Northrop Grumman’s Airport Communications System Goes Live at Maastricht Airspace Control Centre, Netherlands

OSLO, Norway -- Nov 16, 2011 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation’s  (NYSE:NOC) Europe subsidiary Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems has announced that the first part of the air traffic management communications systems that it has delivered to Air Traffic Control the Netherlands (LVNL) for airports across the Netherlands is now in full operational use at Maastricht Aachen Airport. This is the first of 14 radio sites to become operational.

The radio system including monitoring and control is a part of the full voice communication control system (VCCS) replacement programme that LVNL will complete in 2014. The digital end-to-end VCCS will consist of Northrop Grumman’s GAREX 220 switching systems and PAE T6 air-ground radios, installed at sites across the Netherlands.

“Our integration of the GAREX Voice Communication Control System with PAE radio equipment, underpinned by our extensive expertise and experience has set the industry standard in communication systems for air traffic management,” said Eldar Hauge, the managing director of Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, Norway. “The successful long-term collaboration we have with LVNL demonstrates our commitment to meeting customer needs and delivering reliable, high-performance solutions. We look forward to continuing to work with LVNL on this important programme. ”

The GAREX 220 switching systems are actively being developed and tested to optimise LVNL’s communication suite. When completed, the VCCS will provide fully-integrated air traffic control voice communications across all LVNL controlled airspace.

The voice communications programme with the LVNL includes more than 500 radio systems that will be installed across radio sites of Rotterdam Airport The Hague, Groningen Airport Eelde and Vlissingen in addition to those already delivered earlier this year at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and Maastricht Airport Aachen.

LVNL provides air traffic services in the Dutch civil airspace up to Flight Level 245. LVNL’s area control unit handles about 500,000 flights yearly and its four tower and approach control units together handle around 600,000 flights yearly.
 
With a 50-year legacy in air traffic management systems ranging from individual airport installations to countrywide, multiple-site turnkey integrated system solutions, Northrop Grumman’s state-of-the-art air traffic management systems are operationally controlling air traffic in numerous countries around the world including recent major programmes in: Norway, Canada, France, United Arab Emirates, United States and the United Kingdom.

Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, based in Oslo and Horten, Norway, and in Peterborough, U.K., supplies air traffic management systems for air-space operations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com/international for more information.