History of Ring Laser Gyroscope Development at Lockheed Martin (Formerly Sperry)

Lockheed Martin's heritage company, the Sperry Gyroscope Company, played a prominent role in the development of Ring Laser Gyroscope (RLG) technology including the first RLG demonstration in 1963. This paper presents a historical review of the evolution of the Lockheed Martin RLG sensor design from this initial tabletop demonstration to the development of a compact, highly reliable, strapdown inertial instrument. Insight is provided on factors that affected RLG development over a 25-year period, including the rationale behind Lockheed Martin’s modular design approach - unique in the RLG industry. The theory of RLG operation is briefly described to provide an understanding of fundamental RLG design parameters. The principle modular RLG sensor components are identified and their development discussed. New application requirements as well as technological breakthroughs resulting from extensive research and development efforts drove RLG design advancement. Accordingly, the key applications that impacted Lockheed Martin RLG development are covered.