A full-scale model of the Pegasus unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) was rolled out of a hangar to culminate the opening ceremony for the center. The actual vehicle, being built with company funds for the flight demonstration program, is expected to be completed this summer.

The new center houses approximately 500 employees along with laboratories and other technical facilities formerly located at other Northrop Grumman sites in Pico Rivera, El Segundo and Hawthorne, Calif.

"To meet our future defense needs, we must refocus the defense budget on weapons programs that make better use of advanced technology," said U.S. Rep. Jane Harman (D-36th District), the keynote speaker at the event. "This will benefit areas where the cutting edge technologies are being designed and built, generating not only new and high paying jobs but new and exciting ideas. This project continues the South Bay's long tradition of making our armed forces stronger and our economy smarter."

"ASDC is both a sector and a corporate asset, bringing together expertise and capabilities from across the corporation," stated Ralph D. Crosby Jr., Northrop Grumman corporate vice president and president of the Integrated Systems Sector. "All of the advanced systems and technology being developed here has the common thread of systems integration, which requires not only the ability to build platforms, but also the capability to integrate the electronics and software necessary to meet the requirements of the future."

"This new center serves as the headquarters for the people in the Air Combat Systems (ACS) Advanced Systems organization who are working on the enabling technologies that will keep Northrop Grumman at the forefront of providing integrated strike warfare solutions for our nation's armed forces," said Scott J. Seymour, sector vice president for Air Combat Systems. "It is a great honor to lead this organization and the people who are working to provide the advanced technologies and best value systems for our national defense."

By demonstrating these technologies on a flying vehicle, Northrop Grumman is demonstrating its commitment to global leadership in unmanned systems. These flight demonstrations also will allow the company's government customers to proceed with a higher degree of confidence.

Designed with stealth features and shaped like a kite, Pegasus is built largely with composite materials. The aircraft measures 27.9 feet long and has a nearly equal wingspan of 27.8 feet. First flight is planned for the fourth quarter of this year at the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, Calif.

One of the first tasks of the Pegasus flight program will be to demonstrate the aerodynamic qualities of an autonomous UAV that would allow it to operate from an aircraft carrier.

Northrop Grumman is performing trade studies, analysis and preliminary design for a naval unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) under a contract with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Navy.

The goal of the joint DARPA/Navy project is to demonstrate the technical feasibility for a UCAV system to effectively and affordably conduct sea-based 21st century suppression of enemy air defenses, strike and surveillance missions within the emerging global command and control architecture.

In addition to the naval UCAV, other unmanned programs at the ASDC include the Watchkeeper tactical UAV for the British Army, the Navy Multi-Role Endurance UAV and the high-altitude Sensor Craft for the U.S. Air Force.

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