Northrop Grumman has received contracts to provide integrated bridge and navigation and steering gear systems for the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers (DDGs).
The contracts have been awarded by the US Navy, General Dynamics (GD) Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).
Northrop will supply the five integrated bridge and navigation systems (IBNS) under exercised contract options by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), which are valued at $11m.
Under options jointly exercised by GD and HII, valued at $30m, the company will supply six steering gear systems.
Northrop Grumman Maritime Systems vice-president Bill Hannon said: "Northrop Grumman is a major partner on the navy’s DDG modernisation programme."
"The new IBNS and steering gear systems will keep the technology of our nation’s front-line surface combatants highly capable and affordable."
The DDGs will be integrated with radar systems, navigation software, ship control software, chart servers, network interface boxes, flat panel displays, global positioning systems and ship control display systems.
In addition, engineering services will be provided, while system deliveries will begin in 2015 and are expected to be completed by 2021.
The US Navy will conduct back-fit installation of the IBNS systems at the vessels’ home ports during their refit programme.
The new-build ships will be equipped with new steering gear systems and IBNS systems at the Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyards
Northrop has been providing the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class DDGs with comparable systems since the 1980s.
Image: A US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) at sea. Photo: courtesy of the US Navy, photo by mass communication specialist 2nd Class Torrey W Lee / Released.
