Under CEO Kent Kresa, Northrop has outperformed other defense contractors. Still, he faces challenges:
WIN NEWPORT NEWS
Kresa has to convince defense and antitrust officials that his bid for the shipbuilder tops that of General Dynamics. Wall Street analysts wonder why he's bothering.
BOOST EARNINGS
Kresa must deliver on Northrop's $5.1 billion acquisition in April of Litton Industries. He said it would boost 2001 profits at least 10%, but so far it has only dragged them down.
BUILD NEW BUSINESSES
Northrop and the Pentagon may face an uphill fight getting Congress to fund such expensive programs as the Joint Strike Fighter, the Navy's DD-21 destroyer, and the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative.
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