Investigations, Claims and Litigation (Unaudited)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2022

Disclosure Text Block Supplement [Abstract]

INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION

INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION

On May 4, 2012, the company commenced an action, Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. v. United States, in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. This lawsuit relates to an approximately $875 million firm fixed-price contract awarded to the company in 2007 by the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) for the construction and delivery of flats sequencing systems (FSS) as part of the postal automation program. The FSS were delivered. The company’s lawsuit seeks approximately $63 million for unpaid portions of the contract price, and approximately $115 million based on the company’s assertions that, through various acts and omissions over the life of the contract, the USPS adversely affected the cost and schedule of performance and materially altered the company’s obligations under the contract. The United States responded to the company’s complaint with an answer, denying most of the company’s claims, and counterclaims seeking approximately $410 million, less certain amounts outstanding under the contract. In the course of the litigation, the United States subsequently amended its counterclaim, reducing it to seek approximately $193 million. The principal counterclaim alleges that the company delayed its performance and caused damages to the USPS because USPS did not realize certain costs savings as early as it had expected. On February 3, 2020, after extensive discovery and motions practice, the parties commenced what was expected to be a seven-week trial. After COVID-19-related interruptions, trial concluded on March 5, 2021. On October 12, 2021, the parties completed post-trial briefing, and on December 8, 2021 the court held a post-trial oral argument. Although the ultimate outcome of this matter cannot be predicted or reasonably estimated at this time, the company intends to continue vigorously to pursue and defend the matter.

The company is engaged in remediation activities relating to environmental conditions allegedly resulting from historic operations at the former United States Navy and Grumman facilities in Bethpage, New York. For over 20 years, the company has worked closely with the United States Navy, the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), the New York State Department of Health and other federal, state and local governmental authorities, to address legacy environmental conditions in Bethpage. In December 2019, the State of New York issued an Amended Record of Decision seeking to impose additional remedial requirements beyond measures the company previously had been taking; the State also communicated that it was assessing potential natural resource damages. In December 2020, the parties reached a tentative agreement regarding the steps the company will take to implement the State’s Amended Record of Decision and to resolve certain potential other claims, including for natural resource damages. On September 22, 2021, the State of New York issued for public comment a new consent decree reflecting the agreement. On December 7, 2021, the public comment period closed. We understand that the State will soon seek court approval of the consent decree. Subject to court approval, we have also reached agreements with the Department of Defense and the Bethpage Water District to resolve claims involving these parties. We are in discussions with the South Farmingdale Water District to explore whether we can also resolve their claims at this stage.

We have incurred, and expect to continue to incur, as included in Note 6, substantial remediation costs related to the legacy Bethpage environmental conditions. It is also possible that applicable remediation, allocation and allowability

standards and other requirements to which we are subject may continue to change, and our costs may increase materially. In addition to disputes and legal proceedings related to environmental conditions at the site (including remediation, allocation and allowability), we are a party to various, and may become a party to additional disputes and legal proceedings with individual and class action plaintiffs alleging personal injury and property damage, with insurance carriers and with other parties. We cannot at this time predict or reasonably estimate the potential cumulative outcomes or ranges of possible liability of these aggregate Bethpage matters.

In June 2018, the FTC issued a Decision and Order enabling the company’s acquisition of OATK to proceed and providing generally for the company to continue to make solid rocket motors available to competing missile primes on a non-discriminatory basis. The company has taken and continues to take robust actions to help ensure compliance with the terms of the Order. Similarly, the Compliance Officer, appointed under the Order, and the FTC have taken and continue to take various actions to oversee compliance. In October 2019, the company received a civil investigative demand from the FTC requesting certain information relating to a potential issue regarding the company’s compliance with the Order in connection with a then pending missile competition. The company promptly provided information in response to the request. The company has resumed discussions with staff at the FTC regarding our response and their views on compliance issues. We cannot predict the outcome of those discussions, but we do not believe they are likely to have a material adverse effect on the company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2022, or its annual results of operations and/or cash flows. We believe the company has been and continues to be in compliance with the Order.

The company is a party to various other investigations, lawsuits, arbitration, claims, enforcement actions and other legal proceedings, including government investigations and claims, that arise in the ordinary course of our business. The nature of legal proceedings is such that we cannot assure the outcome of any particular matter. However, based on information available to the company to date, the company does not believe that the outcome of any of these other matters pending against the company is likely to have a material adverse effect on the company’s unaudited condensed consolidated financial position as of March 31, 2022, or its annual results of operations and/or cash flows.