NORTHROP GRUMMAN SPENT $3.6M LOBBYING IN 2Q

Associated Press
08.18.09, 03:35 PM EDT

WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman Corp. spent nearly $3.6 million
lobbying the federal government in the second quarter on a variety
of military procurement and weapons projects, according to a recent
disclosure form.

The Los Angeles-based defense contractor spent $8.3 million during
the year-ago period for lobbying work, and $2.6 million in the first
quarter.

Northrop lobbied for funding in the defense spending bill on dozens
of weapons systems including the Global Hawk surveillance aircraft
used in Iraq, the Navy’s speedy, shore-hugging vessel, known as the
Littoral Combat Ship, and the Virginia class submarine.

The company also lobbied on a politically charged $35 billion tanker
contract. The new planes will replace the Air Force’s 50-year old
fleet of aerial refueling tankers.

Last year, Defense Secretary Robert Gates canceled the competition and
called for a "cooling off" period. Northrop beat out rival Boeing (
BA – news – people ) Co. for the deal in February, but Boeing later
protested the award. A request for bids is expected to be released
by September.

Northrop also lobbied on the energy spending bill and the Coast Guard’s
Deepwater modernization program. In addition, the company lobbied
on defense trade cooperation with the U.K. and a House resolution on
the Armenian genocide.

Northrop was one of six companies – five military contractors and one
energy company – to step into a fight over whether the U.S. should
label Turkey’s slaughter of a million Armenians nearly a century ago
as genocide. None stated their position on the resolution.

Outside of defense, Northrop also lobbied on a bill to amend the tax
code to extend research credit through 2010.

Besides Congress, the nation’s second largest defense contractor
by revenue lobbied the departments Homeland Security and Energy, as
well as the National Security Council, Coast Guard, Army, Air Force,
and others in the April-June, according to the form filed July 20
with the House clerk’s office.

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