Northrop Grumman [NOC] recently said it was awarded a contract by South Korean military systems and vehicle manufacturer Doosan DST to deliver inertial navigation units for South Korea’s new K21 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).
“Unjammable situational awareness in combination with gyro-compassing is exactly what the commander of a modern IFV like the K21 needs to effectively carry out his mission,” Norbert Sandner, director of marketing and sales for Northrop Grumman’s LITEF subsidiary in Germany, said in a statement.
Northrop Grumman LITEF will build the LLN-G1 units, which are a hybrid land navigation system based on state-of-the-art fiber optic gyros and micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers.
Combining inertial sensors with an odometer and GPS data, the LLN-G1 provides accurate and uninterrupted three-dimensional position and attitude data for vehicle commanders and crews, the company said.
Normally found in high-end inertial reference systems, the gyro compassing capability enables the LLN-G1 to establish precise heading without the use of a magnetic compass.
“This new contract for the series production phase of the K21 IFV is the second LLN-G1 order for the K21 vehicle, and we are pleased that our systems have again been chosen as an integral part of one of the most advanced IFVs currently available,” Sandner added.