Northrop Grumman Corp.’s Chief Executive Ron Sugar was the highest-paid chief of a U.S.-based defense contractor in 2006 banking $21.7 million.

Sugar’s base salary was $1.43 million , the Los Angeles-based company said.

Sugar also received $8.48 million in stock awards as well as options valued at $3.73 million, the company said in a filing Thursday. He also received incentive pay of $3.1 million and deferred compensation of $4.5 million.

The announcement comes a month ahead of the company’s May 16 annual meeting, at which a vote is scheduled on a proposal that would give investors a non-binding vote to ratify or reject executive pay.

For the year, shares of Northrop Grumman rose 13 percent. The company’s net income was up 10 percent in 2006.

Shares in Northrop were up 76 cents to $74.74 in afternoon trading Thursday on the New York Stock Exchange.