Hittite Microwave Corp. announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with Northrop Grumman to license Northrop Grumman’s Velocium line of Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuit (MMIC) products and related intellectual property. Under the agreement, Northrop Grumman’s Space Technology sector will license to Hittite a specified list of standard products and associated technology. Hittite will assume the related customer contracts and will become the worldwide supplier for the Velocium products.

This agreement expands Hittite’s high frequency product line and enhances Hittite’s supply chain. The license includes commercial products that operate at frequencies through 86 GHz. These products are typically used in millimeter-wave radios and other high performance electronic systems.

Hittite will use Northrop Grumman as a foundry supplier for Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) wafers used in the licensed products and, as a strategic partner, Hittite will also have preferred access to Northrop Grumman’s advanced semiconductor process technology for new Hittite products.