The US Marine Corps has awarded Northrop Grumman a $252 million Next Generation Handheld Targeting System (NGHTS) contract.
The contract, which runs through 2030, is a follow-up of the NGHTS Other Transaction Authority award the company received in 2018.
Northrop Grumman clinched the prototyping contract a year later, beating out BAE Systems, Elbit Systems of America, and Fraser Optics.
Replaces Three Legacy Systems
The handheld device enables users to operate in GPS-denied environments and replaces three legacy systems performing target location, laser spot imaging, and laser target designation.
The Marines had originally specified four systems the NGHTS was intended to replace when announcing the contenders in 2018: the Portable Lightweight Designator Rangefinder, the Joint Terminal Attack Controller, the Laser Target Designator, and the Thermal Laser Spot Imager.
“NGHTS will significantly enhance the ability of Marines to identify ground targets under a wide range of conditions,” Northrop Grumman vice president of navigation, targeting, and survivability Bob Gough said.
“Connected to military networks, NGHTS can provide superior situational awareness and accurate coordinates for the delivery of effects from beyond the line of sight.”