Lockheed Martin to build submarine inertial navigation with new laser gyro technology

摘要

U.S. Navy navigation and guidance experts are asking Lockheed Martin Corp. to build precise inertial navigation systems for U.S. Navy Ohio-and future Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines under terms of a $191.2 million contract. Officials of the Strategic Systems Programs office in Washington are asking the Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems segment in Uniondale, N.Y., to build Trident SSI Increment 8 inertial navigation systems and inertial spare parts for the Ohio and Columbia ballistic missile submarine shallow water submersible platforms for the fleet ballistic missile program. For more than 20 years the U.S. Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines have used the Electrostatically Supported Gyro Navigator (ESGN) as the vessel's inertial navigation system. The ESGN uses a precise laser gyro for precision undersea navigation and positioning that operates independently of GPS or celestial navigation.