Northrop Grumman Corp. announced this week that it has received two contracts totaling nearly $300 million for military aircraft systems support. Under a $173 million, five-year Department of Defense performance-based logistics agreement, Northrop Grumman will provide support and sustainment services for its LITENING advanced targeting system, operated by the Air Combat Command, Air Force Reserves, Air National Guard, Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserves. Support will also be provided to the Italian and Spanish navies. LITENING’s forward-looking IR, CCD laser imaging sensors, advanced image processing and digital video output provide imaging capabilities that enable aircrews to identify and engage targets under a wide range of battlefield conditions. The system has been integrated on a variety of Coalition aircraft. “This award continues our 15-year partnership with the Department of Defense in supporting the warfighters who rely on the LITENING system,” said Jim Mocarski, vice president of airborne tactical sensors at Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems. “Through this partnership, LITENING has achieved greater than 97 percent availability and more than 650,000 combat flight hours, so warfighters know it will be ready for any mission.” The company also was awarded a $120 million, five-year contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support its large aircraft IR countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems, which are designed to protect aircraft from IR surface-to-air guided missiles. Under the agreement, Northrop Grumman will provide repair, engineering sustainment, logistics and training services to the MoD at its diagnostic and technical support center in Chester, England, and at its repair facility in Rolling Meadows, Ill. “For nearly 20 years, we have been working in partnership with the UK MoD to give military aircrews protection from infrared-guided missiles,” said Carl Smith, vice president of infrared countermeasures at Northrop Grumman’s Land and Self Protection Systems Division. “With this award, we continue that long-standing relationship and reaffirm our commitment to maintaining a world-class technical support capability in the UK.” For more information, visit: www.northropgrumman.com