Northrop Grumman to supply air traffic management systems at UK airports

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Europe-based air traffic management systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, has been awarded contracts by NATS Services to provide surface movement radar and air traffic monitor systems for Heathrow airport’s virtual contingency facility (VCF) and instrument landing systems (ILS) for regional airports around the UK.

Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems dedicates itself completely to designing, manufacturing and installing ground-based systems for use in air traffic control and air defence applications.

“These contracts consolidate the strong position we have in the UK air traffic management market,” said Eldar Hauge, managing director of Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems in Norway. “Our surveillance technology and control systems will enhance the operations by the VCF helping air traffic controllers to monitor and control flights even when they are unable to see aircraft departing, arriving or moving around the airfield, and our state-of-the-art instrument landing system will ensure safe and precise landings, even under the most difficult visibility conditions.”

The VCF has been developed and put into service by NATS Services and is the world’s first full safety certified remote airport contingency control room that can keep flights moving through Heathrow airport in the event of a serious problem at the airport’s main control tower. Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems is providing the NOVA 9000 advanced-surface movement guidance and control system (A-SMGCS) equipment and NOVA 9000 air traffic monitors.

The VCF, housed in a facility away from the airfield, is a remote air traffic control tower located near London Heathrow airport and enables the airport to operate at 70% of its capacity in the event of an emergency involving the main control tower. The VCF is designed with exactly the same equipment and control positions as the main control tower. The two independent systems monitor and present the traffic situation to the Heathrow controllers within an area of 20 nautical miles and to and from the gates. Both systems have in-built automation and safety logic functions.

Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems will also supply NATS Services with the NORMARC 7000B ILS CAT III for Newcastle, Luton and Leeds Bradford airports. These contracts follow on from previous contracts awarded for the supply of air traffic management systems on the Isle of Man and Jersey. The NORMARC 7000B is the world’s leading ILS system, using state-of-the-art technology to ensure safe and precise landings, even under the most difficult visibility conditions.

Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, based in Peterborough, UK, and in Oslo and Horten, Norway, supplies communication, navigation and surveillance systems for air-space operations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman has a well-established presence in the UK with a heritage spanning nearly 100-years. Northrop Grumman operates from primary locations in London, Fareham, Chester, Coventry, New Malden, Peterborough, RAF Waddington and Solihull and provides avionics, communications, electronic warfare systems, marine navigation systems, unmanned ground vehicle systems, C4I solutions and mission planning, aircraft whole life support, IT systems and software development.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.