ROY, Utah, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) broke ground on a new building at its expansive Roy Innovation Center (RIC), the central campus tailor-made to develop the U.S. Air Force Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program and other critical aerospace and defense missions. Northrop Grumman’s investment to expand the footprint of the Sentinel program will create hundreds of new jobs and supports the accelerated timeline to deliver Sentinel initial capability to the U.S. Air Force by the early 2030s while enabling long-term growth across multiple national security programs.
The new addition brings the RIC campus to a total of six state-of-the-art buildings and more than 1.1 million square feet of office space, providing capacity for more than 5,000 employees supporting strategic deterrence and advanced aerospace programs. Construction of the new Legacy Building begins this summer and will be completed by 2028.
As the largest defense contractor in Utah, Northrop Grumman’s continued investments in the state are having a significant economic impact while creating hundreds of new jobs across multiple missions and programs. Northrop Grumman directly employs over 11,000 Utahns and, according to a recent study, supports more than 46,000 jobs across the state, generating over $12.4 billion for the economy.
Tony Nolls, Director of Operations, Northrop Grumman; Taylor Woodbury, CEO, Woodbury Construction; Sarah Willoughby, Vice President and General Manager, Sentinel Program Director, Northrop Grumman; Spencer J. Cox, Utah Governor; Ben Davies, Corp. Vice President & President, Defense Systems, Northrop Grumman; Amanda Davis, Vice President and Sentinel EMD Program Manager, Northrop Grumman; Joshua Johnson, Vice President of Business Management, Northrop Grumman. (Photo Credit: Northrop Grumman)
“As Utah’s largest aerospace and defense employer, Northrop Grumman is a cornerstone of our state’s economy and a key contributor to our nation’s security. We are proud to partner with Northrop Grumman as it advances aerospace innovation, strengthens advanced manufacturing, and creates high-quality jobs across Utah. Together, we are ensuring Utah remains a leader in the technologies and capabilities that support our national defense. For generations, Utah has embraced the responsibility of advancing the strategic deterrence mission, and we are proud to uphold and continue that legacy,” said Utah Governor Spencer Cox.
“Utah’s world-class talent pool, strategic location to Hill Air Force Base and supportive community make it the ideal home for this expansion of Sentinel and other critical missions we support from this site,” said Ben Davies, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Defense Systems. “This groundbreaking symbolizes our longstanding commitment to the state and reinforces our investment in national security and local prosperity through an enduring presence that will support multiple missions for decades to come.”
Over the past five years, Northrop Grumman has invested $13.5 billion in infrastructure and R&D, including $2 billion dedicated to solid rocket motor capacity and capabilities—that accelerate and scale production for the Sentinel program and strengthen the broader strategic deterrence and space launch industrial base. As Sentinel continues to advance, Northrop Grumman remains focused on delivering warfighter capabilities that balance breakthrough technology, affordability and speed across a portfolio of missions that rely on our Utah facilities and teams.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
Contact:
Maria McGregor
[email protected]
385-837-9781
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4496101c-03f3-405c-8d9e-4fe245224e92
