Northrop Awarded Navigation System Prototyping Contract by Boeing

F-18 Super Hornet Northrop Grumman has been awarded a competitive prototyping contract by The Boeing Company to develop an embedded glo...

F-18 Super Hornet

Northrop Grumman has been awarded a competitive prototyping contract by The Boeing Company to develop an embedded global positioning/inertial navigation system (EGI) for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft.
Under the contract, Northrop Grumman will produce a prototype inertial navigation system demonstrating fiber-optic gyro performance suitability for F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) needs. JPALS is a next-generation aircraft landing system that will utilize Global Positioning System (GPS) data and replace radar-based systems.
Boeing is expected to down-select to a single supplier for system production. The chosen company will conduct a five-year Engineering and Manufacturing Development program and provide the inertial navigation system for all Super Hornet and Growler aircraft, with an estimated 500 EGIs to be produced for the program.
JPALS is an all-weather, anti-jam approach and landing system based on local area differential GPS. Developed by the Navy, JPALS works with GPS to provide accurate, reliable landing guidance for fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and supports fixed-base, tactical and shipboard applications. Northrop Grumman provides the inertial measurement unit for the shipboard-relative GPS set in the JPALS program.