Friday, February 25, 2011

Boeing wins contract for refueling tanker

"In an announcement that took industry experts by surprise", Boeing wins the KC-X contract to build tankers basedd on its 767 passenger jet.

Wes Bush was correct in his assessment that bidding on th KC-X was a no-win.

Body=http://articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/24/business/la-fi-tanker-award-20110225

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Report says human error led to state computer outage

Northrop Grumman is in the news again. 

The state of Virginia is going to sue N-G for the state-wide computer outage and loss of data that resulted from failure to follow two industry best practices. Failure of equipment owned and operated by N-G contributed to the problem. 

The state of Virginia expected more for  the $2.5 billion thirteen year contract it has with Northrop Grumman. 

What do they want? Stuff that works all of the time? It not like life-or-death, as in building aircraft. 

GOOD NEWS: US Air Force truncates Northrop unmanned plane

Northrop Grumman Global Hawk Block 4 buy is being reduced from 22 to 11.

This is GOOD NEWS! Looks like a 50% cut.

Recall that the B-2 Stealth bomber was reduced from 132 to 21. This was an 84% cut.

Wednesday, February 09, 2011

Rise of the machines

Nice article about the X-47B in the Mail Online - the Brits seem to think unmanned, automated killing people and breaking things without human intervention is a good thing.

Rise of the machines: Un-manned X-47B robot stealth bomber tested by US Navy | Mail Online

Friday, February 04, 2011

Chinese company wants to sell aircraft to U.S. military

I'm reading about 'China Maneuvers for U.S. Defense Contracts - FoxNews.com' on Fluent News.

Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/26437695

SEE:
"They say the two companies have also been discussing putting forward AVIC's new L-15 trainer jet as a candidate to replace the U.S. Air Force's fleet of Northrop T-38s, which entered service 50 years ago and on which American fighter pilots learn skills such as how to fly at supersonic speeds."

The Chinese can build stuff cheaper.






Sent from my iPhone

F/A-18 fighter jet and Northrop Grumman: Aging fighter jet gets new lease on life - latimes.com

See the story about how the delays of the F-35 program is prolonging the life of the F/A-18 program.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fighter-jet-20110204,0,2947856.story


Sent from my iPhone

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

DoesThis Remind You of a Nortrhrop Grummn Product?

Somebody once said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

If so, Northrop Grumman should be flattered by the Chinese stealth fighter.

China 'leaks' sneak peek of latest stealth aircraft going for a test run | Mail Online

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

ANOTHER 4 Per Cent Solution?

Recently I had lunch with a soon-to-be Northrop Grumman retiree, who has thirty-six years at Northrop Grumman.

He had decided to "retire" after receiving his WARN letter (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) and was sad to see that his manager just shoved him his layoff notice at him with no acknowledgment or appreciation for his hard work and loyalty to the company.

I can only assume that Northrop Grumman expects no loyalty from its employees, as there is certainly no loyalty to the employees from Northrop Grumman.

The given reason for the lay-offs of 500 employees at Northrop Grumman in El Segundo and Redondo Beach was that the government had mandated a $40 million reduction in labor costs.

(Also remember that Northrop Grumman will be hiring approximately 250 people for other contracts, and unfortunately Northrop Grumman employee skill sets are not interchangeable, nor are Northrop Grumman employees are trainable to do other work.)

According to my calculator, Northrop Grumman is saving $40million a year by not paying 500 employees an average salary of $80,000 a year.

Given that there are 12,500 employees in El Segundo and Redondo Beach, we see the logic of Northrop Grumman management - MUCH BETTER to lay-off 500 employees before the Christmas break so we don't have to give them Christmas pay.

ALSO NOTICE that given these 12,500 employees are earning an average of $80,000 a year, the $40 million reduction can be ALSO accomplished through a 4% pay cut of all 12,500 employees' salaries.

Northrop Grumman management evidently finds this a deal-breaker, as it is better to 500 employees a 100% pay cut instead of 12,500 employees a 4% pay cut.

While Boeing is cutting 10% of its executives and Lockheed 25% of its executives, Northrop Grumman is NOT doing likewise.

Northrop Grumman executives are obviously MUCH SMARTER and are NOT PAID AS MUCH as the Boeing and Lockheed executives so there is no need to cut any Northrop Grumman executives.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Reconnaissance military drone: The changing face of aerial reconnaissance - latimes.com

Reconnaissance military drone: The changing face of aerial reconnaissance - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman is in the news with a picture of the Global Hawk displayed for this article.

Northrop Grumman is only one of the several players producing the platform for aerial sensors.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Northrop Grumman wins $189.2M Navy contract - Washington Times

Northrop Grumman wins $189.2M Navy contract - Washington Times

High technology ship-building - this $189M is in addition to the original contract to build the ship and only covers ". . the cost of additional design, planning and systems integration and analysis".

The ship itself will cost a huge amount of money.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Surprise Package From Northrop Grumman

Imagine my surprise today when I got a Fedex(?) shipment from Northrop Grumman.

In it was a note, "Hello Michael - I found this while cleaning out Louise's office...How are you? I hopeyou you're doing well. Pat Moore".

Thank you, Pat!

Enclosed was a acrylic award with engraving (below my name)

"In recognition of recognition of 33 years of service - Northrop Grumman".

The packaging showed this printed message:

Michael Jue

33

Years of Service

Your significant contributions have help make Northrop Grumman a leader in our industry.

We thank you for your loyalty,, dedication, and commitment.

Congratulions and best wishes on your retirement.

Surprise: receiving this thing unexpectedly in an untimely manner.

NOT a surprise: receiving this thing unexpectedly in an untimely manner. See what I wrote about my last day at Northrop Grumman.

Once an person is no longer an employee of Northrop Grumman, it SEEMS that the now former employee then becomes irrelevant.

What do you think?

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Health Update - September 28, 2010

Doing much better - am now "fair" and "vertical" (standing and walking around.)

This is great improvement over "poor" and "vertical".

"Poor" and "vertical" is a great improvement over "poor" and "horizontal" (flat on my back lying down in bed.)

Even this is MUCH PREFERRED over "dead" and "horizontal"

Northrop Grumman workers in El Segundo and Redondo Beach brace for cuts - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman workers in El Segundo and Redondo Beach brace for cuts - latimes.com

Northrop Grumman is getting ready to have a reduction in force because of the downturn in income coming in from contracts from the government.

In order for Nortrhop Grumman NOT to pay employees MORE than it is taking in on contracts etc., Northrop Grumman will do what it needs to do to REDUCE the number of employees that it has to pay.

Having been on the receiving end of a WARN letter, I can make the following observations:


- NEVER, NEVER believe your manager when he says that he will not lay you off - most likely he is just saying that because he needs you to finish the work you are doing instead of you finding another job elsewhere. Thomas Lee Hull told me in 1999 that he would pull the layoff notice, and yet I got the phone call from payroll asking me to come on down to sign the final paycheck form.

Of course, Human Resources said that my manager, Thomas Lee Hull, did NOT lie to me, but "...may have mis-stated the facts based on overly optimistic projections." (?!) Also remember that Human Resources is being paid by the company, and will represent the company AGAINST the employee.

I know of two other individuals who were told similar things by their managers were subsequently laid off.

LESSON: If you CAN, DO find another position elsewhere - don't trust what your manager says.


- Northrop Grumman will get rid of MORE employees that they actually need to get rid of - Northrop Grumman will lose the really smart guys who can find work elsewhere in addition to "deadwood and dogmeat" (this is a Northrop Grumman management term for employees slated for lay-off).

As a result, Northrop Grumman will have a shortage of experienced, knowledgeable personnel and thus will eventually go into a employee incentive hiring mode where they REWARD employees for referring new hires to Northrop Grumman.

The employees left will be inexperienced and not have the knowledge to do the work of two or three former employees. This makes work HARD for the survivors.

Of course, management position is "Suck it up - be glad you have a job!"

Monday, September 13, 2010

Northrop Grumman was Mentioned in This Article

Drones create a buzz in Southern California aerospace industry - Los Angeles Times

This article was mostly on the Predator and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems - Northrop Grumman gets mentioned on the second page in the fifteenth paragraph.

I am glad that Northrop Grumman is getting good coverage, especially when it comes to drones.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

ANOTHER Reason Northrop Grumman Did Not Bid on KC-X?

See this article about Boeing: Aerospace: Boeing may have interest in buying Northrop - latimes.com

This is possibly another reason that Wes Bush decided that Northrop Grumman would not bidding on the KC-X contract - he knew that Boeiing was interested in buying Northrop Grumman so that Northrop Grumman would be bidding against itself future self.

SMART MAN, Wes Bush. I thought it was because Northrop Grumman had no political clout - after all, Northrop Grumman actually won the KC-X contract once, but Boeing had the political cloutg to have the contract re-bid and the requirements changed to favor Boeiing.

Wes Bush is a very smart man.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

One-quarter of Lockheed Martin executives take buyout offer

One-quarter of Lockheed Martin executives take buyout offer

Lockheed Martin is going through a round of layoffs.

However, for their executives they have a special plan where they "buyout" the executives to leave on their own instead of being fired.

Ordinary employees MIGHT NOT get the same deal to go away - what do you think?

Do you think Northrop Grumman will "buyout" the executives while doing a "layoff" of ordinary employees (known as "peons" because they are p**d on, or sh*t on?

Or do you honestly think that Northrop Grumman will "buyout" ordinary employees?

Business Digest: Northrop Grumman to cut 642 more shipyard jobs

Business Digest: Northrop Grumman to cut 642 more shipyard jobs

Good news/bad news - Northrop Grumman is consolidating shipbuilding facilities (good news for cost savings for Northrop Grumman), and Northrop Grumman is laying off employees (bad news for the employees).

NOLA.com : Northrop Grumman closing Tallulah shipyard, laying off 110 at Avondale

NOLA.com : Northrop Grumman closing Tallulah shipyard, laying off 110 at Avondale

More good news/bad news - the shipyard at Tallulah will not close IMMEDIATELY because Northrop Grumman has contract work (good news for Northrop Grumman making money), and laying off employees and closing the shipyard in 2013 after the contract ends (bad news for the employees).

Why is it ALWAYS bad news for the employees?