FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Northrop Grumman’s Advanced Hypersonic Technology (AHT) Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) has successfully completed its third groundbreaking test, this time on a sounding rocket, surpassing g-force tolerance, altitude and velocity expectations.
Northrop Grumman’s navigation technology can perform its mission at hypersonic speeds in GPS-denied environments. This paves the way for precision weapon targeting without GPS.
The IMU’s ruggedization and survivability exceeded performance expectations in the demanding environments of hypersonic and space flight, maintaining full functionality and collecting critical inertial data. The unit successfully proved the technology's reusability by completing three tests within a six-month period, including two prior tests on a reusable hypersonic vehicle.
Sam Dimashkie, director of future navigation technology, Northrop Grumman’s Research and Development organization said, “Testing the Northrop Grumman AHT IMU in real-world conditions at unprecedented speeds, proves we've developed a navigation system that makes platforms incredibly agile and nearly impossible to defend against. Our technology is a major leap forward in strategic capabilities, outshining anything currently available to U.S. forces.”
The AHT IMU, utilizing a resonating gyroscope, enables warfighters to precisely put defensive weapons on target with speed and accuracy without relying on potentially compromised GPS. Built on Northrop Grumman’s experience in navigation solutions, it offers industry-leading, precise motion-sensing capabilities.
