Italian submarines to be fitted with inertial navigation and guidance systems from Northrop Grumman LITEF

FREIBURG, Germany, 2 June 2010Navigation and guidance systems experts at Northrop Grumman LITEF in Freiburg, Germany are providing the navigation suites for two U212A-class diesel-powered attack submarines being built for the Italian navy.

The submarine navigation systems comprise the PL41 Mk4 ring laser gyro inertial navigation system (INS) and the navigation data controller. The PL41 Mk4 INS provides data outputs of the submarine's heading, attitude, and heave, corresponding rates, geographical position, and velocity information.

The system's basic unit is an environmentally sealed cabinet with motion sensitive inertial sensors, processing electronics, input and output function, power and I/O distribution cable harnesses, and supporting electronics. The system's remote control and display unit provides the operator interface.

The navigation data controller is a central navigation computer with a dual redundant ring databus architecture. A dedicated intelligent interface reduces the master processor work load and increases the data throughput.

The German-designed U212A is a non-nuclear submarine with diesel propulsion and an air-independent propulsion (AIP) system using hydrogen fuel cells, which can operate at high speed on diesel power or switch to the AIP system for silent slow cruising. The vessel can submerge for as long as three weeks without surfacing.

Northrop Grumman LITEF supplies inertial sensors, inertial reference and inertial navigation systems and computers. For more information contact Northrop Grumman LITEF online at www.northropgrumman.litef.com.