NGC Mine Detection System Takes Flight

(Melbourne, Fla., July 16, 2008) -- Another of Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) line of airborne mine countermeasures products has successfully completed its first flight.

The Airborne Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Minefield Detection System (ASTAMIDS) flew from the company's facility in Melbourne, Fla., aboard a modified U.S. Army UH-1H "Huey" helicopter. The flight occurred on April 30, validating the operability and integration of all the system components. On the first ASTAMIDS flight, all four first-flight objectives were achieved and control of the gimbal via the developmental Tactical Ground Segment software was demonstrated.

Since then, the program team has been executing flight testing of the system's reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition and counter-mine capabilities. According to the current plan, ASTAMIDS is scheduled for Low Rate Initial Production in 2009.

The ASTAMIDS system is designed for the U.S. Army to detect, characterize and locate minefields and obstacles and provide information to help locate and characterize non-mined areas and show safe avenues for U.S. troops. It also will detect, locate and designate combat vehicles, systems and troops, thus providing deep insight into the kinds of tactical threats facing its operators.

"Mines are a particularly insidious threat to our soldiers on the ground, as we're seeing in the world today. Our purpose with ASTAMIDS is to radically increase the safety factor for infantry and mechanized units and assure the success of their missions," said Bob Klein, Northrop Grumman vice president for Maritime and Tactical Systems.

"We have four airborne mine countermeasures systems in production or in the later stages of development. ASTAMIDS and the other systems are made possible by the company's ability to adapt the latest technologies into important new tools for our soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen. These systems represent a tremendous step towards negating the threat of mines at sea, along the beachheads and inland."

Source : Northrop Grumman Corporation

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