Northrop Grumman Delivers 20,000th LN-200 Inertial Measurement Unit
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Jan. 12, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE:NOC) Navigation Systems Division has achieved a significant milestone by delivering its 20,000th LN-200 Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), a highly versatile device which can be used for instrument stabilization, motion compensation and as a backup navigation sensor.
“Our LN-200 product is unique in its ability to provide highly reliable measurement data for a diverse range of customer needs and operating environments,” said Gorik Hossepian, vice president of navigation and positioning systems, Navigation Systems Division. “Its high demand is testament to its superior performance and versatility.”
In high-rate production since 1994, the LN-200 has been delivered to more than 100 customers worldwide and is in use aboard platforms ranging from fighter aircraft to missiles to the Mars Rover. In 2010, Northrop Grumman built and delivered a record 3,200 LN-200 units, twice the number produced three years ago.
The LN-200 is a small, lightweight, highly reliable fiber-optic IMU. It is comprised of three fiber optic gyros and three silicon Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) accelerometers in a compact package that measures velocity and angle changes. The LN-200 is hermetically sealed and contains no moving parts, ensuring low noise, high reliability and extended shelf life.
Northrop Grumman has experience in development and support of all current production gyro technologies. Besides fiber-optic gyros, it produces spinning mass gyros, ring laser gyros, micro-electro-mechanical-system gyros, hemispherical resonator gyros and its unique Zero-lock™ gyros.
