CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has awarded Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. a $29.2 million Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract modification—with options scaling to $103.6 million—for the production and integration of the AN/WSN-12 Inertial Navigation System (INS). Funded jointly by the U.S. Navy (27%), Canada (42%), and Australia (31%) via Foreign Military Sales (FMS), the contract provides precision, GPS-denied shipboard navigation capabilities for current surface combatants and next-generation shipbuilding programs across the three allied navies.
The AN/WSN-12 INS represents the U.S. Navy’s next-generation primary shipboard navigator, replacing the legacy AN/WSN-7 ring laser gyro system. Built around high-accuracy Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) sensor modules, the AN/WSN-12 delivers assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) data to shipboard combat management systems (such as AEGIS and SSDS), radar arrays, and naval gun fire-control units. By operating completely passively without relying on vulnerable satellite-based GPS/GNSS signals, the system ensures surface warships can maintain precise tactical positioning, target tracking, and weapon solution alignment under intense electronic warfare (EW) and satellite jamming environments. Primary manufacturing operations will be conducted in Charlottesville, Virginia (90%) and Baltimore, Maryland (10%), with initial performance extending through May 2030.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS: NORTHROP GRUMMAN AN/WSN-12 INERTIAL NAVIGATION SYSTEM (INS)
* System Classification: Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) Primary Shipboard Inertial Navigator
* Prime Contractor: Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (Charlottesville, Virginia)
* Sponsoring Agency & Procurement Structure: U.S. Navy NAVSEA | Multi-National FMS (U.S. Navy 27%, Royal Canadian Navy 42%, Royal Australian Navy 31%)
* Contract Value & Timeline: $29.2 Million initial LRIP modification ($103.6 Million maximum potential value w/ options extending to July 2032)
* Core Sensor Technology:
* Sensor Architecture: High-precision solid-state Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) Inertial Sensor Module (ISM)
* System Legacy Replacement: Direct upgrade over legacy ring laser gyro AN/WSN-7 systems
* Operational Capabilities & A-PNT Features:
* Passive Navigation: Complete independence from Global Positioning System (GPS) signals; immune to satellite signal loss, spoofing, and RF jamming
* Precision Outputs: Continuous high-fidelity measurement of ship heading, pitch, roll, surface velocity, and geographical coordinates
* System Integration: Interfaces with shipboard Combat Direction Systems (CDS), Sonar suites, Radar arrays, and Precision-Guided Munitions fire-control architectures
* Reliability & Maintenance: Modular architecture with integrated Maintenance Assistance Modules (MAMs) for rapid field servicing
