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HALIFAX, Nova Scotia – Sept. 20, 2012 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) announced the donation of a vintage Sperry Mk 14 gyrocompass and leather-bound operator's manual to the HMCS Sackville Canadian Naval Memorial Trust for installation aboard the restored HMCS Sackville, a World War II-era corvette on the Halifax waterfront. The donation was presented at the Canadian Defence Security and Aerospace Exhibition Atlantic (DEFSEC) 2012, held annually in Halifax. The Sackville was moored alongside the Cunard Center, the home of DEFSEC, throughout the exhibition. Northrop Grumman's Sperry Marine business unit produced the Sperry Mk 14 from 1934 until the mid-1950s, and it was the most widely manufactured gyrocompass of World War II, used by several allied navies. An Mk 14 was installed aboard the Sackville during its retrofit in Galveston, Texas, in 1944, and played a vital role in greatly increasing the antisubmarine capability of the Sackville and other Canadian naval vessels, as well. Sperry Marine has been providing marine and navigation systems in Canada since the 1930s. "Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine is proud to donate this Mk 14 to the HMCS Sackville, Canada's national naval memorial," said Alan Dix, managing director of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine. "Our work over the years with the Canadian navy was instrumental in Sperry Marine's emergence as a world leader in marine navigation, and we look forward to continuing that support to Canada's shipbuilding industry in the future." The HMCS Sackville was commissioned in 1940. The vessel has been restored to 1944 condition as an emblem of its World War II service. The convoys that helped save Western Europe by ferrying supplies from the United States to Great Britain in the face of German U-boat patrols frequently originated in Halifax. The donated Mk 14 was found in storage at Georgian College in Owen Sound, Ontario, after a nearly two-year search. Capt. Peter Buell, director of the Great Lakes International Marine Training Center at Georgian College, was instrumental in arranging for the donation. Sperry Marine handled the transportation to Halifax and will assist the trust in installing the Mk 14 aboard the Sackville at a later date. Sperry Marine is a business unit of Northrop Grumman's Naval and Marine Systems division. Headquartered in New Malden, U.K., with major engineering and support offices both in New Malden and in Hamburg, Germany, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine provides smart navigation and ship control solutions for the international marine industry with customer service and support in numerous locations worldwide. 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. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information. CONTACT: Fernando Catta-Preta Ken Beedle |
