Safran to invest €120 million in precision navigation sensors in France

PARIS, June 7 (Reuters) - French jet engine maker Safran will invest €120 million ($138.23 million) in its Montlucon site in central France to triple output of hemispherical resonator gyroscopes (HRGs) by 2032, its Chief Executive told La Tribune newspaper on Sunday.

• HRGs are highly accurate internal sensors that help planes, ships, and missiles navigate precisely without relying on satellite signals such as GPS.

• The project is part of a 1.4 billion euro plan approved in 2025 to expand Safran's production capacity worldwide, Director General Olivier Andries said.

• The investment will raise the site's annual HRG output to 30,000 units from 10,000 by 2032 and is expected to create more than 150 jobs, Andries said.

• Montlucon is a long-standing Safran production site, making inertial navigation systems and related gyroscope technology used in air, land and sea applications.

• The French aerospace and defence group last month announced a €150 million investment in a high-tonnage hydraulic press to boost output of critical engine components.

($1 = 0.8681 euros)

(Reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)