Safran : Epsilon One navigation systems chosen by a Middle-East country for combat vehicles

Boulogne-Billancourt, February 22 , 2017

Safran Electronics & Defense and its Middle Eastern Partner, International Golden Group signed a contract for the supply of Epsilon One inertial ground navigation systems and technical integration services for an initial batch to outfit a first armored brigade of a Middle-East country.

The procurement program encompasses more than 12 different vehicle types, from all-terrain 4WD and troop transport vehicles to infantry fighting vehicles and main battle tanks.

Safran's Epsilon One system is based on an inertial core using advanced resonating structure gyros. A proprietary solution patented by Safran, the system features very high reliability and reduced cost of ownership. Offering high performance in a compact package, it gives combat vehicles autonomous engagement capabilities, including in environments where GPS signals are jammed.

The customer's decision was based on the results of an intensive series of tests under operational conditions, pitting Epsilon One against an international field of competitors. In particular, these tests showed that Epsilon One is perfectly suited to asymmetrical combat in urban zones. Connected to a battle management system, Epsilon One gives crew members precise information on position and heading, even under the most demanding conditions.

This new success of Epsilon family follows the French army's choice of Safran's Epsilon systems for its new generation vehicles of the Scorpion program which confirm the advantages in terms of costs and performances of resonating inertial sensors for new-generation navigation systems.

The European leader in navigation systems, Safran has developed proven expertise in all inertial technologies: mechanical and dynamically-tuned gyros (DTG), ring laser gyro (RLG), fiber optic gyros (FOG), resonating (HRG), and micro-electromechanical (MEMS), with more than 60 years of experience in providing navigation systems for both civil and military customers operating in all environments.