Navigation system for CH-53K helicopter gets software upgrade from Northrop Grumman
NewsMarch 05, 2012
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. Engineers at Northrop Grumman will be modifying software for the LN-251 embedded GPS/fiber-optic inertial navigation system (INS) that flies on the CH-53K Super Stallion helicopter. The work is for a Navy Phase II contract awarded by officials at the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) in Patuxent River, Md.
Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems division engineers will modify the software and provide engineering support for platform integration as well as flight tests for NAVAIR and Sikorsky Aircraft -- which produces the CH-53K helicopter. The Super Stallion helicopter is entering its ground and flight-testing phase to be a heavy-lift helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps.
The LN-251 system is a small, light-weight, navigation-grade embedded GPS/INS unit. The fiber-optic, gyro-based inertial measurement unit (IMU) provides a compact, low-noise solution for sensor stabilization and navigation applications. The system also has a modular, open architecture to enable further upgrades.
