New Sperry system passes 1st sea trial for Canadian navy

A Canadian destroyer has completed the first successful sea trials of a high-tech navigation system by Northrup Grumman Corp.

The HMCS Athabaskan, an Iroquois-class destroyer, went to sea with the MK 49 ring-laser gyro navigator and Navigation Data Distribution System, both developed by Albemarle County-based Sperry Marine.

The ring-laser gyro navigator offers precise real-time 3-D position, heading, speed and other reference data for the ship’s navigation and combat systems.

“The RLGN-NavDDS combination represents a major advancement in the state-of-the art integrated navigation technology on modern warships,” said J. Nolasco DaCunha, vice president of Sperry Marine. “The successful sea trials aboard HMCS Athabaskan provided a clear demonstration of the mission-enhancing capabilities of the MK 49 and NavDDS systems for the Canadian navy.”

Sperry Marine has supplied more than 80 percent of the ring-laser gyro navigation systems deployed worldwide.

Headquartered on U.S. 29 just north of Charlottesville, Sperry Marine provides navigation and ship-control technology for the international marine industry.

Sperry is a subsidiary of Northrop Grumman, a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide a wide array of products to government and commercial customers worldwide.