Northrop Grumman was selected by Raytheon to supply the inertial measurement system for the Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) Shipboard Reference program.
Under this contract, Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division will deliver 18 LN-270 inertial navigation systems (INS) for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the JPALS Increment 1A Shipboard Reference System (SRS). Future production orders are anticipated to be considerable, according to Northrop Grumman. The first LN-270 unit will be delivered in early 2011.
JPALS, designed and developed by Raytheon under a U.S. Navy contract, is an all-weather, all-mission, all-user landing system based on local area differential Global Positioning System (GPS). JPALS works with GPS to provide accurate, reliable, landing guidance for fixed and rotary wing aircraft and supports fixed-base, tactical, and shipboard applications. For the SRS, each JPALS-equipped ship will employ three Northrop Grumman fiber optic gyro-based LN-270 INS units to measure the ship’s motion.
"Northrop Grumman’s LN-270 is a versatile solution for any application that requires highly accurate navigation, pointing or dependable stabilization — whether it be on land or sea," said Gorik Hossepian, vice president of navigation and positioning systems for Northrop Grumman’s Navigation Systems Division.