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| [November 19, 2012] |
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Northrop Grumman Selects Garmin® Integrated Flight Deck for New Optionally Piloted Aircraft
OLATHE, Kan. --(Business Wire)--
Garmin (News - Alert) International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the
global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that Northrop
Grumman Corporation has selected Garmin to supply the avionics suite for
the new Firebird, an optionally piloted vehicle (OPV) designed for
intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The
Firebird is equipped with a tailored version of Garmin's latest
touchscreen-controlled integrated flight deck system, leveraging the
expandable and scalable attributes of Garmin's commercial avionics
technology to yield a highly capable Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS)
solution.
"Commercial avionics are an increasingly compelling option for
government and military aircraft because they offer excellent features
with significant time and cost savings," said Carl Wolf, Garmin's vice
president of aviation sales and marketing. "Garmin has a proven track
record developing and certifying some of the most sophisticated and
remarkably capable avionics available for commercial use, and Northrop
Grumman was able to draw upon that expertise to integrate the avionics
with their special missions systems."
The Firebird cockpit is equipped with three 14-inch, high-definition,
widescreen displays. Multi-pane display capability effectively doubles
the number of different presentations that the crew can control and view
at the same time. This allows for primary flight information to be
displayed to both the pilot and copilot along with additional displays
capable of showing sensor data, moving maps, charts, engine indications
and other important flight information. In addition, the cockpit is
equipped with two touchscreen display/controllers that provide a
centralized and intuitive interface to the system, giving pilots rapid
access to the flight information they want. The touch controllers also
allow for the control of external missions systems.
For enhanced situational awareness and hazard avoidance, the Firebird is
also equipped with Garmin's Synthetic Vision Technlogy (SVT™), which
presents a 3D depiction of terrain, obstacles, traffic and the runway
environment on the flight displays. Garmin's GWX 70 Doppler-capable
weather radar and Garmin's GTS™ 850 Traffic and Collision Avoidance
System (TCAS I) are also on board the aircraft to provide the best
possible picture of the operational environment.
The triple widescreen displays, dual touchscreen display/controllers and
flight management systems are also used in the ground control station
that is used to fly the aircraft when it is operated as an Unmanned
Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
As a hybrid between a conventional aircraft and a UAV, the Firebird
offers the flexibility to perform ISR missions based on the demands of
the mission environment and whether manned or unmanned flight is
optimal. The Firebird can support multiple types of ISR and
communications sensor payloads simultaneously during flight including
high-definition full-motion video, infrared, radar and different types
of electronic communications.
The Firebird made its first flight in November 2012.
Garmin's aviation business segment is a leading provider of solutions to
OEM, aftermarket, military and government customers. Garmin's portfolio
includes navigation, communication, flight control, hazard avoidance,
surveillance, and other products and services that are known for
innovation, reliability, and value.
About Garmin
Garmin International (News - Alert) Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN),
the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of
companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation,
communication and information devices and applications - most of which
are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin's products serve automotive,
mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM
applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its
principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the
United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom
at www.garmin.com/pressroom
or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a
registered trademark, and SVT and GTS are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or
its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service
marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd.
and its business. Such statements are based on management's current
expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in
this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as
a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting
Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, filed
by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file
number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is available at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html.
No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking
statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin
undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any
forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information,
future events, or otherwise.
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