SAN DIEGO, Feb. 17, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) is donating Yamaha RMAX remote controlled, Type II unmanned helicopters to three universities. The first donation will be made to New Mexico State University in Las Cruces today.

Joined by university faculty and students, Northrop Grumman executives will present the helicopter as part of its efforts to foster student interest in engineering and science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. The ceremony will be followed by a briefing on unmanned aerial vehicles. Company recruiters also will conduct interview sessions with the school’s top engineering students.

“Northrop Grumman is committed to the education of students in engineering, aerospace and adjacent fields. Our hope is that the donation of this unmanned aerial vehicle, as a practical application of cutting edge technology, will help generate interest among students in science and math and possibly in careers in engineering. The educational use of these unmanned systems will help stimulate the imagination of a younger generation needed to fill the growing need for engineers and scientists in the United States workforce,” said Carl Johnson, vice president of programs at Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems sector.

The company is also donating associated tools, parts and batteries. The RMAX lands and takes off vertically, and has a wide variety of applications including crop spraying, aerial photography, perimeter control, and fire fighting. Northrop Grumman currently uses the RMAX for testing various sensor payloads.

Source: Northrop Grumman