Northrop Grumman
American aerospace and defense company, 5th largest U.S. federal contractor.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American aerospace and defense company headquartered in West Falls Church, Virginia. It designs and manufactures systems for aeronautics, defense, missions, and space, and is the 5th largest contractor of the U.S. federal government, receiving over 2% of all federal government spending at contractors. The company is ranked 110th on the Fortune 500 list of America's largest corporations, and in 2024, 87% of its revenues came from the U.S. federal government while 12% came from international sources.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Aerospace, defense
- Traded As
- NOC · S&P 500 component
- Hq Location City
- West Falls Church, Virginia
- Hq Location Country
- U.S.
- Predecessors
- Northrop Corporation · Grumman Corporation
- Key People
- Kathy J. Warden / (President and CEO)
- Area Served
- Worldwide
- Revenue Year
- 2025
- Operating Income
- US$4.51 billion48
- Net Income
- US$4.18 billion48
- Assets
- US$51.4 billion49
- Equity
- US$16.7 billion49
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Northrop Grumman was formed in 1994 through the merger of Northrop Corporation and Grumman Aerospace. Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation was established in December 1929 on Long Island, New York, by Leroy R. Grumman, and by 1939 had relocated to Bethpage, New York. During World War II, Grumman built most U.S. Navy aircraft, including the TBF Avenger, F4F Wildcat, and F6F Hellcat. After the war, it branched into products such as ballistic missiles, all-weather radars, the Apollo Lunar Module, and stealth bombers. Northrop Corporation was founded in California in 1939 by Jack Northrop and reincorporated in Delaware in 1985. Northrop was known for lightweight fighters like the F-5, YF-17, and F-20, and for experimental flying wing aircraft such as the XB-35 and YB-49, which paved the way for the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber. After the Cold War, Northrop acquired Grumman Aerospace, Westinghouse, and TRW Inc., among others. In 2018, Northrop Grumman purchased Orbital ATK, which was renamed Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems and later integrated into other parts of the business.
Reader's Guide
Northrop Grumman's significance lies in its role as a major U.S. defense contractor, with its Aeronautics Systems division developing the B-21 Raider strategic bomber and the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle. The company's defense systems division modernizes the intercontinental ballistic missile system, including the LGM-35 Sentinel. Its mission systems division produces military radar, sensors, and systems such as the AN/APG-83 AESA radar for the F-16 and the AN/APG-81 AESA radar for the F-35. The space systems division develops satellites, the Cygnus uncrewed spacecraft, and motors for the NASA Space Launch System. Northrop Grumman and its partners have won the Collier Trophy nine times, including for the James Webb Space Telescope. The company's legacy includes the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the Apollo Lunar Module, and it has been a principal member of the Lockheed Martin-led F-35 team. In 1998, a merger with Lockheed Martin was considered but abandoned after resistance from the Department of Defense and Department of Justice.
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