Northrop Grumman Corporation
playerDefense & Military-Industrial · Darknet & Cyber
One company now owns America's entire nuclear-missile rebuild through the 2070s — with costs that already ballooned 81%.
Who they are
Northrop Grumman, one of the 'Big Five' US defense primes.
What they do
The engine tracks it as a case of defense consolidation ending in a single company monopolizing a critical weapons pipeline.
How it works
Formed by the 1994 Northrop-Grumman merger during the consolidation wave, it absorbed Litton (2001), TRW (2002), and Orbital ATK (2018). A 1998 Lockheed-Northrop merger was blocked by the DOJ and DoD — the engine's example of the state's anti-monopoly floor. It won the sole-source Sentinel ICBM contract in Sept 2020 after Boeing withdrew; a July 2024 Nunn-McCurdy review found the cost had jumped from a $13.3B baseline to $140.9 billion (an 81% increase) with multi-year schedule slips.
Why it matters
The engine's point: Northrop now owns the whole US ICBM modernization pipeline through the 2070s, locking in a guaranteed $140B-plus flow to a single prime.
The engine's record — word for word
Report #87. Big Five defense prime. **1994 merger of Northrop and Grumman** during the consolidation wave. Subsequent acquisitions: Litton Industries 2001, TRW 2002 (engineering / space), Orbital ATK 2018 (rockets / launch systems). 1998 Lockheed-Northrop proposed merger BLOCKED by DOJ + DoD — the state's anti-monopoly enforcement floor. **Sentinel ICBM (LGM-35A, formerly GBSD) sole-source contract** awarded Sept 2020 after Boeing withdrew. Per July 2024 Nunn-McCurdy review by Under Secretary LaPlante: program acquisition cost ESCALATED from $13.3B Milestone B baseline to **$140.9 billion (81% increase)**, schedule slipped several years past 2029 IOC target. Northrop now owns the entire US ICBM modernization pipeline through the 2070s — guaranteed $140B+ flow to a single prime.
Follow the trail
Walk this on the live map →