Essenhigh, Northrop Non-Exec Chairman, UK

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is to appoint Sir Nigel Essenhigh as non-executive chairman for Northrop Grumman in the UK. Essenhigh will join the board of the company's UK holding company NGC UK Ltd as a director early in 2009.

In this new position, Essenhigh will provide strategic guidance to help support the company's current programs, encourage growth and assist with the strategy to develop new business opportunities for Northrop Grumman in the UK. He will work closely with the new UK corporate lead executive to be appointed as successor to Graham Thornton, managing director for Northrop Grumman UK, who is stepping down at the end of December.

"I am delighted that Sir Nigel will be joining Northrop Grumman UK in this new role of non-executive chairman. He is highly respected in the defense industry and brings a wealth of experience and knowledge which will be invaluable to the company," said Robert W. Helm, corporate vice president of Government Relations for Northrop Grumman.

Essenhigh’s career spans 39 years in the Royal Navy ending with his position as First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff prior to his retirement in 2002. In the subsequent six years he has held a variety of commercial and consultative appointments, including some five years as a senior consultant to Northrop Grumman. He currently serves as a non-executive director of the Babcock International Group.

In the UK, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of technology solutions in support of programs in the defense and security and resilience markets. The company operates from primary locations in London, Fareham, Chester, Coventry, New Malden, Peterborough, RAF Waddington and Solihull and provides avionics, communications, electronic warfare systems, marine navigation systems, robotics, C4I solutions and mission planning, aircraft whole life support, IT systems and software development.

(www.northropgrumman.com)