► iXblue showcases its new high-performance M11 Inertial Navigation System during EURONAVAL 2020
Unveiled a year ago during DSEI and presented for the first time at Euronaval, iXblue new Marins M11 Inertial Navigation System (INS) extends the French navigation company’s existing range of Marins Series INS and makes it reach new peaks of performance by offering a drift of less than 1 Nm in 360 hours (or 15 days).
Based on iXblue Fiber-Optic Gyroscope technology, the M11 is a very high-performance strategic grade Inertial Navigation System, that meets the military requirements of the most modern combat ships (both surface and submarines). The M11 provides highly accurate position, heading, roll, pitch and speed information regardless of the environment, even within GNSS-denied areas, boasting unrivaled proven performance limiting platforms drift to 1 nautical mile per 360 hours of surface GNSS-denied or submarine dived navigation.
A scalable technology, the performance of iXblue’s very own fiber-optic gyroscopes can indeed be changed by pushing back the technological limits of the optical components that are used within the systems (all of which are manufactured by iXblue within the company’s production centers in France), as well as by altering the length and diameter of its coil, making it adaptable to a wide range of performance needs and resulting in a complete range of INS that meets the wide range of level of performance required by naval platforms.
The FOG-based M11, like all other Marins Series INS, is a solid-state and passive system that the does not involve any movement of mechanical parts causing dithers, vibrations or frictions that usually result in parts’ weariness and noise. This ensures many benefits for the user: acoustic stealth, robustness of the system (Power-on and Forget), cost-effectiveness and the lowest cost-of-ownership on the market, with an MTBF of 500,000 hours.
Based on a proven and mature technology, iXblue Marins Series have become references in the naval defense market and iXblue technology already equip more than 40 navies and coast-guards around the world. Those references include major programs such as the French Navy’s future FDI , the Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, the Astute-class nuclear attack submarines and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers of the UK Royal Navy, the F122 (Bremen-class) and F123 frigates (Brandenburg-class) of the German Navy, the new OPV 87 of the Argentine Navy, the Swedish Navy next generation A26 and Gotland-class submarines, as well as the United States Navy Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) 27, 29 and 31 to name a few.
Photos courtesy iXblue
