Missile Contract Could Be Awarded This Week

Northrop Grumman Corp. will find out as early as Wednesday whether its acquisition of TRW Inc. last year has helped it win a $4-billion missile-defense contract.

The selection of Century City-based Northrop, which is competing against Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., would help validate its decision to spend $12.5 billion for TRW to expand in space and missile defense.

The contract Northrop is seeking, called Kinetic Energy Interceptor, is part of President Bush’s plan to protect the U.S. from ballistic-missile attacks.