The Third Force of the USA: The story of Northrop Grumman, the maker of the B-2 Spirit, James Webb Telescope, and RQ-4 Global Hawk drones.
In nearly three years of large-scale war, Ukraine has significantly increased its weapons production, and "Ukroboronprom" has made it to the list of the 50 leading defense companies in the world by Defence News. However, the need for Western weaponry remains high. One of its key suppliers is the American company Northrop Grumman.
Reconnaissance drones RQ-4 Global Hawk over the Black Sea, fuselages and EW systems for F-16s, tank and artillery shells for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, aircraft carriers and the James Webb space telescope, M230LF cannons, and the legendary B-2 Spirit bomber – these are just part of the company’s vast portfolio.
Starting in the 1930s, Northrop and Grumman operated separately until they merged in 1994. The merger quickly propelled the joint venture to a new level. Today, Northrop Grumman operates everywhere: in the sky, on land, at sea, and in space.
The company ranks third among the world’s defense giants by revenue (39.3 billion USD in 2023) and is considered the third force among the "big five" largest Pentagon contractors, following Lockheed Martin and RTX.
Why did Northrop and Grumman merge, and how has it influenced their future? What makes the B-2 Spirit aircraft unique, and what new model will replace it? What weapons does Northrop Grumman produce for Ukraine, and how much does it earn from this?
The Beginning and Rise During World War II
The path of Northrop Grumman to becoming a defense giant begins with two figures in the U.S. aerospace industry: Jack Northrop and Leroy Grumman. The former founded Northrop in 1939, gaining attention for innovative aircraft designs. Grumman established the Grumman Aerospace Corporation in 1930.
Both companies underwent significant transformations before merging in 1994 and becoming leaders in the aerospace and defense industry.
7 Like Lockheed Martin, the transformative period for Northrop and Grumman was World War II. Northrop's lightweight N-3PB bombers assisted the British Air Force, while the P-61 Black Widow became the first night fighter.
Grumman became synonymous with naval aviation, supplying the U.S. Navy with durable and efficient F4F Wildcat and F6F Hellcat ("flying cats") fighters. They confirmed the company's reputation as a manufacturer of sturdy and reliable aircraft. No other company received more praise from pilots.
8 The demand for fighters during the war drove both manufacturers to rapid innovations: in the post-war period, both Northrop and Grumman began to explore new directions in aerospace and defense technologies.
9 Developments During the Cold War
Northrop's experiments led to the development of the cruise intercontinental missile Snark in 1958. The missile marked an important step in the arms race during the Cold War, but by 1961, following the deployment of newer intercontinental ballistic missiles, it became obsolete and was retired.
Later, Northrop successfully applied the low lifecycle cost concept in the development of the N-156 – a lightweight supersonic jet fighter designed for ease of maintenance and cost-effectiveness in operation. Together with T-38 Talon , the N-156 became the U.S. Air Force's training aircraft, and in its variants F-5 Freedom Fighter and F-5E Tiger II, it was sold worldwide.
0 Meanwhile, Grumman secured a landmark contract for the production of the variable-sweep wing interceptor fighter F-14 Tomcat. Adopted into service in 1973, the "Tomcat" became the most expensive fighter for the West. The aircraft were exported to Iran, where they remain in service. The F-14 Tomcat was retired from U.S. service in 2006, replaced by the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.
Among other iconic naval aircraft from Grumman during that time are the small twin-engine long-range attack aircraft A-6 Intruder (adopted in 1963) and the twin-engine E-2 Hawkeye (1964) – the first aircraft designed for early warning air reconnaissance. In the civil aviation sector, Grumman introduced the twin-engine turboprop G-159 Gulfstream I in 1958, later transforming it into a family of popular business jets.
1 The company was also actively developing in the space sector, designing and building the Apollo Lunar Modules that delivered astronauts to the surface of the Moon.
The Uniqueness of the B-2 Spirit
In contrast, Northrop, while manufacturing components for other aerospace companies, became the leading American producer of drones and a primary supplier of guidance systems for tactical and strategic missiles.
A landmark contract for the company was for the construction of the stealth bomber B-2 Spirit based on Northrop's "flying wing" concept. The B-2 first took to the skies in 1989, and four years later it was adopted into service. Production ceased in 2000 – a total of 21 aircraft were built.
In 2008, the U.S. Navy ordered the company to upgrade the B-2 Spirit at a cost of nearly 500 million USD. New onboard equipment and communication systems were installed on the aircraft. Thanks to this upgrade, the bombers gained access to the Pentagon's unified combat information and control system.
2 What is special about the B-2 Spirit? The bomber, coated with radar-absorbing materials, is designed to penetrate dense air defense and deliver conventional (up to 18 tons) or nuclear (16 thermonuclear bombs) weapons.
The B-2 is considered the most expensive aircraft in the world. In 1997, the entire program was estimated at nearly 45 billion USD, and the cost of one aircraft, taking into account research and design work at that time, reached 2.1 billion USD.
The U.S. first used the B-2 in combat during NATO's operation in Yugoslavia in 1999. Over 600 precision JDAM bombs, which were also used for the first time, were dropped on targets. The B-2 made a non-stop flight from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to Kosovo and back.
3 In the following years, these bombers were also used in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in 2011 – during the operation in Libya. In October 2024