KVH fiber optic gyro chosen for signals intelligence
Engineers at Delfin Systems, a Titan company in Santa Clara, Calif., needed a precise navigational system for a vehicle-mounted radio direction-finder system called the Interim Prophet Ground System. They found their solution in the TACNAV FOG system from KVH Industries Inc. of Middletown, R.I.
TACNAV FOG is a global positioning system (GPS) receiver with an integrated fiber optic gyroscope (FOG). The two positioning systems work together to overcome weaknesses that GPS and FOG devices exhibit when they operate separately.
Prophet, a project of the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command at Fort Monmouth, N.J., is a ground-based intercept jamming and direction finder. Delphi is working a version of Prophet that fits on an Army High Mobility Multi-Wheeled Vehicle — otherwise known as a HMMWV (pronounced "Hum-Vee").
The TACNAV FOG system will provide the location and heading data that the mobile Interim Prophet Ground System needs to determine the precise location of detected radio signals.
The TACNAV FOG provides precise pointing for navigation and turrets aboard main battle tanks and other heavy armored vehicles. It combines data from a vehicle`s odometer, laser rangefinder, laser warning receiver, and other onboard systems with information from the TACNAV`s digital compass.
"Our systems will provide the U.S. Army with a new generation of vehicular-mounted direction-finding equipment that will ensure it has the world`s finest capability to detect and locate HF, VHF, and UHF radios being used by potential adversaries," says Fredrik Bjornstad, project manager at Delfin.
"This is an important task and we are pleased that TACNAV FOG met our project criteria for providing highly precise location and heading data with no interruptions," Bjornstad says.
TACNAV navigational tools include steer-to, cross-track, off-course, and target acquisition/reacquisition displays. — J.K.
For more information, contact KVH Industries by phone at 401-847-3327, by fax at 401-849-0045, by post at 50 Enterprise Center, Middletown, R.I. 02842, or on the World Wide Web at http://www.kvh.com/.
