1953 Charles Bates Tex Thornton founded Electro-Dynamics Corporation; one month later, the company changed its name to Litton Industries after acquiring a small electron tube company from Charles Litton
1958 Litton's lightweight inertial navigation system for aircraft became operational
1959 Installation of a groundbreaking inertial guidance device in Grumman's A-6 Intruder and E-2C Hawkeye, and Lockheed's P-3 Orion. This navigation system became Litton's signature product
1960 Litton acquired Western Geophysical Company of America, giving the company a strong position in seismic exploration
1961 Litton purchased Ingalls Shipbuilding Corporation, paving the way for stellar success in shipbuilding
1964-1968 More than 10 Litton components are utilized on the 12 two-man flights of Project Gemini. The project's purpose is to test astronauts' ability to maneuver spacecraft by manual control, a vital precursor to the Apollo moon missions
1970 Ingalls began ship production in a newly-built modular construction facility, a method Ingalls pioneered in the U.S. The company won the largest single contract in the history of American shipbuilding - $2.1 billion for 30 Navy Spruance-class destroyers
1975-1983 Ingalls designed, built and delivered 41 surface combat ships to the U.S. Navy, more than all other domestic shipyards combined
1980s Litton built Ticonderoga-class ships with Aegis weapons systems, the most advanced air defense, radar and missile system in the world at the time
1981 The company became a major supplier of night vision goggles to the U.S. Army and law enforcement agencies
1983 Litton produced its 20,000th inertial navigation system, a milestone in aviation history
1983 The company created the first laser radar used in space as part of the U.S. Department of Defense's Strategic Defense Initiative
1990s Litton acquired companies to strengthen its presence in information systems, marine electronics and commercial electronics
1999 The company acquired Avondale shipyard, strengthening its position in support vessels and shipbuilding
2001 Acquired by Northrop Grumman
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Northrop Grumman