Northrop Grumman Corp.

Northrop Grumman Corp. is a principal U.S. defense contractor specializing in the development and production of weapons systems and military technology. According to SIPRI data, the company generated approximately $37.9 billion in arms sales in 2024, constituting over 92% of its total revenue. Its product portfolio includes strategic deterrent systems like the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile, autonomous systems such as the MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone, and a range of tactical weapons and guidance systems.

The company’s core business is the design and manufacture of purpose-built warfare platforms. Recent contracts highlight this focus, including awards from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to develop defenses against hypersonic missiles and its selection by the Pentagon to develop hypersonic weapons. In February 2026, the U.S. Army moved to impose financial penalties on Northrop Grumman for delays in supplying artillery shells to Ukraine, underscoring its direct role in supplying active combat operations.

Northrop Grumman has a documented history of misconduct in its dealings with the U.S. government. In 2018, the company paid $27.5 million under the False Claims Act, admitting that employees had inflated labor hours on government contracts. A 2016 Department of Defense Inspector General report further identified weaknesses in the company’s controls over labor qualifications charged to a counter-narcotics program. These incidents reflect a pattern of failures in the administration of its primary business: fulfilling military contracts.