Retired Army General John Zierdt to Head Company’s Local Office for Defense Business
Orbital Sciences Corporation’s (NYSE: ORB) recent award of a four-year, $400 million missile defense contract from The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) will result in significant new business for the Huntsville-area economy, the company stated today. In conjunction with executing this contract, Orbital also announced that it has hired Brigadier General John Zierdt, Jr. (U.S. Army-Retired) as Vice President in charge of its Huntsville Operations. General Zierdt will supervise an Orbital-led team working on the deployment, training and sustainment elements of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System (GMD) boost vehicle program that the company will execute for Boeing over the next several years.
In addition to new Orbital personnel in Huntsville, locally-based Teledyne Brown Engineering is a major subcontractor on the GMD boost vehicle program and will be providing logistics, specialty engineering, software development and support. Together, Orbital and Teledyne Brown’s work on the GMD booster program is expected to generate between approximately 35 and 50 new professional jobs in the Huntsville area.
“I am delighted to join the Orbital team and look forward to making a significant contribution to the success of the GMD boost vehicle program, as well as to the other defense-related contracts that are being carried out in Huntsville by Orbital,” said General Zierdt.
Orbital is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of affordable space systems for commercial, civil government and military customers. The company’s primary products include low-orbit, geostationary and planetary spacecraft for communications, scientific and remote sensing missions; ground- and air-launched rockets that deliver satellites into orbit; and missile defense boosters that are used as target and interceptor vehicles. Orbital also offers space-related technical services to government agencies and develops and builds satellite-based transportation management systems for public transit agencies and private vehicle fleet operators. More information about Orbital can be found at http://www.orbital.com
