Northrop Grumman to Integrate Navy LCS Mission Package

Northrop Grumman Corporation received a $28 million contract from the U.S. Navy for engineering and production planning services for surface warfare and mine countermeasures mission module components that will deploy from, and integrate with, the littoral combat ship (LCS). With this award, Northrop Grumman continues its role as the mission package integrator with expanding roles in systems engineering, mission module production and mission package fleet sustainment, including distance support for the currently deployed USS Freedom (LCS 1).

"As the mission package integrator, Northrop Grumman continues to demonstrate its ability to provide the Navy with fully integrated mission modules that fit seamlessly with the sea-frames," said Doug Shaffer, director of information operations and electronic attack, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

"I have been very pleased with our mission package integrator's performance in delivering high quality modules on cost and schedule," said Capt. John Ailes, littoral combat ship mission module program manager.

Each mission package comprises a specific set of subsystems such as data processing equipment, vehicles and sensors, and others. These mission packages integrate specialized manned and unmanned systems that must operate in a combination of air, surface and subsurface domains. The capabilities contained in each mission package focus on mine countermeasures, littoral anti-submarine warfare or littoral surface warfare operations. 

Working closely with the Navy program office, Northrop Grumman utilizes a disciplined systems engineering process to ensure that the mission package components, selected by the Navy and produced by numerous companies across the United States, successfully operate together. The company also works to ensure that the components are integrated seamlessly with other LCS systems, as well as the Navy networks in which the LCS functions.

To date, Northrop Grumman has delivered two surface warfare mission modules and is nearing completion of delivering its first mine countermeasures mission module for LCS. The second Northrop Grumman-produced mine countermeasures mission module is currently in production as well.

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