[SatNews] Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a pre-planned product improvement (P3I) contract for the Joint Tactical Ground Station (JTAGS) from the U.S. Army.

Under the three-year initial agreement valued at $36 million, Northrop Grumman will provide development and delivery of two JTAGS P3I prototype systems. The development scope includes design, fabrication, test and demonstration of the units prior to delivery. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado., Azusa, California, and Huntsville, Alabama.

JTAGS is a relocatable information processing system that receives and processes in-theater, infrared data downlinked from satellite sensors of the Defense Support Program, Space Based Infrared System and other systems. JTAGS disseminates warning, alerting and cueing information on tactical ballistic missiles and other tactical events of interest throughout the theater using multiple communications networks. JTAGS P3I, as a replacement for the current JTAGS system, will be located in a fixed facility. The upgraded system will provide significant performance improvements and the ability to process additional sensors. JTAGS units are deployed worldwide.

"This contract begins the development phase of the JTAGS P3I program, bringing us closer to delivering improved missile warning for our warfighters," said Ed Bush, vice president of Northrop Grumman's C4ISR Networked Systems business unit. "This award continues our longstanding relationship with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command."

Additionally, the company has appointed Robert J. Mehltretter as vice president of the company's Navigation and Positioning Systems (NAPS) business unit.

In his new position, Mehltretter will have executive responsibility for all domestic and international programs within the NAPS business area, which is a leading provider of inertial navigation and positioning systems and sensor technologies for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, missiles, spacecraft, ships and land vehicles. The NAPS business unit is part of Northrop Grumman's Navigation and Maritime Systems Division within the company's Electronic Systems sector.

Mehltretter joined the company in 1982 and has held a variety of technical and program leadership positions. Most recently, he served as the company's program director for the Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle missile defense program. Prior to that, Mehltretter served as program director for the Space-Based Infrared System, leading Northrop Grumman's payload, ground, and systems engineering, integration and test efforts for development and production.