Avondale to get a piece of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s $64-million U.S. Navy contract

Northrop Grumman Corp. today was awarded a $64-million U.S. Navy contract to provide a wide range of support services for new and in- service ships, including DDG 51 destroyers, LPD 17 amphibious transport dock ships, the Navy's LHD 8 amphibious assault ship, Littoral Combat Ships, the DD(X)

multimission combat ship and the LHA(R) amphibious assault ship.Work will be conducted in Avondale; Pascagoula, Miss.; Bath, Maine; SanDiego; Norfolk, Va.; Marinette, Wis.; Mobile, Ala.; andWashington, D.C.The five-year contract awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, Northrop Grumman's Mission Systems sector will provide a broad array of services for ships being introduced into the Naval fleet, including pre-commissioning services;manpower, personnel and training services; commissioning services;ceremony and special-event support; as well as support of shipsundergoing routine maintenance and overhauls.The fleet- introduction services contract includes a 15-month base period and four options. It lays the framework for possible consolidation of existing Northrop Grumman contracts for the DDG 51, LPD 17 and the LHD 8 with new efforts on the LCS, DD(X) and LHA(R).Northrop Grumman Mission Systems has been a leader in the development and execution of fleet-introduction services within the Naval Sea Systems Command for more than 22 years and has planned and executed the commissioning ceremony of 95 Navy ships, said John Edwards, vice president for Northrop Grumman Mission Systems' Combat Systems Support operating unit.This new contract affords the Navy and Northrop Grumman team an opportunity to combine and tailor proven processes and proceduresacross all ship classes within the Navy's Program Executive OfficeShips and to streamline a wide range of key support elements. In sodoing, core fleet-introduction functions can be standardized across allship classes with associated operational and management efficiencies.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, based in Reston, Va., is aglobal integrator of complex, mission-enabling systems and services fordefense, intelligence and civil government markets.