LONDON, 10 Sept. 2009. Northrop Grumman's (NYSE:NOC) Sperry Marine business unit Charlottesville, Va., has been selected by the Brazil navy to supply state-of-the-art navigation systems for four new NAPA 500-ton patrol vessels, with options for six additional vessels.

Northrop Grumman officials made the announcement this week at DSEi 2009, the Defense Systems and Equipment International Exhibition in London.

Sperry Marine will supply integrated bridge systems based on its new-generation VisionMaster FT navigation technology, including VisionMaster FT consoles, an electronic chart display and information system, navigation radars, heading and speed sensors, echosounder, steering control, mission data recorder and other subsystems. Sperry Marine will also supply MK 27F fiber-optic attitude and heading reference systems for the vessels under a separate contract.

Sperry Marine previously won contracts to supply the same systems for the first two ships of the NAPA 500 class, which are scheduled to be delivered by the end of 2009.

"Sperry Marine's selection to be the preferred supplier of navigation systems for this new class of patrol boats builds on our more than 30-year relationship with the Brazil navy," says J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine.

Victor Cruz, senior manager, Latin America defense business, Northrop Grumman Sperry Marine, says "the new ships will be equipped with a suite of state-of-the-art integrated navigation and ship control systems designed specifically to meet the unique space constraints and mission requirements of these coastal patrol vessels."

Cruz noted that Sperry Marine is also under multi-phase contracts to upgrade inertial navigation systems and navigation radars across the Brazil navy fleet.