The U.S. Navy decided to award a new contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation.
A US Navy journalist (L) films in the Carrier Air Traffic Control Center (CATCC) as CATCC supervisor Dan Ryan, 38, of Shruboak, New York, sits in front of a radar screen showing Gulf airspace 14 March 2003 aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in northern Gulf waters.
This will allow the American defense company to produce the U.S. maritime service branch's next-gen navigation sensor technology.
The new collaboration between the U.S. Navy and Northrop Grumman was announced on Thursday, June 8.
The aerospace firm confirmed this detail via its official Newsroom blog post.
Northrop Grumman said that the production contract is specifically for the advanced AN/WSN- 12 Inertial Sensor Module (ISM).
US Navy Chooses Northrop Grumman To Produce New Navigation Sensor
Northrop Grumman claims that the upcoming AN/WSN-12 ISM will drastically enhance the U.S. Navy's maritime navigation in GPS (Global Positioning System) denied areas.
The USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) Wasp-class amphibious assault ship of the US Navy is pictured at the seaport of Klaipeda, Lithuania, on August 22, 2022. - The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), flagship of the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in Klaipeda, Lithuania, for a scheduled port visit.
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This next-gen maritime sensor technology will assist the maritime navigation of the defense branch's submarines and surface ships.
"The new AN/WSN-12 Inertial Navigator System will deliver more precision and performance for the warfighter while occupying the same footprint as its predecessor," said Northrop Grumman Naval and Oceanic Systems VP Todd Leavitt.
He added that the AN/WSN-12 ISM will enable enhancements to be integrated into current systems; where space is at a premium.
This new maritime navigation sensor is a big deal for the U.S. Navy since it can provide highly-accurate position data with or without GPS.
With this, submarines and surface ships of the U.S. Navy can easily navigate to safety or target potential threats at sea.
Northrop Grumman's first AN/WSN-12 ISM is expected to be fielded before 2023 ends.
Northrop Grumman's Other Efforts for US Navy
Aside from the upcoming maritime navigation sensor tech, Northrop Grumman is also working on other defense innovations for the U.S. Navy.
These include the first modified and upgraded E-6B Mercury aircraft. Interesting Engineering reported that the U.S. Navy officially accepted this "Doomsday" plane.
The U.S. Navy received a total of twelve modified and improved E-6B Mercury aircraft units from Northrop Grumman. To maintain the viability of these defense airplanes, the U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman a $111 million contract.
If you want to learn more about this advanced Doomsday aircraft, you can click here.
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