U.S. Marines select Rockwell Collins ParaNav™

ParaNav from Rockwell CollinsThe U.S. Marine Corps has selected Rockwell Collins to provide more than 3,000 ParaNav™ units, a helmet-mounted navigation system for parachutists.

ParaNav is a personal, GPS-based, flight management system with an integrated head-up display. It provides parachutists with accurate navigation capabilities and enhanced situational awareness, allowing them to fly to their designated landing zones. The system also allows the parachutist to divert to alternate sites with the same level of accuracy.

“This contract significantly advances the capabilities of the Marines,” said Bruce King, vice president and general manager of Surface Solutions for Rockwell Collins. “ParaNav enhances the navigational abilities of each individual parachutist, while at the same time maintaining their ability to efficiently exit the aircraft and function under the canopy.”

ParaNav is the industry’s first production helmet-mounted navigation system designed specifically for parachutist guidance. The system consists of a lightweight battery-operated GPS pod that connects to a parachutist’s helmet. An integrated, full-color display attaches directly to goggles or helmet shields. The unit contains an 802.11 WiFi interface for Joint Precision Airdrop System data connectivity and custom circuitry allows for dead reckoning calculations in the event of a GPS lock failure.

The total system weighs just 0.9 kilograms and has an advanced, full-color display that attaches directly to goggles or shields, providing the parachutist with multiple navigation screens and data that includes altitude, ground speed, distance to landing zone, heading to landing zone, estimated time of arrival and a glide slope incorporating wind drift.