Northrop’s $13.3 Billion Contract for ICBMs Brings Work to Valley

Northrop Grumman received this week a Pentagon contract to engineer and manufacture an updated intercontinental ballistic missile system. The $13.3 billion contract announced on Wednesday will include work at the aerospace and defense giant’s Woodland Hills facility as well as at the Canoga Park campus of Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc. The contract includes weapon system design, qualification, test and evaluation and nuclear certification. Northrop will begin delivery of the new missile system to the U.S. Air Force by 2029. “With more than 65 years of technical leadership on every ICBM system, our nationwide team is honored and committed to continuing our partnership with the U.S. Air Force to deliver a safe, secure and effective system that will contribute to global stability for years to come,” said Northrop Chief Executive Kathy Warden in a statement. Aerojet Rocketdyne will produce the post-boost propulsion system for the missiles at its San Fernando Valley plant, where the company has made investments in precision liquid rocket propulsion technology. In general, a post-boost propulsion system takes over once the boost phases have sent the missile to high altitude. It provides precision steering to accomplish the mission objectives. Aerojet Rocketdyne Chief Executive Eileen Drake said the company has a legacy of contributing to the nation’s strategic deterrence and looked forward to continuing that as part of Northrop’s team on the new missile system. “Our investments in state-of-the-art facilities and innovative technologies enable us to deliver advanced propulsion systems with improved performance at lower costs,” Drake said in a statement.