US Navy Finalizes $234Mln Contract For Aircraft Carrier GPS Landing System - Raytheon

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 18th June, 2019) Production of a GPS-based landing system for the US Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships will commence under a four-year contract, defense contractor Raytheon announced in a press release on Monday.

"Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) won a four-year $234 million initial low-rate production contract from the US Navy to outfit all of its nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships with 23 Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems," the release stated. "JPALS is a GPS-based precision landing system that guides aircraft to precision landings in all weather and surface conditions.

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Since 2018, the US Marine Corps has used JPALS to land the new F-35B fighter jet on the amphibious assault ship Wasp, which Naval Air Traffic Management Systems Program Manager Capt. Joseph Hornbuckle called "the most difficult conditions on Earth," the release said.

The proof-of-concept tests have also demonstrated that JPALS can be reconfigured into a mobile version to support landings in a traditional airport setting, the release added.

Unlike radar, the JPALS system can also be used by pilots to land in dense fog with zero visibility, according to Raytheon.