Northrop Grumman Appoints Gunter to Oversee Carrier Overhaul Program

Northrop Grumman's Newport News sector announced that Bob Gunter, senior vice president, Aircraft Carrier Program, has assumed the management for the Carrier Overhaul Program. In addition to his current responsibilities for new aircraft carrier construction, which includes aircraft carrier engineering and planning and production control, he is now responsible for carrier overhaul operations at Newport News. "The carrier overhaul portion of our business is critical in the current defense environment," says Newport News President Tom Schievelbein. "Combining aircraft carrier construction and overhaul with Bob at the helm will enhance our focus on cost, schedule and customer satisfaction for all our carrier work." The carrier overhaul program at Newport News represents approximately about a third of the company's business. Current work includes the maintenance period of the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) in Norfolk , the overhaul and refueling of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), which is valued at approximately $1.5 billion and includes the refueling of both the ship’s reactors, as well as significant modernization work. Advanced planning work is also underway for the overhaul and refueling of the nuclearpowered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) scheduled for 2004. Gunter, 45, joined the company in 1983. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland and a master's degree in Engineering from Virginia Tech and is a resident of Virginia Beach.