Navigation System for Sting Ray Torpedo

Northrop Grumman Corporation's LN-200 inertial measurement devices will be used to increase the capabilities of the U.K. Ministry of Defence's Sting Ray torpedo. Under a 10-year contract awarded recently by BAE SYSTEMS' Underwater Systems Division, Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division will provide LN-200s for the torpedo, which is being modified to defeat the dual threats of both fast, deep diving, double-hulled submarines operating in the ocean and quiet conventional submarines in coastal waters. "The LN-200 provides a compact, low-power and low-radiated noise inertial measurement unit that fulfils the unique environmental and low maintenance needs of the Sting Ray torpedo," said Ross Carr, LN-200 program manager at Northrop Grumman. The Sting Ray lightweight antisubmarine torpedo modification effort includes the introduction of the LN-200 inertial measurement unit (IMU), which improves accuracy and supports the more complex tactical software modes being employed to overcome the latest acoustic countermeasures. The potential value of the contract is $35 million. The torpedo can be launched from surface ships and from maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters. It is designed to meet the requirement for a 20-year shelf life without any planned maintenance beyond noninvasive testing. The hermetically sealed LN-200 IMU utilizes state-of-the-art fiber optic gyroscopes and micro-machined accelerometers, resulting in a compact unit with no moving parts, which enhances reliability and system performance. The LN-200 can be used for camera, radar and sensor stabilization, motion compensation, and as an IMU within integrated systems.