PALMDALE, Calif., July 17, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- For several
goose bump-filled minutes today at U.S. Air Force Plant 42, it was
July 17, 1989, all over again.
Photos accompanying this release are available at
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Just as they had on that historic day 25 years ago, several
thousand Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) employees, civic
leaders and Air Force personnel stood along the company's southern
fence line in Palmdale to watch a
B-2 stealth bomber taxi onto the western end of Runway 7.
As the tailless, bat-wing-shaped jet made its final turn and
paused, its four General Electric engines began to roar. Slowly at
first, then faster and faster, the B-2 thundered down the runway.
As it lifted off and rose gracefully into the eastern morning sky,
so too did the cheers of the adoring crowd, many of whom had
started their careers on the B-2 program during its 30-plus-year
history.
Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor for the Air Force's B-2
bomber, a key component of the nation's long range strike arsenal,
and one of the most survivable aircraft in the world.
"For the past 25 years, the B-2 has been, and today continues to
be, one of the most decisive and effective weapons systems for
influencing our adversaries and defending America's interests
around the globe," said Brig. Gen. Glen D.
VanHerck, commander of the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman Air
Force Base, Missouri. "The B-2's
ability to provide strategic deterrence capabilities to our
nation's leaders -- and when deterrence fails, to deliver global
power options -- is a testament to the talents of those who
designed and built the B-2, and to the daily sacrifices of the
airmen who fly, maintain and support the fleet."
Northrop Grumman conducted its 25th anniversary
ceremony today on the tarmac near the facilities where every B-2
bomber was built and where every B-2 comes for a periodic
wingtip-to-wingtip overhaul known as programmed depot
maintenance.
Set against the backdrop of an operational B-2, the program
included remarks by former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda; Bruce
Hinds, former Northrop Grumman chief B-2 test pilot, who
commanded first flight; Air Force Brig. Gen. Steven L. Basham, who co-piloted the first B-2
combat mission, and Duke Dufresne, a
former B-2 program manager for Northrop Grumman and currently
sector vice president, Operations for its Aerospace Systems
sector.
"The B-2's maiden flight from Palmdale to Edwards Air Force Base lasted just over two
hours, but it changed forever the tenor of long range strike and
international diplomacy," said Tom
Vice, corporate vice president and president, Northrop
Grumman Aerospace Systems. "Today, the bomber personifies Northrop
Grumman's innovation and imagination, and provides an enduring
symbol of the company's commitment to the brave men and women who
defend our nation."
Following takeoff, the B-2 pilots thrilled the audience by
circling back over the Plant 42 at low altitude and performing a
ceremonial "wing wave" for the crowd.
The B-2 can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. It is
the only aircraft that combines stealth, long range, large payload
and precision weapons delivery in a single platform. The B-2's
unique capabilities allow it to penetrate an enemy's most
sophisticated defenses and put at risk its most heavily defended
targets.
Please visit www.northropgrumman.com/B-2 for the latest news and
information about Northrop Grumman's work modernizing and ensuring
the availability of the B-2.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company that
provides 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