NGC Successfully Demos New Missile Warhead

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully demonstrated a new missile warhead that further optimizes fragmentation characteristics of its original Lethality Enhanced Ordnance (LEO) solution to defeat a broader range of military target sets from ground forces to light/medium vehicles and aircraft.

Preliminary results indicate that the new warhead improves overall performance against area and point targets. It also adds penetration and low collateral damage mission capabilities, providing a safer alternative to some legacy munitions, which can cause unintended harm to civilians and infrastructure well after detonation. LEO warheads do not contain submunitions and eliminate the unexploded ordnance risk.

“There are very few companies that can offer a similar combination of technical expertise and schedule responsiveness as Northrop Grumman.” said Pat Nolan, vice president and general manager, missile products, Northrop Grumman. “Our deep heritage enables our team to develop innovative technologies, like the new warhead that was recently demonstrated, and make it adaptable for essentially any missile program. We are committed to ensuring that our warfighters are ready for challenges on the battlefield, and they are able to execute their missions reliably, precisely and safely.”

Northrop Grumman designed, built and validated the new warhead in less than seven months as part of its continuous research and development activities to deliver innovative solutions for emerging warfighter needs and requirements. Its LEO process uses a proven modeling optimization tool which correlates real world data to accurately predict weapon performance, thus reducing the time spent in the design phase. During the build phase, Northrop Grumman employs validated manufacturing processes which result in more affordable solutions.