These Northrop Grumman programs have received 2013 Program Excellence awards from Aviation Week. Top: the X-47B UCAS Demonstration; Bottom left: Advanced Extremely High Frequency protected communication payloads; and bottom right: Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration. (Northrop Grumman Photos)

These Northrop Grumman programs have received 2013 Program Excellence awards from Aviation Week. Top: the X-47B UCAS Demonstration; Bottom left: Advanced Extremely High Frequency protected communication payloads; and bottom right: Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration. (Northrop Grumman Photos)

PHOENIX – Nov. 15, 2013 – Three Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) programs have received Program Excellence awards from Aviation Week for being among the top-performers in the aerospace and defense industry.

Photos accompanying this release are available at http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=22249.

The awards are "the industry's greatest honor for strong program performance with innovative concepts, technologies and process enhancements," editors said during the magazine's 10th Annual Aerospace and Defense Programs Conference in Phoenix. Winners of 2013 awards were announced Nov. 14 from 28 government and industry teams that were finalists.

Northrop Grumman programs that received Program Excellence awards were:

X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System Demonstration (UCAS-D). The program made naval aviation history this year by being the first tailless, unmanned aircraft to take off and land from an aircraft carrier. It won in the System Research and Development (R&D)/System Development and Demonstration (SDD) category.



The program made naval aviation history this year by being the first tailless, unmanned aircraft to take off and land from an aircraft carrier. It won in the System Research and Development (R&D)/System Development and Demonstration (SDD) category. Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) protected military satellite communication payloads. Program managers overcame especially complex technical challenges in designing and producing the most sophisticated military or commercial satellite communication payload ever produced. AEHF Payloads won in the Subsystem R&D/SDD category. Northrop Grumman developed and delivered next-generation anti-jam payload technologies ahead of schedule for the three AEHF satellites now on orbit.



Program managers overcame especially complex technical challenges in designing and producing the most sophisticated military or commercial satellite communication payload ever produced. AEHF Payloads won in the Subsystem R&D/SDD category. Northrop Grumman developed and delivered next-generation anti-jam payload technologies ahead of schedule for the three AEHF satellites now on orbit. Space Tracking and Surveillance System Demonstration (STSS-D). The company responded quickly to changing customer strategies and priorities, making adjustments that re-established STSS-D's relevancy beyond missile defense. Enhancements transformed this pair of missile tracking satellites from an experiment into a near-operational system, allowing the pair of satellites to take on additional missions. The program won in the Special Projects category. The satellites surpassed their two-year design life in 2011 and exceeded their four-year design life earlier this year.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

Bob Bishop 310-812-5227 (office) 310-251-0261 (mobile) bob.j.bishop@ngc.com