MARINS Selected For HMS Audacious
BAE Systems has chosen iXSea MARINS inertial navigation systems for HMS Audacious, the fourth boat in the UK Royal Navy’s Astute-class, nuclear-powered attack submarine construction programme. HMS Audacious will be equipped with two MARINS units. iXBlue will also supply a third unit for preliminary test work at BAE Systems’ Astute Shore Integration Facility. (Picture Astute-class courtesy of MOD.)
BAE Systems has options on further MARINS units for Astute-class boats five, six and seven. The MARINS units for HMS Audacious are virtually commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), though some modifications have been made to accommodate specific operational requirements. A spokesperson for BAE Systems said that the choice of the MARINS system was “in response to the UK Ministry of Defense’s challenge to provide a more affordable submarine and combat system”.
Vital Element
The spokesperson added: “A design-for-cost-reduction programme resulted in several initiatives being identified that challenged the existing design requirements to provide a more affordable combat system. The selection of the MARINS inertial navigation system was based on its overall performance, reliability and through-life cost benefits. MARINS will provide a vital element of the combat and navigation system of the fourth Astute-class boat.”
Practical Advantages
David Cunningham, UK general manager, iXBlue, said: “MARINS satisfies the performance requirements met in previous Astute-class boats by markedly more complex and costly technology. The units also offer a variety of practical advantages. They have no moving parts or critical elements that deteriorate over time. Consequently, their reliability is high with no maintenance. They are also compact and lightweight, and unlike the systems generally used in submarines, they do not have to be installed in dedicated compartments. This not only leads to space savings, but also provides designers with more options on where to locate the inertial navigation system in the submarine.”