Northrop Grumman, a global security company will highlight its maritime security capabilities, including ship control and marine navigation technology, and unmanned aircraft systems for coastal and maritime surveillance applications at the Pacific 2012 International Maritime Conference in Sydney, Australia. The show is about maritime and naval defence and will be held at the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre from 31 January to 3 February.
According to the General Manager and Vice President of Northrop Grumman's Naval and Marine Systems Division, David T. Perry, the company has a strong business relationship both in Australia and in the Asia-Pacific region, and it strives to improve maritime and defence security across the region.
The company’s capabilities to be highlighted at the show include multirole electronically scanned array radar and airborne surveillance capability. The former has been incorporated in the Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft, while the latter will be highlighted with replicas of the MQ-4C Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Unmanned Aircraft System (BAMS UAS).
According to J.J. Quinn, Vice President, the company’s capabilities are in line with the existing and emerging security priorities of its customers. Northrop Grumman has excellent capabilities in unmanned, surveillance and airborne early warning technologies.
The company will also demonstrate the MK39 Mod 4 inertial navigation system, an advanced marine navigation technology; the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Package Integrator programme; and the AQS-24A and AN/AES-1 airborne mine-hunting systems.
Northrop Grumman specializes in inertial navigation systems and naval gyrocompasses. The new Mod 4 version of the MK 39 inertial navigation system offers accurate attitude and heading information for weapons initialization and fire control stabilization, and precise geographic position data either with or without GPS.
At present, the company is supplying a series of sensors and navigation systems for the latest Canberra-class landing helicopter dock of the Royal Australian Navy. The MK39 Mod 4 solution constitutes a part of the package.
The AQS-24A is an advanced mine-hunting system that is mainly hauled from the MH-53E helicopter; however, it can also be adjusted to smaller aircraft. The Airborne Laser Mine Detection System, AN/AES-1 has been specifically developed to perceive, categorize and localize near-surface and floating moored mines. The U.S. Navy is incorporating this system into the MH-60S helicopter as part of the mission package on its Littoral Combat Ship.