LONDON, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Northrop Grumman has signed a full production contract for the Navigation Lights Shapes and Sounds signaling system on Britain's new aircraft carriers.
The contract was awarded to Northrop's Sperry Marine business unit in Virginia by the Aircraft Carrier Alliance, an industrial alliance between Britain's Ministry of Defense, BAE Systems Surface Ships, BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies, Babcock Marine and Thales Naval.
Under the award, Sperry Marine will build and deliver the complete NLSS system for the new aircraft carriers. The system has been designed by Northrop Grumman together with its technology partner Oxley Developments and includes an innovative solution for navigation and signal lights plus control of ships' audible signaling equipment.
The system includes 47 lights utilizing state-of-the-art LED technology to ensure that it is night vision friendly. This reduction in interference with night vision systems, coupled with an increase in service life, operational redundancy and survivability, were the key factors in the choice of LED technology.
"This innovative approach will meet the carrier's navigation light and sound system requirements efficiently and cost-effectively," said Alan Dix, managing director of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine. "Our proven automation technology will last longer and be more redundant."
The NLSS control system is based upon Northrop's standard products using network-based commercial-off-the-shelf industrial automation technology. International regulation and signaling requirements are met in the NLSS by using pre-programmed commands from touch screen workstations with full status and diagnostic indication.
Deliveries will commence in 2012 as Northrop Grumman has already completed the initial design phase of the contract.
