Melbourne, FL, has been a major center for defense contractors on the Sunshine State’s “Space Coast” for decades, particularly along the U.S. Route 192/Wickham Road corridor and near Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB). It has been a hub for military and aviation for more than 80 years, tracing its roots to World War II, and expanding its presence as a major high-tech defense center with key industry giants since the digital age.
This week, Northrop Grumman showcased its presence on the Space Coast, with an employee celebration at its Melbourne campus, which is already home to a 5,000-strong workforce and two million square feet of facilities space.
Monday’s event was held inside the high-bay of the company’s newest facility, which was attended by local, state, and federal leaders, including U.S. Rep. Mike Haridopolos (FL‑8); Florida Secretary of Commerce Alex Kelly; and Florida State Sen. Debbie Mayfield (District 19).
“We’re continuing to grow in Florida, turning years of investment and experience into real capabilities our warfighters need. This facility reinforces Melbourne as the epicenter of sixth-generation aircraft,” explained Tom Jones, corporate vice president and president, Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems. “Most times, we host ribbon-cuttings when we open the doors to a new facility. In our world, we also celebrate by closing them, because our people are about to get to work on things in this facility that we can’t talk about. Between these walls in just a few months, we will have cutting-edge labs, and hundreds of skilled engineers coming together in a world-class facility. This is what momentum looks like.”
Northrop GRUMMAN’S Space Coast Facility Expansion
The aerospace and defense giant’s expansion in the Space Coast is anchored by a new 300,000-square-foot engineering facility that reflects the site’s growth as well as expanding Northrop Grumman’s role in America’s defense industrial base.
The new site, adjacent to the Melbourne Orlando International Airport, will offer space for more than 1,200 additional engineers and 17 secure laboratories, each dedicated to advanced aircraft design. Its focus is on next-generation aircraft and sixth-generation airpower and aerospace development.
“The Melbourne site exemplifies Northrop Grumman’s commitment to building the workforce, technology and infrastructure required to deliver next-generation airpower. Together, these investments position Florida as a long-term hub for innovation, stability and opportunity in support of the nation’s most critical defense programs,” the company added.
Northrop GRUMMAN’S ‘Return to Melbourne’
Although Northrop Grumman has maintained a continuous presence in Brevard County for decades, tracing roots back to Grumman’s earlier work on the Lunar Module and the J-STARS program, it initially began as a major corporate relocation and recruitment initiative in 2013. Dubbed “Project Magellan,” the initiative saw the relocation of key aerospace programs – such as the E-2 Hawkeye program – and hundreds of engineering jobs from Bethpage, New York, to its Melbourne campus.
In the past decade, the expansion has occurred in multiple phases, which began with the construction of a new 220,000-square-foot office building and the addition of 300 jobs. In 2016, the company received city approval for a massive campus enlargement next to Orlando Melbourne International Airport to accommodate 1,900 new employees working on the U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider program.
“Northrop Grumman contributes to Florida’s economy through its nearly 8,000 employees and over 500 supplier partners, generating more than $10 billion in annual economic output, according to a recent study,” the company noted.
The Space Coast Industry
In addition to Northrop Grumman, the Space Coast is also home to L3Harris Technologies, which moved its headquarters to Melbourne following the completion of the merger between Harris Corporation and L3 Technologies.
Embraer also operates its executive jet manufacturing and Global Customer Center at the MLB, with Collins Aerospace, Avidyne Corporation, Extant Aerospace and Southeast Aerospace maintaining a presence in the Florida city.
Major aerospace and defense employers in the area account for thousands of jobs, with the regional aviation/aerospace sector totaling more than 35,000 employees.
