Northrop Grumman 10-K 2023-12-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023

or

For the transition period from _____ to _____

Commission file number 1-16411

NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

(703) 280-2900

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.

Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

Large Accelerated Filer ☒ Accelerated Filer ☐ Smaller Reporting Company ☐

Non-accelerated Filer ☐ Emerging Growth Company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Yes ☐ No ☒

As of June 30, 2023, the aggregate market value of the common stock (based upon the closing price of the stock on the New York Stock Exchange) of the registrant held by non-affiliates was approximately $68.9 billion.

As of January 22, 2024, 150,035,705 shares of common stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Proxy Statement to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.

NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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PART I

HISTORY AND ORGANIZATION

History

Northrop Grumman Corporation (herein referred to as “Northrop Grumman,” the “company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. We deliver a broad range of products, services and solutions to U.S. and international customers, and principally to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and intelligence community. Our broad portfolio is aligned to support national security priorities and our solutions equip our customers with capabilities they need to connect, protect and advance humanity.

The company is a leading provider of space systems, military aircraft, missile defense, advanced weapons and long-range fires capabilities, mission systems, networking and communications, strategic deterrence systems, and breakthrough technologies, such as advanced computing, microelectronics and cyber. We are focused on competing and winning programs that enable continued growth, performing on our commitments and affordably delivering capability our customers need. With the investments we've made in advanced technologies, combined with our talented workforce and digital transformation capabilities, Northrop Grumman is well positioned to meet our customers' needs today and in the future. For a discussion of risks associated with our operations, see “Risk Factors.”

The company originally was formed in 1939 in Hawthorne, California as Northrop Aircraft Incorporated and was reincorporated in Delaware in 1985, as Northrop Corporation. Northrop Corporation was a principal developer of flying wing technology, including the B-2 Spirit stealth aircraft. We developed into one of the largest defense technology companies in the world through a series of acquisitions, as well as organic growth, including the following:

• 1994 - Acquired Grumman Corporation, a premier military aircraft systems integrator. The combined company was renamed Northrop Grumman Corporation;

• 1996 - Acquired the defense and electronics businesses of Westinghouse Electric Corporation, developer of sophisticated radar and other electronics systems;

• 2001 - Acquired Litton Industries, Inc., a global electronics and information technology company and full service shipbuilder;

• 2001 - Acquired Newport News Shipbuilding Inc., designer and builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and submarines;

• 2002 - Acquired TRW Inc., developer of military and civil space systems and payloads, and integrator of complex, mission-enabling systems and services;

• 2011 - Completed the spin-off of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., operator of our former shipbuilding business, comprised largely of a part of Litton Industries and Newport News Shipbuilding;

• 2018 - Acquired Orbital ATK, Inc. (OATK), developer and producer of satellites and other space systems, launch vehicles and missile products; and

• 2021 - Completed the sale of our IT and mission support services business (the “IT services divestiture”) to Veritas Capital.

Organization

From time to time, we acquire or dispose of businesses and realign contracts, programs or businesses among and within our operating segments. Internal realignments are typically designed to leverage existing capabilities more fully and to enhance efficient development and delivery of products and services. At December 31, 2023, the company was aligned in four operating sectors, which also comprise our reportable segments: Aeronautics Systems, Defense Systems, Mission Systems and Space Systems.

AERONAUTICS SYSTEMS

Aeronautics Systems is a leader in the design, development, production, integration, sustainment and modernization of military aircraft systems for the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy, other U.S. government agencies, and international customers. Major products include strategic long-range strike aircraft; tactical fighter and air dominance aircraft; airborne battle management and command and control systems; and unmanned autonomous aircraft systems, including high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) strategic intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)

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systems and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) tactical ISR systems. Approximately 45 percent of this business is performed through restricted programs. Key programs include:

• Development and production of the U.S. Air Force B-21 Raider long-range strike aircraft that defines sixth-generation technologies;

• Modernization and sustainment services for the B-2 Spirit stealth aircraft;

• Fuselage production for the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter for use by U.S. and international forces;

• E-2D Advanced Hawkeye battle management aircraft production for the U.S. Navy, Japan, and France;

• MQ-4C Triton, which provides wide area strategic ISR over vast ocean and coastal regions for maritime domain awareness to the U.S. Navy and Australia;

• RQ-4 Global Hawk, which provides high resolution imagery of land masses for theater awareness and strategic ISR to the U.S. Air Force, Japan, and the Republic of Korea;

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS), a Global Hawk variant, for strategic ISR missions conducted in multinational theater operations; and

• MQ-8C Fire Scout, ship-based, VTOL tactical ISR systems that provide situational awareness and precision targeting for the U.S. Navy.

DEFENSE SYSTEMS

Defense Systems is a leader in the design, development, integration and production of advanced tactical weapons and missile defense solutions, and a provider of sustainment, modernization and training services for manned and unmanned aircraft and electronics systems for the U.S. military and a broad range of international customers. Major products and services include integrated, all-domain command and control (C2) battle management systems, precision strike weapons; advanced propulsion, including high speed air-breathing and hypersonic systems; high-performance gun systems, ammunition, precision munitions and advanced fuzes; aircraft and mission systems logistics support, sustainment, operations and modernization; and warfighter training. Less than 5 percent of this business is performed through restricted programs. Key programs include:

• Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) for the U.S. Army and Poland, which is an open architecture system that seamlessly integrates sensors and effectors to deliver among the most advanced C2 systems for joint and coalition forces;

• Medium (30mm and 20mm) and Large (120mm) caliber tactical and training ammunition production;

• Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) propulsion and warhead subsystems for a surface-to-surface system used to defeat targets using indirect precision fires;

• U.S. Navy’s Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), a medium-range, air-to-surface missile, and its extended range variant, AARGM-ER;

• U.S. Air Force’s Stand-In Attack Weapon (SiAW), an advanced capability air-to-surface tactical missile for the F-35;

• Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) air-breathing, scramjet propulsion subsystem for the hypersonic air-launched cruise missile to travel at speeds of Mach 5 or greater;

• Global system sustainment and operations support for the F-35, B-2, P-3 Orion, E-6B Mercury, KC-30A multi-role tanker, C-27J transport, NATO AGS, Triton and restricted programs;

• Precision Guidance Kit (PGK), replaces conventional fuzes for artillery and mortar munitions and transforms them into Global Positioning System enabled precision guided weapons;

• Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD C2), the Army’s long-standing program of record for short range air defense and Counter Rocket, Artillery and Mortar (C-RAM), as well as the interim C2 for Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS);

• AAQ-24 sensor sustainment and repair for U.S. military customers;

• Special Electronics Mission Aircraft (SEMA) ISR support; and

• Distributed Mission Operations Network (DMON), a live, virtual, constructive, and synthetic simulation program for global training and exercises.

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MISSION SYSTEMS

Mission Systems is a leader in advanced mission solutions and multifunction systems, primarily for the U.S. defense and intelligence community, and international customers. Major products and services include command, control, communications and computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems; radar, electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) and acoustic sensors; electronic warfare systems; advanced communications and network systems; full spectrum cyber solutions; intelligence processing systems; advanced microelectronics; navigation and positioning sensors; and maritime power, propulsion and payload launch systems. Approximately 30 percent of this business is performed through restricted programs. Key unrestricted programs include:

• Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), an active electronically scanned array fire control radar system for F-16 aircraft;

• F-35 fire control radar and Distributed Aperture System (DAS), which provides 360 degree field of view tracking, identifying, missile warning and night vision capabilities;

• F-35 Communications, Navigation and Identification (CNI) integrated avionics system, which provides secure communications and interoperability capabilities;

• Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR), a mobile multi-mode active electronically scanned array;

• Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III, which protects surface ships from anti-ship missiles, provides early detection, signal analysis and threat warning;

• Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C). The centerpiece of the E-7 AEW&C aircraft is the Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar which enables 360 degree long range advanced air moving target indicator (AMTI) capabilities for Battle Management, Command and Control, and Maritime Surveillance;

• Large Aircraft and Common Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM, DoN LAIRCM, CIRCM) systems, which protect large aircraft as well as rotary wing and medium fixed wing aircraft from infrared missiles using advanced laser technology;

• Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN), one of the first airborne gateway systems that allows platforms to communicate and securely share data;

• DDG Modernization, which is comprised of several subsystems to support modernization of Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers including Integrated Bridge and Navigation Systems (IBNS) and ship control systems;

• LITENING Advanced Targeting Pod, an electro-optical infrared sensor system for targeting and surveillance that enables aircrews to detect, acquire, identify and track targets at long ranges;

• APR-39 DV(2) and EV(2) Radar Warning Receiver programs, which provide a digital radar warning receiver for the U.S. Army, Navy and Marines;

• Exploitation and cyber programs, which provide cyber and intelligence domain support through unique intelligence and cyber capabilities;

• AC/MC 130J Radio Frequency Countermeasures system, which provides superior situational awareness and better enables aircraft survivability in operationally relevant environments;

• Embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) / Inertial Navigation Systems-Modernization (EGI-M) program, which provides state-of-the-art airborne navigation capabilities with an open architecture that enables rapid responses to future threats; and

• UH-60V Black Hawk integrated mission equipment package, which modernizes the U.S. Army’s Black Hawk helicopters with a glass cockpit, including an integrated computational system, visual display system and control display units, extending the life and mission capabilities of the UH-60 platform.

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SPACE SYSTEMS

Space Systems is a leader in delivering end-to-end mission solutions through the design, development, integration, production and operation of space, missile defense, launch and strategic missile systems for national security, civil government, commercial and international customers. Major products include satellites and spacecraft systems, subsystems, sensors and payloads; ground systems; missile defense systems and interceptors; launch vehicles and related propulsion systems; and strategic missiles. Approximately 35 percent of this business is performed through restricted programs. Key unrestricted programs include:

• Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) program;

• Missile defense systems, interceptors, targets, mission processing and boosters for the Missile Defense Agency's (MDA) Next-Generation Interceptor (NGI) and Ground-based Midcourse Defense Weapon Systems (GWS);

• Space Development Agency Tracking and Transport layers providing missile warning/tracking and resilient, low-latency, high-volume data transport communication systems;

• Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next Gen OPIR) program satellites and payloads providing data for missile defense;

• Development and production of solid rocket motors for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift vehicle;

• 63-inch diameter Graphite Epoxy Motor (GEM 63) and the extended length variation (GEM 63XL) solid rocket boosters used to provide lift capability for the ATLAS V and Vulcan launch vehicles;

• Medium-class solid rocket motors for the U.S. Navy's Trident II Fleet Ballistic Missile program;

• Evolved Strategic SATCOM (ESS) and Protected Tactical SATCOM (PTS) satellites and payloads providing survivable, protected communications to U.S. forces;

• Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Ground Subsystem Support Contract (GSSC);

• Cygnus spacecraft, used in the execution of our Commercial Resupply Services (CRS) contracts with NASA;

• Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module in support of NASA’s Gateway; and

• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) operations and sustainment contract.

CUSTOMER CONCENTRATION

Our largest customer is the U.S. government. Sales to the U.S. government accounted for 86 percent, 86 percent and 85 percent of sales during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. For further information on sales by customer type, contract type and geographic region, see Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements. See “Risk Factors” for further discussion regarding risks related to customer concentration.

COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS

We compete with many companies in the defense, intelligence and federal civil markets. The Boeing Company, General Dynamics, L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, and RTX are some of our primary competitors. Key characteristics of our industry include long operating cycles and intense competition, which is evident through the number of competitors bidding on program opportunities and the number of competitor protests of U.S. government procurement awards.

It is common in the defense industry for work on major programs to be shared among a number of companies. A company competing to be a prime contractor may, upon ultimate award of the contract to another competitor, serve as a subcontractor to the ultimate prime contracting company. It is not unusual to compete for a contract award with a peer company and, simultaneously, perform as a supplier to or a customer of that same competitor on other contracts, or vice versa.

SEASONALITY

No material portion of our business is considered to be seasonal.

BACKLOG

At December 31, 2023, total backlog, which is equivalent to the company’s remaining performance obligations, was $84.2 billion as compared with $78.7 billion at December 31, 2022. For further information, see “Backlog” in

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“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” (MD&A) and Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

We routinely apply for and own a number of U.S. and foreign patents related to the technologies we develop. We also develop and protect intellectual property as trade secrets. In addition to owning a large portfolio of proprietary intellectual property, we license some intellectual property rights to third parties and we license or otherwise obtain access to intellectual property from third parties. The U.S. government typically holds licenses to patents developed in the performance of U.S. government contracts and may use or authorize others to use the inventions covered by these patents for certain purposes. See “Risk Factors” for further discussion regarding risks related to intellectual property.

RAW MATERIALS

We have experienced challenges with access to certain raw materials due to macroeconomic factors and several global events such as inflation, geopolitical conflicts and microelectronics shortages. In some cases, these challenges have significantly increased the cost and/or lead time required to obtain certain raw materials. Nonetheless, these challenges have not to date materially impacted our ability to perform on our contracts. See “Risk Factors” for further discussion regarding risks related to raw materials.

HUMAN CAPITAL

Fostering a culture that offers employees opportunities to live our values, deliver for our customers, and act responsibly and sustainably is central to our diverse and talented workforce. Our culture and values enable us to continue attracting qualified talent, particularly those with security clearances and requisite skills in multiple areas, including science, technology, engineering and math. This focus on our culture and workforce was a factor in our ability to hire approximately 14,500 new employees in 2023, and as of December 31, 2023, we have approximately 101,000 employees.

Additional information regarding our human capital strategy is available in our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, which can be found on our company website. Information on our website, including our ESG Report, is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report.

Our Values and Culture

Our values reflect our priorities and form the bedrock of our culture:

• We do the right thing – we earn trust, act with ethics, integrity and transparency, treat everyone with respect, value diversity and foster safe and inclusive environments.

• We do what we promise – we own the delivery of results, focused on quality.

• We commit to shared success – we work together to focus on the mission and take accountability for the sustainable success of our people, customers, shareholders, suppliers and communities.

• We pioneer – with fierce curiosity, dedication and innovation, we seek to solve the world’s most challenging problems.

We believe our culture and values are vital to the ongoing success of the company, including our ability to attract and retain a talented and diverse workforce. Our values are also integral to our commitment to long-term sustainability, with robust ESG practices across our company. The company has a Standards of Business Conduct program. Our employees are empowered to raise concerns without fear of reprisal. In addition to full-time ethics professionals, we also have over 150 business conduct advisors who promote values and an ethical culture within the company.

Our annual Employee Experience Survey gives employees a voice and a mechanism to provide feedback on our culture and empower our leaders to enhance the employee experience. This anonymous survey encourages employee candor on key engagement and inclusion drivers, including belonging, respect, a sense of personal work accomplishment and recommending the company to others. In 2023, 81 percent of employees responded to the survey, an indication that our employees believe their feedback matters, and our survey results exceeded many of the global norms of our third party vendor for both engagement and inclusion. Our leaders review the survey responses and work collaboratively with their teams to take meaningful actions based on survey results.

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Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We value diversity and belonging in its broadest sense, as an enabling force that helps us pioneer, perform and deliver on quality, which results in value for our shareholders, customers, and employees. Across our U.S. employee population, as of December 31, 2023, 25 percent are female, 38 percent are people of color, 18 percent are veterans and 8 percent are persons with disabilities. At the vice president level, 35 percent are female and 20 percent are people of color. We strive to reach all parts of the diverse talent pools available now and in the future because we recognize that we benefit from having coworkers with different ideas, perspectives and approaches to help us innovate.

Talent Management

Northrop Grumman’s talent strategy is focused on four key pillars: broadening talent pools; enhancing the employee experience; building leaders of the future; and enabling new ways of working. Our strategy addresses the external and internal landscape and ensures that we are able to attract, retain and develop the workforce necessary to support the continued success of the business.

We hold regular talent review discussions to ensure line of sight to talent at various levels of the organization. Succession plans are refreshed and reviewed to ensure a robust, diverse pipeline of talent and business continuity with a tight linkage to development. We focus on accelerating learning and development of our leaders by providing a combination of experiences, exposure and education.

Our employee development programs strengthen employee skills aligned to our current and future business needs through on-the-job development, knowledge sharing and tools to support career growth. Employees utilize curated, career-specific resources such as My Learning Experience, a machine learning enabled content aggregator that creates a personalized learning experience for each employee. Our Education Assistance Program subsidizes tuition and other educational institution fees to support development through job-related degrees and certificates. Our early-in-career rotation program, Pathways, develops talent pipelines with both depth of critical skills and breadth of experiences. Our technical cohort programs cultivate technical, domain expertise and collaborative thought leadership for early through advanced career levels.

In a rapidly changing world, we maintain focus on keeping our team and our company prepared for the evolving future of work. In addition to offering our employees flexible work arrangements, caregiver support and mental health services that help our employees make their careers work within their lives, we also help our employees build the careers that will serve them into the future. We ensure that our employees have the tools and resources to develop their knowledge base and skill sets, so that they can continue to thrive at Northrop Grumman even in the midst of change. When our employees succeed and grow at work, our business succeeds and grows. Through a focus on our employees, we remain agile and innovative, adapting to the future as it unfolds before us. We provide many avenues for our employees to feel included, so we can hire, develop and retain the best people to support our common mission and better pioneer together.

Employee Health and Safety

Health and safety are a core focus in everything we do. People are our most valuable resource, and our goals have been, and continue to be, to keep our employees safe and position the company for long-term success.

Risk and hazard identification, abatement and prevention are key components of Northrop Grumman’s safety program. Everyone has a responsibility to identify workplace hazards and we empower employees to report these hazards without fear of repercussion. We evaluate the effectiveness of our health and safety programs externally, through benchmarking with industry peers and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Internally, we determine program effectiveness by conducting trend analyses of our past performance.

Collective Agreements

Approximately 4,100 employees are covered by 15 collective agreements in the U.S., of which we negotiated one renewal in 2023 and expect to negotiate five renewals in 2024.

See “Risk Factors” for further discussion regarding risks related to our workforce and employee relations.

REGULATORY MATTERS

Government Contract Security Restrictions

We are prohibited by the U.S. government from publicly discussing the details of certain classified programs. These programs are generally referred to as “restricted” in this Annual Report. The consolidated financial statements and financial information in this Annual Report reflect the operating results of our entire company, including restricted programs.

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Contracts

We generate the majority of our business from long-term contracts with the U.S. government for development, production and support activities. Unless otherwise specified in a contract, allowable and allocable costs are billed to contracts with the U.S. government pursuant to the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and U.S. government Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), which are regulations that govern cost accounting requirements for government contracts. Examples of costs incurred by us and not billed to the U.S. government in accordance with applicable FAR and CAS requirements include, but are not limited to, unallowable employee compensation, charitable donations, interest expense, advertising, and certain legal and travel costs.

We monitor our contracts on a regular basis for compliance with our policies and procedures and applicable government laws and regulations. In addition, costs incurred and allocated to contracts with the U.S. government are routinely audited by the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA).

Our long-term contracts typically fall into one of two contract types:

Cost-type contracts – Cost-type contracts include cost plus fixed fee, cost plus award fee and cost plus incentive fee contracts. Cost-type contracts generally provide for reimbursement of a contractor’s allowable costs incurred plus fee. As a result, cost-type contracts have less financial risk associated with unanticipated cost growth but generally provide lower profit margins than fixed-price contracts. Cost-type contracts typically require that the contractor use its best efforts to accomplish the scope of the work within some specified time and stated dollar limitation. Fees on cost-type contracts can be fixed in terms of dollar value or can be variable due to award and incentive fees, which are generally based on performance criteria such as cost, schedule, quality and/or technical performance. Award fees are determined and earned based on customer evaluation of the company’s performance against contractual criteria. Incentive fees are generally based on cost or schedule and provide for an initially negotiated fee to be adjusted later, based on the relationship of total allowable costs to total target costs or as schedule milestones are met. Award and incentive fees are included in total estimated sales to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal in the amount of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur when the uncertainty associated with the variable consideration is subsequently resolved. We estimate variable consideration as the most likely amount to which we expect to be entitled.

Fixed-price contracts – Firm fixed-price contracts include a specified scope of work for a price that is a pre-determined, negotiated amount and not typically subject to adjustment regardless of costs incurred by the contractor, absent changes by the customer. As a result, fixed-price contracts typically have more financial risk associated with unanticipated cost growth, but provide the opportunity for higher profit margins. Certain fixed-price incentive fee contracts provide for reimbursement of the contractor’s allowable costs plus a fee up to a cost ceiling amount, typically through a cost-sharing ratio that affects profitability. These contracts effectively become firm fixed-price contracts once the cost-share ceiling is reached. Time-and-materials contracts are considered fixed-price contracts as they specify a fixed hourly rate for each labor hour charged.

Profit margins on our contracts may vary materially depending on, among other things, the contract type, contract phase (e.g., development, low-rate production or mature production), negotiated fee arrangements, achievement of performance objectives, unexpected macroeconomic factors or other circumstances, and cost, schedule and technical performance.

See Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements and “Risk Factors” for further information regarding our contracts and Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements for sales by contract type.

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The following table summarizes sales for the year ended December 31, 2023, recognized by contract type and customer category:

(1)Sales to the U.S. government include sales from contracts for which we are the prime contractor, as well as those for which we are a subcontractor and the ultimate customer is the U.S. government. Each of the company’s segments derives substantial revenue from the U.S. government.

(2) International sales include sales from contracts for which we are the prime contractor, as well as those for which we are a subcontractor and the ultimate customer is an international customer. These sales include foreign military sales contracted through the U.S. government.

Environmental

Our operations are subject to and affected by federal, state, local and foreign laws, regulations and enforcement actions relating to protection of the environment. We have incurred and expect to continue to incur capital and operating costs to comply with applicable environmental laws and regulations and to achieve our environmental sustainability commitments. See “Risk Factors” and Notes 1 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding environmental matters.

In 2022, we announced our next generation environmental sustainability goals, and in 2023, we announced our goals for water and waste. These goals focus on Northrop Grumman’s facilities in addition to supply chain partners and customers:

• Net zero greenhouse gas emissions in operations by 2035;

• Source 50 percent of total electricity from renewable sources by 2030;

• Reduce 10% of absolute water withdrawals, reuse 10% of water withdrawals and replenish 10% of water withdrawals, focusing in water-stressed regions — all by 2030;

• Reduce solid waste sent to landfill and incineration by 10% by 2030;

• In collaboration with key customers, work to develop a pioneering product stewardship program focused on material efficiency, product design and life cycle assessment;

• Expand Technology for Conservation initiatives in proximity to Northrop Grumman's U.S. locations by 2030, in collaboration with external partners.

Additional information regarding our environmental sustainability goals is available in our ESG Report, which can be found on our company website.

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

See “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” for information about our executive officers.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION

Our principal executive offices are located at 2980 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, Virginia 22042. Our telephone number is (703) 280-2900 and our home page is www.northropgrumman.com.

Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and proxy statement for the annual shareholders’ meeting, as well as any amendments to those reports, are available free of charge through our website as soon as reasonably practicable after we file them with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). You can learn more about us by reviewing our SEC filings on the investor relations page of our website.

The SEC also maintains a website at www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy statements and other information about SEC registrants, including Northrop Grumman Corporation.

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References to our website and the SEC’s website in this report are provided as a convenience and do not constitute, and should not be viewed as, incorporation by reference of the information contained on, or available through, such websites. Such information should not be considered a part of this report, unless otherwise expressly incorporated by reference in this report.

Our consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows are subject to various risks, many of which are not exclusively within our control, that may cause actual performance to differ materially from historical or projected future performance. We encourage you to consider carefully the risk factors described below in evaluating the information contained in this report as the outcome of one or more of these risks could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Industry and Economic Risks

• We depend heavily on a single customer, the U.S. government, for a substantial portion of our business. Changes in this customer’s priorities and spending could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Our primary customer is the U.S. government, from which we derived 86 percent of our sales in 2023; we have a number of large programs with the U.S. Department of the Air Force, in particular. The U.S. government has the ability to delay, modify or cancel ongoing competitions, procurements and programs, as well as to change its future acquisition strategy. We cannot predict the impact on existing, follow-on, replacement or future programs from potential changes in the threat and global security environment, defense spending levels, government and budgetary priorities, political leadership, procurement practices and strategy, inflation and other macroeconomic trends, military strategy; or broader changes in social, economic, security or political demands and priorities.

The U.S. government has the ability to terminate contracts, in whole or in part, for its convenience or for default based on performance. In the event of termination for convenience, contractors are generally protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred and profit on those costs up to the amount authorized under the contract, but not the anticipated profit that would have been earned. In the event of termination due to default, contractors may be required to pay for re-procurement costs in excess of the original contract price, net of the value of work accepted from the original contract, as well as other damages. Termination due to our default (or that of a teammate) could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, our ability to compete for other contracts and our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

Where program cost estimates exceed certain thresholds, our customer has been, and may in the future be, required to provide congressional notification of significant or critical cost increases (or breaches) under the Nunn-McCurdy Act, which, in some circumstances, could result in program restructure or termination. For example, in January 2024 the customer provided congressional notification that the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (“Sentinel”) program is currently under a Nunn-McCurdy breach review.

The U.S. government also has the ability to stop work under a contract for a limited period of time for its convenience. The U.S. government has invoked and could invoke this ability across a limited or broad number of contracts. In the event of a stop work order, contractors are typically protected by provisions covering reimbursement for costs incurred to date and for costs associated with the temporary stoppage of work plus a reasonable fee. However, such temporary stoppages often introduce inefficiencies and result in financial and other damages for which contractors may not be able to negotiate full recovery. In some cases, they have also ultimately resulted and could result in termination of a contract for convenience or reduced future orders.

A significant shift in government priorities, programs or strategies could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

• Significant delays or reductions in appropriations for our programs and U.S. government funding more broadly, including a prolonged continuing resolution or breach of the debt ceiling, can negatively impact our business and programs and could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows.

U.S. government programs are subject to annual congressional budget authorization and appropriation processes. For many programs, Congress appropriates funds annually even though the program performance period may extend over several years. Programs are often partially funded initially, with additional funds committed only as Congress makes further appropriations. When we or our subcontractors incur costs in excess of funds obligated on a contract, we are generally at risk for reimbursement unless and until additional funds are obligated to the contract. We cannot

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predict what funding will ultimately be approved for individual programs. In addition, pressures on, as well as laws and plans relating to the federal budget, potential changes in priorities and defense spending, the timing and substance of the appropriations process, use of continuing resolutions (with restrictions, e.g., on new starts) and the federal debt limit (including a breach of the federal debt ceiling), have adversely affected and could adversely affect the amount and timing of funding for individual programs and delay purchasing or payments by our customers. In the event government funding for our significant programs is reduced, delayed or unavailable, or orders are reduced, our contracts or subcontracts, or competitions for such programs have at times been, and in the future may be, terminated or changed.

The U.S. continues to face an uncertain and changing political environment, along with substantial fiscal, economic and security challenges, which affect funding and budgetary priorities. The budget and macroeconomic environment, global security environment, political instability, and uncertainty surrounding the appropriations processes and the debt ceiling, remain significant short and long-term risks. See “Overview” in MD&A. In addition, high deficit levels and high debt servicing costs could drive cuts to federal spending. Considerable uncertainty exists regarding how future budget and program decisions will unfold. If annual appropriations bills are not timely enacted, the U.S. government may continue to operate under a continuing resolution (potentially of extended duration), restricting new contract or program starts, presenting resource allocation challenges and placing limitations on budgets. We also may face a prolonged government shutdown that could lead to program cancellations, disruptions and/or stop work orders and could limit the U.S. government’s ability to progress programs and make timely payments. A prolonged shutdown could limit our ability to perform on our contracts and successfully compete for new work. If the statutory debt limit is not increased adequately, we could be obligated to work without receiving timely payments, and a prolonged breach could have far-reaching adverse consequences. If current macroeconomic pressures (especially from inflation and labor and supply chain challenges) are prolonged or worsen, and increased costs continue, then existing or anticipated appropriated and contracted funds may not be sufficient to cover costs incurred on existing or future programs.

Future funding for certain programs in which we participate may be reduced, delayed or cancelled. Budget cuts globally could adversely affect the viability of our subcontractors and suppliers. While we believe that our business is well-positioned in areas for future defense spending, changing priorities, budget pressures, defense spending cuts, challenges in the appropriations process, the possibility of a long-term continuing resolution (or series of continuing resolutions) and breach of the debt ceiling, ongoing fiscal debates and t

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None.

We recognize the critical importance of maintaining the safety and security of our systems and data and have a holistic process for overseeing and managing cybersecurity and related risks. This process is supported by both management and our Board of Directors.

The Chief Information Office, which maintains our cybersecurity function, is led by our Chief Information Officer (CIO), who reports to our CEO. The Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) reports to the CIO and generally is responsible for management of cybersecurity risk and the protection and defense of our networks and systems. The CISO manages a team of cybersecurity professionals with broad experience and expertise, including in cybersecurity threat assessments and detection, mitigation technologies, cybersecurity training, incident response, cyber forensics, insider threats and regulatory compliance.

Our Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing our enterprise risk management activities in general, and each of our Board committees assists the Board in the role of risk oversight. The full Board receives an update on the Company’s risk management process and the risk trends related to cybersecurity at least annually. The Audit and Risk Committee specifically assists the Board in its oversight of risks related to cybersecurity. To help ensure effective oversight, the Audit and Risk Committee receives reports on information security and cybersecurity from the CISO at least four times a year.

In addition, the Company’s Enterprise Risk Management Council (ERMC) considers risks relating to cybersecurity, among other significant risks, and applicable mitigation plans to address such risks. The ERMC is comprised of the Executive Leadership Team, as well as the Chief Accounting Officer, Chief Compliance Officer, Corporate Secretary, Chief Sustainability Officer, Treasurer and Vice President, Internal Audit. The CIO and CISO attend each ERMC meeting. The ERMC meets during the year and receives periodic updates on cybersecurity risks from the CIO and CISO. We have an established process and playbook led by our CISO governing our assessment, response and notifications internally and externally upon the occurrence of a cybersecurity incident. Depending on the nature and severity of an incident, this process provides for escalating notification to our CEO and the Board (including our Lead Independent Director and the Audit and Risk Committee chair).

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Our approach to cybersecurity risk management includes the following key elements:

• Multi-Layered Defense and Continuous Monitoring – We work to protect our computing environments and products from cybersecurity threats through multi-layered defenses and apply lessons learned from our defense and monitoring efforts to help prevent future attacks. We utilize data analytics to detect anomalies and search for cyber threats. Our Cybersecurity Operations Center provides comprehensive cyber threat detection and response capabilities and maintains a 24x7 monitoring system which complements the technology, processes and threat detection techniques we use to monitor, manage and mitigate cybersecurity threats. From time to time, we engage third party consultants or other advisors to assist in assessing, identifying and/or managing cybersecurity threats. We also periodically use our Internal Audit function to conduct additional reviews and assessments.

• Insider Threats – We maintain an insider threat program designed to identify, assess, and address potential risks from within our Company. Our program evaluates potential risks consistent with industry practices, customer requirements and applicable law, including privacy and other considerations.

• Information Sharing and Collaboration – We work with government, customer, industry and/or supplier partners, such as the National Defense Information Sharing and Analysis Center and other government-industry partnerships, to gather and develop best practices and share information to address cyber threats. These relationships enable the rapid sharing of threat and vulnerability mitigation information across the defense industrial base and supply chain.

• Third Party Risk Assessments – We conduct information security assessments before sharing or allowing the hosting of sensitive data in computing environments managed by third parties, and our standard terms and conditions contain contractual provisions requiring certain security protections.

• Training and Awareness – We provide awareness training to our employees to help identify, avoid and mitigate cybersecurity threats. Our employees with network access participate annually in required training, including spear phishing and other awareness training. We also periodically host tabletop exercises with management and other employees to practice rapid cyber incident response.

• Supplier Engagement – We provide training and other resources to our suppliers to support cybersecurity resiliency in our supply chain. We also require our suppliers to comply with our standard information security terms and conditions, in addition to any requirements from our customers, as a condition of doing business with us, and require them to complete information security questionnaires to review and assess any potential cyber-related risks depending on the nature of the services being provided.

While we have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past, to date none have materially affected the Company or our financial position, results of operations and/or cash flows. We continue to invest in the cybersecurity and resiliency of our networks and to enhance our internal controls and processes, which are designed to help protect our systems and infrastructure, and the information they contain. For more information regarding the risks we face from cybersecurity threats, please see “Risk Factors.”

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS AND PROJECTIONS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K and the information we are incorporating by reference contain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “will,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “plan,” “project,” “forecast,” “believe,” “estimate,” “guidance,” “outlook,” “trends,” “goals” and similar expressions generally identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to our future financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows. Forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, expectations, plans and projections that we believe to be reasonable when made, but which may change over time. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and inherently involve a wide range of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Specific risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, those identified under “Risk Factors” and other important factors disclosed in this report and from time to time in our other SEC filings. These risks and uncertainties are amplified by the global macroeconomic, security and political environments, including inflationary pressures, labor and supply chain challenges, which have caused and will continue to cause significant challenges, instability and uncertainty. They include:

Industry and Economic Risks

• our dependence on the U.S. government for a substantial portion of our business

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• significant delays or reductions in appropriations and/or for our programs, and U.S. government funding and program support more broadly, including as a result of a prolonged continuing resolution and/or government shutdown, and/or related to the global security environment or other global events

• significant delays or reductions in payments as a result of or related to a breach of the debt ceiling

• the use of estimates when accounting for our contracts and the effect of contract cost growth and our efforts to recover or offset such costs and/or changes in estimated contract costs and revenues, including as a result of inflationary pressures, labor shortages, supply chain challenges and/or other macroeconomic factors, and risks related to management’s judgments and assumptions in estimating and/or projecting contract revenue and performance which may be inaccurate

• continued pressures from macroeconomic trends, including on costs, schedules, performance and ability to meet expectations

• increased competition within our markets and bid protests

Legal and Regulatory Risks

• investigations, claims, disputes, enforcement actions, litigation (including criminal, civil and administrative) and/or other legal proceedings

• the improper conduct of employees, agents, subcontractors, suppliers, business partners or joint ventures in which we participate, including the impact on our reputation and our ability to do business

• changes in procurement and other laws, SEC, DoD and other rules and regulations, contract terms and practices applicable to our industry, findings by the U.S. government as to our compliance with such requirements, more aggressive enforcement of such requirements and changes in our customers’ business practices globally

• environmental matters, including climate change, unforeseen environmental costs and government and third party claims

• unanticipated changes in our tax provisions or exposure to additional tax liabilities

Business and Operational Risks

• cyber and other security threats or disruptions faced by us, our customers or our suppliers and other partners, and changes in related regulations

• our ability to attract and retain a qualified, talented and diverse workforce with the necessary security clearances to meet our performance obligations

• the performance and viability of our subcontractors and suppliers and the availability and pricing of raw materials and components, particularly with inflationary pressures, increased costs, shortages in labor and financial resources, supply chain disruptions, and extended material lead times

• impacts related to health epidemics and pandemics and similar outbreaks

• our exposure to additional risks as a result of our international business, including risks related to global security, geopolitical and economic factors, misconduct, suppliers, laws and regulations

• our ability to innovate, develop new products and technologies, progress and benefit from digital transformation and maintain technologies to meet the needs of our customers

• natural disasters

• products and services we provide related to hazardous and high risk operations, including the production and use of such products, which subject us to various environmental, regulatory, financial, reputational and other risks

• our ability appropriately to exploit and/or protect intellectual property rights

General and Other Risk Factors

• the adequacy and availability of, and ability to obtain, insurance coverage, customer indemnifications or other liability protections

• the future investment performance of plan assets, gains or losses associated with changes in valuation of marketable securities related to our non-qualified benefit plans, changes in actuarial assumptions associated

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with our pension and other postretirement benefit plans and legislative or other regulatory actions impacting our pension and postretirement benefit obligations

• changes in business conditions that could impact business investments and/or recorded goodwill or the value of other long-lived assets, and other potential future liabilities

We urge you to consider the limitations on, and risks associated with, forward-looking statements and not unduly rely on the accuracy of forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date this report is first filed or, in the case of any document incorporated by reference, the date of that document. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

At December 31, 2023, we had approximately 51 million square feet of floor space at 459 separate locations, primarily in the U.S., for manufacturing, warehousing, research and testing, administration and various other uses. We leased to third parties approximately 37,000 square feet of our owned and leased facilities. The company’s major operations are at the following locations:

Aeronautics Systems

El Segundo, Mojave, Palmdale, Redondo Beach and San Diego, CA; Melbourne and St. Augustine, FL; Iuka and Moss Point, MS; Beavercreek, OH; Oklahoma City, OK; and Clearfield, UT.

Defense Systems

Huntsville, AL; Mesa and Sierra Vista, AZ; Northridge, CA; Warner Robins, GA; Lake Charles, LA; Elkton, MD; Elk River and Plymouth, MN; Dulles, McLean and Radford, VA; and Keyser, WV. Locations outside the U.S. include Australia.

Mission Systems

McClellan, San Diego, Sunnyvale and Woodland Hills, CA; Apopka, FL; Rolling Meadows, IL; Annapolis, Annapolis Junction, Elkridge, Halethorpe, Linthicum and Sykesville, MD; Bethpage and Williamsville, NY; Cincinnati, OH; Salt Lake City, UT; and Chantilly, Charlottesville and Fairfax, VA. Locations outside the U.S. include France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom.

Space Systems

Huntsville, AL; Chandler and Gilbert, AZ; Azusa, Carson, Los Angeles, Manhattan Beach, Oxnard, Redondo Beach and San Diego, CA; Aurora, Boulder, and Colorado Springs, CO; Beltsville, MD; Devens, MA;Clearfield, Corinne, Magna, Ogden, Roy and Tremonton, UT; and Dulles and Sterling, VA.

Corporate

Falls Church, VA

The following is a summary of our floor space at December 31, 2023:

We maintain our properties in good operating condition and believe the productive capacity of our properties is adequate to meet current contractual requirements and those for the foreseeable future.

We have provided information about certain legal proceedings in which we are involved in Notes 11 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements.

We are a party to various investigations, lawsuits, arbitration, claims, enforcement actions and other legal proceedings, including government investigations and claims, that arise in the ordinary course of our business. These types of matters could result in administrative, civil or criminal fines, penalties or other sanctions (which terms

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include judgments or convictions and consent or other voluntary decrees or agreements); compensatory, treble or other damages; non-monetary relief or actions; or other liabilities. Government regulations provide that certain allegations against a contractor may lead to suspension or debarment from future government contracts or suspension of export privileges for the company or one or more of its components. The nature of legal proceedings is such that we cannot assure the outcome of any particular matter. For additional information on pending matters, please see Notes 11 and 12 to the consolidated financial statements, and for further information on the risks we face from existing and future investigations, lawsuits, arbitration, claims, enforcement actions and other legal proceedings, please see “Risk Factors.”

Consistent with SEC Regulation S-K Item 103, we have elected to disclose those environmental proceedings with a governmental entity as a party where the company reasonably believes such proceeding would result in monetary sanctions, exclusive of interest and costs, of $1.0 million or more.

No information is required in response to this item.

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PART II

COMMON STOCK

We have 800,000,000 shares authorized at a $1 par value per share, of which 150,109,271 shares and 153,157,924 shares were issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

PREFERRED STOCK

We have 10,000,000 shares authorized at a $1 par value per share, of which no shares were issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022.

MARKET INFORMATION

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and trades under the symbol NOC.

HOLDERS

As of January 22, 2024, there were 18,531 common shareholders of record.

PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES BY THE ISSUER AND AFFILIATED PURCHASERS

(1)Excludes commissions paid.

(2)The value remaining on December 31, 2023 includes an additional $2.5 billion share repurchase authorization approved by the company’s board of directors on December 6, 2023.

Share repurchases take place from time to time, subject to market and regulatory conditions and management’s discretion, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The company retires its common stock upon repurchase and, in the periods presented, has not made any purchases of common stock other than in connection with these publicly announced repurchase programs.

See Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for further information on our share repurchase programs.

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STOCK PERFORMANCE GRAPH

Comparison of Cumulative Five Year Total Return

Among Northrop Grumman, the Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 Index and the S&P Aerospace & Defense (A&D) Index

• Assumes $100 invested at the close of business on December 31, 2018, in Northrop Grumman Corporation common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P A&D Index.

• The cumulative total return assumes reinvestment of dividends.

• The S&P A&D Index is comprised of Axon Enterprise, Inc., The Boeing Company, General Dynamics Corporation, Howmet Aerospace Inc., Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., L3Harris Technologies, Inc., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Northrop Grumman Corporation, RTX Corporation, Textron Inc., and TransDigm Group Incorporated.

• This graph is not deemed to be “filed” with the SEC or subject to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act), and should not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any of our prior or subsequent filings under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act.

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OVERVIEW

The following discussion should be read along with the financial statements included in this Form 10-K, as well as Part II, “Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 (“2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K”).

Global Security Environment

The U.S. and its allies continue to face a global security environment of heightened tensions and instability, threats from state and non-state actors, including in particular major global powers, as well as terrorist organizations, increasing nuclear tensions, diverse regional security concerns and political instability. The market for defense products, services and solutions globally is driven by these complex and evolving security challenges, considered in the broader context of political and socioeconomic circumstances and priorities. Our operations and financial performance, as well as demand for our products and services, are impacted by global events, including violence and unrest. The same is true for our suppliers and other business partners.

The conflict in Ukraine has increased global tensions and instability, highlighted threats and increased global demand, as well as further disrupted global supply chains. We continue to not anticipate significant adverse financial impacts directly from the ongoing conflict. We have experienced, and, while difficult to predict, may continue to experience a modest increase in demand for certain of our goods and services directly and indirectly related to the conflict in Ukraine, either through direct sales or if the U.S. provides increased military assistance and support to Ukraine.

More recently, the hostilities in Israel and the Gaza Strip have further heightened global tensions and instability. At this time, it is unknown whether hostilities in this region will escalate into an even larger conflict. The demand for our goods and services may increase, especially if the U.S. provides increased military assistance and support to Israel. We do not have a significant business presence in the region, and therefore do not anticipate significant adverse financial impacts directly from the current conflict.

More broadly, the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Israel and threats elsewhere, particularly in the Pacific region, have heightened tensions and highlighted security requirements globally, including Europe, the Middle East and the Pacific region, as well as the U.S. These conflicts may result in increased demand for defense products and services from allies and partner nations, particularly in those areas. We are actively exploring both opportunities and risks associated with the broader global security environment.

We believe the current global security environment highlights the significant national security threats to the U.S. and its allies, and the need for strong deterrence and a robust defense capability. We believe our capabilities, particularly in space, C4ISR, missile defense, battle management, advanced weapons, and survivable aircraft and mission systems should help our customers in the U.S. and globally defend against current and future threats and, as a result, continue to allow for long-term profitable business growth.

Global Economic Enviro****nment

The global economic environment has experienced extraordinary challenges, including high rates of inflation and inflationary pressures; widespread delays and disruptions in supply chains; business slowdowns or shutdowns; workforce challenges and labor shortfalls; and market volatility. Some of these challenges were due, in part, to the global health emergency caused by COVID-19, which the World Health organization declared ended in May 2023. Direct impacts of COVID-19 on our business during 2023 were limited, and we are not currently expecting significant direct impacts on our business going forward.

The macroeconomic factors have contributed, and we expect will continue to contribute, to increased costs, delays, disruptions and other performance challenges, as well as increased competing demands for limited resources to address such increased costs and other challenges, for our company, our suppliers and partners, and our customers.

We continue to work hard to mitigate challenges caused by the current macroeconomic environment on our business, including by taking steps to support our suppliers and small businesses and enhancing our workforce through extensive hiring, development and retention efforts. However, the broader macroeconomic environment, including inflationary pressures and supply chain challenges, continued adversely to affect the company’s results for the year ended December 31, 2023. We cannot clearly predict how long these macroeconomic challenges will continue, how they will change over time, or what additional resources will be available, but we expect to see this challenging macroeconomic environment continue adversely to impact the global economy, our customers and suppliers, our industry and our company in 2024.

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In addition, increased interest rates, raising the cost of borrowing for governments, could further impact government spending priorities (in the U.S. and allied countries, in particular), including their demand for defense products. Economic tensions and changes in international trade policies, including higher tariffs on imported goods and materials and renegotiation of free trade agreements, could also further impact the global market for defense products, services and solutions.

U.S. Political, Budget and Regulatory Environment

The U.S. continues to face an uncertain and evolving political, budget and regulatory environment. In particular, it is difficult to predict the specific course of future defense budgets. Current and future requirements related to the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, threats in the Pacific regions and other security priorities, as well as global inflation, the national debt, and other domestic priorities, among other things, in the U.S. and globally, will continue to impact our customers’ budgets, spending and priorities, and our industry. The U.S. political environment, including the U.S. election cycle, may also impact defense budgets and priorities, issues related to the national debt, and government spending more broadly. We anticipate that issues related to budgetary priorities and defense spending levels, the debt ceiling, and the spending caps imposed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (FRA), particularly with respect to discretionary spending, will continue to be a subject of considerable debate, with a potentially significant impact on our programs and the company.

Annual appropriations to fund the federal government for FY 2024 have not been enacted. Congress continues to pass short-term continuing resolutions (CR) to fund the federal government. The most recent “laddered” CR passed in January 2024 funds the government through March 2024, depending on the appropriation bill. If Congress does not pass full year appropriations or an additional CR before current funding expires, the federal government (or select departments) could face a shutdown and cease what are characterized as certain non-essential operations. Depending on the nature and duration of a potential shutdown, businesses that rely on government funding, including defense contractors, could be significantly impacted. If the federal government remains under a CR at the end of April 2024, the one percent discretionary spending cuts under the FRA could be triggered, potentially resulting in lower funding on the programs in which we participate.

In December 2023, the president signed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FY 2024 which supports approximately $886 billion in FY 2024 funding for national defense, $842 billion of which is for the DoD.

The political environment, federal budget,

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EQUITY RISK

We have been and continue to be exposed to market risk with respect to our portfolio of marketable securities with a fair value of $339 million at December 31, 2023. These securities are exposed to market volatilities, changes in price and interest rates.

INTEREST RATE RISK

We are exposed to interest rate risk on variable-rate short-term credit facilities for which there were no borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2023, we have $13.9 billion of long-term debt, primarily consisting of fixed-rate debt, with a fair value of approximately $13.4 billion. The terms of our fixed-rate debt obligations do not generally allow investors to demand payment of these obligations prior to maturity. Therefore, we do not have significant exposure to interest rate risk for our fixed-rate debt; however, we do have exposure to fair value risk if we repurchase or exchange long-term debt prior to maturity. Additionally, if we were to refinance our long-term debt, it may be refinanced at higher interest rates.

FOREIGN CURRENCY RISK

In certain circumstances, we are exposed to foreign currency risk. We enter into foreign currency forward contracts to manage a portion of the exchange rate risk related to receipts from customers and payments to suppliers denominated in foreign currencies. We do not hold or issue derivative financial instruments for trading purposes. At December 31, 2023, foreign currency forward contracts with a notional amount of $286 million were outstanding. At December 31, 2023, a 10 percent unfavorable foreign exchange rate movement would not have a material impact on our consolidated financial position, annual results of operations and/or cash flows.

INFLATION RISK

The global macroeconomic environment has experienced extraordinary challenges, including the highest rates of inflation in 40 years. The company, its subcontractors and other suppliers, have experienced, and continue to experience, increased pressures from heightened levels of inflation and the challenges of the current macroeconomic environment, which we have not been able to fully mitigate on a number of our fixed-price contracts, in particular on the LRIP phase of the B-21 program at Aeronautics Systems. We cannot predict how long these inflationary pressures will continue, or how they may change over time, but we expect to see continued impacts on the global economy, our customers, our industry and our company. If inflationary pressures continue to persist, they may continue to have an adverse impact on our consolidated financial position, results of operations and/or cash flow.

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Falls Church, Virginia

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated statements of financial position of Northrop Grumman Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of earnings and comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “financial statements”). In our opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated January 24, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current-period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit and risk committee and that (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing separate opinions on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.

Revenue Recognition - Cost and Revenue Estimates for Development Contracts - Refer to Note 1 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

As more fully described in Note 1 to the financial statements, the Company recognizes substantially all revenue as control is transferred to the customer on their long-term contracts over time using the cost-to-cost method (cost incurred relative to total cost estimated at completion). Use of the cost-to-cost-method requires the Company to make reasonably dependable estimates regarding the revenue and costs associated with the design, manufacture and delivery of their products or services. The Company estimates profit on these contracts as the difference between total estimated sales and total estimated costs at completion and recognizes that profit as costs are incurred. Cost

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estimates on contracts requiring development work are inherently more uncertain as to future events than production contracts, and, as a result, there is typically more variability in those estimates. Certain of these contracts are fixed price in nature, which results in greater financial risk associated with unanticipated cost growth. Alternatively, cost-type contracts may have award or incentive fees that are subject to uncertainty and may be earned over extended periods or towards the end of the contract. As a result, the estimation of costs required to complete these contracts and the expected revenues that will be earned is complex and requires significant judgment.

Given the judgment necessary to make reasonably dependable estimates regarding the revenue and costs associated with such contracts, auditing these estimates required extensive audit effort due to the complexity of the underlying programs and a high degree of auditor judgment when performing audit procedures and evaluating the results of those procedures.

How the Critical Audit Matter Was Addressed in the Audit

Our auditing procedures related to the cost and revenue estimates for these development contracts included the following, among others:

• We tested the effectiveness of controls over the estimates of total costs and revenues on such contracts, including development costs and any related award or incentive fee estimates for the relevant performance obligations.

• We selected certain long-term contracts for testing and performed the following procedures:

–Evaluated whether the recognition of revenue over time on such contracts was appropriate based on the terms and conditions of each contract, including whether continuous transfer of control to the customer occurred as progress was made toward fulfilling the performance obligation.

–Tested management’s identification of distinct performance obligations by evaluating whether the underlying goods and services were highly interdependent and interrelated.

–Tested management’s determination of the transaction price, including any award or incentive fees, based on the consideration expected to be received in accordance with the rights and obligations established under the contracts and any contractual modifications.

–Evaluated the estimates of total cost and revenue for the performance obligation by:

▪Conducting inquiries of relevant program teams regarding any challenges related to the program.

▪Comparing costs incurred to date to the costs management estimated to be incurred to date.

▪Evaluating management’s ability to achieve the estimates of cost and revenue by performing corroborating inquiries with the Company’s program and business management, and testing management’s process used to develop the estimates based on their work plans, engineering specifications, program labor, and supplier contracts. This includes management’s process to identify macroeconomic impacts to certain programs, which could include forecasted cost impacts and assumptions on the ability to recover those costs.

▪Evaluating selected changes to the estimates of costs and obtaining supporting documentation on timing and amounts of these changes in estimates.

–Tested the mathematical accuracy of management’s calculation of revenue recognized during the period for the performance obligations.

Income Taxes - Uncertain Tax Positions - Refer to Notes 1 and 7 to the financial statements

Critical Audit Matter Description

The Company files income tax retu

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None.

DISCLOSURE CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Our principal executive officer (Chair, Chief Executive Officer and President) and principal financial officer (Corporate Vice President and Chief Financial Officer) have evaluated the company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) and Rule 15d-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act)) as of December 31, 2023, and have concluded that these controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. These disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit is accumulated and communicated to management, including the principal executive officer and the principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

CHANGES IN INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

During the three months ended December 31, 2023, no change occurred in our internal control over financial reporting that materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

MANAGEMENT’S REPORT ON INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING

The management of Northrop Grumman Corporation (the company) prepared and is responsible for the consolidated financial statements and all related financial information contained in this Annual Report. This responsibility includes establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. The company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

To comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002, the company designed and implemented a structured and comprehensive assessment process to evaluate its internal control over financial reporting across the enterprise. The assessment of the effectiveness of the company’s internal control over financial reporting is based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Because of its inherent limitations, a system of internal control over financial reporting can provide only reasonable assurance and may not prevent or detect misstatements. Management regularly monitors its internal control over financial reporting, and actions are taken to correct deficiencies as they are identified. Based on its assessment, management has concluded that the company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2023.

Deloitte & Touche LLP issued an attestation report dated January 24, 2024, concerning the company’s internal control over financial reporting, which is contained in this Annual Report. The company’s consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, have been audited by the independent registered public accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche LLP in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).

/s/ Kathy J. Warden

Chair, Chief Executive Officer and President

/s/ David F. Keffer

Corporate Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

January 24, 2024

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Shareholders of

Northrop Grumman Corporation

Falls Church, Virginia

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Northrop Grumman Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on the criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023 of the Company and our report dated January 24, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion on those financial statements.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

McLean, Virginia

January 24, 2024

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CERTAIN TRADING AGREEMENTS

During the quarter ended December 31, 2023, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) of the Exchange Act) adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement”, as those terms are defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.

None.

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NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

PART III

DIRECTORS

Information about our Directors will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of the company’s fiscal year.

INFORMATION ABOUT OUR EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

Our executive officers as of January 24, 2024, are listed below, along with their ages on that date, positions and offices held with the company, and principal occupations and employment, focused primarily on the past five years.

AUDIT COMMITTEE FINANCIAL EXPERT

The information as to the Audit and Risk Committee and the Audit and Risk Committee Financial Expert will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

CODE OF ETHICS

We have adopted Standards of Business Conduct for all of our employees, including the principal executive officer, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. The Standards of Business Conduct can be found on our

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NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

internet website at www.northropgrumman.com under “Who We Are – Investors – Corporate Governance – Overview – Standards of Business Conduct.” A copy of the Standards of Business Conduct is available to any stockholder who requests it by writing to: Northrop Grumman Corporation, c/o Office of the Secretary, 2980 Fairview Park Drive, Falls Church, VA 22042. We disclose amendments to provisions of our Standards of Business Conduct by posting amendments on our website. Waivers of the provisions of our Standards of Business Conduct that apply to our directors and executive officers are disclosed in a Current Report on Form 8-K.

The website and information contained on it or incorporated in it are not intended to be incorporated in this Annual Report on Form 10-K or other filings with the SEC.

OTHER DISCLOSURES

Other disclosures required by this Item will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

Information concerning Executive Compensation required by this Item 11, including information concerning Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation and the Compensation Committee Report, will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The information as to Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans and Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

For a description of securities authorized under our equity compensation plans, see Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements.

The information as to Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

The information as to Principal Accountant Fees and Services will be incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement for the 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders.

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NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

PART IV

(a)1. Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID No. 34)

Financial Statements

Consolidated Statements of Earnings and Comprehensive Income

Consolidated Statements of Financial Position

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2. Financial Statement Schedules

All schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable, not required, or the information has been otherwise supplied in the consolidated financial statements or notes to the consolidated financial statements.

3. Exhibits

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NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

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None.

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NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on the 24th day of January 2024.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed on behalf of the registrant this the 24th day of January 2024, by the following persons and in the capacities indicated.

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