SAN DIEGO – Aug. 29, 2019 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) held an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Academy from July 29 to August 3, at the company’s Autonomous Systems Center of Excellence in San Diego, California. The weeklong global education and cultural exchange program provides high school students from Japan and the U.S. the opportunity to learn about unmanned systems technologies.

The company sponsored six students from Japanese high schools located in Tokyo, Nagasaki and Kyushu, and six students from Westview High School in San Diego. During the program, the students learned about unmanned vehicles and how to build and fly them, completing various mission scenarios while working together on team-building skills. The students also participated in various cultural exchange activities, such as staying with American host families and sightseeing in San Diego. Northrop Grumman sponsored all transportation, accommodation and participation expenses.

“We all have a responsibility to help inspire and grow the next generation of engineers, scientists and explorers,” said Om Prakash, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Japan. “The Academy delivers a unique experience that provides a deeper understanding of UAV technologies while fostering engagement between Japanese and U.S. students as they learned about each other’s cultures.”

The Northrop Grumman UAV Academy is an extension of the November 2018 World Trade Center of San Diego trade mission to Japan, which the company also participated in. As a part of the trade mission, Northrop Grumman highlighted its deep history and leadership in autonomy and space with virtual reality demonstrations of the company’s various unmanned and space systems. Demonstrations included a Fire Scout unmanned helicopter flying in San Diego and Tokyo environments, a Global Hawk maintenance system and the Polar Eye innovation collaboration with the San Diego Zoo Global.

Northrop Grumman participates in numerous educational programs around the world that are designed to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education. The company recently sponsored students and teachers from six countries to attend Space Camp® in the U.S., to include six students and three teachers from Japan.