Northrop opens GBSD software development facility in Huntsville, AL

By Briana Reilly / October 12, 2021 at 5:01 PM

Northrop Grumman announced today it has opened a software development facility as part of an expanded footprint in Huntsville, AL, to support the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.

A newly renovated site, the location will host Northrop’s work as GBSD prime contractor associated with engineering and manufacturing development in the software realm, in addition to some production activities, company spokesman Nathan Drevna told Inside Defense.

Specifically, Drevna said the facility would be charged with building part of the weapon system and integrating it with the rest of the program, though he declined to share further details.

The move comes as Northrop pushes to launch its first test missile in the fourth quarter of 2023 and kick-start production in 2026.

“We are excited to grow our GBSD team in Alabama and leverage the dynamic aerospace talent in the Rocket City to support this critical strategic deterrent capability for our country and allies,” Greg Manuel, the vice president and general manager of Northrop’s Strategic Deterrent Systems division, said in the press release announcing the move.

Meanwhile, the company is in the midst of "a massive construction effort" at Vandenberg Space Force Base, CA, where the test launch will occur, Manuel told Inside Defense in an interview last month. The company is now in possession of two launch facilities there and its first launch center.

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