By John Rogers
U.S. weapons maker Northrop Grumman Corp. has broken ground on a major new defense facility near Hill Air Force Base. The northern Davis County site is the future headquarters for Northrup Grumman’s workforce and the nationwide team supporting the Department of Defense’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program, the replacement for the nation’s current aging missile defense system. When complete, the center is expected to employ up to 2,500 in high-paying positions, according to officials.{mprestriction ids="1,3"}
“Today we broke ground on a new facility in Roy, Utah, to demonstrate our commitment to the United States Air Force on its Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Competition and readiness of our nationwide team to deliver on this critical mission,” Northrop Grumman said in a release. “We look forward to potentially supporting the Air Force’s future ICBM capability and the opportunity to bring 2,500 additional jobs to the state of Utah.”
At a groundbreaking ceremony on the site last week, Kathy Warden, Northrup Grumman chairman, CEO and president, was joined by U.S Sens.Mike Lee and Mitt Romney, U.S. Reps. Rob Bishop and Chris Stewart, along with local community leaders. The new facility, which is being called the Northrop Grumman Roy Innovation Center, will be located just south of the Hill Aerospace Museum, along Hill’s border with Roy.
The Defense Department’s current land-based ballistic missile system is made up of about 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles. The Air Force continually upgrades the rockets, motors and launch components, but plans to replace them with the GBSD program by about 2030. Defense-centered media has reported that the program will cost more than $60 billion and run for 30 years. Costs will include the acquisition of missiles, new command and control centers and large-scale renovations of launch sites.
The Roy facility is located on a portion of a 550-acre parcel owned by the state and developed by Utah-based Woodbury Corp. The site is operated in partnership with Hill Air Force Base. The development provides facilities for contractors that provide support for military programs conducted at the base and is managed by the Enhanced Use Lease Management Office at Hill through the Military Installation Development Authority.
The Roy center will have over 2 million square feet of leased space in its first phase, with additional phases planned. Lease revenues will allow the Air Force to replace aging World War II-era buildings on the base and revitalize other infrastructure.
“Modernizing the current ICBM system is a national security priority, and we are proud to be here today to reinforce our commitment to the U.S. Air Force on GBSD and our readiness to deliver on this critical mission,” said Warden. “For more than 60 years, Northrop Grumman has supported the Air Force’s ICBM programs, from our nation’s earliest missile systems to today’s sustainment work, much of which is performed here in Utah.”
Warden added, “We look forward to this facility serving as home to a diverse and talented workforce, dedicated to developing this next-generation capability that will advance the strategic deterrence mission for the U.S. Our world-class, nationwide team is ready to support the GBSD program through the 21st century.”
“It was an honor to take part in today’s groundbreaking ceremony for Northrop Grumman’s GBSD program office,” said Lee. “Northrop Grumman has long played a vital role in providing one of our country’s most important deterrent programs and in contributing to a thriving economy and a significant source of jobs in Northern Utah. This new GBSD office will not only further benefit the state of Utah, but will strengthen the security of our nation as a whole.”
“By standing up the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program at Hill Air Force Base, we are making the modernization of our nuclear deterrent a high priority, which will be critical for meeting the national security challenges of the coming decade,” said Romney. “We are also bringing 2,500 high-skill, high-paying jobs to Utah, which will have a lasting and positive impact on our state’s economy. I appreciate the commitment of Northrop Grumman to modernizing the United States’ nuclear triad and their continued support of Hill Air Force Base.”
“Utah has a long history of contributing to our nation’s defense. Those contributions are thanks in no small part to the partners involved in advancing the tactics and technologies of the United States military,” said Bishop. “Utah has played a key role in supporting ICBM programs dating back to the 1950s. The groundbreaking of this Northrop Grumman facility marks the start of a brand-new chapter in Utah’s support of the nuclear triad. As threatening technologies advance in nations around the world, particularly amongst our would-be adversaries, it is crucial that these programs advance here at home. There is no better place than in Utah for the hard work to be done.”
“Utah and Hill Air Force Base play a vital role in the defense of our country. This project will add thousands of jobs to Utah’s economy while developing crucial national security technology. I welcome Northrop Grumman’s addition to our great state,” said Stewart.
Northrop Grumman is currently the largest security and defense company in Utah with more than 5,100 employees across the state, primarily located in Bacchus, Clearfield, Ogden, Promontory and Salt Lake. The new facility is scheduled to be completed by mid-2020.
In 2017, Northrop Grumman was one of two companies awarded a Technology Mat-uration and Risk Reduction contract for the new GBSD weapon system program by the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force released a request for proposals for the next phase of the program in 2019 and announced it expects final award in the third quarter of 2020.{/mprestriction}
