Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Tewksbury, Mass., ordered the fiber-optic gyro (FOG)-based TG-6000 precision inertial measurement unit (IMU) from KVH in Middletown, R.I., for the guidance system of the U.S. Navy’s next-generation MK54 lightweight torpedoes. Delivery of the TG-6000 IMUs ordered during this initial contract will continue through 2007.
“This opportunity could also yield additional sales in the future to foreign navies,” says Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH’s president and chief executive officer. “With the TG-6000 IMU, we are now able to offer a fully integrated precision navigation unit with potential applications throughout the military and commercial marketplaces.”
The KVH TG-6000 IMU measures rate and acceleration precisely in three dimensions, critical for the navigation of a torpedo or other smart munitions, KVH officials say. The IMU uses a three-axis configuration of KVH’s FOGs, which offer an all-fiber design and patented Digital Signal Processing (DSP). In addition to the FOGs, the TG-6000 includes three accelerometers.
The integrated IMU is ideal for use in applications such as manned vehicle navigation and guidance systems for autonomous aerial and underwater vehicles. The TG-6000 is also a sensor suite for stabilization and pointing applications.
The MK54 lightweight torpedo is the next-generation Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) weapon. It is deployed from surface ships, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft to track, classify, and attack underwater targets. It is intended as the replacement for the U.S. Navy’s existing MK46 torpedo.
For more information, visit www.fiberopticgyro.com.
