Northrop Grumman to showcase its expertise at BRIDEX 2009

BESIDES displaying cutting-edge defence and security equipment, the Brunei International Defence Exhibition and Conference (BRIDEX 2009) will also feature companies from all that will showcase high-tech products and expertise that can be deployed in fire and rescue, national disaster management and air traffic control operations, among others.

BRIDEX 2009 — which is scheduled to be held from August 12 to 15 at the new exhibition and convention centre located not far from the Royal Brunei Polo & Riding Club, Jerudong — is organised by Royal Brunei Technical Services (RBTS) with the full support of the Ministry of Defence (MinDef).

BRIDEX 2009 is considered as one of the region's premier defence and security events. RBTS said that the four-day BRIDEX 2009 is expected to attract more than 400 delegates from over 60 countries and over 15,000 trade and public visitors.

Northrop Grumman will be making its presence felt in BRIDEX 2009.

The US-based corporation is considered as one of the world's leading global security companies that provides systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

One of its subsidiaries, Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, which is based in Peterborough, United Kingdom, and in Oslo and Horten, Norway, supplies communication, navigation and surveillance systems for airspace operations worldwide.

Northrop Grumman operates from locations in France, Germany, Italy and Norway, providing navigation, air traffic control and postal automation systems.

In the UK, the company 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, robotics, C4I solutions and mission planning, aircraft whole life support, IT systems and software development.

Company officials say that Northrop Grumman has extensive proven expertise in air traffic management systems that range from individual airport installations to countrywide, multiple-site turnkey integrated system solutions. Northrop Grumman's state-of-the-art air traffic management systems are in use in numerous countries including Norway, Switzerland, Egypt, Brazil, Kazakhstan, Qatar, Oman, Israel, Canada, India, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Latvia, UAE, USA and the UK, in both civil and military applications.

Just last month, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded Northrop Grumman a contract for the Low-Cost Ground Surveillance (LCGS) programme to heighten situational awareness of airport surface traffic. According to a press release from Northrop Grumman, the contract is for the installation of the LCGS system at the Reno airport, Nevada, USA, and includes options for installation at additional airports.

LCGS will provide surface surveillance at US airports to significantly upgrade efficiency and safety.

"This is especially critical at small and medium-size airports where air traffic controllers currently rely only on their 'out-of-the-window' view of surface traffic as the primary means for avoiding conflicts and maintaining operational capacity and safety. That view can be severely hampered by adverse weather conditions, compromising safety for travellers," said Northrop Grumman.

One of the company's products is the Nova 9000 developed by Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems. The Nova 9000 processes and integrates radar and related data to give graphical views of aircraft and vehicles in the airport movement area on display screens to controllers in the tower.

"The system offers integrated and efficient airport ground surveillance to the world's airports and has been installed in more than 40 airports throughout more than 20 countries," said Northrop Grumman representatives.

"The Nova 9000 is cost-effective and easy to install and operate, and its scalability allows suitability for installation at small airports as well as some of the world's largest and busiest airports such as London Heathrow and Paris-Charles de Gaulle," they added.

The company's other products for air traffic control include the PAE T6 and PAE M7 VHF/UHF multimode digital radio that can be deployed together with the Garex 220 voice communication control system to create a digital end-to-end communications system demonstration, and the Normarc navigational equipment that comprises the Normarc 7000 instrument landing system, Normarc 7710 navigation analyser and the new Normarc distance measuring equipment. (ALA)

The Brunei Times