REDONDO BEACH, Calif.,
May 7, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- More
than 36,000 integrated circuits fabricated by Northrop Grumman
Corporation (NYSE: NOC) for the U.S. Air Force's fifth and sixth
Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellites are allowing
production to ramp up on a broad scale for both payloads.
A photo accompanying this release is available at
http://media.globenewswire.com/noc/mediagallery.html?pkgid=25201.
Each payload contains some 18,000 high-frequency Monolithic
Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs) for frequency conversion,
amplification and switching. They are integrated throughout major
subsystems that enable real-time mobile, global access. Those
include secure crosslinks, anti-jam uplinks and downlinks, and
super high gain earth coverage antennas.
The company provides AEHF payloads for Lockheed Martin Space
Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif., prime
contractor for the next generation of protected military
communications satellites. Three Advanced EHF satellites are
on-orbit currently and three more are in production by the Lockheed
Martin-Northrop Grumman industry team.
"The Air Force procured these advanced, high-frequency MMICs
through block buys early in the payload development cycle. Along
with cost and schedule savings, the parts were more efficient to
produce," said Stuart Linsky,
vice president, communication programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace
Systems.
Northrop Grumman manufactured the specialty compound
semiconductors at its advanced microelectronics wafer fabrication
facility in Manhattan Beach,
Calif. A Department of Defense Trusted Foundry, the facility
is dual-use, producing commercial integrated circuits in large
volumes for more than 20 years.
"By implementing commercial best practices in making military
integrated circuits, we're able to generate further cost savings
for the Air Force," Linsky said.
The MMIC-based components operate at microwave frequencies
between 300 megahertz to 300 gigahertz and beyond. They have
many benefits compared with those used in other communication
satellite payloads, such as discrete transistors and passive
components.
A single, MMIC-based component the size of a quarter, for
example, handles as many functions as a traditional, brick-size
electronic "black box." They're one reason AEHF payloads are half
the size and weight of previous-generation MILSTAR satellite
payloads while providing 10 times the capacity.
One Advanced EHF satellite will provide greater total capacity
than the entire Milstar constellation currently on orbit.
Individual user data rates will be five times improved. The higher
data rates will permit two-way, jam-resistant transmission of
tactical military communication such as real-time video,
battlefield maps and targeting data.
Advanced EHF satellite payloads uniquely contain a full range of
features that provide effective protection against the wide range
of threats from capable adversaries. These features include
anti-jamming for the strongest jammers; low probability of
detection and intercept; rapid recovery during a nuclear event; the
ability to operate through scintillation; greatly reduced risk from
physical attack to ground systems, and significant protection from
cyber attack.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing
innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems,
cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and
commercial customers worldwide. Please visit
www.northropgrumman.com for more information.
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SOURCE Northrop Grumman Corporation