Northrop Grumman has been selected by AgustaWestland to provide the Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) for the Agusta-Bell 412 helicopter fleet operated by Italy’s law enforcement agency, the Guardia di Finanza, under a $1.8 million contract announced Thursday.
The AHRS inertial sensor installation provides aircraft attitude, heading and flight dynamics information to flight deck displays, flight controls, the weather radar antenna platform and other aircraft systems.
Under the contract, Northrop Grumman Italia will equip the AB-412 helicopters with the LISA-200W AHRS, which will replace the LISA-4000. The LISA-200W is a fibre-optic gyroscope-based AHRS that measures pitch, roll, magnetic heading and turn rate of an aircraft. Advanced features such as a high-speed data refresh rate and output fulfill the stringent requirements of a fly-by-wire quadruple-redundant control system, according to the company.
“The LISA-200W utilizes the latest fibre-optic gyro technology for improved performance and functionality, making it an ideal candidate for aircraft retrofits and upgrades,” said Marco Clochiatti, managing director and general manager of Northrop Grumman Italia. “Additionally, our products have already proven their high performance during more than 20 years on the AB-412 platform and this award further strengthens our navigation leadership in international markets.”