Northrop to Produce Next-Gen Handheld Targeting System for US Marines
The US Marine Corps has awarded Northrop Grumman the Next Generation Handheld Targeting System (NGHTS) initial production and operations contract.
The contract follows the $252-million deal the company clinched last February.
The under-10-pound (4.5 kilograms) system provides advanced precision targeting, even in a GPS-denied environment.
Four-in-One System
The compact handheld device combines the features of four systems, performing targeting, ranging, designating, and networking.
Moreover, it has a greater targeting range than legacy systems.
The system was intended to replace four legacy systems: the Portable Lightweight Designator Rangefinder, Joint Terminal Attack Controller, Laser Target Designator, and Thermal Laser Spot Imager.
Enhanced Features
The system features three sensors: “a color day imager, a low-light imager, and a thermal imager for creating images in total darkness.”
Its streamlined graphical user interface also provides clear images in the twilight.
“It also includes a high-precision GPS receiver and a celestial compass that provides azimuth readings (the angular measurement in a spherical coordinate system) for a target’s heading relative to NGHTS to within fractions of a degree,” Northrop explained.
Northrop vice president of navigation, targeting, and survivability Bob Gough said the system’s “advanced technology will significantly enhance warfighters’ ability to safely complete their missions.”
“This compact, multi-sensor electro-optical/infrared device lightens Marines’ loads and keeps them connected while adding precision and safety to their missions.”
