Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Begins Next Phase of Flight...

Photo Release -- Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Begins Next Phase of
Flight Testing

BETHPAGE, N.Y., June 10, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Almost 22 months after its
first flight over the skies of St. Augustine, Fla., Northrop Grumman's
(NYSE:NOC) first E-2D Advanced Hawkeye test aircraft flew north to Naval Air
Station Patuxent River, in Maryland, to begin the next phase of testing in
preparation for Initial Operational Test and Evaluation in 2011.

A photo accompanying this release is available at
http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/

"Since our first flight on Aug. 3, 2007, the joint Advanced Hawkeye team has
been putting the aircraft through its paces, and recently passed the 1,000th
hour of flight testing," said Jim Culmo, vice president of Airborne Early
Warning and Battle Management Command and Control programs for Northrop Grumman
Aerospace Systems sector. "We're looking forward to getting the E-2D out on the
aircraft carrier. This next phase -- carrier suitability testing -- brings us
that much closer to delivering this revolutionary weapons system to the
warfighter."

To ensure that the aircraft operating on carriers are compatible, all naval
aviation assets undergo carrier suitability testing prior to joining the fleet.
During this test phase all aspects of aviation/ship integration are addressed,
including logistics, manpower and interoperability. "Carrier suitability testing
for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye will concentrate on verifying that the aircraft is
structurally prepared for the rigors of carrier operations," said Marty McCord,
Northrop Grumman Contractor Flight Test Director. "The bulk of the testing
involves catapult and arrested landing structural tests, also called 'Shake,
Rattle, and Roll Tests', as well as determining the minimum acceptable approach
airspeed and establishing crosswind limits," he added.

Designed and built for the U.S. Navy, the E-2D will utilize its newly developed
AN/APY-9 Electronic Scan Array (ESA) radar, Cooperative Engagement Capability
(CEC) system, Electronic Support Measures (ESM), and off-board sensors, in
concert with surface combatants equipped with the Aegis combat system to detect,
track, and defeat cruise missile threats at extended ranges. The E-2D Advanced
Hawkeye will also provide unparalleled maritime domain awareness including
airspace control for manned and unmanned assets, monitoring of surface
movements, civil support, and command and control of tactical forces. The E-2D's
new AN/APY-9 radar, designed and built by a radar team led by Lockheed Martin,
represents a two-generational leap in radar technology. "The AN/APY-9 can see
smaller targets and more of them at a greater range than currently fielded radar
systems," Culmo added.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000
employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace,
electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to
government and commercial customers worldwide.

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CONTACT: Kirsti Dunn
Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems
(301) 373-2388, x2722
Kirsti.dunn@ngc.com