Goodrich Corporation has received a production order for its SiIMU02® inertial measurement units from Thales in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The IMUs will be used as the standard inertial sensor on Thales’ new Lightweight Multi-role Missile.
The order covers more than 1,000 units with deliveries starting in late 2013. Units will be produced by Goodrich’s Sensors and Integrated Systems team in Plymouth, England, and the production order follows successful trials of the SiIMU02 in which it demonstrated rugged reliability along with consistently exceptional performance.
The SiIMU02 unit provides reliable, highly accurate motion sensing in an extremely small, lightweight and flexible package that is one-tenth the size of legacy IMUs. Using the latest in micro electro-mechanical systems technology, these IMUs are suitable for guidance across a broad range of missiles and rockets, enabling Goodrich customers to create smaller, smarter weapons with a significant increase in delivery accuracy. In total over 25,000 Goodrich MEMS-based inertial sensors, including the SiIMU02, have been delivered to customers worldwide.
Alan Hull, director of business development for Goodrich’s Sensors and Integrated Systems business said, “This order for the Thales LMM verifies how the unique design on the SiIMU02 consistently deliveries high performance in the most extreme environments. The SiIMU02 was originally selected for LMM trials as a result of its growing reputation and track record in theater, and we look forward to supporting Thales as they introduce this important new missile to the UK armed forces.”
The LMM from Thales is a low-cost, lightweight laser beam-riding missile designed to be launched from a variety of naval, land and air platforms in a wide range of operational roles. Its first application is expected to be the UK Royal Navy’s AW159 Wildcat helicopter.
