Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Northrop Wins $97.5M Deal to Support F-35 APG-85 Radar System

Read MoreHide Full Article

Key Takeaways

  • Northrop won a $97.5M deal to support the F-35 APG-85 radar system.
  • Northrop has more than six decades of AESA radar innovation expertise.
  • Northrop's AESA radars provide reliable, all-weather surveillance for commanders.

Northrop Grumman Corp.’s (NOC - Free Report) business unit, Northrop Grumman Systems, recently clinched a $97.5 million advanced acquisition deal to procure the F-35 combat aircraft's APG-85 radar system.

Per the contract terms, Northrop will obtain long-lead-time materials, parts, components and initiatives to protect the Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy's APG-85 radar delivery schedules.

The deal has been provided by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD. The work related to this deal will be executed in Baltimore, MD, and is anticipated to be completed in March 2029.

Northrop’s Airborne Radar Expertise

Northrop Grumman has led Active Electronically Scanned Array (“AESA”) radar innovation for more than six decades, leveraging deep design expertise to deliver advanced fire control radars that ensure air, land and sea superiority for global armed forces.

The company's sophisticated production environment represents decades of AESA development across five radar generations. Throughout this time, Northrop Grumman has consistently enhanced its designs while lowering costs and boosting mission capability.

Northrop’s airborne AESA radars deliver reliable surveillance in any weather conditions and give commanders vital intelligence to support multi-domain missions. As the world leader in airborne fire control radars, Northrop is the sole provider of AESA systems for both of the U.S. Air Force’s fifth-generation fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II.

The company's product line comprises a variety of airborne radars, including the AN/APG-81, AN/APG-83, Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array Surveillance Radar, AN/APG-77 and a few more.

Such sophisticated expertise must have driven significant demand for the company's airborne radar systems, as evidenced by recent contract wins. This is expected to continue maintaining NOC's stable revenue growth in the future.

Other Aerospace-Defense Stocks to Watch

Other aerospace-defense companies that produce military airborne radars are discussed below:

RTX Corporation (RTX - Free Report) : The company’s APG-82(V)1 AESA radar provides greater reliability, along with advanced precision engagement and multi-target tracking, allowing aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify, and monitor air and surface threats at extended ranges.

Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT - Free Report) : The company has extensive expertise in developing and providing advanced, dependable airborne radar systems. The APY-9 radar boosts command and control capabilities and broadens surveillance for the Navy’s E-2D aircraft. This all-weather early warning radar is engineered to detect small, agile targets in challenging littoral and overland conditions.

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (LHX - Free Report) : The company’s AN/APY-11 multi-mode radar can detect and track ships, aircraft, ground-moving vehicles, and Search and Rescue transponders while providing high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging of ships, terrain and coastal areas. It has been fitted for full 360-degree coverage in the nose and belly of various aircraft worldwide, including the C-130J, P-3 and Dornier 328.

Published in