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.”