Default Northrop Grumman to Supply Attitude and Heading Reference Systems for European UCAV
Northrop Grumman to Supply Attitude and Heading Reference Systems for the NEURON European Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle Demonstrator Project

FREIBURG, Germany - Nov. 9, 2009 - Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has been awarded a contract by Saab Aerosystems to deliver Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) for the NEURON European unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator. The LCR-100 AHRS units will be built by the company's German navigation systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF.

The LCR-100 Gyrocompass AHRS is a north finding attitude and heading reference system based on a state-of-the-art fibre-optic gyro and micro-electromechanical (MEMS) accelerometers. This commercial off-the-shelf equipment provides accurate and uninterrupted attitude, heading, position, velocity and status information.

"The LCR-100 was selected for the NEURON due to its data rate performance, small size, and light weight," said Norbert Sandner, director of marketing and sales for Northrop Grumman LITEF. "Precise attitude and heading information as well as linear accelerations and angular rates are essential for flight control of the UCAV. The excellent performance of the LCR-100 was a crucial factor for this UCAV demonstrator."

The NEURON demonstrator will be used to investigate and validate technologies needed to design next-generation UCAV aircraft. First flight is expected in March 2012 and test flights will be conducted in France, Sweden and Italy. The NEURON technology demonstrator programme is supported by government and industry participation from France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. Saab Aerosystems, based in Linkoping, Sweden, is responsible for overall design, fuselage, avionics, fuel system, flight control, airworthiness, autonomy, multi-payload capabilities, structural design and manufacture and ground and flight testing.

Northrop Grumman LITEF is a leading supplier of inertial sensors, inertial reference and inertial navigation systems and computers with products deployed in more than 30 countries in aircraft, naval and ground mobile applications worldwide. The company's airborne navigation and reference systems are used on military and civil applications. More than 9,500 units have been delivered and are in service on fixed-wing aircraft, trainer aircraft and helicopters.

In Europe, Northrop Grumman operates from locations in France, Germany, Italy and Norway, providing navigation, air traffic control and postal automation systems. In the UK, Northrop Grumman operates from primary locations in London, Fareham, Chester, Coventry, New Malden, Peterborough, RAF Waddington and Solihull and provides avionics, communications, electronic warfare systems, marine navigation systems, robotics, C4ISR solutions and mission planning, aircraft whole life support, IT systems and software development.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a leading global security company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in aerospace, electronics, information systems, shipbuilding and technical services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/p....html?d=177863



I hope this doesn't come back to bite "us" in the longer term, the US can be very picky about it's technology in foreign weapons systems....


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No big deal they are only reducing developement costs of a prototype.

That's yet another component on top of processors though.

Thunder Supports Rafale

http://rafale.freeforums.org
http://rafale.freeforums.org/rafale-vs-f-16-aerodynamics-compared-t69.html

It's just for the demonstrator. I'm sure if some production UAV comes out of the nEUROn program that European equipment will be used. Remember that the Rafale first flew with a GE F404 engine.



When I was young I used to pray for a bike, then I realized that God doesn't work that way, so I stole a bike and prayed for forgiveness.

I hope this doesn't come back to bite "us" in the longer term, the US can be very picky about it's technology in foreign weapons systems....

Neuron is just a demonstrator. A production aircraft will likely be much more picky about the source and will seek to reduce US content. Typhoon has some TFT screens from the US and that IIRC is all it uses.

No big deal they are only reducing developement costs of a prototype.
That's yet another component on top of processors though.

Could be cost, but probably more likely because its available now and maybe its easier to use in a prototype in terms of integration.




"He lives in a world where concept is reality..."

"ppp56)
Could be cost, but probably more likely because its available now and maybe its easier to use in a prototype in terms of integration".

WOW! Am i talking to the same guy?

That's correct i just prefered to mention the result, if Thales had to deveop it it would be costlier and perhaps not ready in time for the first flight.

That matters at the end of the day is for the R&D, technology demonstrator programes, and equipement/avionics to be ready and tested for the first flight.

At the end of the day they don't want to screw the pooch, crash it, miss demonstration goals or get the whole thing costlier, late and not what the partner MoDs expect for their money.

This programe is HUGE, followed by MoDs R&D and demonstator programes for all technologies involved, harmonizing availability of the technologies isn't simple.


Thunder Supports Rafale

http://rafale.freeforums.org
http://rafale.freeforums.org/rafale-vs-f-16-aerodynamics-compared-t69.html

"Typhoon has some TFT screens from the US and that IIRC is all it uses."

The Multi-function Head Down Displays (MHDD) comprise three (or six in duel seat Typhoons) colour AMLCD (Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Display) supplied by U.S. based dpiX (part of Xerox Corp.)

Just fyi since it was brought up earlier.


The truth is out there - you just may not like hearing it.