Lease terms with Northrop were not disclosed. Opus East did not return a call in time for publication.

Northrop Grumman has made a 10-year commitment to occupy the five-story building, which is expected to deliver in Q3 2009. The building, which is being designed to LEED standards, is located in the West*Quest Technology Park near the BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport at the intersection of West Nursery Rd and International Dr.

Northrop Grumman already maintains its headquarters for its Electronic Systems sector in the area; the new building will allow it to consolidate a number of business activities that are currently housed in leased and company-owned facilities. Besides the improvement in operational efficiencies, "the new energy-efficient facility will also enable optimum use of space by incorporating flexible office design concepts and will provide greater security within the West*Quest Technology Park, since Northrop Grumman will remain the sole tenant," says John Chino, sector deputy and vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector. The new office building will be occupied by several hundred Northrop Grumman employees in the firm's Advanced Concepts and Technology Division.