The US Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman a production contract for the new AN/WSN-12 Inertial Sensor Modules (ISM), the company announced on 8 June 2023.
The AN/WSN-12 ISM is a next-generation sensor that significantly improves maritime navigation in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments for surface ships and submarines.
“The new AN/WSN-12 Inertial Navigator System will deliver more precision and performance for the warfighter while occupying the same footprint as its predecessor,” Todd Leavitt, vice president for naval and oceanic systems at Northrop Grumman, was quoted as saying in a company press release. “This allows upgrades to be made on existing systems where space is at a premium.”
The new AN/WSN-12 ISM is a key upgrade to the US Navy’s Northrop Grumman-built AN/WSN-7 Inertial Navigator System (INS), which is on nearly every vessel in the US Navy and has been the programme of record for more than two decades. Surface ships and submarines rely heavily on the positioning data provided by GPS for navigation, for safety at sea and to fire weapons. The AN/WSN-12 ISM provides highly accurate positioning data with or without GPS: a key component to establishing assured position, navigation, and timing (A-PNT) maritime solutions.
The first AN/WSN-12 ISM will be fielded later this year.
Peter Felstead
