Sagem (Safran) has installed its new navigation equipment on the French Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, as part of a refit programme.
The upgrades to the carrier’s integrated combat system are being carried out under the project management of the French Government’s defence procurement agency Direction Générale de l’Armement, and the prime contractor DCNS.
The refit includes a number of devices such as the navigation and alignment system, as well as intelligence systems and several landing aids supplied by Sagem.
Sagem Avionics division programmes head Bruno Bellanger said: "The Charles de Gaulle used to be equipped with three mechanical inertial units, which we are going gradually to replace with SIGMA 40 laser gyro units.
"These very high-precision devices are totally immune to the vibrations and temperature variations encountered in combat."
Sagem’s SIGMA 40 laser gyro units have been designed to improve guidance functions and align the inertial units installed on Rafale aircraft to transmit information about the ship’s movement.
The company will also replace the carrier’s existing optronics intelligence systems with the electro-optical multifunction system – new generation (EOMS-NG). This will be installed during its next maintenance period.
Sagem will also upgrade the DALAS laser landing aid with the new system, which will be delivered in 2017.
The company has also developed digital simulation models in its laboratories to eliminate the need for a series of tests.
Image: The EOMS-NG system. Photo: © Safran.
