Northrop Grumman [NOC] said last week it is expanding its presence in the Middle East region with the opening of a new office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“Saudi Arabia represents one of Northrop Grumman’s largest potential growth markets for defense products and infrastructure security in the Middle East,” Brian Morra, vice president business development and strategic planning for Northrop Grumman’s Electronic Systems sector, said. “Saudi Arabia is an important market in which we have considerable capabilities to offer, and the office in Riyadh will enable us to strengthen the close ties we have traditionally maintained with our Saudi customers and support their defense and security needs.”
Northrop Grumman is not new to the Middle East. The company has had its regional headquarters in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for more than a decade. The Riyadh office is the first of a series of new locations being considered to address the growing military and security needs within the Middle East and North Africa.
Company executives met senior customer representatives and industry partners at a ceremony and reception held in Riyadh to mark the opening.
The new office will be headed by James Brungess, vice-president for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain for Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems International. Brungess will work to build a strong local presence and enhanced working relationships with the Saudi Arabian customer base and industry partners, and to strengthen the company’s ability to pursue new business opportunities.
Northrop Grumman capabilities include a wide range of defense and security infrastructure system solutions from border security and maritime surveillance, to airborne early warning and control, electronic warfare and training, logistics and services.
These tests included the first guide-to-hit demonstration of a PGK on an M795 high-explosive projectile. This particular test confirmed PGK’s accuracy at a range of about 14 kilometers. The round performed preprogrammed maneuvers during the first 20 seconds of flight, then began guidance and hit about 17.5 meters from the target, well within the objective requirements.
Previous successful guide-to hit testing on the program focused on the M549 rocket assisted projectile.
Other testing, including demonstration of the tactical form factor GPS subsystem, completed all planned technical demonstrations required for entering into the subsystem’s CDR.
PGK is a low-cost, fuze-sized module designed to be compatible with conventional M795, M549 and M107 high-explosive rounds.
Because it works with the existing Army inventory of artillery shells and its current gun systems, commanders will bring next-generation accuracy to artillery units.
“PGK provides the 155 howitzer with unprecedented affordability and performance, turning it into a precision weapon system that reduces collateral damage and effectively changes the mission scope of artillery in the field,” said Dave Wise, ATK Advanced Weapons vice president and general manager. “Not only will PGK’s affordable precision revolutionize the way artillery is used, it will significantly reducethe cost of operations required when using unguided artillery rounds.”