Northrop to Combine Unmanned Craft Units

Northrop Grumman Corp. said it will consolidate its unmanned aircraft division and cut an undetermined amount of jobs, primarily in Hawthorne. The number of cuts from the division’s work force of 550 hasn’t been decided, Los Angeles-based Northrop said. The move follows its purchase in July of Ryan Aeronautical, a unit of Allegheny Teledyne Inc. Ryan, is based in San Diego, where it’s designing the Global Hawk high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance craft for the Air Force. Some of the Hawthorne work force will be transferred there.