Electronic Sensors

Law enforcement agencies planning for this month's inauguration ceremonies in Washington are putting the final stitches into what is considered the largest and most comprehensive security net ever attempted in the nation's capital, including an unprecedented plan to search virtually anyone within sight of the president. The country's first inauguration since the 2001 terrorist attacks, and its first wartime swearing-in ceremony since Richard M. Nixon's second term, will also feature extensive use of electronic sensors to detect chemical and biological agents on the city's streets.

Law enforcement agencies planning for this month's inauguration ceremonies in Washington are putting the final stitches into what is considered the largest and most comprehensive security net ever attempted in the nation's capital, including an unprecedented plan to search virtually anyone within sight of the president. The country's first inauguration since the 2001 terrorist attacks, and its first wartime swearing-in ceremony since Richard M. Nixon's second term, will also feature extensive use of electronic sensors to detect chemical and biological agents on the city's streets.

Names in the newsKenneth A. Joneshas been appointed vice president of oceanic systems at Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Electronic Sensors and Systems Division. Northrup Grumman's oceanic systems unit, based in Annapolis, produces anti-submarine warfare systems and develops and manufactures sophisticated underseas systems to support the U.S. Navy and other domestic and international customers. Jones joined Westinghouse in 1969 and came to its electronic systems business unit, now known as the Northrup Grumman Electronic Sensors and Systems Division 1982.

Sales growth at the Baltimore-area division of Northrop Grum- man Corp. helped propel the company to a 29 percent increase in third-quarter profit, officials announced yesterday, shoring up its position among the nation's top-performing major defense contractors. Northrop Grumman reported net income from continuing operations of $150 million for the third quarter, or $2.11 per share. That compares with $116 million, or $1.66 a share, in the third quarter last year. The Los Angeles company's quarterly sales dropped from $1.8 billion to $1.7 billion, due largely to reduced revenue from its B-2 stealth bomber, which is nearing the end of its contract life.

The local division of Northrop Grumman Corp. has won a $20.8 million contract to build 18 special radar units for the Army.The Tactical Endurance Synthetic Aperture Radar (TESAR) systems fly on small, unmanned drones. The TESAR can see objects as small as a foot across through clouds and weather.The Electronic Sensors & Systems Division of Northrop Grumman, based in Linthicum, has built 18 such units under prior contracts, and some of the systems have been deployed during the Bosnia peacekeeping mission.

Northrop Grumman Corp. said yesterday that it will pay up to $98 million to acquire the defense businesses of California Microwave Inc., including its Maryland offices.The units will report to Northrop's Electronic Sensors & Systems Sector in Linthicum, and will retain the California Microwave name.Of the 480 employees involved in the transaction, the bulk -- 312 -- are spread among offices in Belcamp, Hagerstown and Baltimore. Another 26 are in Annapolis Junction and 142 are in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Sales growth at the Baltimore-area division of Northrop Grum- man Corp. helped propel the company to a 29 percent increase in third-quarter profit, officials announced yesterday, shoring up its position among the nation's top-performing major defense contractors. Northrop Grumman reported net income from continuing operations of $150 million for the third quarter, or $2.11 per share. That compares with $116 million, or $1.66 a share, in the third quarter last year. The Los Angeles company's quarterly sales dropped from $1.8 billion to $1.7 billion, due largely to reduced revenue from its B-2 stealth bomber, which is nearing the end of its contract life.

Raytheon Co. beat the local unit of Northrop Grumman Corp. last night in a contest to create new radars for the Navy's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter plane.The contract could be worth about $1 billion, sources said."Both companies submitted extremely strong proposals," said Jerry Daniels, a vice president of Boeing Co., which builds the Super Hornet and made the selection. "In the final analysis, the decision was one of best overall value to the F/A-18 program."Raytheon makes a conventional radar for the older Hornet fighter and the new Super Hornet.

Merger plans and antitrust lawsuits aside, life goes on at th local division of Northrop Grumman Corp., which has won two military contracts in the past week.The Electronic Sensors & Systems Division in Linthicum, known as ESSD, won a $3.8 million job supplying computerized training equipment to AAI Corp. of Hunt Valley.AAI is putting together training sets for Air Force technicians to practice servicing radar equipment from AWACS surveillance and communications planes. The Northrop Grumman division will develop six radar control maintenance consoles for the trainers and one set of prime mission equipment mock-ups.

Carroll officials were thrilled yesterday with the news that defense industry giant Northrop Grumman will transfer most of a 500-member work force from Hunt Valley to Sykesville within a year.The only thing better, they said, would have been if the transfer came from a site outside Maryland."If I had had my druthers, this would have come from out of state" rather than from another Maryland county, said County Commissioner Richard T. Yates. Regardless, "The move bodes well for Carroll County," he said.

Raytheon Co. beat the local unit of Northrop Grumman Corp. last night in a contest to create new radars for the Navy's F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighter plane.The contract could be worth about $1 billion, sources said."Both companies submitted extremely strong proposals," said Jerry Daniels, a vice president of Boeing Co., which builds the Super Hornet and made the selection. "In the final analysis, the decision was one of best overall value to the F/A-18 program."Raytheon makes a conventional radar for the older Hornet fighter and the new Super Hornet.

When the Navy decided to put a snazzier radar on its new F/A-18 E/F fighter plane, the Linthicum unit of Northrop Grumman Corp. made a push to win the job. There was only one obstacle: Raytheon Co. already builds radars for the plane.Northrop Grumman's predatory move to unseat a fellow contractor has turned heads in the defense industry."This is more aggressive than is normal," said Paul Nisbet, a financial analyst with JSA Research Inc. "But as these companies become bigger because of consolidation, they become more aggressive, and it just gets to be a meaner world."

Slow international sales at the Electronic Sensors & Systems Sector in Linthicum dampened Northrop Grumman Corp.'s overall performance during the third quarter, but the corporation still posted a 10 percent earnings increase.The California-based aerospace company reported net income of $128 million, or $1.83 per share, for the three months ending Sept. 30.That compared with $116 million, or $1.67 per share, for last year's third quarter.Pension fund investment income and strong performance by the company's information technology sector accounted for the increase.

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Electronic Sensors & Systems Sector in Linthicum is racking up a healthy piece of business in the nation's controversial effort to create a space-based shield against ballistic missile attacks.The former Westinghouse plant near Baltimore-Washington International Airport has won a $134 million share of a contract to plan a network of missile-tracking satellites.Combined with work the company is already doing on another, related satellite system, ESSS is in position to dominate a key portion of national missile defense: building the infrared "eyes" that detect incoming attacks.

Northrop Grumman Corp. said yesterday that it will pay up to $98 million to acquire the defense businesses of California Microwave Inc., including its Maryland offices.The units will report to Northrop's Electronic Sensors & Systems Sector in Linthicum, and will retain the California Microwave name.Of the 480 employees involved in the transaction, the bulk -- 312 -- are spread among offices in Belcamp, Hagerstown and Baltimore. Another 26 are in Annapolis Junction and 142 are in Woodland Hills, Calif.

Northrop Grumman Corp. restructured itself yesterday, elevating the status of its business in Linthicum and announcing far-ranging job cuts aimed at reducing costs.The former division in Linthicum will take responsibility for other electronics-related businesses around the country as one of two corporate sectors. The other sector will consolidate Northrop Grumman's military and commercial aircraft work.Northrop Grumman's Logicon Inc. subsidiary will handle information technology businesses.

Slow international sales at the Electronic Sensors & Systems Sector in Linthicum dampened Northrop Grumman Corp.'s overall performance during the third quarter, but the corporation still posted a 10 percent earnings increase.The California-based aerospace company reported net income of $128 million, or $1.83 per share, for the three months ending Sept. 30.That compared with $116 million, or $1.67 per share, for last year's third quarter.Pension fund investment income and strong performance by the company's information technology sector accounted for the increase.

Northrop Grumman Corp. reported record 1997 sales and profits yesterday in what stands to be the company's last annual filing before being absorbed by Lockheed Martin Corp. in the next few months.Fourth-quarter sales of $2.5 billion, up 4 percent from the $2.4 billion logged during the corresponding period of 1996, pushed the yearly total to $9.2 billion. That was 6 percent more than the $8.6 billion reported the year before, and edged Northrop Grumman closer to its onetime goal of topping $12 billion in sales by 2001.

THIS MONTH Lockheed Martin Corp. called off its merger deal with Northrop Grumman in the face of opposition from the Defense Department and government antitrust officials, which felt the combination would seriously limit competition.While Lockheed is an undisputed giant, the collapse of the deal raised questions about the future of the much smaller Northrop, whose Electronic Sensors & Systems Division is in Linthicum. What is the next move for Northrop? Will it pursue other acquisitions or mergers?

Merger plans and antitrust lawsuits aside, life goes on at th local division of Northrop Grumman Corp., which has won two military contracts in the past week.The Electronic Sensors & Systems Division in Linthicum, known as ESSD, won a $3.8 million job supplying computerized training equipment to AAI Corp. of Hunt Valley.AAI is putting together training sets for Air Force technicians to practice servicing radar equipment from AWACS surveillance and communications planes. The Northrop Grumman division will develop six radar control maintenance consoles for the trainers and one set of prime mission equipment mock-ups.