WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Oct. 6, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) was awarded a contract by General Dynamics (NYSE:GD) Land Systems to develop the LRS-2000, a Rate Sensor Assembly (RSA) for the Stabilized Commander's Weapon Station (SCWS) on the U.S. Army M1A1 Abrams tank. General Dynamics is developing the SCWS system for U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Command.
Based on Northrop Grumman's G-2000 dynamically-tuned gyro, the LRS-2000 RSA is a two-axis rate sensor developed to support targeting and stabilization applications, with a drift rate of less than one degree per hour. It functions as part of a larger system that provides added protection from enemy gunfire or improvised explosive devices for the urban warfighter by allowing soldiers to fire the tank's machine gun from inside the tank.
"The LRS-2000 RSA will ultimately add precision to firepower," said Gorik Hossepian, vice president of navigation and positioning systems for Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division. "It significantly increases soldier safety and effectiveness in urban areas where attacks can come from many directions."
Northrop Grumman is expected to deliver the first production unit of the LRS-2000 RSA in June 2009. LRS-2000 RSA prototypes successfully completed field testing by the U.S. Army in July 2008. An LRS-2000 prototype designed to withstand the impacts of gunfire also successfully completed testing with the RSA directly mounted on the tank's 120 mm main gun barrel.
The G-2000 dynamically-tuned gyro in the LRS-2000 RSA provides high accuracy stabilization and targeting capabilities in a small package. Its accuracy is enhanced by an electronics card that is specifically tailored to the performance of the gyro. The G-2000 also offers high reliability with an estimated time between failures of over 100,000 hours.
"The development of the LRS-2000 RSA has great potential due to the growing demand for rate sensor products that offer small packaging, high accuracy and low cost," said Mike Borck, program director for the SCWS program for Northrop Grumman. "The LRS-2000 RSA will provide the tank's commander a more secure and a clearer picture of the battlefield."
Over 25,000 G-2000 gyros have been delivered since their introduction in 1992 for pointing and stabilizing applications. The G-2000 gyro is also used in strapdown and gimbal applications including seekers in tactical missiles, camera stabilization and inertial measurement units.
Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.