Investigations, Claims and Litigation (Unaudited)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2011
INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION [Abstract]
10. INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION	10. INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION Spin-Off of Shipbuilding Business – As provided in the Separation and Distribution Agreement with HII described in Note 5, HII generally has responsibility for investigations, claims and litigation matters related to the Shipbuilding business. The company has therefore excluded from this report certain previously disclosed Shipbuilding-related investigations, claims and litigation matters that are the responsibility of HII. The company does not believe these HII matters are likely to have a material adverse effect on the company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows. U.S. Government Investigations and Claims – Departments and agencies of the U.S. Government have the authority to investigate various transactions and operations of the company, and the results of such investigations may lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings, the ultimate outcome of which could be fines, penalties, repayments, compensatory or treble damages or non-monetary relief. U.S. Government regulations provide that certain allegations against a contractor may lead to suspension or debarment from future U.S. Government contracts or the use of export privileges for the company or one or more of its components. Suspension or debarment could have a material adverse effect on the company because of the company’s reliance on government contracts and authorizations. Litigation – Various claims and legal proceedings arise in the ordinary course of business and are pending against the company. The company is one of several defendants in litigation brought by the Orange County Water District in Orange County Superior Court in California on December 17, 2004, for alleged contribution to volatile organic chemical contamination of the County’s shallow groundwater. The lawsuit includes counts against the defendants for violation of the Orange County Water District Act, the California Super Fund Act, negligence, nuisance, trespass and declaratory relief. Among other things, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the cost of remediation, payment of attorney fees and costs, and punitive damages. Trial is scheduled to begin on February 10, 2012. On March 27, 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California consolidated two Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) lawsuits that had been separately filed on September 28, 2006, and January 3, 2007, into In Re Northrop Grumman Corporation ERISA Litigation. The plaintiffs filed a consolidated Amended Complaint on September 15, 2010, alleging breaches of fiduciary duties by the Administrative Committees and the Investment Committees (as well as certain individuals who served on or supported those Committees) for two 401(k) Plans sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corporation. The company itself is not a defendant in the lawsuit. The plaintiffs claim that these alleged breaches of fiduciary duties caused the Plans to incur excessive administrative and investment fees and expenses to the detriment of the Plans’ participants. On August 6, 2007, the District Court denied plaintiffs’ motion for class certification, and the plaintiffs appealed the District Court’s decision on class certification to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On September 8, 2009, the Ninth Circuit vacated the Order denying class certification and remanded the issue to the District Court for further consideration. As required by the Ninth Circuit’s Order, the case was also reassigned to a different judge. By order dated March 29, 2011, the District Court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. The District Court held a hearing on May 16, 2011 on various cross motions for summary judgment. The supplemental briefing requested by the District Court has been filed and the motions have been submitted. No trial date has been set. Based upon the information available to the company to date, the company believes that the defendants have substantive defenses to any potential claims but can give no assurance that they will prevail in this litigation. On June 22, 2007, a putative class action was filed against the Northrop Grumman Pension Plan and the Northrop Grumman Retirement Plan B and their corresponding administrative committees, styled as Skinner et al. v. Northrop Grumman Pension Plan, etc., et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The putative class representatives alleged violations of ERISA and breaches of fiduciary duty concerning a 2003 modification to the Northrop Grumman Retirement Plan B. The modification relates to the employer-funded portion of the pension benefit available during a five-year transition period that ended on June 30, 2008. The plaintiffs dismissed the Northrop Grumman Pension Plan, and in 2008, the District Court granted summary judgment in favor of all remaining defendants on all claims. The plaintiffs appealed, and in May 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the decision of the District Court and remanded the matter back to the District Court for further proceedings, finding that there was ambiguity in a 1998 summary plan description related to the employer-funded component of the pension benefit. After the remand, the plaintiffs filed a motion to certify a class. The parties also filed cross-motions for summary judgment. On January 26, 2010, the District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the Plan and denied the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment. The District Court also denied the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and struck the trial date of March 23, 2010, as unnecessary given the District Court’s grant of summary judgment for the Plan. The plaintiffs appealed the District Court’s order to the Ninth Circuit. Based upon the information available to the company to date, the company does not believe that the resolution of any of the specific litigation matters listed above is likely to have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows. In addition to the matters discussed above, the company is a party to various investigations, lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. Based on information available to the company, the company does not believe at this time that any of such additional matters will individually, or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Investigations, Claims and Litigation (Unaudited)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION [Abstract]

10. INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION

10. INVESTIGATIONS, CLAIMS AND LITIGATION

Spin-Off of Shipbuilding Business – As provided in the Separation and Distribution Agreement with HII described in Note 5, HII generally has responsibility for investigations, claims and litigation matters related to the Shipbuilding business. The company has therefore excluded from this report certain previously disclosed Shipbuilding-related investigations, claims and litigation matters that are the responsibility of HII. The company does not believe these HII matters are likely to have a material adverse effect on the company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations, or cash flows.

U.S. Government Investigations and Claims – Departments and agencies of the U.S. Government have the authority to investigate various transactions and operations of the company, and the results of such investigations may lead to administrative, civil or criminal proceedings, the ultimate outcome of which could be fines, penalties, repayments, compensatory or treble damages or non-monetary relief. U.S. Government regulations provide that certain allegations against a contractor may lead to suspension or debarment from future U.S. Government contracts or the use of export privileges for the company or one or more of its components. Suspension or debarment could have a material adverse effect on the company because of the company’s reliance on government contracts and authorizations.

Litigation – Various claims and legal proceedings arise in the ordinary course of business and are pending against the company.

The company is one of several defendants in litigation brought by the Orange County Water District in Orange County Superior Court in California on December 17, 2004, for alleged contribution to volatile organic chemical contamination of the County’s shallow groundwater. The lawsuit includes counts against the defendants for violation of the Orange County Water District Act, the California Super Fund Act, negligence, nuisance, trespass and declaratory relief. Among other things, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the cost of remediation, payment of attorney fees and costs, and punitive damages. Trial is scheduled to begin on February 10, 2012.

On March 27, 2007, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California consolidated two Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) lawsuits that had been separately filed on September 28, 2006, and January 3, 2007, into In Re Northrop Grumman Corporation ERISA Litigation. The plaintiffs filed a consolidated Amended Complaint on September 15, 2010, alleging breaches of fiduciary duties by the Administrative Committees and the Investment Committees (as well as certain individuals who served on or supported those Committees) for two 401(k) Plans sponsored by Northrop Grumman Corporation. The company itself is not a defendant in the lawsuit. The plaintiffs claim that these alleged breaches of fiduciary duties caused the Plans to incur excessive administrative and investment fees and expenses to the detriment of the Plans’ participants. On August 6, 2007, the District Court denied plaintiffs’ motion for class certification, and the plaintiffs appealed the District Court’s decision on class certification to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. On September 8, 2009, the Ninth Circuit vacated the Order denying class certification and remanded the issue to the District Court for further consideration. As required by the Ninth Circuit’s Order, the case was also reassigned to a different judge. By order dated March 29, 2011, the District Court granted the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification. The District Court held a hearing on May 16, 2011 on various cross motions for summary judgment. The supplemental briefing requested by the District Court has been filed and the motions have been submitted. No trial date has been set. Based upon the information available to the company to date, the company believes that the defendants have substantive defenses to any potential claims but can give no assurance that they will prevail in this litigation.

On June 22, 2007, a putative class action was filed against the Northrop Grumman Pension Plan and the Northrop Grumman Retirement Plan B and their corresponding administrative committees, styled as Skinner et al. v. Northrop Grumman Pension Plan, etc., et al., in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. The putative class representatives alleged violations of ERISA and breaches of fiduciary duty concerning a 2003 modification to the Northrop Grumman Retirement Plan B. The modification relates to the employer-funded portion of the pension benefit available during a five-year transition period that ended on June 30, 2008. The plaintiffs dismissed the Northrop Grumman Pension Plan, and in 2008, the District Court granted summary judgment in favor of all remaining defendants on all claims. The plaintiffs appealed, and in May 2009, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the decision of the District Court and remanded the matter back to the District Court for further proceedings, finding that there was ambiguity in a 1998 summary plan description related to the employer-funded component of the pension benefit. After the remand, the plaintiffs filed a motion to certify a class. The parties also filed cross-motions for summary judgment. On January 26, 2010, the District Court granted summary judgment in favor of the Plan and denied the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment. The District Court also denied the plaintiffs’ motion for class certification and struck the trial date of March 23, 2010, as unnecessary given the District Court’s grant of summary judgment for the Plan. The plaintiffs appealed the District Court’s order to the Ninth Circuit.

Based upon the information available to the company to date, the company does not believe that the resolution of any of the specific litigation matters listed above is likely to have a material adverse effect on its consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

In addition to the matters discussed above, the company is a party to various investigations, lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. Based on information available to the company, the company does not believe at this time that any of such additional matters will individually, or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or cash flows.