DEFENSE - Abdonline

QAAD: Northrop Grumman Technical
Services is offering Quick Reaction
Capability to its government
intelligence, surveillance, and
reconnaissance (ISR) customers. Can you
tell us more about what you mean by
"quick reaction capability"?
A
A
INTERVIEW: DAVE WERKHEISER TEST & BOB GAMACHE
“...we have the engineering support, facilities, and equipment to
drive to a usable capability in a very short time, and that includes
rapid prototyping. ”
Werkheiser: With most major
aerospace development programs, it
can take years and years before a
product can be delivered. Our Quick
Reaction Capability is a service that
enables us to take a customer
requirement and respond to it much
more quickly, usually using commercial
off-the-shelf (COTS) technology.
Whether a customer needs to modify
an existing system or have us provide a
new one, we have the engineering
support, facilities, and equipment to
drive to a usable capability in a very
short time, and that includes rapid
prototyping.
On the MQ-5B Hunter unmanned
aerial vehicle for example, our customer
had an idea to add a couple of Viper
strike missiles under the wings and
asked us if it would be possible. We did
the evaluation, testing, and
implementation, and fielded the
product for them in just 90 days.
Gamache: Our vision of a QRC service
is not to cut corners. It is a disciplined
activity that can be executed with speed
through reliance on modular integration
approaches and in-depth experience
with all the underlying "cutting-edge"
technologies.
Q
AAD: On what programs do you offer
QRC now? Can you provide examples
where customers have saved time or
money, improved performance, or
realized other benefits?
Gamache: Indeed, last year, we
completed an Airborne ISR Advanced
Concept Technology Demonstration
(ACTD) program for our Office of the
Secretary of Defense customer. We
integrated five complex sensors into our
King Air B200 test bed aircraft in less
than 4 months. The ACTD was
successfully completed under budget in
a very demanding demonstration
program with zero integration-related
failures.
Werkheiser: Today, it is all about speed.
We are facing irregular warfare where
the question is, "How do I find the bad
guys who are often operating in a
civilian environment?" They may be
planting an improvised explosive device
(IED) in Iraq. How can we find them and
deploy the military response we need
to?
These enemies are very capable and
are able to modify their behavior,
technology, and tools to try to stay a
step ahead of us. In order to pre-empt
them, we have to be able to move fast,
because the requirements are constantly
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