MELBOURNE, Australia, Dec. 14, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Representatives from over 70 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) attended a multi-program supplier conference in Melbourne, Victoria, held by Northrop Grumman Australia, a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC). Attendees represented firms from Australia and the United States, with representatives from Northrop Grumman Australia outlining to suppliers how they can be involved in the company's delivery of a unique range of defence capabilities to the Australian Government in the years ahead.
The conference provided an overview of requirements to contribute to a range of major defence aerospace projects, including the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system, the MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter and the KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport.
There were presentations on a range of other major projects, including Northrop Grumman's cyber intelligence product line, management of Australia's utilisation of the Wideband Global SATCOM system and projects to replace the Army's close combat and reconnaissance vehicles.
"Winning defence contracts requires long-term effort and dedication from all involved," said Ian Irving, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia. "The Global Supply Chain program helps Australian SMEs to participate across Northrop Grumman's programs both in Australia and internationally. These partnerships are very important for us to provide the best capabilities possible and we are very excited about the opportunities to work with SMEs on a range of projects in the future."
As well as Irving, the conference heard from Jaime Bohnke, vice president, global supply chain, Northrop Grumman, and Cheryl Smythe, corporate director of Northrop Grumman's Australian Global Supply Chain Program, who announced the creation of a new Australian supply chain manager role.
"At Northrop Grumman we understand the importance of sustained local engagement with SMEs for the successful delivery of complex defence projects," said Smythe. "That is why we are creating a new Canberra-based supply chain manager role. This important position will give Australian suppliers greater opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities to the broader Northrop Grumman Corporation."
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com/Australia for more information.