Friday, December 07, 2012

North by west... to the killing fields

A billion dollar firm with a billion reasons to be called inglorious

The last one among the world’s largest defence contractors that deserves to be in our inglorious list is Northrop Grumman. It is more famous for its designing, system integrating, and manufacturing of defence electronics and many other military and commercial weapons. Among various kinds of military products that the company produces are aircraft, aircraft carriers, military vessels, missile satellite systems, electronic censors and information systems. Northrop is one more truant company witnessing growth in employment and sales revenue. During 2007, there were about 122,600 people employed in the firm globally; by the end of 2008, the figure reached 1,33,570 – an 8.9% increase in employment in 2008 during the current global economic mess. And one doesn’t need to wonder about the reasons. Similarly, its sales revenue has also gone up from $30.11 billion in 2006 to $32 billion in 2007 and finally to $33.9 billion in 2008. Northrop is one of the firms filing the highest number of patents – in 2007 alone, the company filed over 8,511 patents. Northrop acquired companies like Integic Corporation in 2005, Essex Corporation in 2007 and 3001 International in 2008.

Expectably, Northrop Grumman has equal contributions in war crimes. Although 90% of its products go to the US government, most of its weapons go to US aided undemocratic countries who are accused time and again of breaking international laws. Its sophisticated deadly weaponry also goes to countries like Korea, Taiwan, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Saudi Arabia and UAE apart from Australia, India, Japan, UK, US, NATO, Italy, Germany etc. An example to their reach is that Israel’s reserved A-4 attack aircraft, TA-4 training aircraft and even the AH-64 attack helicopter are made by Northrop Grumman.
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPMMalay Chaudhuri

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