Northrop Grumman awarded contract to provide rate sensor assemblies for the M1A1 Abrams Tank
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected by General Dynamics Land Systems to supply LRS-2000 Rate Sensor Assembly units for the Stabilized Commander's Weapon Station (SCWS) on the US Army M1A1 Abrams tank.
The firm, fixed-price contract is valued at $18 million.
The Northrop Grumman LRS-2000 is a two-axis rate sensor developed specifically to support gun and turret stabilization applications with low random drift and high reliability. Based on Northrop Grumman's G-2000 dynamically-tuned gyroscope, 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 Rate Sensor Assembly offers the high performance needed for the SCWS program at a reasonable cost," said Gorik Hossepian, vice president of navigation and positioning systems for Northrop Grumman's Navigation Systems Division. "It will help to increase soldier safety and effectiveness in urban areas where attacks can come from many directions."
The LRS-2000 is currently in production with deliveries beginning in 2010. It features a robust design that meets or exceeds all of the M1A1 Abrams tank requirements. A key component of the LRS-2000, the G-2000 gyroscope provides high accuracy stabilization capabilities in a small package. Its accuracy is enhanced by a servo-electronics card that is specifically tailored to maximize the performance of the two axis gyroscope.
The G-2000 gyroscope has been in production since 1992 and more than 35,000 units have been delivered for a variety of military and commercial applications. It is the smallest dynamically-tuned gyroscope in production and offers high performance, small size, low cost and excellent reliability.
General Dynamics is the prime contractor for the SCWS program under a contract with the US Army Tank and Automotive Command.
Source: Northrop Grumman
More from Land Warfare
-
DroneShield nets largest order ever with $40 million European CUAS contract
The package of three standalone follow-on contracts makes this the largest contract won by the Australian company and larger than its total 2024 revenue.
-
Patria completes test firing of new self-propelled gun as demand for systems grows
Patria quotes a maximum rate of fire of eight rounds a minute from the new ARVE (ARtillery on VEhicle) self-propelled gun with a range of 40km for an assisted round. The rapid, low-risk development is designed to meet emerging requirements which have arisen out of the Ukraine war.
-
US Army modernisation plans raise big concerns for lawmakers
The termination of programmes such as JLTV and RCV has been harshly criticised by members of the US Congress.
-
The power of partnership: GDMS–UK deepens cooperation with the British Army
In Conversation: Shephard's Gerrard Cowan talks to General Dynamics Mission Systems–United Kingdom’s Chris Burrows about how the company's UK TacCIS business is reshaping battlefield communications through sustained customer engagement, accelerated innovation and ecosystem collaboration.
-
Sweden to purchase IRIS-T air defence systems for $930 million
This recent purchase of the medium-range air defence system adds to the country’s ongoing efforts to ramp up its overall defence readiness and capabilities.