FREIBURG, Germany -- Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that it has been awarded a contract by Korean military systems and vehicle manufacturer Doosan DST Co., Ltd. to deliver inertial navigation units for the Republic of Korea's new K21 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV).

The LLN-G1 units will be built by the company's German navigation systems subsidiary, Northrop Grumman LITEF.

The LLN-G1 is a hybrid land navigation system based on state-of-the-art fibre optic gyros and micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) accelerometers developed and manufactured by Northrop Grumman LITEF in Freiburg, Germany. 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.

"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. 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," said Norbert Sandner, director of marketing and sales for Northrop Grumman LITEF. "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."

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 land navigation systems are used by the armed forces of more than 20 countries, from 4x4 reconnaissance vehicles to main battle tanks.

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.

Northrop Grumman
23.03.2009