HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — The defense firm Northrop Grumman plans to hire 500 more engineers in the Huntsville area to support America’s new Air Force-led defense against foreign nuclear missile attack.

Al.com reports that company officials on Monday discussed their Huntsville operation, which involves command and control systems used to operate missile defenses.

The Virginia-based company won a contract in 2020 worth nearly $14 billion to replace the country’s 60-year-old Minute Man missile defense system.

The system is prepared 24/7 to launch missiles against an attack immediately on the president’s command.