Following an international call for tenders, the US Coast Guard has
chosen Sagem (Safran) to contribute to the modernization of the navigation
systems on its Reliance class medium endurance cutters (WMEC). According
to the terms of this contract, the 14 Reliance class vessels will be
fitted with Sagem's BlueNaute attitude and heading reference system. |
This
latest contract further confirms the US Coast Guard's confidence in
Sagem's navigation solutions, since it had already chosen the BlueNaute
unit in April for ten Juniper class seagoing buoy tenders (WLB).
The new-generation BlueNaute navigation unit is based on the innovative
Hemispherical Resonator Gyro (HRG) technology.
A real technological breakthrough, the HRG-based inertial core in the
BlueNaute system offers a competitive advantage over previous-generation
inertial technologies (mechanical or fiber-optic gyros), in terms of
both total cost of ownership and performance. The HRG in the BlueNaute
unit, a proprietary Sagem solution, ensures very high attitude and heading
precision.
Sagem's BlueNaute unit also features outstanding reliability, with mean
time between failures (MTBF) exceeding 100,000 hours. Because of the
HRG, this system perfectly matches the emerging needs of maritime navigation,
in line with the requirements of the International Maritime Organization
and the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) treaty. Its performance characteristics
make it perfectly suited to maritime applications, from scientific research
vessels and offshore support ships, to coast guard and maritime police
forces.
The BlueNaute unit is produced by Sagem at its Montluçon plant
in the Auvergne region of France. |
