Matthew Nelson
The U.S. Navy has received the first production unit of a system Raytheon Technologies built to help military personnel land aircraft onto a carrier or an amphibious assault vessel.
Raytheon said Thursday it delivered the GPS-based Joint Precision Approach and Landing System nearly three weeks ahead of schedule after the company completed a dozen engineering development models.Â
JPALS is designed to link aircraft software and receiver hardware to multiple sensors, shipboard systems and mast antennas via an encrypted datalink.
Assigned from its landing function, the technology also supports navigation and surveillance across carrier-controlled airspace, the company added.
"JPALS gives the Navy the landing accuracy it needs every time regardless of conditions. It is more than an approach and landing system – it is a safety system," said Matt Gilligan, vice president of navigation and modernization solutions at Raytheon Technologies' intelligence and space business.
The system has been installed on the F-35 aircraft.
The company is also exploring the potential for an expeditionary JPALS variant in special operations and to support as many as 50 approaches.
