Northrop Wins Deal for Naval Aircraft Carrier

Northrop Grumman Corp. said it got a $1.39-billion contract from the U.S. Navy to begin developing the next-generation nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Work on the ship, dubbed CVN-21, is slated to begin in 2007, with delivery scheduled for 2014. The aircraft carrier, which is expected to cost about $11 billion, would use a more efficient nuclear reactor and operate with a crew about 10% smaller but have a 15% greater aircraft-launching capability, Northrop said.

The aircraft carrier would be produced at Northrop’s Newport News shipyard in Virginia.

-- Peter Pae