SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica company, has been awarded a €5M (£4.3M) contract from the UK Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Artillery Systems Team to upgrade the current layers display and control unit (LDCU) of the UK’s L118 Light Gun.
The LDCU is the main man-machine interface of the LINAPS system, a self-contained, gunmounted navigation, pointing and weapon management system that is already in active service with the British Army. LINAPS is a battle-proven system enabling rapid and accurate artillery deployment in all weather conditions, day and night while making minimal demands on the users.
Alastair Morrison, senior vice president, Radar and Advanced Targeting said: "The selection of our LCDU by the Ministry of Defence is a source of pride for our whole team. The Royal Artillery is on the front line every day and we are honoured that our capability is helping support the Regiment in their vital role."
The upgrade involves replacing the existing LINAPS interface with a new 10in display. Key features of the system include a touch-sensitive, electro-luminescent display, powerful processing for fire control and ballistic calculations and the capability to interface with a fullrange of additional sensors and equipment.
The system provides a navigation and fire control capability with minimal hardware content within a unique single box solution LINAPS has been sold to customers including the UK, Canada, Thailand and Malaysia and was successfully deployed in current operations in Afghanistan as well as in Iraq during the second Gulf war.
It confers a wide range of operational advantages, including continuous and accurate 3D self location with and without GPS and continuous determination and display of gun barrel direction and elevation.