iXblue is a well-known French high-tech group, specialising in the development and manufacture of inertial navigation systems based on its unique fibre-optic gyroscope technology, which is recognised throughout the industry for its performance. Bruno Protte, business development manager for land applications, explains what iXblue’s Advans series and Leos platform can offer industry players.
iXblue presented its latest product, Leos, a stabilised platform for armoured vehicles’ optronic payloads, at the Eurosatory international exhibition in Paris, in June 2016. Leos has been designed on the basis of iXblue’s motion and simulation systems expertise, trusted by many customers around the world. iXblue provides solutions that are specifically designed for the land defence market, and its Leos system is made to meet the market’s existing needs.
Land navigation and pointing systems
iXblue specialises in the design, development and manufacturing of state-of-the-art equipment that is dedicated to navigation, positioning and imaging for the military market. The company is recognised throughout the world for its pioneering work on the development of the ultimate-performance fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG), a unique technology at the heart of inertial navigation systems.
Based on its 30 years of expertise, the French company achieves 15-20% growth every year, with 80% of its business taking place in more than 30 countries around the world. iXblue can count on full value-chain expertise: all of its systems are produced internally, from design to manufacturing. Its success is especially informed by its French know-how, from its engineering offices to its production workshops.
iXblue’s focus on innovation has enabled the company to establish and maintain a major position in the defence markets over the past three decades. Based on its high levels of expertise and customer proximity, iXblue has been considered a major player in inertial navigation systems for the past 15 years. In the land defence market, the company supplies inertial navigation systems and stabilised positioning platforms integrated into all types of guns, track or wheeled vehicles, optronic systems, and radar and antenna dynamic positioners.
Its expertise affords industry players the space to improve the mobility and accuracy of their tactical systems, boost their communication capabilities and enhance their situational awareness. iXblue’s customers in the defence industry provide a wide range of equipment for land forces, including launchers, combat vehicles, forward-observation systems, tactical air control and air defence radars, battle-space surveillance, counter-battery radar, and communication systems.
The Advans series: unique INS expertise for land defence
Based on iXblue’s FOG, the Advans inertial navigation systems cover all of the industry’s existing needs for navigation and pointing. The Advans systems are robust against global navigation satellite system dropout, which is essential for blue-force tracking.
The precision of the Advans systems enables users to calculate target coordinates accurately and distribute them through tactical networks to ground-to-ground launchers or air-to-ground platforms, and to new-generation beyond-the-hill missile launchers. The series is cost-effective and highly reliable, and the systems are very easy to integrate and operate.
Leos: a stabilised platform for armoured vehicles’ optronic payloads
Leveraging its recognised expertise in mechatronics for motion and simulation systems, iXblue offers its customers highly reliable stabilised pan and tilt solutions. The POS series’s latest system is Leos, a stabilised platform dedicated to tactical payloads embedded on armoured vehicles, which requires high levels of stabilisation. It has been specifically designed to meet today’s needs for loading modular optronic payloads, especially – but not only – on a commander’s panoramic sights.
iXblue’s Leos is extremely robust to shock, which makes it particularly convenient for severe mechanical environments. Embarking with payloads of more than 15kg, Leos enables very accurate two-axis gyrostabilisation and pointing features. Leos is particularly compact, can suit all communication protocols, and is easy to integrate and adapt to new payloads. It offers a high level of reliability and a low cost of ownership thanks to the low maintenance requirements over time. Depending on the situation, Leos can be offered as a turnkey solution or it can be customised to the specific needs of the customer.
Expertise and trust are iXblue’s core values: they are considered essential for establishing successful partnerships. Based on its 30 years of experience, iXblue can count on its experts’ mastery of technology and French know-how to provide highly reliable mechatronics solutions.
This high level of expertise goes hand in hand with trust. Key to iXblue’s offering are: technical proximity with the integrator, a precise understanding of specific needs and the personalisation of an offering. Its committed and agile teams work hard to offer lasting, customised solutions, helping the best armed forces in the world carry out their day-to-day operations in the most efficient and safe ways possible. More than just a supplier, iXBlue stands as a trusted partner to every customer.