Northrop Grumman Corp. has step up its hiring efforts as it gets the go-ahead to build a new unmanned aerial vehicle, according to the San Diego Business Journal.

The contract could be worth $1 billion to $3.7 billion to Northrop. The start of work had been delayed by a protest by Lockheed Martin Corp. but the protest was resolved in Northrop’s favor this week by the Government Accountability Office.

The company plans to hire engineers and support personnel.