SELEX Galileo awarded €5M to upgrade UK artillery gun targeting systems

SELEX Galileo, a Finmeccanica company, has been awarded a €5M (£4.3M) contract from
the UK Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) Artillery Systems Team to upgrade the
current Layers Display and Control Unit (LDCU) of the UK’s L118 Light Gun.
The LDCU is the main man-machine interface of the LINAPS system, a self-contained, gunmounted navigation, pointing and weapon management system that is already in active
service with the British Army. LINAPS is a battle-proven system enabling rapid and accurate
artillery deployment in all weather conditions, day and night while making minimal demands
on the users.
Alastair Morrison, Senior Vice President, Radar and Advanced Targeting said: ‘The selection
of our LCDU by the Ministry of Defence is a source of pride for our whole team. The Royal
Artillery is on the front line every day and we are honoured that our capability is helping
support the Regiment in their vital role.’
The upgrade involves replacing the existing LINAPS interface with a new 10 inch display.
Key features of the system include a touch-sensitive, electro-luminescent display, powerful
processing for fire control and ballistic calculations and the capability to interface with a full
range of additional sensors and equipment. The system provides a navigation and fire
control capability with minimal hardware content within a unique single box solution.
LINAPS has been sold to customers including the UK, Canada, Thailand and Malaysia and
was successfully deployed in current operations in Afghanistan as well as in Iraq during the
second Gulf war. It confers a wide range of operational advantages, including continuous
and accurate 3D self location with and without GPS and continuous determination and
display of gun barrel direction and elevation.