Litton Industries

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Litton logo at time of Northrop-Grumman merger in 2001.

Named after inventor Charles Litton, Sr., Litton Industries was a large defense contractor in the United States, bought by the Northrop Grumman Corporation in 2001.

Litton started in 1953 as an electronics company building navigation, communications and electronic warfare equipment. They diversified and became a much bigger business, with major shipyards, etc., and even manufacturing microwave ovens.

In the early 1990s, Litton Industries split into separate military and commercial companies. The US$2 billion commercial business, which included Litton's oilfield services, business and automated assembly line operations, was named Western Atlas, Inc.

The early "li" was designed by Robert Miles Runyan, but was modified in 1986 by designer Gregory Thomas after a world-wide comprehensive study and analysis of the corporate identity. For much of the early 80's and 90s, "li SWEDA" and "li COLE" were commonly found on product goods but was modified to bring emphasis to the parent company who's name was little known.

[edit] Divisions

Litton Guidance and Control Systems
Litton Aero Products
Litton Electron Devices -> now L-3 Communications, Electron Devices: San Carlos CA & Williamsport PA
Litton Data Systems
Litton Space Systems
Litton Integrated Systems
Litton Ship Systems
- Avondale Shipyards
- Ingalls Shipyards
Litton Marine Systems logo

Litton Marine Systems
- Sperry Marine
- C.Plath
- Decca Radar (formerly a division of Racal)
  - Decca Navigator, a historical VLF navigation system
Litton Systems Canada
Litton Italia
LITEF
TELDIX
Litton Kester
Litton Advanced Systems (formerly Litton Amecom)
Litton Datalog (formerly the New York Times Facsimile Company and the printer part of Monroe Calculator; merged into Amecom 1982)
Litton Westrex (Formerly Western Electric, provider to the film industry of magnetic and photographic sound recording systems. Credits on nearly every Columbia, Fox, M-G-M, Paramount and Universal features, and several independents, including Quinn Martin. Developer of the 45-45 system of stereo phonograph recording, StereoDisk®.)