusations of mismanaging a contract with Boeing and for failing to properly handle the Air Force sexual assault scandals of 2003. According to CorpWatch, "at least seven former officials, consultants, or shareholders of Northrop Grumman" have held posts "in the Bush administration...including Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, Vice-Presidential Chief of Staff I. Lewis Libby, Pentagon Comptroller Dov S. Zakheim, and Sean O'Keefe, director of NASA". Wolfowitz and Libby have both since left the government amid scandals.

The company engages third-party lobbying firms in jurisdictions where it has interests. For example, in South Australia it works with lobbying firm CMAX Communications.

Controversies

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Northrop was the target of several high-profile criminal and civil cases.

In 1995, Robert Ferro, an employee for TRW Inc., a company Northrop Grumman acquired in 2002, discovered that satellite components manufactured for the U.S. Air Force (USAF) were faulty and likely to fail in operation. TRW suppressed Ferro's report of the problem and hid the information from the USAF, even after a satellite in space equipped with the faulty components experienced serious anomalies. Ferro later sued Northrop Grumman in federal court under the federal whistle-blower law.

In 1999, the company was sued for knowingly giving the Navy defective aircraft. This suit sought $210 million in damages. Ten years later, on April 2, 2009, Northrop Grumman agreed to pay $325 million to settle the suit. Ferro was awarded $48.8 million of the settlement. Northrop Grumman stated, "it believed that TRW had 'acted properly under its contracts' and that the company had substantive defenses against the claims".

In 2001, federal investigators probed NG for fraud of more than $100 million, systematic overcharging for radar jammers and other high-tech devices used in the B-1 bomber, the F-15 fighter and the B-2 Stealth bomber.

In 2003, the company was sued for overcharging the U.S. government for space projects in the 1990s. Northrop Grumman paid $111.2 million to settle out of court.

From August 25 to September 2, 2010, Virginia's computer system operated by NG, under a $2.4 billion contract, experienced an outage which resulted in around 45,000 citizens not being able to renew their drivers licenses prior to their expiration. Computer systems for 26 of the state's 89 agencies were affected and Governor Bob McDonnell announced that some data may have been permanently lost. In 2010 Northrop Grumman apologized for the outage, and agreed to fund an investigation.

In 2012, controversy began over Northrop Grumman's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS), when it missed its first deadline. Since then, the system has had a number of controversial developments. In 2016, a Director, Operational Test and Evaluation found a number of major faults with the system, concluding it was "neither mature nor stable".

Northrop Grumman's supply of weapons to Israel led to protests against the company during the Gaza war, including blocking the entrances at facilities in San Diego and Plymouth, Minnesota. Students on hunger strike at Brown University named Northrop Grumman as a company to divest from.

International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) violations

U.S. State Department investigators found that Litton Industries, a subsidiary acquired by Northrop Grumman in 2000, had provided portions of source code used by guidance and navigation system interfaces aboard Air Force One to a company in Russia in 1998. Northrop Grumman agreed to pay a $15 million fine for 110 violations, occurring between September 1998 and November 1998, of the Arms Export Control Act and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

Additionally, documents filed by the State Department state that between 1994 and 2003, Northrop Grumman failed to notify the U.S. State Department about the computer guidance systems also being transferred to Angola, Indonesia, Israel, China, Ukraine and Yemen.