RESTON, Va., 11 Jan. 2010. The U.S. Coast Guard and Northrop Grumman Corp. (NYSE:NOC) completed a critical design review (CDR) of the core data exchange capability that will serve as the foundation for Nationwide Automatic Identification System (Nationwide AIS).

Nationwide AIS will enhance maritime security, marine, and navigational safety, search and rescue efforts and environmental protection. It is a two-way maritime digital communication system that will query incoming vessels to check vessel identity, position, speed, course, destination, and manifest and cargo data. The information will be combined with other government intelligence and surveillance data and shared with authorized government operators to enhance maritime situational awareness.

The CDR demonstrates that the maturity of the design is appropriate to proceed with full-scale fabrication, assembly, integration, and test. The review determines the technical effort is on track to complete the development that will meet mission performance requirements within the identified cost and schedule constraints.

"By collaborating closely with the Coast Guard, we were able to complete the Nationwide AIS program critical design review three weeks ahead of schedule – and within budget," says Mike Twyman, vice president of Integrated Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence Systems for Northrop Grumman's Information Systems sector. "We will continue our focus to bringing forward this key capability that ensures greater security and more efficiency for our nation's ports and waterways."