Honeywell supplies laser navigation to British ‘Ajax’ tanks

06 Dec 2016

Next generation of UK's fighting vehicles will stay on target with TALIN inertial navigation system.

Honeywell's TALIN inertial land navigation technology has been selected for installation on the British Army's new Ajax armored fighting vehicles currently in development by General Dynamics Land Systems UK. TALIN is a battle-tested navigation solution said to be able to “improve mission success in difficult terrain by providing users with a lightweight and highly accurate laser guidance system”.

Featuring three-axis inertial sensors and weighing under 6kg, TALIN is already in operational use on certain military and commercial platforms worldwide. Honeywell states that it is smaller and lighter than other available navigation solutions, it can be mounted in different ways and it offers "more reliable performance".

The TALIN range includes guidance systems for various military platforms including: tanks – gTALIN features an embedded GPS, the Ethernet-capable eTALIN II can be customized, while the eTALIN Mini suits space-limited roles; artillery – aTALIN also has an Ethernet interface and can withstand high shocks; light military vehicles, where only GPS-denied navigation is required; and missile launchers.

Extensive experience

"Soldiers depend on technologies to provide unparalleled precision aboard their combat vehicles, as do workers using sensor platforms or mining equipment," said Milind Ghanekar, senior director OEMs, Defense and Space, Honeywell Aerospace. "Over 15,000 Honeywell TALIN systems are already deployed by land, air and sea on more than 60 different military and commercial platforms worldwide. The British Army's Ajax program builds on our extensive experience with this precise navigation technology."

The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence awarded General Dynamics Land Systems UK a $5.9 billion contract in September 2014 to deliver 589 Ajax platforms. The contract with the British Army builds on Honeywell's long-term relationship with General Dynamics Land Systems in the United States and is expected to run through 2023.

Honeywell Aerospace says its products and services are found on virtually every commercial, defense and space aircraft, and its turbochargers are used by almost every automaker and truck manufacturer worldwide. The Aerospace business unit develops innovative solutions for more fuel-efficient automobiles and airplanes, more direct and on-time flights, safer flying and runway traffic, along with aircraft engines, cockpit and cabin electronics, wireless connectivity services, logistics, and more.

Ajax in action