April 27, 2010
ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has announced the on-schedule delivery of the 150th next-generation Firefinder radar shelter to the U.S. Army.
Firefinder is an integrated radar system that detects and tracks hostile mortar rounds, artillery shells and rockets, instantaneously locating their source. It can handle simultaneous fire at multiple locations, detecting and reporting positions on the first round and is suitable for rapid deployment missions. Firefinder is C-130 transportable, ground mobile on HMMWV vehicles, helicopter transportable and easy to move from one vehicle to another on the battlefield.
Northrop Grumman's Land & Self Protection Division is providing electronics upgrades to the Firefinder radar shelters under a $285 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract with the U.S. Army. A total of 50 Firefinder radar shelters are being upgraded for the Army as part of the ongoing radar system enhancement effort. The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) is also in the process of upgrading its inventory of Firefinder radar systems with modernized radar shelters from Northrop Grumman.
"Our partnership with Northrop Grumman Corporation has seen the achievement of another significant milestone by the delivery of Firefinder Shelter Number 150," said Ted Hom, product manager Radars. "This system was fielded to the 3d Bn, 29th FA, 4th ID, Ft Carson, Colo. in support of the Army's Modularity Concept. The delivery of these Operation Central systems has enabled the U.S. Army and the USMC to introduce a much needed Electronic Upgrade to their fleets of AN/TPQ-36 and AN/TPQ-46 Radars as part of their sustainment and modernization programs necessary to support the warfighter and the war on terrorism. Northrop Grumman's transformation of the S-788 Lightweight Multipurpose Shelter (LMS) into a Radars Operations Central marked a significant milestone in the U.S. Army and USMC process of modernizing the TPQ-36 and 46 Radars. This new system provided the soldier with more operating space, a modern radar processor and the addition of a lightweight computer system which has greatly enhanced the radar's performance. I'm confident that shelter 150 will serve the Soldiers of the 4th ID and our nation with many years of outstanding service."
"Tobyhanna Army Depot is proud to be a member of the Firefinder team and to support Firefinder ATGs and shelters worldwide," said Col. Charles Gibson, the depot commander. "Tobyhanna personnel are dedicated to providing the finest C4ISR systems and support to our warfighters. Over the last several years, we have substantially increased the rate of production on these critical weapons-detecting radars by applying Lean Six Sigma techniques to our repair and overhaul processes."
"The delivery of our 150th Firefinder shelter represents a key milestone in the Army's effort to improve the operational performance, reliability and long-term supportability of the AN/TPQ-36 Firefinder system," said Pat Newby, vice president of Weapons and Sensors for Northrop Grumman's Land & Self Protection Division. "Thanks to these shelter electronics enhancements, Firefinder will continue to provide essential ground-based surveillance and weapons tracking capabilities for our nation's warfighters and international customers for many years to come."
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Artillery, Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC), Radar
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