American aerospace firm Northrop Grumman has officially opened a new laboratory in Australia to handle systems integration, demonstration, and advanced mission visualization for its defense products.
Valued at 20 million Australian dollars ($14 million), Parallax Labs will allow engineers to use advanced model-based systems engineering, simulation, and automation to develop, integrate, and test various military weapon systems.
The laboratory features an interactive immersion room equipped with large displays and reconfigurable technologies to help customers envision various military solutions.
According to Northrop Grumman Asia Pacific general manager Christine Zeitz, the facility represents a critical component in supporting defense-related projects that have complex system architectures and highly-integrated technologies.
She also explained that Parallax Labs will help bolster Australia’s critical technology skills to benefit its defense industry now and in the future.
In addition to product integration and demonstration, the new facility will showcase Northrop’s local and international capabilities with industry partners, customers, and various technology organizations.
Current Contracts
This year, Northrop Grumman Australia announced a collaboration with British satellite telecommunications company Inmarsat to develop an “agile, resilient, and sovereign” satellite communications (SATCOM) technology for the Australian armed forces.
The two companies will reportedly deliver an Integrated Control Segment that improves SATCOM network flexibility as part of the collaboration.
“As an established satellite communications provider to the [Australian Defence Forces], we’re proud to partner with Inmarsat and build on our shared history of developing global satellite communications networks,” Zeitz said in a press release.
The Missile Defense Agency has also selected the company to develop a new missile interceptor system for the US military. The contract includes facilitating the testing phase of the weapon system to verify if it can defend against hypersonic threats.
Additionally, the US Air Force has contracted Northrop to design an airborne next-generation signals intelligence sensor to be integrated onto high-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platforms.
