The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a three-year, $108 million contract to develop and implement cryptography upgrades as part of the intercontinental ballistic missile cryptography upgrade II engineering and manufacturing development program.

This work will occur in Clearfield, Utah, Huntington Beach, Calif., and Colorado Springs, Colo.

"Northrop Grumman has worked hand in hand with the Air Force for more than 50 years to ensure the security and reliability of our nation's ICBM weapons system," said Bill Carty, vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Defense and Government Services division.

"We are honored to continue this support and look forward to delivering innovative and affordable mission-ready solutions that will further ensure the safety and security of our nation."

The Northrop Grumman-led ICBM prime team is responsible for overall sustainment of the weapon system including development, production, deployment and system modifications.

"This contract completes a major security improvement for the weapon system and provides the Air Force with much improved capabilities," said Tony Spehar, vice president and program manager of Northrop Grumman's ICBM Systems business unit.

"Northrop Grumman has a proven history of integration and development that will continue to enhance the competencies of our nation's missile systems."

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.