BETHPAGE, N.Y., June 23, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has named Gerard A. "Duke" Dufresne sector vice president, Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare (AEW & EW) Systems, a business unit of the company's Integrated Systems sector. He assumes this role July 1 and will report to Scott Seymour, Northrop Grumman corporate vice president and president of the Integrated Systems sector.
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Dufresne succeeds Philip A. Teel, who was named corporate vice president and president of the company's Ship Systems sector (effective July 1) earlier this month.
"The work of AEW & EW Systems is vitally important to our customers, our company and our nation's security, and Duke's diverse program, management and leadership experience prepares him well for this assignment," said Seymour.
Dufresne has most recently served as vice president and deputy of the sector's Air Combat Systems business area, based in El Segundo, Calif. In that position he has helped direct a number of key product lines including the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, F/A-18 strike fighter, Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program, and others.
Dufresne is taking over a business area with key programs including the E-2C Hawkeye airborne early-warning and battle-management aircraft currently in production for the U.S. Navy and international customers, the Improved Capability III electronic attack upgrade for the Navy's EA-6B Prowler fleet and its derivative, the electronic attack system for the EA-18G version of the Hornet.
"I'm very proud of the organization that I am introducing to Duke," said Teel. "This team spans the east coast from New York to Maryland, Virginia and Florida and crosses the country to California. Our 4,300 members are delivering and developing products that are vital to the security of our nation. Our customer is proud of their work, I'm proud of them and I know they will welcome Duke as their new leader.
"One of our many accomplishments has been the continuation to the legacy of community involvement," Teel added. "I know our neighbors will find that Duke brings a similar philosophy to this job and, with his team, will continue the work of improving the quality of life in our communities."
Dufresne joined Northrop Grumman in 1987 as a manufacturing engineer on the B-2 program and moved into various technical positions of increasing responsibility before joining management. His service has included 11 years on the B-2 program as manager of flight line and delivery operations, vice president of Palmdale (Calif.) operations, and Palmdale site manager. Dufresne was also vice president of operations and quality for Air Combat Systems and Northrop Grumman program manager for the Joint Strike Fighter program. He has also served as vice president of Unmanned Systems at the Integrated Systems sector and later as vice president and Long Range Strike program manager at Air Combat Systems.
Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems, headquartered in El Segundo, Calif., is a premier aerospace and defense systems integration enterprise. As one of Northrop Grumman Corporation's seven sectors, it designs, develops, produces and supports network-enabled integrated systems and subsystems for U.S. government, civil and international customers. Integrated Systems delivers best-value solutions, products and services that support military and homeland security missions in the areas of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; battle management command & control; and integrated strike warfare.
