Pentagon stops work on F-35's 2nd engine - Washington Times

Obama finally gets his way and got funding for the GE/Rolls Royce alternate engine stopped. Congress made him take funding ("pork") when funding for the F-22 got stopped.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/24/pentagon-stops-work-on-f-35s-2nd-engine-action-uni/

Lower and Middle Level Managers Do the Dirty Work

See this story on the Mail Online web page: First pictures emerge of the Fukushima Fifty as steam starts pouring from all four reactors at the stricken nuclear power plant.

"The Fukushima Fifty - an anonymous band of lower and mid-level managers - have battled around the clock to cool overheating reactors and spent fuel rods since the disaster on March 11."

LOOKS LIKE that the peon-workers were told to go home while the middle and lower level managers stayed behind to prevent the power plant from going into full meltdown.

IN OTHER WORDS, the managers are doing the hard, dirty work - obviously they didn't trust the peons to do the work at first.

AT Northrop Grumman, would management do this this?

Or would management tell the employees to get the job done, no matter how hard, no matter what has to be done?

LOOKS LIKE the Japanese managers at this power plant will not ask their employees to do what they themselves would not do - the fifty lower and middle level managers were later joined by 150 others who ALL KNEW that it was a dangerous thing to do. They worked in shifts to reduce exposure to the radiation.

Five are already believed to have died and fifteen more injured - they all know that this work can kill them.

Would Northrop Grumman managers set an example like this?

CNN - Zappos CEO on why happiness at work matters

Hey, check this out from CNN:
Zappos CEO on why happiness at work matters http://www.cnn.com/2011/BUSINESS/03/23/zappos.tony.hsieh.happiness/index.html?iphoneemail

This is totally RADICAL and FOREIGN concept (Mr. Hsieh is a YOUNG FOREIGN-looking dude) that would NEVER fly at Northrop-Grumman

Management would never allow the employees to be happy - that is not the Notlrthrop-Grumman way.

Fear and intimidation is how employees are kept in line. Much easier than trying to keep a bunch of ungrateful, low-productivity, incompetent, and undisciplined employees "happy".

Article: Northrop to enhance classified networks

Northrop to enhance classified networks - UPI

Northrop-Grumman must be telling people stories about its classified network capabilities. It apparently improved it's security practices since I left. Enough said. 

It's one thing to win, entirely different thing to make money

I'm reading about 'Boeing's next tanker challenge: Meeting deadlines, making money' on Fluent News. Here is the link: http://fluentnews.com/s/26530841

Back when Northrop-Grumman was just plain Northrop, it had a big sub-contract building a big part of the Boeing 747.

The good news: Northrop negotiated a renewal of it's contract with Boeing, landing some mucky-mucky a nice bonus.

The bad news: Northrop wasn't going to make any money under the terms of the contract.

End result: Northrop sold off the commercial side of the business building 747 fuselage and only build military aircraft.

Now Boeing has won the KC-X contract, it needs to figure out how to make money and meet schedule under the terms of the contract.

As my wife tells me, "All women put on a act to get a husband".

Some men are too easily fooled, she tells me.

The government seems easily fooled.

The Pentagon spends big $$$ while cutting back on other programd

See the Los Angeles Times story on a Black Project under this headline:

"Space plane: Space plane and its secret payload set for launch will have plenty of prying eyes - latimes.com"

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-space-plane-20110304,0,2891507.story

Sent from my iPhone

Lay-offs in India - BBC News - India manager 'killed by workers'

Given that there has been lay-offs at Northrop Grumman, people are taking it relatively peacefully, especially when compared to Indian workers (them folks in INDIA).

When those guys get "sacked" (British for lay-off) they go out and do things to the managers.

Here's a story about how Indian workers expressed their displeasure after being sacked: "...a group of irate workers surrounded the vehicle, doused it with petrol and set it on fire..."

India manager 'killed by workers'

Of course, the security guards at the company gates who witnessed this did NOT come to the manager's aid.

Obviously they were doing their jobs in protecting the company property, as the property was not attacked - just the manager.

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

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. 

Report says human error led to state computer outage - Richmond Times Dispatch

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.

US Air Force truncates Northrop unmanned plane - Reuters

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

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

A Gurkha soldier, EPIC badass

See this link A Gurkha soldier, who fought 40 train robbers, to be felicitated in the Republic Day of India

EPIC badass.

Article: Australians to supply F-35 parts

Australians to supply F-35 parts - UPI

The Australians get to learn the technology to build parts for the F-35.

Sent from my iPhone

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

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.

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.

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.

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?