FILED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
                             PURSUANT TO RULE 425 UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF
                             1933 AND DEEMED FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 14d-2
                             OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                             SUBJECT COMPANY:  NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING INC.
                             COMMISSION FILE NO.:  1-12385



NEWS
                                           NORTHROP GRUMMAN CORPORATION
                                           Public Information
                                           1840 Century Park East
                                           Los Angeles, California
                                           90067-2199
                                           Telephone  310-553-6262
                                           Fax  310-556-4561

[GRAPHIC OMITTED]

                Contact: Randy Belote (Media) (703) 875-8450
                         Gaston Kent (Investors) (310) 201-3423

                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NORTHROP GRUMMAN COMMENCES EXCHANGE OFFER
- -----------------------------------------
FOR ALL OUTSTANDING SHARES OF NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING
- -------------------------------------------------------

     LOS  ANGELES -- May 23, 2001 -- Northrop  Grumman  Corporation  (NYSE:
NOC)  announced  today the  commencement  of its exchange offer for all the
outstanding shares of common stock, including associated rights, of Newport
News Shipbuilding Inc. (NYSE: NNS).

     The offer states that Newport News  shareholders  will be provided the
option to receive  for their  shares  $67.50 per share in cash or shares of
Northrop  Grumman  common  stock  designed to provide a value of $67.50 per
share,  subject to certain  proration and other  limitations  as more fully
described in the offer.  The exact  exchange  ratio will be  determined  by
dividing  $67.50 by the average of the  closing  sale prices for a share of
Northrop Grumman common stock on the New York Stock Exchange as reported in
The Wall Street  Journal over the 10-day trading period ending on the third
trading day before  completion of the offer.  Northrop Grumman would expect
to issue  approximately 16.6 million shares of its common stock to complete
the proposed transaction.

     Northrop  Grumman  also  indicated in its offer that if it is provided
the opportunity to conduct a due diligence review of Newport News, Northrop
Grumman  would be  prepared  to enter into  negotiations  immediately  with
respect to all aspects of its offer.

     The  exchange  offer is  scheduled  to expire at  midnight  E.D.T.  on
Wednesday,  June 20, 2001,  unless the offer is extended.  Northrop Grumman
announced  on May 9,  2001,  that it had  sent a  letter  to  Newport  News
offering to acquire Newport News. On May 18, 2001, Northrop Grumman filed a
premerger  notification under the Hart-Scott-Rodino  Antitrust Improvements
Act with the appropriate governmental agencies.

     The  consummation  of the offer is subject to receipt of a majority of
Newport News shares on a fully diluted  basis,  termination of the existing
Newport   News/General   Dynamics  merger  agreement,   the  expiration  or
termination  of  waiting  periods  under  the  Hart-Scott-Rodino  Antitrust
Improvements  Act and other  conditions  specified in the offer  documents.
Salomon  Smith Barney is acting as dealer  manager for the exchange  offer,
and Mellon Investor Services LLC is acting as the exchange agent.  Requests
for assistance or for copies of the offer  materials  should be directed to
the information agent for the offer, D.F. King & Co. Inc., at 800-758-5378.

     In the  filing,  Northrop  Grumman  said it  expects  to fund the cash
portion of its offer from working capital and currently  available lines of
credit.

     Northrop  Grumman  Corporation is a $15 billion  global  aerospace and
defense company with its worldwide headquarters in Los Angeles, California.
Northrop Grumman provides  technologically  advanced,  innovative products,
services  and  solutions  in defense and  commercial  electronics,  systems
integration,  information technology and  non-nuclear-powered  shipbuilding
and  systems.  With 80,000  employees  and  operations  in 44 states and 25
countries,   Northrop  Grumman  serves  U.S.  and  international  military,
government and commercial users.

     THIS  ANNOUNCEMENT  IS NEITHER AN OFFER TO PURCHASE NOR A SOLICITATION
OF AN OFFER TO SELL SHARES OF NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING. THE EXCHANGE OFFER
STATEMENT  (INCLUDING  THE  PROSPECTUS,  THE RELATED LETTER OF ELECTION AND
TRANSMITTAL AND OTHER OFFER  DOCUMENTS)  FILED BY NORTHROP GRUMMAN WITH THE
SEC CONTAIN IMPORTANT  INFORMATION THAT SHOULD BE READ CAREFULLY BEFORE ANY
DECISION IS MADE WITH  RESPECT TO THE OFFER.  THE  PROSPECTUS,  THE RELATED
LETTER OF ELECTION AND TRANSMITTAL AND CERTAIN OTHER DOCUMENTS WILL BE MADE
AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE TO ALL  STOCKHOLDERS  OF NEWPORT NEWS.  THE EXCHANGE
OFFER STATEMENT  (INCLUDING THE PROSPECTUS,  THE RELATED LETTER OF ELECTION
AND  TRANSMITTAL  AND ALL OTHER  DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC) WILL ALSO BE
AVAILABLE AT NO CHARGE AT THE SEC'S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV.

                                   # # #






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