BAE Starts AHRS Deliveries

BAE Systems started deliveries of its Replacement Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (R-AHRS) to the U.S. Navy for SH-60 Seahawk helicopters. The R-AHRS replaces spinning-mass gyros and magnetic sensors with ring-laser gyros and other solid-state technology to increase reliability and accuracy of aircraft instruments. The system provides aircraft pitch, roll, and yaw information and uses a three-axis magnetic azimuth detector to derive aircraft heading. Routine periodic recalibrations of the R-AHRS magnetic azimuth detectors can be accomplished in flight, eliminating the expense and time associated with recalibrating the sensors on the ground, BAE said. BAE Systems received an $18.3 million contract in 2003 to develop and produce 658 of the R-AHRS units for Navy Seahawks. More .