Royal Navy selects iXBlue MARINS M7
iXBlue has been selected to provide 70 MARINS M7 inertial navigation systems (INS) to the Royal Navy's ships and submarines, under a five-year contract to partner Lockheed Martin UK, it announced on 18 May.
iXBlue's MARINS M7 INS will equip 35 major surface ships and submarines under the Navigation Compass Programme (NCP).
These include the fourth Astute-class nuclear-power submarine and both the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. They mark the first steps by the UK defence ministry towards the adoption of iXBlue Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology.
The 70 MARINS M7 will replace the older, obsolete gyro systems being used on the naval ships, including the Sandown and Hunt class mine countermeasure vessels, Type 23 Frigates and submarines. Lockheed Martin UK will integrate the INS within the on-board compass system.
Robert Kramer, vice-president of Lockheed Martin UK – Integrated Systems, said: 'We conducted a detailed assessment of all available possible partners along with their proposed technologies. By precisely understanding the royal navy expectations and assessing their views on the industry leading suppliers, it clearly appeared that iXBlue’s solutions best fitted the needs in terms of performance, capability and cost.'
The MARINS M7 offers a drift below 1nm in 72 hours of submarine dived or surface GNSS-denied navigation. iXBlue's military-grade MARINS M3, M5 and M7 FOG INS are the latest naval products in the company's range.
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s]()
Clavister contracted to supply cyber protection for CV90s
Clavister CyberArmour, an integrated defence cybersecurity system, will be used on BAE Systems Hägglunds’ CV90 platform in deployments with a Scandinavian country, as well as in an eastern European nation.
-
![Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch]()
Lockheed Martin completes tactical satellite demonstration and prepares for launch
The tactical satellite (TacSat) is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system and will participate in exercises in 2025.
-
![AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family]()
AUSA 2024: General Micro Systems adds four new products to the X9 Spider family
The airborne three-domain, the two ground-based and the ¼ ATR OpenVPX-based cross-domain systems were engineered to provide real-time security across multi-domain operations.
-
![BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme]()
BAE Systems gets go-ahead for second phase of mission communications programme
DARPA’s Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) programme was set up to develop an autonomous tactical network and enable critical data flow in contested environments.
-
![Just Released: Space Technology Report]()
Just Released: Space Technology Report
Why space is an essential part of modern military capabilities
-
![Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality]()
Work-from-home warfare: the power of mixed reality
Defence-secure mixed reality headsets can save hours, or even weeks, of travel time to fix defunct equipment or get subject experts effectively “on-site” where they are needed.
