Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
Northrop Grumman's Newest Navigation System Selected by U.S. Navy to Improve Reliability and Reduce Costs of F-5 Tiger II Adversary Fleet Support Fighter
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WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Sept. 11, 2006 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation's (NYSE:NOC) newest fiber-optic gyro inertial navigation system, the LN-260, has been selected by the U.S. Navy as part of an avionics cost savings and reliability improvement kit for their F-5 Tiger II Adversary Fleet Support Fighter.
"Our lightweight, low power consumption LN-260 fiber optic technology will help enhance the performance and reliability of the F-5's avionics systems," said Mark Casady, vice president of navigation and positioning systems at Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division.
The Northrop Grumman F-5 Navigation/Radar Display kit replaces five legacy components comprising the navigation, navigation controls and radar display functions with two state-of-the-art line replaceable units. The kit includes the LN-260 and a new integrated control display unit and radar display designed and developed by Interface Displays and Controls Inc., Oceanside, Calif. Kits will be integrated into F-5 aircraft at a Northrop Grumman facility in St. Augustine, Florida.
"Replacing the decades-old inertial navigation system (INS), INS adapter, magnetic azimuth indicator, radar video indicator, and radar control will result in substantial repair cost savings," said Gary Mallaley, Northrop Grumman program director for the LN-260 product line.
The contract award follows the recent selection of the company's LN-260 as the replacement integrated navigation system for the U.S. Air Force's F-16 Multinational Fighter Program.
The LN-260 is a completely integrated navigation system with a selective availability/anti-spoofing module-compliant embedded Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The fully integrated, tightly coupled GPS inertial design provides superior performance relative to other embedded INS/GPS systems.
The LN-260 inertial navigation system uses the advanced fiber-optic-gyroscope based inertial sensor assembly already successfully deployed on the LN-251, currently in high rate production at Northrop Grumman. Its modular open system architecture allows it to be easily adapted to new applications, to new system requirements and to improve performance of mission equipment and flight control systems.
The F-5N/F is a twin-engine tactical fighter commonly used for adversary combat tactics by the U.S. Navy to simulate enemy aircraft in aerial combat training exercises. The F-5N is the Navy's newest variant of the F-5E single-seat fighter while the F-5F is a two seat variant used primarily for pilot training. Internationally there are more than 1,000 F-5 E/F fighter aircraft in more than 20 countries with inertial navigation systems dating from the early 1970s or the early 1980s.
"We see a bright future for the LN-260 inertial navigation system," said Mallaley. "Its selection for the F-5 demonstrates how it can economically fulfill the retrofit needs of both the F-5 and a wide variety of existing U.S. and international military aircraft."
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense company headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif. Northrop Grumman provides technologically advanced, innovative products, services and solutions in systems integration, defense electronics, information technology, advanced aircraft, shipbuilding and space technology. With more than 120,000 employees and operations in all 50 states and 25 countries, Northrop Grumman serves U.S. and international military, government and commercial customers.
CONTACT:
Don Barteld
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems
(818) 712-6179
don.barteld@ngc.com
