NORTHROP
GRUMMAN WORKING WITH U.S. NAVY
ON USS CARL VINSON (CVN 70) SCHEDULE CHANGE
NEWPORT
NEWS, Va.-- Oct. 9, 2003 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation
(NYSE:NOC) said today that it is working closely with
the U.S. Navy to address the implications of the Navy's
decision, announced earlier today, to delay by one year
the planned Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) of the
nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson.
The ship, originally scheduled to arrive at the corporation's
Newport News sector in November of 2004, will now arrive
in November of 2005.
In response to the Navy's announcement, Tom Schievelbein,
president, Northrop Grumman Newport News said, "This
issue is critical to us from a people perspective. We
are working with the Navy to address the change in the
CVN 70 schedule and to find ways to maintain critical
technical capabilities at the yard and to stabilize the
industrial base."
The company stated that the delay will impact Northrop
Grumman's expected 2004 sales by approximately $300 million.
The company now expects 2004 sales of approximately $28
billion, versus the previously estimated range of $28
to $29 billion. This is the only change to the company's
previous guidance for 2004, which included double-digit
earnings per share growth, assuming pension costs are
the same as 2003, segment operating margin in the mid-7
percent range, and cash from operations of approximately
$1.5 billion.
"As a result of the Vinson schedule change,"
added Schievelbein, "the Navy plans to award Northrop
Grumman Newport News a Dry Dock Planned Incremental Availability
(DPIA) for the carrier USS George Washington
(CVN 73) that will begin in the fall of 2004, as well
as a number of submarine availabilities and other additional
work."
This decision by the Navy to change the Vinson's maintenance
schedule was made because of the carrier's current operational
capabilities and to better address the Navy's operational
needs.
Northrop Grumman Newport News, headquartered in Newport
News, Va., is the nation's sole designer, builder, and
refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one
of only two companies capable of designing and building
nuclear-powered submarines. Newport News also provides
after-market services for a wide array of naval and commercial
vessels. The Newport News sector employs about 18,000
people.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $25 billion global defense
company, headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop
Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative
products, services and solutions in systems integration,
defense electronics, information technology, advanced
aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With approximately
120,000 employees and operations in all 50 states and
25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international
military, government and commercial customers.
Forward-Looking
Information - Note: Certain statements and assumptions
in this release contain or are based on "forward-looking"
information (that Northrop Grumman believes to be within
the definition in the Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995) and involve risks and uncertainties, and
include, among others, statements in the future tense,
and all statements accompanied by terms such as "project,"
"expect," "estimate," "assume,"
"guidance" or variations thereof. This information
reflects the company's best estimates when made, but the
company expressly disclaims any duty to update this information
if new data becomes available or estimates change after
the date of this release.
Such
"forward-looking" information is based on numerous
assumptions and uncertainties, many of which are outside
Northrop Grumman's control. These include Northrop Grumman's
ability to successfully integrate its acquisitions including
TRW, to realize the preliminary estimates for accounting
conformance and purchase accounting valuations for TRW
which will be finalized in the 2003 fourth quarter and
which may materially vary from these estimates, assumptions
with respect to future revenues, expected program performance
and cash flows, returns on pension plan assets and variability
of pension actuarial and related assumptions, the outcome
of litigation, appeals and settlement negotiations, environmental
remediation, divestitures of businesses, successful reduction
of debt, successful negotiation of contracts with labor
unions, effective tax rates and timing and amounts of
tax payments, and anticipated costs of capital investments,
among other things. Northrop Grumman's operations are
subject to various additional risks and uncertainties
resulting from its position as a supplier, either directly
or as subcontractor or team member, to the U.S. Government
and its agencies as well as to foreign governments and
agencies; actual outcomes are dependent upon factors,
including, without limitation, Northrop Grumman's successful
performance of internal plans; government customers' budgetary
constraints; customer changes in short-range and long-range
plans; domestic and international competition in both
the defense and commercial areas; product performance;
continued development and acceptance of new products;
performance issues with key suppliers and subcontractors;
government import and export policies; acquisition or
termination of government contracts; the outcome of political
and legal processes; legal, financial, and governmental
risks related to international transactions and global
needs for military aircraft, military and civilian electronic
systems and support, information technology; naval vessels,
space systems and related technologies, as well as other
economic, political and technological risks and uncertainties
and other risk factors set out in Northrop Grumman's filings
from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including, without limitation, Northrop Grumman reports
on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.