Tag Archives: Global Hawk

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Northrop Wins $71 Million in Global Hawk Orders

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By Rich Smith, The Motley Fool

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Northrop Grumman , one of the biggest winners in the Air Force‘s seismic shift toward unmanned airplanes, increased its lead even further Tuesday.

According to the company, Northrop has just been awarded an “undefinitized” contract worth $71 million, as the USAF retains the company’s services to “provide engineering support for the production and final acceptance testing of … Lot 10” Global Hawk drones. (Lot 10 refers to the sequential order number of batches of new Global Hawks bought by the Air Force.)

Northrop’s tasks will include supporting “program management, engineering, and flight operations necessary to complete Lot 10 aircraft and sensor deliveries, which will include” two Block 30 Global Hawk aircraft, two more advanced Block 40 drones, and retrofits of advanced sensors upon a further three drones from previous “lots” purchased.

Northrop expects all work on this contract modification to be complete by the end of next year.

Northrop shares declined 0.2% in Tuesday trading despite the Global Hawk news, closing at $71.56.

The article Northrop Wins $71 Million in Global Hawk Orders originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Northrop Grumman. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools don’t all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Is North Korea Led By a Modern Day Super-Villain?

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By Steve Symington, The Motley Fool

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Sometimes its seems like there’s just no end to North Korea‘s provocations.

To be sure, while the country has undoubtedly developed a reputation for unleashing threatening rhetoric, it seems to have achieved an entirely new level of vitriol over the past few weeks.

So far this month, for example, the reclusive nation scrapped the armistice which ended the Korean War in 1953, threatened to attack United States military bases in Japan and Guam, and — shortly before a scheduled United Nations vote on whether to enact a fresh round of crippling sanctions against the country —  vowed to launch a preemptive nuclear strike against the U.S.

That’s not to mention the country’s bizarre propaganda video last week in which it envisioned the bombing of the White House and Congress, or recent reports that its diplomats are quite literally being asked to forgo their ambassadorial responsibilities to instead sell large quantities of drugs in an effort to fill North Korea‘s coffers.

Then, just this week, North Korean hackers (now there’s a term you don’t hear everyday) are suspected in recent cyber attacks which temporarily shut down around 32,000 computers and servers belonging to South Korean media and financial companies.

So who’s protecting us?
For all intents and purposes, then, given the fact that North Korea seems bent on not playing nice with others, the country increasingly looks more like a modern day super-villain than anything else.

And that’s exactly why now is a great time to take a deeper look at a few of the companies who’ve made it their business to protect our country. 

On missile defense
For one, putting aside the fact that its shares currently trade hands for less than nine times trailing earnings, Northrup Grumman  boasts arguably the most comprehensive portfolio of defense solutions our world has to offer.

In addition to building our nation’s flagship long-range B-2 stealth bombers as well as enviable unmanned drones like the Global Hawk, Northrup maintains bleeding-edge cyber security solutions, has CBRNE detection systems (which stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives) currently placed around the U.S. Furthermore, Northrup is the prime contractor for our Missile Defense Integration and Operations Center, which plays a central role in the development of our nation’s Ballistic Missile Defense System.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Defense also awarded Lockheed Martin  a $79.7 million contract modification for its Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System, bringing the total value of the contract to a whopping $331.8 million. Like Northrup, Lockheed also plays great offense as evidenced by the F-35 maker’s recent $54.3 million contract win involving its Long-Range Anti Ship Missile project.

On cybersecurity
Of course, Northrup and Lockheed aren’t the only companies paid to protect our shores; Raytheon , for its part, not only maintains interceptors, radar equipment, and space sensors for its own missile defense systems, but also also recently agreed with the Department of Homeland Security to become a provider for “enhanced cybersecurity services” in response to the U.S. government‘s recent decision to further bolster …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Pentagon Pays Northrop $433.5 Million for Drone Work

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By Rich Smith, The Motley Fool

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On Monday, the Department of Defense announced that it has awarded drone maker Northrop Grumman a contract for $433.5 million. An “(estimated) cost-plus-fixed-fee contract,” this award hires Northrop to provide logistics support for RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles through Sept. 30, 2014.

Designated a “HALE,” or high-altitude, long-endurance aircraft, the unarmed Global Hawk is a remotely operated drone designed to take the place of Lockheed Martin‘s piloted U-2 spyplane. It is capable of flying as high as 65,000 feet above sea level at speeds of up to 400 mph, has a range of 12,000 nautical miles, and can stay aloft as long as 35 hours.

 
 

The article Pentagon Pays Northrop $433.5 Million for Drone Work originally appeared on Fool.com.

Fool contributor Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Copyright © 1995 – 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Ten Companies Profiting Most From War

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By 24/7 Wall St.

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The business of war is profitable. In 2011, the 100 largest contractors sold $410 billion in arms and military sevices. Just 10 of those companies sold over $208 billion. Based on a list of the top 100 arms-producing and military services companies in 2011 compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 companies with the most military sales worldwide in 2011.

These companies have benefited tremendously from the growth in military spending in the U.S., which by far has the largest military budget in the world. In 2000, the U.S. defense budget was approximately $312 billion. By 2011, that figure had grown to $712 billion. Arm sales grew alongside general defense spending growth. SIPRI noted that between 2002 and 2011, arms sales among the top 100 companies grew by 51%.

However, the trend has reversed recently. In 2011, the top 100 arms dealers sold 5% less compared to 2010. Susan Jackson, a defense expert at SIPRI, said in an email to 24/7 Wall St. that austerity measures in Western Europe and the U.S. have delayed or slowed down the procurement of different weapons systems. Austerity concerns have exacerbated matters since 2011. The U.S. federal government budget cuts that took effect beginning this month — commonly known as sequestration — mean that military spending could contract by more than $500 billion over the coming decade unless some of the cuts are reversed.

In addition, the U.S.’s involvement in conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have wound down significantly. The last American convoy in Iraq left the country in December of 2011. Troop withdrawals from Afghanistan also began in 2011. Finally, SIPRI pointed out that sanctions on arms transfers to Libya also played a role in declining arms sales.

Many of these companies are looking overseas to try to make up for slowing sales in the U.S. and Europe. Arms producers are especially keen on areas in Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Asia, Jackson said. For instance, BAE is in the process of securing contracting agreements with Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the chief financial officer of Northrop Grumman has recently indicated his company may sell its Global Hawk airplane to South Korea or Japan.

Based on the report, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 10 companies with the most arms sales in 2011. Arms were defined as sales to military customers, either for procurement or for export, but do not include sales of general purpose items such as oil or computer equipment to military customers. We also looked at arms sales from 2010, as well as the company’s total sales in 2010. Furthermore, we considered the company’s 2011 total sales, profits and the total number of employees at the company, all provided by SIPRI.

There are the 10 companies profiting the most from war.

Filed under: 24/7 Wall St. Wire, Aerospace & Defense Tagged: BA, GD, LLL, LMT, NOC, UTX

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance