Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Navigation Systems Division has developed a new ruggedized Next Generation Handheld (NGH) computer for defense, public safety and paramilitary applications.
“The NGH is a small, light-weight, ruggedized computer that offers customers sunlight-readability and night usability features with a long battery life,” said Jay Bass, program manager of Man Portable Systems at the Navigation Systems Division.
“Our new computer is a virtual ‘drop-in’ replacement for Northrop Grumman’s predecessor Handheld Terminal Unit (HTU) and utilizes the same radio and power cables.” Northrop Grumman has delivered over 6,400 HTUs, primarily to U.S. Army customers.
The NGH was recently chosen for the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s BOWMAN battlefield communications system. Northrop Grumman designed a special NGH for BOWMAN with a 10.4-inch touchscreen display. Over 10,000 NGHs, known as vehicle user data terminals, will be built and delivered to British forces.
The NGH provides a dual channel tactical modem that permits immediate connectivity to over 25 tactical communications devices using standard U.S. military and NATO protocols. It can also be used for most military handheld and vehicle-mounted applications.
Utilizing a Mk VII Laser Rangefinder, built by Northrop Grumman’s Laser Systems business unit in Apopka, Fla., and a Rockwell-Collins Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver, the NGH can provide integrated precision targeting to pinpoint enemy targets and can send digital calls for fire to an artillery battery.
The standard NGH uses a Pentium MMX 166 MHz processor to extend battery life. A Pentium III 500 MHz processor is available for use in vehicles where power is supplied. Other processor options are also available. The low-power sunlight readable display is dimmable for night operations.
A “hot swap” rechargeable battery provides over five hours of power and the battery can be replaced without turning the unit off. The keyboard backlight offers three intensity settings for night operations, and the keyboard acts as the NGH’s case cover, protecting the display and keyboard.
