Northrop Grumman, HCT Announce "Line-Up" for 2014 UAE Innovation Challenge

-- Fourth annual event brings innovation and STEM to the forefront

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, April 22, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The 2014 UAE Innovation Challenge, organized by Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), promises to provide plenty of thrills and spills as 14 student teams from the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) put their engineering and design skills to the test.

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"We are very pleased to partner once again with Northrop Grumman and ADASI on the UAE Innovation Challenge," said Dr. Tayeb Kamali, vice chancellor of HCT. "Each year of the competition has brought new and exciting challenges for our engineering, avionics and aeronautical students. This event, which gets bigger every year, is a wonderful example of HCT's philosophy of 'learning by doing.'"

"The UAE Innovation Challenge is an example of how Northrop Grumman continues to cultivate widespread literacy in science, technology, engineering and mathematics," said Doug Raaberg, chief executive UAE, Northrop Grumman. "This initiative embraces the spirit of partnership, with Northrop Grumman, HCT and ADASI working together and demonstrating how collaboration between student and mentor can bring about great results."

The teams of students have participated in four workshops conducted over six months using a Northrop Grumman syllabus taught by engineer mentors from Northrop Grumman to design, fabricate, program and fly unmanned aircraft. The students will present their designs to a panel of senior engineers from Northrop Grumman, ADASI and HCT before taking part in a flying competition. During the flying competition, scheduled for April 22-23 at Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi, each team's aircraft will need to meet specific criteria related to speed, endurance and weight.

The competition will culminate in an awards ceremony on April 24 at the HCT-Abu Dhabi Men's College at 10 a.m. The competition's overall winning team will win an opportunity to travel to the United States where they will tour Northrop Grumman facilities, as well as educational institutions with specialties in robotics and other areas of interest.

About the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT)
Founded in 1988, Higher Colleges of Technology has grown to become the largest of the higher educational institutions in the UAE, gaining a well-respected reputation for innovative learning. With over 20,000 students at 17 campuses throughout the UAE, programmes taught are all relevant to the UAE's fast growing and evolving economic sectors and embody HCT's "Learning by Doing" philosophy. For more information on HCT, please visit www.hct.ac.ae.

About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.