Northrop tests tech to help hypersonic vehicles maneuver without GPS

Northrop tests tech to help hypersonic vehicles maneuver without GPS

The successful demonstration of inertial measurement unit technology on a hypersonic aircraft is an industry first.

Northrop Tests Tech To Help Hypersonic Vehicles Maneuver Without GPS

Two recent groundbreaking hypersonic test flights featured a Northrop Grumman capability designed to allow high-speed systems to navigate and maneuver when GPS isn’t available. The company told Defense News this week that its inertial measurement unit, or IMU, flew onboard Stratolaunch’s Talon-A glide vehicle during its first two hypersonic flights in December and March. The successful demonstration of IMU technology on a hypersonic aircraft — w…