Fiber Optic Gyro Technology for Navy Submarine Applications

Joseph De Fato, Ralph B. Morrow Jr., Gary W. Adams

Abstract:	The Navy Strategic Systems Program community recognizes the need to reduce Strategic Weapons Systems costs. The most critical and costly component now used in inertial navigators aboard strategic fleet ballistic missile (SSBN) submarines, the Electrostatically Supported Gyro (ESG), was developed and a moderate level production line established 25 years ago. The Electrostatically Supported Gyro Navigator (ESGN) that utilizes this technology continues to meet all the very high accuracy Strategic Weapon System (SWS) performance requirements as well as the demanding requirements for reliability and maintainability. There is a major driving force, however, to reduce life cycle support costs and ensure system sustainment for the extended submarine life. A major step towards achieving these goals is through replacing the ESG with a new gyro technology. An academic, industry, and Navy laboratory partnership, supported by the Office of Naval Research and the Navy Strategic Systems Programs Office, is conducting a three year program to develop and demonstrate a fiber optic gyro design which provides the performance required to replace the ESG in the Inertial Measurement Units aboard SSBN submarines. This paper discusses the technical approach, challenges and progress currently achieved by this ongoing effort.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1997) June 30 - 2, 1997 Albuquerque, NM
Pages:	761 - 768
Cite this article:	De Fato, Joseph, Morrow, Ralph B., Jr., Adams, Gary W., "Fiber Optic Gyro Technology for Navy Submarine Applications," Proceedings of the 53rd Annual Meeting of The Institute of Navigation (1997), Albuquerque, NM, June 1997, pp. 761-768.
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