May/June 2025 | Engineering Solutions from the Global Navigation Satellite System Community | [Link].

com

RELATED PNT TECHNOLOGIES

Published by utonomous Media

A PIVOTAL
POINT FOR
MILITARY PNT
The critical need for enhanced resiliency

DRIVING RESILIENCY | An exclusive interview with Col Matthew Spencer of the U.S. Space Force
NAVWAR TESTING | A simulation-based analysis of Locata’s non-GPS based positioning system for navigation testing at WSMR
ASSURED PNT | An update on the U.S. Army’s MAPS and DAPS Programs of Record
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS
MAY/JUNE 2025 VOLUME 20 NUMBER 3
Published by utonomous Media

ON THE COVER

A Pivotal Point for Military PNT

There’s been a shift in the PNT industry, with spoofing
and jamming threats to vulnerable GNSS signals
making more resilient PNT solutions a requirement
for military operations. It’s become clear we must
move to a layered approach to PNT, incorporating
varied solutions to ensure warfighters have precise data
even in highly contested environments. The industry
and government are answering the call with new
innovations and initiatives, but we must act quickly.

Table of Contents
BY THE NUMBERS
78 Resilient Navigation Alternatives
EDITORIAL
for GNSS-Denied Environments
10 Toward a More Resilient PNT: The Spoofing detection and mitigation through multi-sensor integration.
Push for a Layered Approach Miguel Ángel de Frutos Carro, Laura Train García, Sebastián Camilo Méndez Velásquez,
Jose Maria Pulido Fernandez, José Antonio Gutiérrez Rivilla, David Pinta Sierra
ARTICLES UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía has developed several alternative solutions to
22 U.S. PNT: Driving Resilient enable UAVs to operate in GNSS-denied environments, providing spoofing
Navigation detection and mitigation through multi-sensor integration, including visual
28 U.S. PNT: U.S. Army Taking a navigation systems, IMUs and solar navigation.
Layered Approach to PNT
40 U.S. PNT: Ensuring High-Accuracy
Positioning in GPS-Denied 88
Environments
78 Resilient Navigation Alternatives
for GNSS-Denied Environments
88 Working Papers: LEO PNT:
A Fundamental Evolution to
Answer New Application Needs

COLUMNS/DEPARTMENTS
12 News

88 Working Papers
16 Washington View
56 Human Engineering
70 Beyond GNSS LEO PNT: A Fundamental Evolution to Answer New Application Needs
94 Brussels View Michel Monnerat, Hanaa Al Bitar
98 Timeline/Advertisers Index A look at the benefits of LEO PNT, and why developing a system-of-systems
approach with a multi-orbit space component—and doing so quickly—is
critical to meeting increasingly demanding performance requirements.

4 M AY/J U N E 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENTS

10 The Time and the Place 12 News
Toward a More Resilient PNT: The U.S. PNT 56 Human Engineering
Push for a Layered Approach The Ascent of Karen Van Dyke
There is an urgency in the U.S. to develop and
deploy resilient, redundant PNT solutions, 70 Beyond GNSS
COLUMNS particularly for military purposes. This package Building more resilient PNT
of articles highlights some of those efforts. 98 Timeline /Advertisers Index
16
Washington SPONSORED CONTENT
View 22 Driving Resilient Navigation 20 Precision, Performance
U.S. Space Force Col. Matthew Spencer discusses GPS modernization,
Government
M-Code, OCX progress and the future of assured PNT in rare inverview.
and Integration
Turmoil and the PNT The ADIS16576 from Analog Devices.
Community 28 U.S. Army Taking a Layered Approach to PNT 26 Strengthening GNSS
By Dana Goward Updates on the MAPS and DAPS Programs of Record. Resilience at the Source
94 40 Ensuring High-Accuracy Positioning The critical role of GNSS antennas.
in GPS-Denined Environments 34 Assured Advantage
Brussels View Authors from 746th Test Squadron and Ansys Government
VIAVI’s integrated vision for PNT.
GNSS and PNT Initiatives detail a recent simulation-based analysis of Locata’s 52 Defending Against Spoofing
Resilience at the
Munich Satellite
non-GPS based positioing system for NavWar testing at WSMR. with GNSS Corrections
Swift Navigation’s Skylark.
Navigation Summit WHITE PAPER
By Peter Gutierrez 68 Defending GPS Integrity
60 Precision Under Fire UHU shaping PNT situational awareness.
BAE Systems details its Common APNT Package, a solution 76 Resilience at Scale
becoming mission-critical to combating spoofing and etherWhere’s chip-cloud ecosystem.
jamming threats in today’s highly contested battlespace.

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Editorial Advisory Council
VIDAL ASHKENAZI
Nottingham Scientific Ltd., Nottingham, United Kingdom ENGINEERING SOLUTIONS FROM THE GLOBAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM COMMUNITY

JOHN BETZ Published by utonomous Media

MITRE Corporation, Bedford, Massachusetts, USA
May/June 2025 Volume 20/Number 3
PASCAL CAMPAGNE
France Developpement Conseil, Vincennes, France

MARIO CAPORALE EDITORIAL

Italian Institute of Navigation, Rome, Italy
Editor Emeritus Glen Gibbons glen@[Link]
MARCO FALCONE Editor Renee Knight renee@[Link]
European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands Creative Director Christine Waring
SERGIO GRECO Contributing Editor for “Working Papers”
Thales Alenia Space, Rome, Italy
Günter Hein [Link]@[Link]
JEANLUC ISSLER
CNES, Toulouse, France Contributing Editor for “GNSS Solutions”
Sam Pullen spullen@[Link]
CHANGDON KEE
Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea Contributing Editor for “Brussels View”
Peter Gutierrez peter@[Link]
MIKHAIL KRASILSHCHIKOV
Moscow Aviation Institute, Moscow, Russia Contributing Editor for “The Inertialist”
SANG JEONG LEE Andrey Soloviev Andrey@[Link]
Chungnam National University, Daejon, Korea
Advisory Editor Abe Peck abe@[Link]
MARCO LISI Columnist for “Washington View”
ESA, Belgium
Dana A. Goward
JULES MCNEFF
Overlook Systems Technologies, Inc., Vienna, Virginia, USA Contributing Editor for “GNSS & the Law”
Ingo Baumann [Link]@[Link]
PRATAP MISRA
Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA Digital Editor
BRAD PARKINSON Richard Thomas [Link]@[Link]
Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
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THE TIME AND THE PLACE

Toward a More Resilient PNT:

The Push for a Layered Approach

R
esiliency—more than a buzzword, it The 746th Test Squadron uses a non-
has become the defining priority across GPS band positioning system for high-
the PNT community. While GNSS accuracy navigation in GPS-denied
remains one of the most significant technological environments. Authors detail results of a
achievements of the modern era, its vulnerabilities simulation-based analysis at WSMR.
are no longer theoretical. From cyber threats BAE Systems is among manufacturers
and spoofing to contested environments and answering the call for resiliency, developing
congested spectrum, GNSS disruption is a a Common APNT Package (CAP) to combat
real and growing concern for defense, critical threats to Loitering Munitions and UAVs
infrastructure and commercial sectors alike. on the battlefield. Authors from BAE detail
RENEE KNIGHT The urgency to secure and sustain trusted PNT this essential technology and the Integrity
EDITOR
is driving a full-spectrum response—from policy Ring that not only fuses data from various
to platform. Assured PNT is no longer a specialized sensors, but validates each sensor’s input
capability; it is a foundational requirement. And before including it in the final PNT solution.
as this issue of Inside GNSS makes clear, achieving UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía has developed
resiliency demands more than patchwork solutions several solutions to enable UAVs to operate
or one-off innovations. It calls for a layered, in GNSS-denied environments. Authors
modular and multi-domain approach. explain how these technologies provide
Resiliency is not one technology. It is a systems spoofing detection and mitigation through
architecture that combines complementary multi-sensor integration, including visual
capabilities across GNSS, non-GNSS alternatives, navigation systems, IMUs and solar navigation.
inertial systems, signals of opportunity, vision- There’s also been increased interest
based navigation, and emerging space and in the L5 signal, as it’s more resilient to
terrestrial layers. Working in concert, they create jamming than L1. oneNav has developed a
a robust, adaptive PNT ecosystem that can high-accuracy solution, not dependent on
operate through disruption, not merely around it. L1, that can serve as an anchor to a more
In this issue, we spotlight the growing range robust GNSS system. Co-founder Paul
of efforts to deliver that layered approach. From McBurney provides an overview of the
space-based alternatives and battlefield-capable solution and its benefits in Beyond GNSS.
sensor fusion to commercial innovations in New Washington View columnist Dana
high-accuracy positioning and visual navigation, Goward provides insight into how the current
these solutions reflect the future of PNT. administration’s efforts to revamp the
The U.S. Space Force is leading the way, with government could impact PNT, with updates
a strategy that integrates next-gen technologies on two stalled efforts and the new interest
while protecting GPS constellations. We recently from the FCC. He also recognizes several
spoke with Col. Matthew Spencer for an update on retiring industry leaders, including DOT’s
GPS modernization, OCX, M-Code deployment, Karen Van Dyke. She’s had a remarkable career
alternative PNT initiatives and the evolving role advocating for and advancing PNT, and is the
of LEO constellations in military navigation. focus of this issue’s Human Engineering.
The article kicks off our U.S. PNT package. In Working Papers, authors from
“Our job is to protect, evolve and sustain Thales Alenia Space detail how LEO PNT
GPS,” Spencer said. “At the same time, we must is poised to become part of a systems of
innovate to ensure that if GPS is ever denied, systems approach to meeting increasingly
our forces still have trusted alternatives.” demanding PNT performance requirements,
The U.S. Army is working with the industry while Peter Gutierrez takes us to the
to field assured PNT solutions for mounted Munich Satellite Navigation Summit.
and dismounted operations. That focus on This is a pivotal moment. We are no
PNT Modernization led to the development longer planning for hypothetical GPS
of the MAPS and DAPS Programs of denial—we are architecting systems to
Record. In a recent interview, the product endure it. That shift is evident throughout
managers provided updates on both. this issue and the industry itself.

10 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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 NEWS

360 DEGREES
G S
CALGARY, ALBERTA

Precision Meets Purpose

News from the world of GNSS Inside Hexagon’s strategic acquisition of Septentrio.

about combining complementary tech-

nologies and teams to create a new standard
of positioning performance, especially
for emerging applications that demand
robustness in smaller, more power-efficient
form factors.

BUILDING A BETTER GNSS ECOSYSTEM:

MOSAIC, ASTERX, OEM7 AND BEYOND
The integration of Septentrio’s GNSS
technologies into Hexagon’s portfolio
is already showing promise in advanc-
ing product development. Septentrio’s
well-regarded AsteRx receivers and
Mosaic modules will be paired with
Hexagon | NovAtel’s offerings, creating a
Hexagon recently acquired Septentrio, a leader
in high-precision positioning solutions.
Photos courtesy of Hexagon.
I n a bold move to advance the state
of GNSS technology and accelerate
the path to full autonomy, Hexagon
deeper and more flexible GNSS ecosystem.
“Our product synergies are signifi-
cant,” Dale explained. “Hexagon brings
recently acquired Septentrio, a long- deep expertise in sensor fusion, anti-
time leader in high-precision position- jamming and perception technologies.
ing solutions. Inside GNSS recently sat Septentrio’s strengths in modular GNSS
down with Gordon Dale, president of platforms—especially for low SWaP—
Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions divi- perfectly complement that.”
sion, to understand the strategic motiva- For example, the Mosaic GNSS module,
tions behind the acquisition and what which has gained traction for its ultra-
it means for the future of autonomy, compact design and power efficiency,
GNSS innovation, and mission-critical will benefit from integrated corrections
positioning applications. and resilience technologies pioneered by
Hexagon. Meanwhile, NovAtel’s OEM7
A LONG-TERM VISION ROOTED platform and Septentrio’s AsteRx receiv-
IN PRECISION ers will continue to serve specialized user
“Hexagon’s acquisition of Septentrio bases, many of whom already deploy both
aims to boost our positioning capabili- systems.
ties by enhancing accuracy, reliability “SPAN, our GNSS+INS technology,
and SWaP,” said Dale, referencing the will also play a key role in enhancing the
See Additional News Stories critical design parameters of size, weight performance of Septentrio platforms,”
at [Link]/news
and power that guide modern system Dale added. “And looking forward, we
architecture. “Th is move aligns with expect even greater synergies in future
• Balboa Geo’s POINTER Dual-
Hexagon’s long-term vision of achieving generations of receivers.”
Use PNT Tech Demonstrates
full autonomy, where precise position-
Performance in GPS-Denied
ing is a key building block.” A LEGACY OF GALILEO LEADERSHIP—
Environments, Including “Z” Axis
That vision—one in which sensor fusion, AND A ROADMAP FOR MORE
• The UK’s System-of-Systems real-time corrections, and GNSS resilience Septentrio’s deep roots in the European
Approach to Robust PNT converge to empower autonomous sys- GNSS communit y—especia lly in
• Japanese QZSS Authentication tems—has been a consistent throughline shaping Galileo’s evolution—were
for Spoof-Proof Drone Delivery for Hexagon. The acquisition of Septentrio also a major factor in the acquisition.
isn’t just about market consolidation. It’s With a track record that includes

12 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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contributions to Galileo In-Orbit reduces latency and boosts surveillance drones operating in high-
Validation Element-A (GIOVE-A), throughput. interference environments or robotic
the Open Service Navigation Message • UAVs: Delivery and surveillance systems requiring sub-decimeter repeat-
Authentication (OSNMA) authentica- drones that need to fly beyond visual ability can now benefit from integrated
tion protocol, and the Galileo Public line of sight (BVLOS) under strict solutions that were once out of reach.
Regulated Service (PRS) integration, power and weight constraints. Moreover, the acquisition positions
Septentrio brings not only technical • AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES: Fleets Hexagon to move faster in innovation
prowess but geopolitical relevance to requiring full situational cycles. The joint product roadmap
the Hexagon family. awareness even when GNSS signals ref lects not just harmonization, but
“Hexagon plans to leverage Septentrio’s are degraded or denied. acceleration—with clear lines of inte-
expertise in Galileo capabilities to enhance • AGRICULTURAL AUTOMATION: Smart gration for correction services, sensor
our positioning portfolio and align with tractors, sprayers and harvesters fusion, and advanced signal processing.
future Galileo developments,” Dale said. that rely on precise row-by-row
“By expanding our presence in Europe navigation across large fields. THE VALUE OF INTEGRATION—AND A
and continuing support for the Galileo COMMITMENT TO COLLABORATION
project, we aim to advance high-accuracy A PORTFOLIO BUILT FOR For current Septentrio customers, Dale
positioning technologies, making them THE FUTURE OF POSITIONING emphasized continuity and expanded
more accessible and easier to integrate into With Septentrio now under its wing, value. “We’re committed to preserving
new applications and markets.” Hexagon has gained more than technol- the strengths of the Septentrio brand
This move also supports Hexagon’s ogy—it has acquired momentum. The while enhancing its capabilities,” he said.
strategic goal of being globally rele- new combined portfolio significantly “Our partners and customers can expect
vant in every GNSS regime, including expands opportunities to serve mission- the same trusted solutions—but now
Europe’s Galileo, the U.S. GPS constel- critical applications in both legacy and with expanded development resources,
lation, and emerging regional systems. next-gen markets. It also brings addi- broader global support, and a wider
tional depth to Hexagon’s strategy for technology ecosystem.”
ACCELERATING AUTONOMY ACROSS software-defined GNSS, embedded He also noted Hexagon will continue to
HIGH-GROWTH MARKETS security, and vertical market integration. invest in Septentrio’s engineering talent,
At its core, the acquisition is a catalyst viewing the acquisition as a team expan-
for accelerating autonomy across sectors ”HEXAGON’S ACQUISITION OF sion as much as a technology one. The
that rely on resilient and scalable posi- SEPTENTRIO AIMS TO BOOST R&D roadmap now includes joint engi-
tioning. From drone-based delivery and OUR POSITIONING neering projects between Septentrio and
infrastructure inspection to field robotics NovAtel teams, aligning around shared
CAPABILITIES BY
and autonomous vehicles, high-precision goals in positioning accuracy, cyber resil-
GNSS is quickly becoming non-negotiable. ENHANCING ACCURACY, ience, and real-time situational awareness.
“By combining Hexagon’s a nd RELIABILITY AND SWaP.
Septentrio’s strengths, we aim to deliver THIS MOVE ALIGNS A PLATFORM FOR INDUSTRY
technology with the lowest SWaP with- WITH HEXAGON’S LONG-TERM VISION TRANSFORMATION
out compromising performance,” Dale OF ACHIEVING FULL AUTONOMY, Dale concluded the interview with a call
said. “This enables the development of to action—for integrators, developers
WHERE PRECISE POSITIONING IS A KEY
more reliable autonomous systems in and end users to rethink what’s possible
compact platforms that demand high BUILDING BLOCK.” when precision meets purpose.
accuracy and resilience.” Gordon Dale, president, Hexagon’s Autonomous Solutions division “This acquisition isn’t about status
The operational demands of robotic quo. It’s about enabling autonomy that’s
systems require more than just centimeter- “The increasing demand for compact, scalable, deployable and truly resilient,”
level accuracy. They need continuity, integ- mission-critical applications—especially he said. “As positioning becomes the
rity and reliability. Dale emphasized that in robotics and UAVs—drives our strat- foundation for smarter machines and
Hexagon’s expanded portfolio now offers egy,” Dale said. “By combining Hexagon intelligent infrastructure, the combined
the full stack: raw GNSS data, real-time and Septentrio’s solutions, we’ve made strengths of Hexagon and Septentrio
corrections, anti-jam mitigation, IMU significant advancements in form factor will help lead the way.”
integration and edge processing—all in and power efficiency without sacrificing With a reinforced portfolio, stronger
increasingly compact forms. performance.” presence in Europe, and a sharpened focus
This is particularly impactful for These improvements allow Hexagon to on compact, high-performance platforms,
sectors like: serve smaller, more agile platforms and Hexagon is positioning itself to define the
• ROBOTICS: Warehouse and extend into new application domains next chapter in GNSS innovation—one
industrial automation systems where larger GNSS receivers were that blends heritage, agility and vision to
where high-precision localization once a limiting factor. For example, meet the demands of the autonomy era.

14 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

Washington, D.C.

SpaceX Details Starlink’s Existing and

Potential PNT Capabilities in Response
to FCC Inquiry
S paceX submitted reply comments to
the FCC describing how its Starlink
LEO satellite system provides and could
further support PNT services. The filing
was submitted as part of the FCC’s Notice of Inquiry (NOI) into
promoting resilient and diverse PNT capabilities across the U.S.
The NOI seeks to explore solutions to bolster the robustness
of PNT services. Recognizing the vulnerabilities of GPS to
jamming and spoofi ng, the FCC is soliciting input on both
space-based and terrestrial alternatives.
SpaceX outlined several technical aspects of the Starlink
system it argues are relevant to PNT:

Existing Timing and Positioning Capabilities

SpaceX states that Starlink terminals can provide nanosecond-
level timing accuracy and meter-level positioning using time-
of-arrival measurements. Its network supports applications
requiring precise timing without relying on external GPS sources.
Timing signals are derived from the LEO constellation and
synchronized through the network’s broadband infrastructure.

Architecture and System Design

The fi ling emphasizes the Starlink system is built around
features SpaceX considers relevant for robust PNT support:
LEO CONFIGURATION: With thousands of satellites in LEO, the
system offers global coverage and short signal travel times.
DIRECTIONAL ANTENNAS: The phased-array user terminals are
an advantage for signal integrity and interference mitigation.
ENDTOEND ENCRYPTION: According to the fi ling, this
makes Starlink’s timing and positioning information less
susceptible to spoofi ng or tampering.
SpaceX notes that Starlink is in commercial use and has
been tested by military and civilian users.

Integration with a Layered PNT Framework

In response to the FCC’s interest in a “layered” approach to
PNT resilience, SpaceX positions Starlink as one of multiple
complementary solutions. The company argues diverse, inde-
pendently operated systems can provide redundancy and
reduce dependency on one technology or spectrum band.
The filing also addresses whether Starlink qualifies as a PNT
system. It reiterates that Starlink was developed independently
of government funding and can scale rapidly via SpaceX’s
vertically integrated manufacturing and launch model.

Spectrum Use
SpaceX confirms Starlink operates in Ku- and Ka-band spec-
trum allocated for broadband services and is not proposing
new spectrum allocations for PNT-specific use.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 15

WASHINGTON VIEW

T
he current administration’s vicinity. Consequently, this year’s
efforts to revamp the CGSIC event will not be held with
government could have a ION GNSS+ in Baltimore. No date
significant impact on the or location for the group’s next
PNT community. meeting has been announced.
Forums in which administrations
previously sought input and The FCC Takes an Interest
advice have been put on hold, yet a At about the same time as these
vigorous discussion has sprung up two government outreach efforts
with the Federal Communications were paused, the FCC, an agency
Commission (FCC). At the same technically independent of the
time, long-serving government PNT administration, became very
experts have retired, each taking interested in national PNT issues.
decades of experience with them. This interest was likely at least
partially fueled by two petitions, one
Government Turmoil from NextNav and the other from the
National Association of Broadcasters
and the PNT Community (NAB), seeking to establish terrestrial
PNT systems. The one from NextNav
Two federal efforts have been put on hold and experts with years of expertise in the asks for approximately $5 billion
PNT industry have retired, all changes that could affect the industry moving forward. worth of spectrum to fund the
system, while NAB is just asking
DANA A. GOWARD Government Outreach for adoption of a new television
Two important federal efforts to signal format to be accelerated.
get public input on PNT issues At the FCC’s March open
have recently been put on hold. meeting, each of the commissioners,
The President’s National Space- led by Chair Brendan Carr,
Based PNT Advisory Board has expressed their concern about
met twice each year since its America’s over-dependence on GPS
inception in 2004, but the board’s and the need for complementary
charter expired on April 25. Future and alternative systems. This led
meetings are on hold while the new to a 27-page Notice of Inquiry
administration reviews the more (NOI) soliciting public input on
than 1,000 groups that have been a wide range of technical and
operating under the provisions of the policy issues. As of this writing,
Federal Advisory Committee Act. more than 80 individuals and
The charter for the Department of organizations submitted responses.
Dana A. Goward
Transportation’s Civil GPS Service
is President of the non- Interface Committee (CGSIC) “While many members
profit Resilient Navigation appears to still be in place. This of the PNT community
and Timing Foundation, forum is the federal government’s
a public benefit charity method of getting feedback and are heartened by the
advocating for policies and systems to protect GPS input from civil users across the FCC’s interest, some
satellites, signals and users. He is a member of the globe. In the past, the committee have observed that the
President’s National Space-Based Advisory Board, met immediately prior to, and at
and has received multiple international awards the same venue as, the Institute of agency’s authorities and
for his leadership and advocacy for resilient PNT Navigation (ION)’s GNSS+ annual responsibilities are not
architectures. Goward is a retired Coast Guard officer
conference. The synergy benefited well positioned to address
and helicopter pilot. In 2013, he retired from the
both events and attendees.
federal Senior Executive Service having served as the
We understand new federal national PNT resilience on
maritime navigation authority for the United States.
policy requires these kinds of its own.”
government meetings to be held in Dana Goward, president,
Washington, D.C. or its immediate Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation

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WASHINGTON VIEW

While many members of the “While we are sure James J. Miller was the Designated
PNT community are heartened Federal Officer for both the PNT
by the FCC’s interest, some have
dedicated government Advisory Board and the National
observed that the agency’s authorities personnel will make every Space Council’s User Advisory
and responsibilities are not well effort, the loss of these Group. Miller left a technology
positioned to address national PNT job with United Airlines for a
resilience on its own. They have
highly experienced PNT senior PNT position with the
urged for a whole-of-government experts in critical roles will Department of Transportation
approach in concert with the be difficult to overcome.” in 2003. In 2005, he became the
administration and Congress. PNT policy lead for NASA.
Dana Goward, president,
This and other recommendations Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation Jason Kim has served the
were included in a response to the government in a variety of PNT
NOI submitted by the Resilient for 25 years before serving roles since 1994. He supported
Navigation and Timing Foundation. another 17 years as the Executive NASA, the White House Office
Secretariat for DOT’s Civil GPS of Science and Technology Policy,
Loss of Government Expertise Service Interface Committee. and the Department of State,
and Experience Dr. A.J. Oria supported government and joined the Department of
In addition to changes in PNT programs from 1998 until this Commerce in 1998. Before retiring,
government outreach, the last few year as an aerospace engineer with he served as the Chief of Staff for
months have seen the retirement Overlook Systems Technologies Inc. the Office of Space Commerce.
of several long-serving full-time Oria’s advice and support to NASA Karen Van Dyke became the
experts. They represent a wealth over the last 22 years were essential Department of Transportation’s
of government PNT expertise and to the success of the National Space- (DOT) Volpe National
experience that will be difficult Based PNT Advisory Board. Transportation Systems Center’s
to replace. They include: Principal Technical Advisor for GPS
Mike Dunn, Technical Director in 1988. After serving 20 years at
GPS Wing, Space and Missile Volpe, she became DOT’s Director
Systems Center. Dunn has been of PNT and Spectrum Management
involved in space systems for in 2008. DOT leads national policy
more than 50 years and supported for civil GPS and PNT. Van Dyke
the GPS program at Los Angeles was the senior-most official with
Air Force Base for the last 27. in-depth GNSS technical and policy
Larry Hothem, Senior Physical expertise for most of her career.
Scientist, U. S. Geological Survey.
Hothem was the Department of Jamming and Moving Forward
Photo courtesy of John Hartzell.

Interior’s lead for GPS and GNSS issues. spoofing are growing The changes in how the federal
A past president of ION, he pioneered threats to GPS users. government interacts with the
the use of GNSS in remote sensing. public are concerning but may
Rick Hamilton was a U.S. not turn out to be exceptionally
Coast Guard hands-on navigator detrimental to the nation’s
overall PNT efforts. On the
other hand, people matter. They
The Need for Resiliency matter a lot. While we are sure
The FCC, recognizing a need for resiliency, issued a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) dedicated government personnel
for comments on complementary and alternative solutions to GPS in late will make every effort, the loss
March, with the comment period closing on April 28. of these highly experienced
The FCC “regularly addresses issues at the intersection of technological PNT experts in critical roles
innovation and national security and this Notice of Inquiry (NOI) holds the
will be difficult to overcome.
potential to make progress on both fronts,” Commissioner Geoffrey Starks
We send our best wishes to those
said in a statement, according to the NOI.
who recently retired, along with
“Positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) services underpin the modern
our thanks for their decades of
economy while providing a vital function for America’s military,” he said.
“Though the Global Positioning System (GPS) continues to serve its users service and good work. We also
effectively, the lack of alternative systems is a vulnerability that necessitates send best wishes to those who
action. As other countries make progress developing and deploying new will take their places—along with
PNT systems, it’s imperative that the United States keep pace.” our offer of whatever help and
support we are able to provide.

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Photos courtesy of Analog Devices.

Precision, Performance and Integration

The ADIS16576 from Analog Devices sets
a new standard for MEMS IMUs.

I
n the fast-moving world of autonomous outputs, leading to guidance anomalies, diagnostics—all of which combine to of-
systems and advanced navigation particularly in UAVs operating under in- fer a MEMS IMU that delivers not only
platforms, precision and reliability tense vibrational conditions. performance but also ease of integration.
are paramount. From unmanned aerial Another major innovation is the inclu-
vehicles (UAVs) to autonomous ground sion of a crystal oscillator—making the SIMPLIFYING INTEGRATION
vehicles (AGVs), the inertial measurement ADIS16576 the first compact MEMS IMU to THROUGH FACTORY CALIBRATION
unit (IMU) plays a vital role in providing the incorporate one. This addition enhances One of the recurring challenges devel-
critical data required for real-time naviga- sample clock precision by more than 100 opers face is the time and cost involved
tion, stabilization and system control. In times, allowing for more consistent and in calibrating IMUs for a specific system
a recent conversation with Inside GNSS, synchronized data acquisition. For devel- or platform. Analog Devices has tackled
Tzeno Galchev, director of MEMS market- opers working on tightly coupled navi- this head-on with an advanced factory
ing at Analog Devices, offered insight into gation systems, this precision translates calibration process that eliminates the
the next-generation capabilities of the directly into improved state estimation need for exhaustive, temperature-varied
ADIS16576 IMU and what sets it apart in and better overall performance. motion profiles during system integration.
a competitive landscape. The ADIS16576 also boasts a 10x in- “ADI’s factory calibration process is one
crease in serial communication through- of the most important ‘ease of use’ features
A LEAP FORWARD put, a deep FIFO buff er of 512 samples in the ADIS16576,” Galchev explained. “In
IN MEMS IMU PERFORMANCE per sensor, and signifi cantly expanded many cases, AGV/UAV platforms can align
“The ADIS16576 offers a substantial leap
forward in core sensor performance,”
Galchev said. One of the most impressive
advancements is its dramatically reduced
“ADI’S FACTORY CALIBRATION PROCESS is one
vibration rectification error (VRE): a 10x of the most important ‘ease of use’ features
improvement in gyroscope VRE and a stag-
gering 50x improvement in accelerometer
in the ADIS16576. In many cases, AGV/UAV
VRE compared to previous models. This is platforms can align the ADIS16576 with their
particularly significant because VRE has
long been a limiting factor in high-precision
inertial reference frames using very simple
navigation and stabilization applications. motion profiles, at a single temperature.”
VRE-induced errors can compromise gyro- Tzeno Galchev,
scope bias stability and skew accelerometer director of MEMS marketing, Analog Devices

20 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

the ADIS16576 with their inertial reference “THE ADIS16576 OFFERS

frames using very simple motion profiles,
at a single temperature.” a substantial leap
Customers have reported this feature forward in core sensor
alone has saved them more than two years
of test development time, which can trans- performance.”
late to over $2 million in capital expenses,
Tzeno Galchev,
Galchev said. Moreover, what once took director of MEMS marketing,
hours can now be accomplished in min- Analog Devices

utes, significantly increasing production

capacity and reducing time to market.
embedded processor platforms sup-
UNDERSTANDING port SPI with dedicated ports and a
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF VRE simple set of configuration commands,“
comma
Vibration rectifi cation error may sound Galchev said. By expanding the maximum
max The ADIS16576
esoteric, but its implications are concrete serial data rates, the ADIS16576 reduces pushes the boundaries
of what’s possible in
and consequential. “In accelerometers, it system communication overhead by a
compact MEMS IMUs.
directly impacts initial attitude estimates factor of seven compared to previous-
as a UAV is powering up,“ Galchev noted. generation IMUs.
”In gyroscopes, VRE represents a rapid Furthermore, improvements in error
change in gyroscope bias, which can trigger detection and recovery reduce disruptions
Key ADIS16576
erroneous maneuvers in a UAV’s guidance caused by electromagnetic interference
Features Include:
navigation control [GNC].” (EMI), making the unit more reliable in
• A 10x improvement in
Poor VRE performance can limit the electrically noisy environments. These
gyroscope vibration rectification
environments a UAV can safely oper- enhancements make integration faster,
error (VRE)
ate in, especially when faced with the simpler and more robust.
high-vibration environments common • A 50x improvement in
to rotorcraft and fi xed-wing drones. By REAL-TIME HEALTH MONITORING accelerometer VRE compared to
minimizing VRE, the ADIS16576 provides a FOR SAFER AUTONOMY previous models
level of robustness that opens the door to As autonomy becomes more prevalent, • A crystal oscillator, enhancing
broader and more demanding use cases. the demand for real-time system health sample clock precision by more
monitoring has surged. ”Most application than 100 times to enable more
BUILT FOR EXTREME CONDITIONS spaces are requiring increasing levels of consistent and synchronized
The ADIS16576 is engineered to operate re- error detection and recovery,“ Galchev data acquisition
liably across a wide range of temperatures obser ved. The ADIS16576 delivers on • A10x increase in serial
and shock conditions. With full calibration this front with both continuous and user- communication throughput
coverage across the industrial tempera- initiated diagnostic checks covering all • Expanded diagnostics
ture range of -40°C to +85°C, it enables six inertial sensors and multiple memory
• Easy integration
UAVs and AVs to perform consistently at blocks.
high altitudes and in varied geographies It also includes tools to validate com-
throughout the year. munication integrity, verify flash memory
Shock survivability is another strength storage, detect processor overruns, and calibration and robust diagnostics, this
of the device, enhancing durability dur- initiate resets when necessary. These di- device is a true step forward in enabling
ing handling, assembly and even minor agnostics are vital for ensuring operational safer, more efficient and more precise
in-field collisions. For platforms designed safety, especially in safety-critical control autonomous systems.
to operate in harsh or unpredictable envi- GNC functions of autonomous platforms. A s developers seek solutions that
ronments, this ruggedness is more than minimize integration complexity while
a bonus—it’s essential. CONCLUSION: A SMARTER IMU maximizing performance, the ADIS16576
FOR A SMARTER WORLD stands out as a powerful tool for build-
STREAMLINED COMMUNICATION With the ADIS16576, Analog Devices ing the next generation of UAVs, AGVs
AND DATA INTEGRITY has pushed the boundaries of what ’s and other intelligent platforms. It’s not
The SPI-compatible data communication possible in compact MEMS IMUs. From just an incremental improvement—it’s
interface in the ADIS16576 is optimized breakthrough vibration rejection and a new benchmark for what MEMS IMUs
for embedded system integration. ”Most sample clock precision to user-friendly can deliver. 

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 21

    U.S. PNT 
RESILIENT NAVIGATION

Driving Resilient Navigation

Col. Matthew Spencer on GPS modernization,
OCX progress and the future of assured PNT.
INSIDE GNSS EDITORIAL STAFF

Spencer noted, “we’re able to deliver

Col Matthew Spencer joins capabilities faster and more responsively
his counterparts from to the warfighter.”
Galileo, GPS and BeiDou
during a panel discussion
at the Munich Satellite M-Code Activation: A Major Step Forward
Navigation Summit. One of the most significant milestones
over the past year has been the activation
of the M-Code signal across the GPS
constellation. "Full global coverage is
achieved with 24 active space vehicles in
view at all times, enabling robust anti-
jam and anti-spoof capabilities. With 25
space vehicles currently broadcasting
Photos courtesy of Dr. Anne Le.

the secure, high power M-Code signal,

we've made this a reality," Spencer said.
Early adoption of M-Code using exist-
ing ground systems is already under-
way, he said, providing critical lessons

A “Assured PNT isn’t just

s the global demand for resilient learned. Interest from allied nations
and assured positioning, naviga- is growing, with interoperability and
tion and timing (PNT) solutions
about protecting our security continuing to be key priorities.
accelerates, the United States Space Force systems. It’s “M-Code provides a much more re-
(USSF) is adapting with a forward-looking about ensuring silient signal environment,” Spencer
strategy that integrates next-generation explained. “And the work we’ve done
technologies while protecting the reli-
interoperability with our allies shows that there’s strong
ability of the GPS constellation. In a rare and confidence in interest internationally in leveraging
and candid interview with Inside GNSS, the entire GNSS ecosystem.” this capability.”
Colonel Matthew Spencer, Commander
Colonel Matthew Spencer, Commander and Senior Materiel
and Senior Materiel Leader for the PNT Leader, PNT Systems Delta, Space Systems Command Exploring the Frontier:
Systems Delta within USSF Space Systems LEO PNT Opportunities
Command, provided a detailed update advancing, providing enhanced com- Spencer also highlighted the potential
on the GPS Operational Control Segment mand and control capabilities crucial for of LEO-based navigation services. With
(OCX), M-Code deployment, alternate M-Code operations and overall mission commercial LEO constellations expanding
PNT initiatives, and the evolving role of assurance. rapidly, the military is studying how these
commercial low Earth orbit (LEO) constel- Highlighting organizational changes, systems could augment traditional GNSS.
lations in military navigation. Spencer discussed the realignment initi- Spencer described both the opportuni-
This in-depth conversation offers a ated by USSF Chief of Space Operations, ties and challenges: “LEO offers higher
unique and precise view of programs General B. Chance Saltzman, to create received power and closer proximity, but
critical to national security and global Integrated Mission Deltas (IMDs) and the fast-moving satellites require more
stability. System Deltas (SYDs). This reorgani- frequent signal reacquisition.” The Space
zation empowers operators with early Force, through AFWERX initiatives, has
A New Era: OCX Progress and feedback mechanisms and smoother awarded $1.9 million across 20 companies
the Shift to Integrated Mission Deltas delivery pathways, an evolution designed to explore LEO PNT possibilities.
Spencer confirmed that the OCX pro- to streamline mission effectiveness and Spencer stressed that while com-
gram remains on schedule to support reduce integration friction. mercial investment drives innovation,
both GPS III and GPS IIIF constellations. “By combining the acquisition and military requirements— including secure
OCX Block 1 and Block 2 milestones are operational sides earlier in the lifecycle,” signal architectures—remain paramount.

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    U.S. PNT 
RESILIENT NAVIGATION

Building a Resilient GPS Constellation bedrock principle of assured PNT strat-

The Resilient GPS (R-GPS) initiative, U.S. Space Force egies. Spencer noted that modern GNSS
which aims to provide resiliency to the receivers increasingly support open signals
GPS constellation with smaller, cost effec- PNT Action Items from Galileo and Quasi-Zenith Satellite
tive satellites, does not seek to replace GPS • Coordinate Across Services: System (QZSS), alongside GPS. The Army’s
but to complement it, Spencer said. This Continue close collaboration Alternative Navigation (ALTNAV) pro-
parallel capability will help ensure military with the Army PNT Program gram is also making strides, including
users maintain reliable navigation, even Office, Navy, Marines, and Air work on L5-based resiliency.
in degraded or contested environments. Force to deliver integrated Monitoring and guaranteeing quality
“We don’t necessarily need centime- of service for L5 signals is a major focus,
capabilities.
ter-level accuracy for all use cases,” he he said, especially as dual-frequency,
said. “What we need is assurance and • Collect Feedback on Alternative multi-constellation receivers become
persistence.” PNT: Encourage operational the norm.
User feedback, he said, will continue user communities to evaluate “Assured PNT isn’t just about pro-
to inform how alternate PNT solutions and report on the usability of tecting our systems,” Spencer said. “It’s
are fielded and integrated into broader emerging PNT solutions. about ensuring interoperability and con-
operational concepts. fidence in the entire GNSS ecosystem.”
• Explore Dual-Use Innovations:
Spencer also addressed the accelerating
Investigate technologies such
tempo of space launches and its impact on Commercial LEO for Navigation:
as quantum sensing that offer
acquisition models. Smaller, lighter satel- A Promising Horizon
lites are now a priority to enable multiple new avenues for resilient Recent work by the University of Texas
payload deployments on a single launch navigation and timing. at Austin on using Starlink signals for
vehicle—a key factor in building resiliency. navigation caught Spencer’s attention.
“Agility is essential,” Spencer em- While operational hurdles remain, he sees
phasized. “We have to align acquisition promise in leveraging commercial LEO
timelines with the pace of launch op-
“We don’t necessarily constellations for military navigation,
portunities and commercial innovation.” need centimeter-level provided proper safeguards are in place.
The integration of resilient small sat- accuracy for all use cases. “We have an opportunity to adapt
ellites alongside GPS III and GPS IIIF commercially funded capabilities to
platforms forms a layered architecture
What we need is assurance meet military needs,” Spencer said.
designed to maintain superiority across and persistence.” “Future receiver chips are likely to be
multiple domains. Colonel Matthew Spencer, Commander and Senior Materiel LEO-capable by default.”
Leader, PNT Systems Delta, Space Systems Command He highlighted the importance of
Reverse Industry Days: supporting a robust commercial space
A New Model for Collaboration disruptive technologies can make the sector, not only for communications but
Another innovation championed by System biggest impact.” for navigation and timing resilience.
Delta leadership has been Reverse Industry Participation from across all services—
Days (RID), a format where military pro- Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines—ensures A Critical Time for PNT
gram offices solicit feedback directly from joint requirements are fully represented. Spencer’s remarks underscore a pivotal
industry representatives. moment for military PNT. With OCX
“The goal is to foster real dialogue,” Interoperability, ALTNAV progressing toward full operational
he said. “Industry insights help us refine and Open Signals capability, M-Code becoming a real-
our requirements and discover where International collaboration remains a ity, and alternate PNT solutions on
the horizon, the U.S. Space Force is
Col Matthew Spencer
balancing the legacy of GPS with the
delivers his keynote innovation needed for future conflicts.
address at the Despite the influx of alternate sys-
Munich Satellite tems and complementary technologies,
Navigation Summit. Spencer said, GPS remains the bench-
mark for reliability, integrity and con-
sistency, and is still the gold standard.
“Our job is to protect, evolve and sus-
Photos courtesy of Xxxxx.

tain GPS,” Spencer said. “At the same

time, we must innovate to ensure that
if GPS is ever denied, our forces still
have trusted alternatives.”

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 Photos courtesy of Calian GNSS.
Strengthening GNSS Resilience
at the Source
The critical role of GNSS antennas.

I “A HIGH-PERFORMANCE
n an increasingly interconnec ted
world, the reliability of global naviga-
tion satellite system (GNSS) services ANTENNA CAN
suppor ts critical infrastructure, from SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE
aviation and maritime navigation to
telecommunications, agriculture and system resilience by ensuring
financial systems. As threats to GNSS only the desired GNSS
signals—ranging from unintentional
inter ference to deliberate jamming— frequencies are processed,
continue to grow, building resilience reducing the noise floor
into the system is no longer optional.
While sof t ware -based defenses and and increasing the signal-
downstream technologies get much of to-noise ratio (SNR).”
the attention, the first line of defense
is often overlooked: the GNSS antenna. Mohamed Emara,
PEng, Ph.D., Senior RF Engineer
Calian GNSS, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
THE ANTENNA: THE UNSUNG
HERO OF GNSS RESILIENCE
GNSS antennas are the gateway to space-
based navigation data. Every signal that antenna is the first—and often the most
fuels precision positioning, navigation and effective—layer of defense.
timing (PNT) solutions starts its journey
through an antenna. As such, the antenna’s ENVIRONMENTAL AND
design, performance and configuration MECHANICAL RESILIENCE
play a pivotal role in ensuring the integ- A resilient GNSS system also requires
rity, continuity and availability of GNSS antennas that can withs t and har sh
services. environments—extreme temperatures,
Modern threats to GNSS aren’t just physical shock, vibrations and electro-
about accidental interference—they’re magnetic threats. Ruggedized enclosures,
GNSS antennas serve as also about intentional jamming. Jamming weatherproofing and electromagnetic
the gateway to space-based devices can easily block GNSS signals that shielding ensure continuous operation in
navigation data. are already weak when they reach Earth. field conditions, whether on a remote oil rig,
In these hostile environments, a robust a military convoy or a satellite uplink station.

26 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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FILTERING OUT THE NOISE: across multiple frequencies (L1,

INTERFERENCE REJECTION AT THE L2, L5, etc.) ensure receivers
FRONT END have more signals to estimate
Advanced GNSS antennas are equipped PNT.
with high-quality filters that reject out-of- A jamming attack may target
band interference before it reaches the the GPS/Galileo L1/E1 signals,
antenna low noise amplifi er (LNA) and but if the antenna is also receiving GPS L2
GNSS receiver. With the proliferation of and Galileo E5b signals, the XF+ antenna CR8894SXF+
adjacent-band systems like 5G, interfer- will provide a usable signal to the receiver. This family of
ence at the antenna level is becoming more Thus, an XF+ enabled multi-band GNSS products is
designed to
frequent. A high-performance antenna can antenna is an integral component in a
mitigate three
significantly improve system resilience by resilient GNSS system. jamming signals
ensuring only the desired GNSS frequen- in both the upper
cies are processed, reducing the noise LOW ELEVATION ANGLE NULLING and lower band
fl oor and increasing the signal-to-noise ANTENNA for a total of six.
ratio (SNR). Low elevation angle nulling antennas
Calian’s XF+ technolog y provide 80 (LEANA) offer significant benefi ts where
dB of out-of-band mitigation (from 400- interference and jamming signals are
AJ977XF+
2500 MHz). The + feature splits the signal transmitted from the ground up to an
An anti-jam
amplification paths into two independent elevation angle of approximately 15 de- triple band
frequency channels (upper [L1] and lower grees. By suppressing or "nulling" signals GNSS antenna
[L2] bands). The result is that XF+ will en- coming from low elevation angles, LEANA from Calian.
able the antenna to continue to provide antennas attenuate the jamming signal
the attached receiver with a usable signal by approximately 15 to 20 dB and prevent
if either L1 band or L2 is jammed but not the antenna’s LNA from saturating. As a
both. result, systems using LEANA antennas can
continue to function when the jammer is 10
MULTI-BAND, MULTI-FREQUENCY times closer to the LEANA than a standard is now available for commercial and critical
CAPABILITY: DIVERSITY AS A GNSS antenna. (See Calian TW3742AJ and infrastructure use. Paired with sophisti-
DEFENSE AJ977XF+ LEANA products.) cated GNSS receivers, CRPA antennas give
Resilient GNSS systems increasingly rely operators an agile, intelligent front-end
on multi-frequency and multi-constellation DIRECTIONAL BEAMFORMING defense against in-band interference and
capabilities. Antennas that support GPS, AND NULL STEERING jamming signals. Calian’s CR8894SXF+ fam-
Galileo, BeiDou and regional systems State-of-the-art GNSS antennas now in- ily of products are designed to mitigate
clude controlled recep- three jamming signals in both the upper
tion pattern antennas and lower band for a total of six. Calian’s
(CRPA s), which use CRPA technology provides mitigation rang-
beamforming tech- ing from 20 dB (wide band chirp jammer
niques to suppress and enables PNT estimation up to 10 times
inter ference from closer to the jammer) to 40 dB (continuous
jamming sources. By wave jammer and enables PNT estimation
electronically steering up to 100 times closer to the jammer).
nulls toward interfer-
ence sources, CRPAs INVESTING IN THE RIGHT
provide a power ful RESILIENT GNSS ANTENNA PAYS
mechanism for real- DIVIDENDS
time resilience and Choosing a high-quality GNSS antenna is
situational aware- not a minor detail—it’s a strategic decision
n e s s in a re a s w i t h that can make or break a mission-critical
ac tive jamming or system. For operators designing resil-
interference. ient PNT solutions, investing in the right
T his te chno log y, antenna isn’t just smart—it’s essential.
Null Radiation Pattern. once reser ved for Contact Calian GNSS for more information
military applications, at [Link]@[Link]. 

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 27

    U.S. PNT 
PEO IEW&S

U.S. Army Taking a Layered

Approach to PNT
An update on the U.S. Army’s MAPS and DAPS Programs of Record and ongoing efforts
to field assured PNT solutions for both mounted and dismounted operations.
RENEE KNIGHT

can cut through significant spoofing

and jamming and continue to navigate.”
Along with the sensor integration,
ALTNAV, a specific system that pro-
vides U.S. Army hardened signals, is
also being added to receivers for im-
proved resiliency, Trzeciak said. This
layered approach is critical and is the
driving force behind two Programs
of Record: Dismounted Assured PNT
System (DAPS) and Mounted Assured
PNT System (MAPS).
A soldier views Trzeciak and the respective product
PNT data from
managers provide an update on both
Photos courtesy of U.S. Army.

a Dismounted
Assured PNT programs, as well as a new initiative
System (DAPS) known as NorthStar.
on Nett Warrior.
Building Resiliency
for Dismounted Systems

R
el iable PN T i s c ent r a l to Such solutions deploy additional DAPS GEN II, which received Full-
American military operations, sensors to validate the integrity of any Rate Production (FRP) approval last
whether mounted or dismount- signal received and provide necessary August, offers dismounted soldiers as-
ed, making GPS a popular target for positioning data even when GPS isn’t sured PNT through integrity checks and
adversaries. As the spoofing and jam- available, Trzeciak said. These sensors access to multiple integrated sensors,
ming threat continues to grow, backup include inertial measurement units Product Manager Dismounted Assured
solutions that enable multi-domain (IMUs), wheel speed odometers and PNT, Lt. Col. Zach Denton said. The
operations—even when GPS is disrupted chip-scale atomic clocks. solution fuses inputs from M-Code,
or denied—are clearly needed. “When you pull multiple sensors to- inertial sensors and other PNT sources,
To that end, the U.S. Army is focused gether in a fusion engine,” Trzeciak said, including ALTNAV, allowing soldiers
on PNT Modernization and fielding “you have a powerful PNT device that to freely shoot, move and communicate
Assured PNT solutions. Program
Executive Office, Intelligence, Electronic
Warfare and Sensors (PEO IEW&S), “When you pull multiple sensors
which is made up of seven project man- together in a fusion engine, you
agers dedicated to advancing technol-
ogy for warfighters, is the organization
have a powerful PNT device
responsible for fielding the Army’s that can cut through significant
Assured PNT systems. spoofing and jamming and continue
The goal, Project Manager (PM)
Positioning, Navigation & Timing
to navigate.”
(PNT) Mike Trzeciak said, is to de- Mike Trzeciak, project manager, PNT

velop solutions for both mounted and The Mounted Assured PNT System (MAPS) provides PNT to
dismounted operations that don’t rely mounted Army platforms including vehicles, watercraft and
solely on GNSS signals. munition systems, even when GPS is denied.

28 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

© Safran - ESO / [Link]çada / Daniel Linares - PEMA 2M
    U.S. PNT 
PEO IEW&S

even when GPS is denied. DAPS will

replace the legacy Defense Advanced
GPS Receiver (DAGR).
DAPS operates with the Nett Warrior
system, Denton said, which is the
soldier’s main interface and where they
access visual PNT data. The DAPS GEN
II handheld can also be used in stand-
alone configuration and screen-cast
PNT data to a tactical watch.
A demonstration
“DAPS provides a resilient system of of the U.S. Army’s
systems so you can fight through an Dismounted Assured
EW [electronic warfare] environment,” PNT System (DAPS).
Denton said. “We need to build these
resilient systems that don’t have single
points of failure.”
Because DAPS, now in its second gen- The U.S. Army’s ALTNAV
eration, focuses on devices that are hand Most think of alternative navigation as any GPS complement or back up.
carried, size, weight and power (SWaP) The U.S. Army’s ALTNAV, Mike Trzeciak said, is a signal provided from
is paramount, Denton said. The DAPS radio and commercial satellite systems that has been hardened by the
GEN II uses a fused solution containing Army and put into a receiver. It is in both MAPS and DAPS, and the goal is
RF and non-RF sources of PNT to enable
to also add it to military aircraft and ships.
an assured solution to fight through
those GPS jamming events. “It’s basically a resiliency capability,” Trzeciak said. “If GPS goes away, the
“We are excited about DAPS GEN war-fighter can leverage ALTNAV and continue to receive position and
II,” Denton said, “but are still look- timing data. It’s also the integrity factor. If both GPS and ALTNAV signals
ing at other opportunities. Our goal are received, the delta between them can be calculated along with a
is to provide dismounted soldiers with trust factor.”
the best capability possible at the best
value.”
ensure soldiers have access to assured toward f ielding initia l operating
MAPS: Trusted PNT PNT in GPS denied environments, capability.
Through Layered Sources Product Manager Mounted Assured The first Army brigade is expected to
MAPS provides reliable PNT to mounted PNT, Lt. Col. Damian Dixon said. field MAPS this summer. The Marine
Army platforms, including ground MAPS GEN II is made up of two main Corps is also slated to field MAPS GEN
vehicles, watercraft and munition sys- components: a robust seven-element II in the near future.
tems, even when GPS is denied. Like anti-jam antenna and a navigation “We are on the precipice of provid-
DAPS, PNT is assured through integrity receiver. It recently received FRP ap- ing a system to the warfighter,” Dixon
checks and access to multiple layers. The proval, so Mounted PNT, along with said. “And much like with DAPS, we are
device fuses many different sources to vendor Collins Aerospace, can move constantly looking at and evaluating
cutting edge technology to assure we
are staying ahead of any threats and
enabling the warfighter to have trusted
PNT on their mounted platform.”
“DAPS provides a resilient system One highlight of MAPS GEN II,
of systems so you can fight Dixon said, is it distributes assured
PNT data to multiple clients, such as
through an EW [electronic warfare] radio command systems and the Joint
environment.” Battle Command-Platform (JBC-P), the
Lt. Col. Zach Denton, product manager, Army’s friendly force tracking system
Dismounted Assured PNT that provides a faster satellite network,
secure data encryption and advanced
logistics. This reduces the need for
The Dismounted Assured PNT System (DAPS) offers “redundant GPS receivers and antennas
dismounted soldiers assured PNT through integrity that are on our legacy system,” Dixon
checks and access to multiple integrated sensors. said.

30 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

RELIABLE NAVIGATION.
SIMPLIFIED.
LYNX-VBN is a GPS-denied, vision-based navigation system that
combines image processing, nonlinear sensor fusion, and machine
learning techniques to deliver a flexible solution with demonstrated
performance over a wide range of terrain types, cloud conditions,
and day/night operation.

Less than 10m RMS Position Accuracy in GPS-Denied Environments

Modular Design for Seamless Integration
Navigate with Real-Time FOM and Integrity Monitoring
Adaptable to Your Mission Needs with a Flexible, Open Architecture
Works with Air, Ground, or Dismounted Applications
    U.S. PNT 
PEO IEW&S

Critical Solutions
B ot h mou nted a nd d i smou nted
warfighters need assured PNT for pre-
cise targeting and firing, Trzeciak said.
They’re making decisions based on the
coordinates their GPS gives them and
need to know they can accurately target
and fire munitions.
“To do that, you have to know what
the error is,” Trzeciak said. “The GPS
device is telling me I’m here, but what
is my potential error based on the EW
environment? So, it’s really critical to
make sure their position has integrity
and accuracy.”
The other critical element, Trzeciak Mounted Assured
said, is timing, which MAPS and DAPS PNT System (MAPS)
GEN II installation.
both provide to radio networks, mission
command as well as decision support
hardware to help calculate a firing mis-
sion, for example. Timing information is “We are on the precipice easily upgradeable to meet the different
communicated on Nett Warrior, which challenges in the threat environment.”
delivers situational awareness to dis-
of providing a system For any assured PNT solution, anti-
mounted leaders. to the warfighter. And jam performance and low cost remain
“When you take away time, that situ- much like with DAPS, we paramount, Trzeciak said. Many of
ational awareness goes away,” Trzeciak these technologies, still in their in-
said. “From a MAPS perspective, there
are constantly looking at fancy, are not yet in high rate produc-
are several dozen vehicle systems, from and evaluating cutting tion, making them more expensive. PM
the fire control system in an M1 Abrams edge technology to assure PNT remains on the lookout for low cost
tank to UAV flight control in the back solutions that are also low SWaP so they
of a Stryker, and the MAPS GEN II
we are staying ahead of any can be put in smaller cases and draw
system provides the timing needed to threats and enabling the less power off the soldier and vehicle,
make sure everything stays connected warfighter to have trusted but still provide the same performance
and accurate.” as other options.
PNT on their mounted Developing and fielding such solu-
What’s Next platform.” tions is going to take strong partnerships
While DAPS already has been fielded, Lt. Col. Damian Dixon, product manager, with the Department of Defense (DoD)
Trzeciak expects the first brigade to be Mounted Assured PNT and the PNT community, Trzeciak said.
fielded with MAPS this summer. He Those partnerships have already begun
also expects M-Code to fully replace to form, with everyone working to ef-
legacy devices and said the M-Code ficiently get more resilient PNT solutions
Increment 2 capability will provide even as needed, which is critical in today’s into the hands of the warfighter.
more advanced signal processing into evolving threat environment. “The ground domain has multiple
DAPS and MAPS. A solution with a Modular Open different requirements associated with
“SAASM [Selective Availability Anti- Systems Approach (MOSA) is also the dismounted and mounted environ-
Spoofing Module] was developed in the in the works. Known as NorthStar, ments while munitions have to handle
90s, and it’s no longer as resilient as it Trzeciak said industry white papers the g-forces of being fired out of a gun
once was,” Trzeciak said. “M-Code is are actively being evaluated for what and the associated vibrations,” Trzeciak
the next generation of military-only use will be a modular capability, low cost said. “And the aviation domain has to
GPS and has significant anti-jam and mounted system. meet the strict flight safety regulations.
anti-spoofing capabilities.” “It will be a modular, open system There’s no one solution that fits the bill
M-Code is iterative and will allow that will be able to incorporate sensors across the Army’s portfolio or the DoD’s
for software enhancements and “major and software and drive low integration portfolio…We will continue to look at
increment upgrades.” This approach will complexity,” he said. “The environment, what the community has that can build
make it possible to continually evolve as the Army looks at it, has multiple tiers increased resiliency into our assured
and advance M-Code’s capabilities of threat. We expect NorthStar to be PNT capabilities.”

32 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 TY
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REDEFINING MEMS INERTIAL

[Link]
Photos courtesy of VIAVI.

Assured Advantage:
VIAVI’s Integrated Vision for
Positioning, Navigation and Timing
As GNSS denial becomes a baseline condition across military and “The growing threats to GPS—both ac-
civilian operations, VIAVI Solutions is building a modular, multi- cidental and deliberate—require a new
approach to PNT,” Khaykin continued.
layered PNT ecosystem that integrates precision timing, inertial
“ VIAVI is addressing this challenge by
navigation and signal intelligence. With strategic acquisitions and
delivering modular, interoperable and
field-proven technology, VIAVI is redefining resilience at the edge— scalable solutions that support multiple
where assurance is not optional, and adaptability is mission-critical. layers of PNT resilience.”

F
This platform mindset builds on VIAVI’s
or Oleg Khaykin, President and CEO
“OUR MISSION IS TO long-standing strengths in test, valida-
of VIAVI Solutions, the company’s tion and network visibility, now applied
recent acquisitions in positioning, empower the to navigation and timing environments.
navigation and timing (PNT) represent
integrator. “Our heritage in test and measurement
more than tactical expansion—they mark means we understand how to ensure per-
a strategic alignment with the evolving de- Everything formance, reliability and interoperability
mands of modern defense and infrastruc-
we do is in complex systems,” he said. “This gives
ture. In an era shaped by contested signals, us a unique advantage as we scale PNT
electronic warfare (EW) and autonomy modular by design.” solutions across both defense and com-
at the edge, VIAVI is building a platform mercial applications.”
Jamie Marraccini
that not only withstands disruption but is Vice President, Inertial Labs Products, VIAVI And while national security applications
engineered to operate through it. remain a primary focus, Khaykin noted
“ T he acquisi t ion of Jack s on L abs the demand for resilient, verifiable time
Technologies [JLT], combined with Inertial these components function as part of a and navigation is growing rapidly in civilian
Labs, positions VIAVI as a leader in the reconfigurable system. sectors as well.
resilient PNT space,” Khaykin explained. “By bringing together the precision tim- “Resilient timing and navigation are
“We now offer complementary technolo- ing technologies of Jackson Labs with the becoming essential for critical infrastruc-
gies that enable us to provide complete inertial navigation solutions from Inertial ture, telecommunications and emerging
solutions addressing the entire PNT sig- Labs, we have created a comprehensive autonomy markets,” he said. “ VIAVI is
nal chain—from signal generation and PNT portfolio that few others can match,” building the technology foundation to
distribution to detection and validation.” Khaykin said. “This is especially important meet those needs.”
This “signal chain” view of PNT is central in applications where GNSS signals are
to VIAVI’s thesis. Inertial Labs contributes degraded or denied.” EDGE ENGINEERING:
leading sensor fusion and visual naviga- Khaykin was direct about the evolving VIAVI AND INERTIAL LABS
tion capabilities. Jackson Labs brings high- threat environment: GPS signals, once as- VIAVI’s strategic vision is built on more than
performance timing, holdover stability, and sumed secure, are now routinely denied, acquisition—it’s about integration with pur-
signal conversion through its transcoder spoofed or degraded—particularly in peer pose. That vision becomes tangible through
platform. But what matters most is how or near-peer conflict zones. VIAVI’s collaboration with Inertial Labs, where

34 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

the emphasis is on engineering at the edge: “MOSA ALLOWS CUSTOMERS that the customer can build from—tailored
leveraging onboard sensors, reusing exist- to their mission set.”
ing hardware, and delivering GNSS-resilient to define their Perhaps the most novel approach from
capabilities through sensor fusion, visual solution, using the Inertial Labs side is their philosophy of
odometry, and precise time alignment. sensor reuse. “A camera, already onboard
What sets VIAVI apart is not just its our fusion engine for visual targeting or surveillance, can
ability to survive signal denial—but its or plugging in double as an input for visual navigation,”
modular, sensor-fused approach that Marraccini said. “That is savings in both
adapts to each mission’s constraints and their own, they’re not cost and power. Same goes for radios—
maximizes what’s already onboard. locked into a black box.” already on the platform for comms, but
also usable for positioning via time-of-flight
The Challenge: GNSS Vulnerability Doug Russell measurements.”
Senior Vice President,
and the Path to Resilience Aerospace & Defense, VIAVI This reuse-centric design not only
In an era where EW saturation and GPS improves SWaP-C but also accelerates
denial are no longer hypothetical but deployment timelines by reducing inte-
expected conditions of the battlefi eld, This is not just sur vivabilit y under gration complexity.
traditional PNT systems are struggling threat—it’s assured performance, engi- One of the standout elements in this
to keep pace. Doug Russell of VIAVI cap- neered for contested space from the start. platform is the transcoder. “It allows you
tured the sentiment succinctly: “Even in a to disconnect an antenna and connect the
GPS-denied environment, our integrated Integration as Diff erentiator: output of the transcoder,” Marraccini said. “To
systems can still provide a robust signal A Platform Built for Modularity the legacy system, it appears as a standard
that looks like GPS for the rest of the ve- Jamie Marraccini, CEO of Inertial Labs, GPS L1 signal—but what it’s actually receiving
hicle’s systems to operate. That is a huge explained: “We start with what the platform is resilient, reconstructed navigation data.”
cost and capability advantage.” already has—radios, cameras, antennas— Russell added: “From a cost stand-
The operational landscape now assumes and reuse that data. That means better point, that’s enormous. You’re upgrading
degraded or denied environments as the SWaP-C and faster integration, especially without retrofitting the whole platform.”
baseline. M-Code, low Earth orbit (LEO) for UAVs and expeditionary systems.” The transcoder outputs GPS-compliant
constellations, and alternate navigation Russell emphasized how this vision signals derived from GNSS, inertial and
strategies are being prioritized by U.S. translates into practice: “For any given even visual navigation inputs, enabling
Department of Defense (DoD) moderniza- engagement, customers might need a legacy platforms to function effectively
tion efforts and critical infrastructure enti- GNSS receiver, maybe M-Code, maybe in contested environments. What makes
ties alike. The need for layered, modular not. They might prioritize holdover clock this platform especially future-ready is
and cost-effective solutions is pressing. performance or sensor fusion accuracy. the decision to push processing and data
What we provide is a menu of capabilities alignment capabilities to the edge.
Built for the D3SOE:
Resilience by Design LAYERS OF RELIABILITY

Today’s mission planners no longer treat GNSS (1 m - 5 m) Iridium PNT (40 m - 80 m)

Maximum Absolute

GNSS degradation as a possibility—they Position Error (m) MAXAR Mapping (5 m - 25 m) DTC ToF (20 m - 60 m)

expect it. The DoD defines this new nor-

80
mal as the D3SOE: Denied, Degraded and
Disrupted Space Operational Environment,
where contested signals, spoofi ng and
jamming are routine, not the exception. 60

VIAVI ’s integrated PNT plat form is

purpose-built for this environment. With
components that interoperate across 40

GNSS, inertial, visual, RF, and holdover

timing domains, the system provides
25
multiple, redundant pathways to maintain
20
trusted PNT. By embedding resilience at 15

every layer—from edge sensor fusion to

transcoder-based retrofits—VIAVI ensures 5
1
users can operate confidently, even when GNSS MAXAR Mapping DTC ToF Iridium PNT

space-based signals are compromised.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 35

 Marraccini noted: “We offer all time- “THIS ALLOWS US TO UPGRADE CSAC-level timing stability. Said Jackson’s
stamped data to customers. They can use custom algorithms, developed at JLT, disci-
our fusion engine or run their own. We billions of dollars pline these clocks for optimal performance.
also provide access to synchronized data of fielded gear in The deeper the integration goes, the more
streams, allowing them to control how apparent the value becomes. “We’ve found
that data is exported to other systems.” minutes instead instances where a customer was already
Time-stamping and physical alignment be- of months. using Inertial Labs and Jackson Labs prod-
tween sensors are critical for high-precision ucts independently—unaware that we are
navigation. “If you’re 2,000 meters up and That matters.” now part of the same ecosystem,” Russell
your camera and IMU aren’t aligned, you Giovanni D’Andrea said. “Now, we can remove redundancies,
could be off by tens or hundreds of meters on Senior Director of Business Development, VIAVI improve SWaP and reduce total system
the ground,” Marraccini said. “We calibrate cost—all while boosting performance.”
the camera, IMU and magnetometer as one The architecture accommodates in- While military applications remain a central
unit to ensure perfect alignment.” puts from M-Code, GEO, MEO and LEO focus, VIAVI’s platform is clearly dual-use. “The
This results in visual geolocation accu- constellations. Marraccini emphasized, same resilience that matters in a GPS-denied
racy of 5 to 25 meters in most scenarios— “ We’re the only company doing time battlefield also matters for first respond-
without GNSS. Timing accuracy, mean- acquisition from LEO, MEO and GEO ers, utilities and transportation networks,”
while, can fall well below 100 nanoseconds, simultaneously.” That capability enables Marraccini said. “And now, we are not just
depending on the configuration. “We’re robust holdover performance and diverse talking about defense-grade performance.
squeezing every ounce of performance signal acquisition, significantly boosting We’re making that available at a price point
out of the sensor and timing systems,” system resilience. suited for commercial and civil applications.”
Russell said. “It is the compounded value Holdover clocks are configurable by ap- Russell and Marraccini consistently re-
of incremental improvements.” plication—ranging from basic solutions to turned to the value of open architecture.

36 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

“MOSA [modular open systems approach]

allows customers to define their solution,
using our fusion engine or plugging in
Understanding the Signal Battlefield
their own,” Russell explained. “They’re VIAVI’s T/Rx Adds RF Awareness at WSMR
not locked into a black box.” During NAVFEST—an advanced PNT test event hosted by the U.S. Air
That customer-first, open integration Force’s 746th Test Squadron at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR)—
approach has become a defining feature VIAVI’s engineering team wasn’t just evaluating how well their modular
of VIAVI’s strategy. “Whether they want systems could maintain position and timing in a contested electromagnetic
to use our cameras, or theirs, our radios environment. They were also listening. Closely. The mission-representative
or theirs, our mission is to empower the scenarios enabled by the 746th provided a realistic operational
backdrop, allowing VIAVI to assess not only PNT performance but also
integrator,” Marraccini said. “Everything
to capture critical insights into the surrounding RF environment.
we do is modular by design.”
A key enabler of that effort was the T/Rx software-defined
transceiver—a rugged, networked, wideband SIGINT and EW platform
PROVING GROUND: designed to deliver situational awareness across the RF spectrum.
OPERATIONAL VALIDATION Though lesser-known, the T/Rx played a strategically vital role in the
AT WHITE SANDS test campaign, helping the team characterize electronic threats and
As Inertial Labs pushes the boundaries of understand system behavior under active interference conditions.
edge-based integration and sensor fusion, “PNT resilience is only half the equation,” a VIAVI engineer who
VIAVI’s broader platform must still prove was at the test site said. “If you don’t understand the RF environment
its resilience under real-world conditions. you’re operating in—what’s being transmitted, where, and with what
That validation came in the New Mexico characteristics—then you’re fl ying blind. The T/Rx gave us eyes and ears.”
The system’s capabilities are notable. Spanning 1 MHz to 18 GHz with
desert, where VIAVI deployed its full PNT
up to 400 MHz of instantaneous bandwidth per channel, T/Rx supports
suite against some of the most advanced
deep signal characterization, including detection, demodulation and real-
jamming and spoofing threats in use today.
time analysis. Each unit houses two fully independent and configurable
At NAVFEST—conducted by the U.S. Air receivers and transmitters. Its rugged, modular design made it ideal
Force’s 746th Test Squadron at White Sands for rapid deployment in both fi xed and mobile test configurations.
Missile Range (WSMR)—VIAVI’s integrated “It wasn’t just about confirming we were being jammed or spoofed,” another
PNT system was subjected to a series of team member added. “It was about understanding how it was happening, where
mission-representative scenarios designed it was coming from, and what the signal looked like. That intelligence gave us
to emulate the EW conditions of a modern the context we needed to interpret the behavior of our PNT fusion outputs.”
battlespace. The objective was clear: validate Integrated into VIAVI’s broader test ecosystem—including the Ranger
that VIAVI’s modular, multi-layered architec- platform and EMS Sequencer software—the T/Rx system is designed to support
both simulation and monitoring roles. It can be configured to simulate, direct-
ture could deliver assured PNT under threat,
connect, or loop back RF threats while observing system responses in real time.
confirming not just technical soundness but
This dual functionality—signal generator and spectrum analyzer—enables
full operational readiness for deployment
a closed-loop test environment: transmit a GNSS-like threat, then analyze
across joint and contested environments. how the platform responds across timing, inertial and visual domains.
With high-fidelity signal recording, advanced waveform
generation, and high-performance transmit capabilities, the T/Rx
platform is designed to support next-generation test and training
environments. It can transmit dynamic, scenario-driven signals that
stimulate devices under realistic electromagnetic conditions.
“With T/Rx, we can create a waveform, transmit it, and then analyze it from the
receiver’s perspective—all from the same unit,” one team member explained.
“That capability helps us iterate faster and adapt scenarios on the fl y.”
The team also emphasized that RF awareness is not limited to military use.
T/Rx capabilities have real value for commercial and critical infrastructure
operators—whether for localizing interference in telecom networks or
monitoring RF emissions near airports, seaports or other critical infrastructure.
“T/Rx adds another layer of trust,” a senior VIAVI lead said. “When our
PNT system says ‘trust this timing solution,’ the T/Rx is helping ensure
that signal space is safe—or at least understood. It closes the loop.”
Evening sky near the entrance to As GNSS resilience evolves from niche capability to operational baseline,
White Sands Missile Range, where platforms like T/Rx are helping define the next standard—not just for
VIAVI conducted field validation
navigation and timing, but for electromagnetic situational dominance.
of its integrated PNT systems.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 37

 The following section draws on insights “WHETHER YOU’RE BUILDING JLT’s approach includes GNSS spoof-
from three key leaders—Marv Rozner, ing authentication using ground-based
Senior Director of Military Programs and a low-SWaP verification systems, as well as dynamic
Synthetic Products at VIAVI; Said Jackson, UAV system fallback to holdover timing in contested
founder of Jackson Labs and now VIAVI Vice environments. Their upcoming Ku-band
President; and Giovanni D’Andrea, VIAVI or upgrading capabilities and L-band services add fur-
Senior Director of Business Development— an Abrams ther layers of resilience.
who were directly involved in the effort. With the integration of Inertial Labs,
tank, we are designing VIAVI can now offer a full stack of PNT capa-
A New Architecture for PNT: subsystems that can slot bility. The platform adds visual odometry,
Mission-Driven, Not Tech-Driven IMUs and sophisticated sensor fusion to
One of the central themes emphasized in and scale up or down.” the mix. The result is not just redundancy,
by all three leaders was a departure from but enhanced awareness.
Said Jackson
technology-first thinking toward mission- Vice President, VIAVI “We can detect spoofing through signal
first design. “We don't want to block our analysis and motion inconsistency,” Rozner
customers into a corner,” Jackson said. said. “If the visual and inertial systems
“We want to provide capabilities that do say one thing and GNSS says another, we
not lock them into a particular ecosys- know something’s wrong.”
tem. All of our products are orthogonal to D’Andrea expanded on the benefi t: “It
each other. If you want to buy your GNSS is not just about survivability. It is about
receiver from someone else, you can.” giving customers options. We can mix-
The team explained that the combined and-match the best of each capability to
VIAVI platform offers customers a flexible meet their operational needs.”
mix of high-performance PNT compo- When asked about their edge in perfor-
nents—from holdover timing to inertial mance, Jackson said, “It is all about opti-
navigation to GNSS receivers—that can be Designed for the D3SOE, VIAVI’s mization. We design our own IP. We write
layered PNT solution helps
mixed and matched based on the require- the software from scratch. We don’t just
operators stay mission-ready
ments of the mission, platform or budget. when GPS is denied and disrupted. take reference designs from vendors. That
“It is not about throwing the most expen- gives us flexibility to squeeze every ounce
sive IMU or rubidium clock at every problem,” tens of thousands of dismounted GPS of performance out of these integrations.”
Rozner said. “It’s about delivering the level units without depot-level upgrades, the Rozner echoed the point, highlighting
of capability that the CONOPS requires.” transcoder is now widely adopted across that the company ’s sof tware-defined
Rozner underscored the team’s com- tier-one defense programs. radio (SDR) heritage plays a crucial role.
mitment to open standards and modular “We essentially insert a smart antenna in “Everything from our L-band timing ser-
design: ”Our new platforms are modular, front of the legacy receiver,” Jackson said. vices to our Ku-band receivers are running
utilizing an M.2 form factor—delivering “It looks like a standard GNSS antenna to on the same SDR hardware. That is why we
standardized, high-speed, compact inter- the host system, but it’s actually feeding can pivot faster and deliver more with less.”
faces used in billions of devices annually. corrected, authenticated, M-Code-capable VIAVI and JLT are designing their ecosys-
That allows us to scale a platform from a or spoofi ng-resistant data. The soldier tem to meet a spectrum of needs, D’Andrea
handheld unit to a tank.” Jackson elabo- swaps an antenna, not a manpack.” said. “We’re building a hub of core tech-
rated, noting the goal is to enable plug- D’Andrea added, “This allows us to up- nologies that can serve everyone from a
and-play interoperability not just within grade billions of dollars of fielded gear in first responder to a SOCOM operator. That
their ecosystem, but with any standards- minutes instead of months. That matters.” is what Transcoder 2.0 is about—you pick
compliant architecture. “Whether you’re JLT’s reputation was built on world- the INS you want, the level of holdover
building a low-SWaP UAV system or up- class timing. As Jackson noted, “We’ve you want, the GNSS you need.”
grading an Abrams tank, we are designing been improving timing since 2005. We Rozner summarized the philosophy:
subsystems that can slot in and scale up took rubidium, MEMS and cesium clocks “Whether it’s a $300 timing module or
or down.” and made them better. Today, we off er a full-up PNT subsystem for a vehicle,
A centerpiece of JLT’s contribution to 1 to 5 nanosecond timing accuracy using we want to give the customer what they
the VIAVI platform is the transcoder—a L-band correction data—without a cesium need without forcing them to buy what
software-defi ned module that bridges price tag.” they do not.”
incompatible systems in a secure and scal- Rozner emphasized that timing remains VIAVI | JLT remains the only known pro-
able way. Originally conceived in 2015 to the bedrock of the entire system. “Without vider using ground-based infrastructure
address the Army’s challenge of retrofitting the ‛T’, the ‛P’ and ‛N’ do not matter.” to authenticate GNSS signals outside the

38 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

network itself. This complements spoofing

detection and fallback protocols across
the VIAVI platform.
“We believe spoofing detection is the
fi rst problem to solve,” Jackson said. “If
you cannot detect spoofing, then nothing
else matters. Once you know, then you can
fall back to our trusted timing or switch
to authenticated sources.”
All three leaders agreed: VIAVI’s platform
is not just a new product. It is a modular,
standards-based architecture for de-
livering PNT resilience at scale. With IP
ownership across timing, navigation and
integration layers, and a pricing model built
around COTS effi ciencies, the company
believes it is uniquely positioned to lead
the next era of assured PNT.
“We do not just future-proof our solu-
tions,” Rozner said. “We future-proof our
customers.” customers a foundation that scales from timing—reinforces the next, forming a
While the field trials at White Sands platoon-level kits to enterprise-wide PNT tightly coupled web of complementary
demonstrated the VIAVI platform’s re- infrastructures. technologies. This multi-layered approach
silience under electronic attack, the real “We build capability at the pace of opera- does not just guard against signal loss; it
innovation lies in how those capabilities tional need,” Russell said. “And increasingly, ensures bounded absolute position ac-
are architected from the ground up. that means making smart use of what’s curacy through redundancy, adaptability
already there, integrating it with the best and smart sensor fusion.
Compound Gains we can build, and delivering it in a form With this foundation, VIAVI delivers more
Through Collective Innovation that works right now—not in fi ve years.” than an alternate to GNSS—it delivers op-
What VIAVI and its subsidiaries have From holdover timing to georefer- erational assurance. The result is a system
created is not just an amalgamation of enced vision, and from transcoder-based built for today’s contested environments
parts—it’s a precision-engineered system retrofits to edge-fused intelligence, VIAVI’s and tomorrow’s evolving threats.
where each improvement is magnified by integrated PNT platform stands ready to
the next. The combined capabilities of meet the evolving challenges of GNSS re- A Unified Vision, Proven in the Field
Jackson Labs, Inertial Labs and VIAVI offer silience with ingenuity, adaptability and Taken together, these three perspectives
performance. reveal a consistent thread in VIAVI’s ap-
proach to resilient PNT: a CEO’s vision for
Layers of Reliability: unified capability, a field team’s validation
An Engineered Advantage under real-world EW conditions, and an
This cohesion is no accident. Once indepen- engineering ethos grounded in modularity,
dent centers of excellence, Jackson Labs reuse and intelligent integration. Khaykin’s
and Inertial Labs are now fully embedded strategy is more than aspirational—it’s
within VIAVI—not as acquisitions, but as operational, as demonstrated by the team’s
integral innovation hubs aligned under performance at WSMR.
a unified operational vision. Their fusion That performance is no coincidence. It
brings more than just expanded capabili- reflects a deliberate, layered framework
ties—it adds depth, agility and resilience engineered by Jackson Labs and Inertial
across the platform. Labs and now fully realized within VIAVI.
RSR Transcoder Leveraging Inertial Labs’ robust aiding From executive leadership to ground-level
Recent technological advances data ecosystem, VIAVI’s integrated PNT deployment, VIAVI is aligning innovation
allow adversaries to jam and spoof architecture builds layers of reliability with mission urgency—delivering the kind
GPS, presenting soldiers with the
that sustain performance even under of trusted PNT foundation that modern
possibility of operating in a Denied,
Degraded or Disrupted Space the harshest GNSS-denied conditions. operations not only require, but increas-
Operational Environment (D3SOE). Each element—visual, inertial, RF, and ingly demand. 

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 39

    U.S. PNT 
NAVWAR TESTING

Ensuring High-Accuracy Positioning laboratory testing, hardware integration,

ground and flight testing, and open-

in GPS-Denied Environments air NavWar assessments, providing a

comprehensive, end-to-end PNT test
A simulation-based analysis of the 746th Test Squadron’s Locata non-GPS based and evaluation capability.
positioning system for navigation testing at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR). The significance of NavWar testing
has been demonstrated by the large scale
SEAN ABRAHAMSON, KALYN JONES and persistent GNSS jamming in Eastern
746TH TEST SQUADRON Europe over the past several years. As
JOSEPH MURPHY, JESSE SCHLOSSER adversaries continue to develop and
ANSYS GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES deploy GPS jamming capabilities, the
need for resilient navigation systems

T
he 746th Test Squadron (746 TS) performance, highlighting the benefits and effective testing methodologies
utilizes a non-GPS based posi- of this approach in mission planning becomes increasingly critical. NavWar
tioning system (NGBPS) devel- and post-mission analysis. The results testing ensures military systems can be
oped by Locata Corporation to provide of this simulation-based approach are properly evaluated in realistic denied
high-accuracy navigation solutions in presented, demonstrating the potential environments before deployment.
GPS-denied environments. The Locata for improved navigation system testing
system broadcasts signals that are pro- and evaluation at WSMR. Reference System Challenges
cessed by an onboard, airborne receiver The 746 TS uses an Ultra High Accuracy
during flight testing. Post-processing Full Spectrum PNT Testing Reference System (UHARS) to provide
techniques are applied to improve the and Evaluation time, space, position information (TSPI)
precision of the navigation solution. This Positioning, navigation and timing reference data to compare to the systems
unique infrastructure of ground pseu- (PNT) systems are critical components under test. This reference system must
dolites at White Sands Missile Range of modern military operations. With maintain accuracy levels approximately
(WSMR) provides a useful resource for increasing challenges to GPS availability 10 times better than the systems being
testing and evaluation in GPS-denied through Navigation Warfare (NavWar) tested (targeting an accuracy of <10 cm
scenarios by providing a localized, off- threats, the ability to test and evaluate per axis 1-sigma), even in GPS-denied
band signal for reference. However, navigation systems in realistic NavWar environments.
the availability of this high-accuracy environments has become essential. The UHARS incorporates multiple
solution is limited by the placement of The 746 TS, based at Holloman Air Force navigation subsystems including:
transmitters on range and the location Base in New Mexico, specializes in the • All in view GNSS civilian receiver
of the antenna on the aircraft as it tra- testing and evaluation of PNT systems with differential post processing
verses the field, emphasizing the need to support national defense operations (multiple constellations across
for careful mission planning. across all environments. multiple frequency bands)
To address these challenges, the 746 The squadron's mission is centered on • Military GPS signal receiver
TS has used the Ansys Government delivering agile, efficient, and reliable • High performance navigation
Initiatives (AGI) System Took Kit (STK), PNT and NavWar test and evaluation grade inertial navigation system
a software tool for modeling and analyz- services. This encompasses precision (INS)
ing systems, to simulate the performance
of the Locata system. By incorporating
flight profiles with attitude informa-
tion, STK enables the estimation of the
system’s performance. This simulation-
based approach has led to significant
improvements in mission planning
and post-mission analysis. The 746 TS
can ensure flight paths are optimized
for the Locata system, leveraging the
capabilities of STK to model the effects
of body masking and aircraft dynamics
to develop profiles that maximize the
accuracy and reliability of the Locata
navigation solution.
This article explores the application
FIGURE 1 Locata TimeLoc operations.
of STK in simulating the Locata system’s

40 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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    U.S. PNT 
NAVWAR TESTING

• Advanced anti-jam antenna reference positioning in GPS-denied receiver generates a real-time

electronics environments. The signals are processed code solution, it is usually not
• NGBPS (using Locata technology) in real-time during flight testing but sufficiently accurate to evaluate the
Despite this diversity of systems, require additional post-processing to system under test. High-accuracy
maintaining high accuracy in a fully enable the full, high-accuracy naviga- post-processed solutions resolve
jammed environment remains challeng- tion solution from the system. carrier phase ambiguities, but that
ing and largely relies on the performance process requires sufficient time
of the NGBPS. Locata Operational Limitations and appropriate flight patterns
While the Locata system is capable of within the Locata network to
Locata NGBPS providing an accurate solution for posi- converge on a solution. If too many
The Locata system deployed at WSMR tioning in GPS-denied environments, it LocLite signals are lost during
consists of a network of ground-based has several operational considerations maneuvers, the system must
transmitters (referred to as LocLites) that must be addressed through careful restart the ambiguity resolution
that broadcast GPS-like signals in the 2.4 mission planning: process, requiring additional
GHz Industrial, Scientific and Medical • Geometric Constraints: High- motion and time.
(ISM) band. These signals are received accuracy position solutions These considerations emphasize
by an airborne receiver as well as other are only available where the the need for careful mission plan-
LocLites to maintain synchronous time Precision Dilution of Precision ning to ensure flight paths maintain
across the system (Figure 1). The receiver (PDOP) remains below 3.0. optimal geometric relationships with
mounted in the test aircraft processes This requires the platform to the LocLite network. The aircraft must
the signals to determine the aircraft's have line-of-sight to enough generally operate within the bounds of
position and velocity. LocLite transmitters to provide the LocLite network to achieve favor-
Key features of the Locata system well distributed geometry. The able PDOP values. Additionally, the
include: geometry and corresponding location of the antenna on the aircraft
• Code and carrier phase PDOP tend to improve when and the aircraft's attitude during flight
measurements for high-precision the aircraft's receiver antenna significantly impact signal reception,
positioning is surrounded by LocLite as banking maneuvers can cause the
• Meteorological data integration to transmitters (Figure 2). If PDOP aircraft body to mask signals from cer-
correct tropospheric errors exceeds 3.0 due to loss of signals tain LocLites, degrading the positioning
• Time synchronization between during banking maneuvers, the solution. An example of a flight that
all transmitters (TimeLoc™ system must re-converge on a demonstrates well how these mission
technology) solution. planning parameters affect the avail-
The system operates independently • Carrier Phase Ambiguity ability of a high-accuracy Locata solu-
of GPS, making it ideal for providing Resolution: While the Locata tion is shown in Figure 3.

FIGURE 3 Poor Locata performance due to flight path outside

FIGURE 2 PDOP estimate for Locata System at altitude of 15 km. network.

42 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

    U.S. PNT 
NAVWAR TESTING

FIGURE 4 Estimated body mask based on Locata antenna placement FIGURE 5 PDOP estimates for initial planned
(1 inch vertical difference). flight profiles.

STK Modeling Approach • Flight dynamics at different orientation of the aircraft during the
AGI has developed the STK set of speeds and altitudes. f light profile. It was discovered that
sof t wa re tools , wh ich prov ide a • Antenna placement. even small changes in the antenna loca-
comprehensive environment that • Signal masking due to aircraft tion relative to the aircraft body frame
enables high fidelity test environ- body during turns determined by played a significant role in the estimates
ment modeling of the test environ- C-12J flight characteristics. of what signals would be available. For
ment, including the test platform and 3. Flight Profiles: Planned flight paths example, moving the location verti-
Locata system. STK’s physics-based with detailed attitude information, cally down by 1 inch had a significant
modeling capabilities allow for ac- including banking angles during impact on the estimated body mask
curate representation of: turns. during banks (Figure 4).
• Aircraft dynamics and attitude For the initial setup, the pseudolite The goal of flight profile optimization
during flight network transmitters were modeled as is to maintain PDOP values below 3.0
• Signal propagation from single points at the appropriate coordi- throughout the flight to ensure con-
pseudolites to the airborne receiver nates of the transmit antennas. However, tinuous high-accuracy solutions. This
• Aircraft body masking effects on each LocLite site has two transmit anten- requires optimizing several parameters:
signal reception nas located near each other and initial • Flight altitude
• Antenna placement and radiation versions of the scenario only account • Airspeed
patterns for one of these. It turned out that this • Bank angle
• Computation of geometric impacted the PDOP estimates and a • Flight path geometry
parameters such as PDOP second antenna location was later added Initial flight profiles were planned
These capabilities enabled the 746 TS to each site. The current version of the at three altitudes: 24,500 feet, 17,000
and STK to partner together to create model does not account for the antenna feet and 10,000 feet MSL and included
a scenario within STK that simulated gain pattern of the transmit or receive both a racetrack and figure-eight type
a test flight for one of the primary 746 antennas, though this could easily be flight path at each altitude. These pro-
TS flight test platforms (C-12J) under added in the future using built in tools files were modeled in STK to evaluate
various flight conditions with the Locata within STK. PDOP performance when using STK’s
system present to investigate the esti- For the aircraft model, a 3D outer Aviator tool to estimate the appropri-
mated effects of the flight profile on the mold line of the C-12J was integrated. ate attitude of the flight test platform
Locata system performance. Using measurements from the actual based on the C-12J flight characteristics.
test platform, the Locata receive an- The initial estimated PDOP is shown
Model Development tenna was placed on the model at its in Figure 5.
The STK model developed for the Locata installed location relative to the nose Based on the initial results from the
system includes: of the model. Based on the antenna STK model, it became clear the planned
1. Pseudolite Network: Ground-based location, the STK software can esti- air speed and subsequent banking
transmitters placed at their actual mate a line-of-sight mask that indicates required to maintain turns at lower
surveyed locations on WSMR. the area above which signals would no altitudes would likely lead to a loss
2. Aircraft Model: Detailed longer be able to reach the antenna. in the ability to track certain Locata
representation of the test aircraft, This mask is used to estimate when sites. This led to an inf lation of the
including: the receiver would no longer be able PDOP above the required threshold.
• Outer mold line geometry. to track a LocLite signal based on the Investigating different altitudes, it was

44 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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    U.S. PNT 
NAVWAR TESTING

estimated that flying at an altitude at on how changes in air speed might that would surpass the desired PDOP
or above 11,000 feet MSL would lead affect performance. By increasing the threshold (Figure 7).
to more consistent performance and air speed, the required bank angle to
reduce the risk of exceeding the desired maintain the turn would increase and Flight Test Results
PDOP threshold (Figure 6). Based on therefore there was a greater risk of Test Execution
the feedback from the modeling efforts, losing track of sites that enable the In April, a dedicated f light test was
the actual mission flew at 11,500 feet PDOP geometry to stay below the de- conducted to demonstrate perfor-
MSL altitdue. sired threshold. As an example, at mance of the Locata system. Given
In addition to modeling altitude 12,000 feet and an airspeed of 202 the results from the modeling effort,
effects on estimated Locata perfor- knots, STK estimated there were sig- the racetrack and figure-eight f light
mance, STK also enabled exploration nificant sections of the f light path profiles were f lown at altitudes of

FIGURE 6 PDOP estimates for 10,000 and 11,000 feet MSL altitudes (two antenna per site).

FIGURE 7 PDOP estimates for 12,000 feet MSL altitude at 202 knots IAS.

46 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 World Leader
in GNSS Connectivity

GPS/GNSS Infrastructure Equipment

Specializing in Mission-Critical and
Safety-Critical application environments

• Military & Government

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    U.S. PNT 
NAVWAR TESTING

11,500 feet, 17,000 feet and 24,000 to two Locata sites in the north because could further predict performance. One
feet MSL (Figure 8). signals fell above the estimated body specific parameter of interest was the ac-
mask. This behavior was reflected in tual number of tracked and used LocLite
PDOP Performance the actual Locata receiver data from signals as reported by the Locata receiver.
In post-flight analysis, the actual as- that turn (Figures 10-13). This was compared to the STK estimate
flown trajectory of the flight was input The successful maintenance of PDOP of which sites would have line-of-sight
into STK to determine the estimated below 3.0 throughout the flight con- as shown in Figure 14. While the STK
PDOP values. Within STK, the pre- firmed the effectiveness of the STK- model uses a rigid masking approach,
dicted PDOP values were time-aligned based mission planning approach. the real-world Locata system likely ex-
directly with the actual PDOP values This result is particularly significant periences a bit of diffraction and may
reported by the Locata receiver during as it demonstrates the proper tools for track LocLite signals outside of when the
the flight and compared. The results mission planning enabled a continu- STK model predicts that it will maintain
showed good correlation between ous high-accuracy positioning using a track. While overall, the signal tracking
predicted and actual PDOP values as non-GPS based positioning system. This pattern matched relatively well between
shown in Figure 9, with all values re- tool will greatly improve the ability to STK prediction and reality, there were
maining below the critical threshold provide a high-accuracy position solu- significant periods of the flight profile
of 3.0 throughout the flight. tion even in a GPS denied environment where fewer LocLites were tracked and
The turns revealed the major contrib- for future test events. used than what should have had line-
utor to the changes in PDOP during the of-sight based on the STK model. This
mission was the attitude of the aircraft Signals Tracked Performance does indicate there are potentially some
and that STK modeled this well. During Other performance parameters of the unmodeled effects such as the time it
a 15.6-degree bank-angle turn, the Locata system were compared to simi- takes for the receiver to track a signal
model predicted a loss of line-of-sight lar values from STK to see if the model when it regains line-of-sight or how it

FIGURE 8 Actual flight path, with 24.5 k feet MSL altitude

highlighted. FIGURE 9 STK prediced versus Locata reported PDOP.

FIGURE 10 STK PDOP estimates versus Locata receiver reported values through turn (pt1).

48 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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NAVWAR TESTING

determines whether the signal is used several areas for development have incorporate detailed f light charac-
in the solution. been identified to enhance mission teristics and antenna placement to
planning and post-mission analysis improve model fidelity. Additionally,
Future Work capabilities. The development of the inclusion of antenna gain pat-
Following validation of the STK mod- more sophisticated aircraft models terns will enable the simulation of
eling approach with the C-12 platform, is a key area of focus, with plans to receive power levels, providing a more

FIGURE 11 STK PDOP estimates versus Locata receiver reported values through turn (pt2).

FIGURE 12 STK PDOP estimates versus Locata receiver reported values through turn (pt3).

FIGURE 13 STK PDOP estimates versus Locata receiver reported values through turn (pt4).

50 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 Kalyn Jones serves as
the Chief Scientist for
the 746 TS. Her
experience includes
leading the 746 TS
Operations Flight,
developing
instrumentation packages for the test and
evaluation of guidance and navigation
systems, and managing Radar Cross
Section testing for the United States Air
Force. She earned her Bachelor of Science
in Electrical Engineering from the New
Mexico Institute of Mining and
FIGURE 14 Locata tracked and used signals versus STK estimate. Technology and her Master of Science in
Electrical Engineering from Johns Hopkins
University.
comprehensive understanding of the By leveraging STK's capabilities to
system’s tracking performance. model aircraft body masking effects Joe Murphy has been a
The STK-based approach can be and simulate signal propagation, the 29-year member of the
applied to other platforms, including 746 TS may develop a robust method- technical and leadership
another common 746 TS f light test ology for evaluating navigation system staff at Ansys
aircraft, the T-38C. This will involve performance in NavWar environments. Government Initiatives
assessing the performance of differ- This approach provides a foundation (AGI), maker of the
ent antenna configurations and ana- for optimizing pseudolite-based po- Systems Tool Kit (STK)
family of physics based mission modeling
lyzing the impact of high-dynamic sitioning systems and enhancing test
and engineering software products. He
f light profiles on the Locata system. capabilities for increasingly complex
has led a business area with AGI over the
The analysis will focus on optimizing NavWar scenarios. past 12 years in development of a Test and
antenna placement and evaluating sys- Evaluation Tool Kit (STK/TETK) product
tem performance during high-dynamic Disclaimer line designed to help test practitioners
maneuvers. References to non-federal entities do achieve greater efficiency and
The STK tool is also capable of inte- not constitute or imply Department of effectiveness in test operations in event
grating NavWar assets such as jammers Defense or Air Force endorsement of planning, execution and post-flight
to enable more comprehensive mission any company or organization. verification analysis. Part of a larger effort
planning and analysis for navigation in support of digital engineering
systems being tested in GPS contested Authors transformation initiatives, Murphy has
helped various industry partners and
environments. This is a crucial next Sean Abrahamson customers integrate these tools and
step as jamming assets can be opti- is the Lead Engineer for methods with specific efficiency, enabling
mized to provide the ideal jamming TSPI Reference Systems strategies into T&E disciplines and test
environment while also making sure at the 746 TS. He holds a teams within various programs of record.
flight profiles can maintain the desired Bachelor of Science in
Locata performance. Engineering Physics Jesse Schlosser is an
from New Mexico State Application Engineer
University, specializing in Aerospace for Ansys Government
Conclusion
Engineering, and a Master of Science in Initiatives (AGI)
This work demonstrates the effective use Electrical Engineering with a focus on supporting the US Air
of STK for modeling, mission planning, Guidance, Navigation and Control from Force and US Navy
and analysis of the Locata pseudolite sys- the Air Force Institute of Technology. His accounts. Schlosser
tem at WSMR. The STK-based approach expertise spans the test and evaluation of supports the entire Digital Mission
has enabled the 746 TS to optimize flight PNT technologies, including strategic- Engineering (DME) portfolio with a
profiles, predict system performance grade inertial sensors, integrated INS/GPS focused expertise on the air and test and
during flight-testing maneuvers, inves- navigation systems, and antenna evaluation capabilities. She graduated
tigate model accuracy against flight-test electronics systems. from Widener University in 2023 with a
data, and identify areas for enhance- BS and MS in Mechanical Engineering.
ment. The high correlation between
STK predictions and actual flight-test
results provides evidence this approach
will be effective for continued mission
planning and analysis.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 51

Photos courtesy of Swift Navigation.

Defending Against Spoofing

with GNSS Corrections
A look at the four major categories of spoofing attacks and how Swift
Navigation’s Skylark™️ Precise Positioning Service can mitigate against them.

G
lobal Navigation Satellite Systems extend to ground-based positioning as Using proprietary atmospheric model-
(GNSS) underpin modern position- well. GNSS-dependent systems—including ing, Skylark corrects GNSS errors caused by
ing, navigation and timing (PNT), autonomous vehicles, industrial robots, ionospheric disturbances, clock drift and
enabling precise positioning for applications and fleet management solutions—can orbital inaccuracies, improving positioning
ranging from aviation and autonomous driv- experience severe disruptions if spoofed precision from several meters to just a few
ing to logistics and infrastructure monitor- signals cause drift, position jumps, or centimeters. Its carrier-grade network of
ing. However, GNSS spoofing—a technique complete navigation failures. reference stations is built and operated in
where attackers manipulate positioning To understand the full scope of GNSS partnership with mobile network operators
data to mislead receivers—has become spoofing, this article examines four major who secure and maintain them as critical
an increasing threat. Once considered a categories of spoofing attacks: infrastructure, including their backhaul
niche concern, spoofing incidents are now • RF spoofing at receivers: Directly connectivity. By continuously validating
rising because of the availability of low- misleading user devices. satellite data and leveraging its secure,
cost software-defined radios (SDRs), open- • RF spoofing at Continuously AWS-based cloud infrastructure, Skylark
source spoofing tools, and their increasing Operating Reference Stations detects and rejects spoofed signals before
use in geopolitical conflicts. (CORS): Compromising reference they can impact users, ensuring robust
The impact extends beyond military stations to distribute false corrections. and trustworthy positioning in contested
targets and into commercial aviation, • Correction data tampering: environments.
autonomous driving and logistics, where Intercepting and modifying correction
secure and reliable positioning is critical. streams. RF SPOOFING AT RECEIVER:
Recent events underscore the severity of • Server data injection: Injecting false DIRECTLY ATTACKING USER GNSS
this issue. GNSS disruptions in Ukraine have GNSS observations into correction EQUIPMENT
reportedly been used to jam and mislead processing servers. Attack Overview
military drones and aircraft, as well as com- We will explore how GNSS correction RF spoofing involves broadcasting counter-
mercial vessels navigating the Black Sea. services like Swift Navigation’s Skylark feit GNSS signals to override real satellite
In the Middle East, airspace over Lebanon, Precise Positioning Service play a vital role transmissions. This can mislead standalone
Syria, Jordan and Israel has experienced in mitigating spoofing attacks and securing receivers in vehicles, aircraft or mobile
GNSS anomalies, forcing pilots to switch to navigation systems against the growing devices into computing incorrect positions.
alternative navigation methods and raising risk of signal manipulation. Skylark is a The most basic approach is meaconing,
concerns over aviation safety in the region. real-time, cloud-based GNSS correction a passive form of RF spoofing that replays
While these attacks often target aerial service designed for accuracy, reliability genuine GNSS signals without modifica-
and maritime navigation, their effects and safety at a global scale. tion. This technique does not require the

52 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

attacker to generate satellite navigation frequencies, forcing the receiver to track RF SPOOFING AT CORS: ATTACKING
data—only to record and rebroadcast it. the spoofed signal. GNSS REFERENCE STATIONS
More elaborate approaches involve gen- Attack Overview
erating new, artificial GNSS signals rather Possible Defenses Instead of targeting a single user device,
than replaying old ones. This requires: • A uthenticated ephemeris: an attacker could spoof GNSS signals at
• Custom signal generation: Advanced correction services, a CORS used in correction services such
Attackers must create satellite-like such as Skylark, provide verified as Real-Time Kinematic (RTK). This could
signals that match the expected ephemeris data, allowing receivers to result in the widespread distribution of
structure while leading the receiver detect mismatches between real and erroneous corrections, impacting indus-
to a false position or time. This spoofed signals. tries such as autonomous navigation,
includes using the most up-to- • Sensor fusion: If GNSS-based land surveying, and fleet management—
date real ephemerides to maintain velocity and position contradict IMU potentially causing significant financial
credibility. and odometry data, a sophisticated and operational disruptions.
• Real-time adaptation: To effectively positioning engine, such as Swift A compromised CORS also could enable
spoof a moving target, attackers Navigation’s Starling PE, will identify the more targeted attacks, such as misleading
must continuously adjust the spoofed inconsistency and report the event. law enforcement tracking, manipulating high-
signal’s timing and Doppler shift, • Multi-constellation protection: frequency trading timestamps, or disrupting
mimicking real satellite motion. Spoofing multiple GNSS systems a competitor’s GNSS-based services.
Where motion sensors are included in simultaneously is extremely difficult. A n at t acker c an spoof a COR S by
an integrated solution, the spoofing High-end receivers validate signals manipulating different aspects of the GNSS
must also mimic the actual motion of across multiple constellations, signals it receives. While large deviations
the target as observed by the sensors. prioritizing trusted signals and in a station’s reported position are easily
• Multi-frequency complexity: High- rejecting anomalies. detected—because its location is fixed and
end receivers rely on multiple GNSS • Future authentication measures: known—more subtle attacks can be more
signals (L1/L2/L5, multi-constellation), Services like Galileo Open Service difficult to identify. By modifying satellite
making it exponentially more difficult Navigation Message Authentication ephemerides and clock data while keeping
to spoof all of them consistently. (OSNMA) will allow receivers the CORS’s reported position unchanged,
Regardless of the method, RF spoofing to cryptographically verify that an attacker can introduce hard-to-detect
typically involves amplifying the counter- ephemeris data originates from errors that propagate through correction
feit signal to overpower authentic GNSS authentic satellites, making spoofing streams, misleading all users dependent
signals while also jamming unspoofed even more difficult. on that station's corrections.

GNSS spoofing threat vectors.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 53

Possible Defenses CORRECTION DATA • Impersonate a legitimate correction
• Position anomaly detection: TAMPERING: INTERCEPTING provider to distribute incorrect data.
Skylark can detect subtle deviations AND MANIPULATING GNSS These attacks borrow heavily from
in a CORS reported position and will CORRECTIONS cyber-attack techniques, including man-
flag it as compromised. Attack Overview in-the-middle (MITM), packet injection
• Automated station quarantine: Instead of spoofing RF signals, an attacker and data spoofing. Just like RF spoofing
Skylark isolates compromised could intercept, modify or inject false GNSS of reference stations, correction data
stations from its correction model corrections before they reach a receiver. tampering can lead to significant finan-
while maintaining performance This type of attack can introduce position- cial and operational disruptions across
through its network of redundant ing errors without disrupting GNSS signals, industries that depend on high-accuracy
reference stations. making it stealthier than RF spoofing. GNSS, such as autonomous systems,
• Ephemeris voting mechanism: Corrections transmitted over unsecured precision agriculture and infrastructure
Skylark cross-validates ephemerides channels, such as unencrypted IP con- monitoring.
across its network of reference nections or open radio links (e.g., RTCM
stations, rejecting outliers that do not over VHF/UHF), are particularly vulnerable. Possible Defenses
align with network consensus. Attackers can: • Encrypted corrections: Skylark
• Continuous clock monitoring: Skylark • Block or delay corrections to degrade secures correction data with
tracks GNSS clock biases in real time; service (denial-of-service attack). encryption, preventing interception
unexpected deviations trigger station • Inject false corrections to subtly and modification by unauthorized
quarantine to prevent bad corrections. manipulate positioning solutions. parties.

Attack Type Method Vulnerabilities Swift Defenses

RF Spoofing Broadcast Single-frequency Authenticated Ephemeris: Receivers rely on Skylark’s validated

at Receiver counterfeit receivers are ephemeris and can reject satellite streams with mismatched data.
GNSS signals easier to spoof; Sensor Fusion: Starling Positioning Engine
to mislead moving targets detects mismatches of GNSS data with IMU and
standalone require real-time odometry and enters dead reckoning mode.
receivers adaptation

RF Spoofing Spoof GNSS Ephemerides Position Detection: Skylark automatically

at CORS signals at a and clock detects subtle shifts in CORS location.
reference station data can be Ephemeris Voting: Skylark cross-validates
to distribute altered without ephemerides across its continental scale stations.
incorrect changing the Station Quarantine: Skylark automatically removes
corrections CORS reported compromised CORS from its network.
position
Clock Monitoring: Skylark flags unexpected GNSS clock drifts.

Correction Intercept, Unsecured Encrypted Corrections: Skylark’s correction stream

Data modify, or inject IP or radio is encrypted, preventing data interception.
Tampering false GNSS transmissions Authentication Checks: Receivers verify corrections
correction data (unencrypted with digital signatures from Skylark.
before it reaches NTRIP, RTCM Secure Transport: Protects against man-
the receiver over VHF/UHF) in-the-middle (MITM) attacks.
are easy to
Fallback Mechanisms: Receiver switches
intercept
to raw GNSS if corrections fail.

Server Data Inject false GNSS Cloud services Secure Cloud: Skylark runs on AWS with encryption and security.
Injection observations with weak Redundant Compute: Skylark’s AWS instances
into the security controls use diverse environments for redundancy.
correction are vulnerable Fault Isolation: AWS Availability Zones
computation to unauthorized prevent widespread disruptions.
servers data injection
ISO 26262-Certified Safety: Skylark ensures its
corrections remain secure and functionally safe.
TABLE 1 Summary of Attack Types and Defenses

54 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

• Authentication and integrity checks: Possible Defenses implementing robust countermeasures

Digital signatures ensure corrections • Secure cloud infrastructure: Skylark is essential to ensure accuracy, reliability
originate from a trusted source and runs on Amazon Web Services (AWS), and security in GNSS-based navigation.
have not been altered in transit. leveraging its built-in encryption, Swif t Navigation’s Sk ylark Precise
• Tamper-resistant transport: identity management, and network Positioning Service is a proven solution
Skylark transmits corrections over security to safeguard correction data. for mitigating spoofing threats, delivering
secure, authenticated channels, • Diversified compute environments: secure, high-accuracy GNSS corrections. By
reducing vulnerability to man-in-the- Skylark concurrently uses ARM- leveraging network-validated ephemeris,
middle attacks. based (Graviton) and x86 AWS real-time anomaly detection and quar-
• Fallback mechanisms: If corrections instances, reducing the risk of single- antining, encrypted correction streams,
fail integrity checks, the receiver architecture vulnerabilities. and a cloud-based security architecture,
disregards them and switches to raw • Geographically distributed Skylark ensures trusted GNSS data—even
GNSS or dead reckoning. redundancy: AWS Availability Zones in contested environments.
provide fault isolation, preventing Available in three variants—Nx RTK, Cx
SERVER DATA INJECTION: localized disruptions from affecting and Dx—based on Virtual Reference Station
COMPROMISING GNSS the entire correction network. (VRS) RTK, PPP-RTK, and Differential GNSS
OBSERVATIONS SENT FOR • ISO 26262-certified safety: Skylark (DGNSS), Skylark is optimized for specific
PROCESSING complies with automotive safety applications, balancing accuracy, coverage,
Attack Overview standards, ensuring correction complexity, and cost, with precision ranging
An attacker could inject false GNSS ob- services remain secure and from 1 cm to 1 meter. Trusted by leading
servation data directly into the servers functionally safe under stringent automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, robot-
responsible for computing corrections, reliability requirements. ics companies, IoT system integrators, and
leading to the widespread distribution mobile handset OEMs, Skylark powers more
of erroneous data. This network-based CONCLUSION than 10 million Advanced Driver-Assistance
attack—distinct from RF spoofing—pos- GNSS spoofing is no longer a theoretical System (ADAS) enabled and autonomous
es signifi cant risks to industries reliant risk—it is a rapidly evolving threat that vehicles and devices worldwide.
on high-precision positioning, such as aff ects aviation, autonomous systems, Learn more about Skylark at [Link],
autonomous systems, construction and logistics, and other industries that depend and contact Swift Navigation for expert
logistics. Correction services with weak on precise positioning. As spoofing inci- guidance on securing your precise posi-
cloud security and data integrity measures dents rise due to geopolitical confl icts tioning application in a spoofi ng-prone
are particularly vulnerable. and the availabilit y of low-cost tools, world. 

Swift defenses against spoofing.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 55

HUMAN ENGINEERING

Management program under t he

The Astounding Ascent Research and Innovative Technology
Administration (RITA), and Van
of Karen Van Dyke Dyke’s trajectory took a significant
turn. She was chosen to serve as the
A look back at a remarkable career as Van Dyke Acting Director for PNT and Spectrum
retires from federal service. Management, a position that allowed
her to expand her influence beyond GPS
PETER GUTIERREZ algorithms and into national policy.
By 2015, she was designated as Director
KAREN VAN DYKE’S REMARKABLE TRAJECTORY of PNT and Spectrum Management under
as a GNSS engineer took her from helping design tools that the Office of the Assistant Secretary for
notify pilots of GPS outages to spearheading America’s Research and Technology (OST-R), over-
national strategy on the future of positioning, navigation seeing coordination of civil PNT efforts
and timing (PNT). Her personal rise reflects the equally across federal agencies and liaising with
impressive evolution of GPS, from a brilliant but obscure international and private-sector partners.
military system to a pillar of modern infrastructure.
When Inside GNSS profiled Van Dyke in 2007, she was The DOT PNT Strategic Plan
already an influential voice in the satellite navigation A cornerstone of Van Dyke’s career was
universe, even as she joked about being “geographically the development of the National PNT
HUMAN challenged.” Back then, it was easy to think of her work, Architecture, a sweeping interagency
ENGINEERING
focused on tools like Receiver Autonomous Integrity initiative launched in 2007 in partner-
Monitoring (RAIM) and systems to predict GPS outages, as a niche, highly technical ship with the Department of Defense
corner of the transportation world. But, with the passage of time and the proliferation (DOD). The effort brought together more
of technologies dependent on PNT, that niche has been transformed into an arena than 200 individuals from 31 U.S. gov-
of enormous global consequence, and Van Dyke has remained at its center every ernment departments and agencies and
step of the way. was completed in 2008.
“The goal was to provide a vision
From RAIM to Resilience The Strategic Plan is our for future investment decisions, and a
Van Dyke first stepped into the world playbook for the next phase. roadmap to more resilient and effec-
of navigation technologies in 1988 as a tive PNT capabilities,” she said. “The
newly graduated electrical engineer from PNT is much more than a National Architecture recognizes GPS
the University of Lowell (now UMass transportation issue—it’s as the cornerstone of the nation’s PNT
Lowell). She quickly discovered a keen a national infrastructure framework, but not the sole solution.
interest in PNT, working at a summer It’s about resilience, redundancy and
research job under Dr. James Rome on imperative.” ensuring our national capabilities can
a Volpe Center project. She started by withstand both intentional and unin-
helping to assess whether the nascent The Department of Transportation tentional disruptions.”
GPS system could help manage aircraft (DOT) Silver and Bronze medals for Building on this foundational work,
separation over the North Atlantic. Meritorious and Superior Achievement, Van Dyke oversaw the development of the
It was early projects like the one at respectively. Indeed, for all her technical DOT PNT Strategic Plan, issued in January.
the Volpe Center that set the tone for achievements, Van Dyke remains equally Based upon the original 19 National
a career defined by technical excel- proud of her volunteer contributions PNT Architecture recommendations,
lence and service-oriented vision. to ION, where she served as president the Strategic Plan emphasizes a system-
Among her most cited early achieve- from 2000 to 2001, and as long-time of-systems approach that combined GPS
ments were developing RAIM outage air navigation technical representative. with a diversity of complementary PNT
reporting tools for both civilian and Meanwhile, as the PNT landscape sources, including terrestrial, autonomous
military aviation, and creating the grew more complex, her role shifted from and space-based systems. It also advocated
GPS Specifications Traceability and engineer to strategist. “The transition for establishing standards, and ensuring
Analysis of Requirements (STARWEB), wasn’t something I initially set out to the availability of spectrum required for
an online traceability tool for tracking do,” Van Dyke said. “But the need for PNT services and protecting PNT services
GPS requirements and their fulfillment. a more unified, strategic view of PNT against harmful interference.
By 2007, Van Dyke had already became increasingly apparent.” Other key goals for civil PNT under
earned accolades like the Institute of I n 2 0 0 7, t h e S e c r e t a r y o f the Strategic Plan include:
Navigation (ION) Early Achievement Transportation realigned the DOT’s • Advancing technologies and systems
and Distinguished Service Award and R ad ionav igat ion a nd Sp e c t r u m to support national PNT services

56 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

• Addressing cybersecurity challenges “These weren’t theoretical exercises,” she everyone who I have had the pleasure
• Leading civil and international PNT said. “We were looking at high readiness- of working with and who has contrib-
coordination level systems that could be deployed uted to the success of our DOT PNT
“The Strategic Plan is our playbook for quickly.” and Spectrum Management mission!”
the next phase,” Van Dyke said. “PNT Key outcomes included the 2023
is much more than a transportation Complementary PNT Action Plan, Timing is Everything
issue—it’s a national infrastructure updated in 2024, and a $7.2 million As for what she sees on the PNT hori-
imperative.” investment in rapid-phase projects with zon, Van Dyke said, “Atomic clocks.
nine commercial vendors with plans The future of navigation is in timing,”
Spectrum Wars: The GPS Adjacent underway for a second rapid phase referencing the Smithsonian’s Time
Band Compatibility Assessment with up to an additional $7.5 million and Navigation exhibit tagline: “If you
One of the most technically ambi- to be awarded to increase the diver- want to know where you are, you need
tious projects under Van Dyke’s lead- sity of technologies. DOT’s goal is to a good clock.”
ership was the GPS Adjacent Band instrument field-tested test ranges to She envisions miniaturized chip-scale
Compatibility (ABC) Assessment, a evaluate backup and complementary atomic clocks becoming standard in
multiyear effort to understand how PNT solutions across critical infrastruc- mobile and distributed systems. “And
commercial RF transmissions near GPS ture within six months of contracting. as systems get smaller and smarter,
frequencies might interfere with receiver “Facilitating adoption of complementary we’ll see greater sensor fusion—GPS
performance. “Pressure for commercial PNT technologies ensures our trains combined with onboard inertial, visual
access to spectrum has only increased run safely, our emergency responders and other sensors.”
over time,” she said. “We had to ensure stay coordinated, and our power grids As PNT applications deepen in com-
that GPS services, especially those used stay synchronized, even in the face of plexity, spanning autonomous vehicles,
in safety-of-life applications, wouldn’t interference,” Van Dyke said.
be compromised.” In characteristic style, Van Dyke cred-
DOT’s study, released in 2018, evaluat- its others for her attainment: “All of
ed close to 100 GPS/GNSS receivers used the success for these projects,” she said,
across sectors from aviation and rail to “and many more in fulfilling DOT’s role
agriculture and emergency response. to represent the civil departments and
The findings were interesting, to say agencies in GPS development, acquisi-
the least. For instance, it was shown tion, management, and operations in
the transmitter power level that can be conjunction with DoD under Space
tolerated by certified GPS avionics (9.8 Policy Directive 7 and ensure respon-
dBW) may cause interference with, or sible use of PNT in conjunction with
degradation to, most other categories DHS under Executive Order 13905 have
of GPS/GNSS receivers, including those only been possible due to the phenom-
used for general aviation and drones. enally talented people I have had the
“The results directly informed the NTIA opportunity to work with across the
[National Telecommunications and government, industry and academia,
Information Administration] petition to both in the U.S. and around the world. Van Dyke received the ION Norman
reconsider the FCC’s Ligado decision in My sincere thanks and appreciation to P. Hays Award in 2020.
2020,” Van Dyke said. The Ligado deci-
sion essentially approved a 5G network
using spectrum near GPS frequencies,
sparking backlash from federal agen-
cies who warned it could interfere with
critical GPS services.

Backing Up The Backbone

Perhaps no topic better illustrates the
maturing of GPS than the drive to develop
complementary PNT technologies. Van
Dyke led DOT’s 2020 field demonstrations
of 11 such technologies, including low
Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, terrestrial Space-Based PNT
radio frequency (RF), fiber-optic timing, Summit in 2022.
and inertial measurement units (IMUs).

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 57

HUMAN ENGINEERING

Pressure for commercial

access to spectrum has
only increased over time.
We had to ensure that
GPS services, especially
those used in safety-of-life
applications, wouldn’t be
compromised.”

smart infrastructure, and

national security, Van
Dyke said the next big
step is net-centric dis- (TOP) Time and
tribution, that is reli- Money Event at New
able, real-time delivery York Stock Exchange
of PNT information across in 2023. (LEFT) Casa
networks. Batlló in Barcelona.
“It’s not just about where you
are” she said. “It’s about what you spending more time with
can safely do because you know precisely friends and family, traveling,
where you are.” hiking, reading non-work-related mate-
rial, and far fewer emails, and becoming
The Other Side more involved in our local community.”
Behind Van Dyke’s formidable profes- She expects to divide her time between
sional persona is a story of personal two very different but equally meaning-
balance. Raised in the Boston area, ful places. “My husband and I plan to Retirement ceremony with CAPT Margaret Kennedy
and Mike Emerson, United States Coast Guard.
she stayed close to home for college, keep our house in northern Virginia,
earning both her bachelor’s and mas- as well as our townhouse in eastern
ter’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts,” she said. “They are both
Lowell. She credits early mentors like unique locations. In northern Virginia, the clearest sign to me that GPS, and
Dr. Richard John and Dr. Frank Tung we live on a peninsula on the Potomac by extension, PNT, is no longer niche,”
(Director and Deputy Director of the River and enjoy a wide variety of wildlife she said. “It’s essential.”
DOT Volpe Center), as well as Mike around the property. To me, though, the Reflecting on her career, Van Dyke
Moroney, head of the Volpe Center for bald eagles are the most special part of sees not just how far the field has come,
Navigation, for opening her eyes to the our Virginia locale. We are fortunate but how quickly the world around it has
joy of applied engineering. enough to have an active bald eagle’s changed. “As was described during the
Van Dyke’s husband, Ken Kepchar, nest adjacent to our property.” National PNT Architecture effort, the
an engineer with a “built-in navigation Massachusetts, where she was raised PNT landscape is continually changing
sensor,” as she affectionately put it, was and where much of her family still lives, and evolving,” she said. “However, PNT
a lucky match, both personally and pro- remains close to her heart. “We always technology hasn’t changed as quickly as
fessionally. They met at the GPS Joint enjoy our time in eastern Mass during the world has changed—certainly what
Program Office in Los Angeles, and their all seasons of the year, but especially were hypothetical disturbances to GPS/
careers in PNT have often paralleled in the summer when we can take long GNSS are now real-world events being
each other. “I always say he was born walks along the ocean, go sailing and experienced, especially in and around
knowing where north is,” Van Dyke whale watching, and enjoy lobster fresh conflict zones.”
laughed. “I had to work at it.” off the boat.” The need for PNT resiliency, cybersecu-
With her recent retirement, Van Dyke rity, situational awareness, and spectrum
is looking forward to enjoying long- Future Bound protection from harmful interference are
deferred pursuits. “My near-term goals Van Dyke can still recall having to all critical challenges. With increasing
are to enjoy some of the aspects of life explain what GPS even stood for, back interest in complementary PNT solutions,
that I haven’t had enough time for,” she in her early days at Volpe. Now, it’s Van Dyke cited the importance of ensur-
said, “including projects around our embedded in everything from smart- ing these technologies meet stringent
home in Virginia, such as gardening, phones to global finance. “That shift is safety-of-life performance requirements:

58 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

“There is a need to facilitate adoption of these technologies and Course 338: Ionospheric
ensure that these performance requirements for safety-of-life
applications can continue to be achieved.” Effects, Monitoring, and
“I am also interested in seeing how PNT evolves to meet
other emerging requirements,” she said, “including the fully Mitigation Techniques
operational delivery of much needed capabilities such as
the GPS modernized civil signals (L2C, L5 and L1C), signal
authentication, utilization of CRPA antennae for civil applica- Dr. Jade Morton
tions, and operationalizing an automated GPS interference
detection and geolocation capability.” CU Boulder
Not Really
This 3-day course will give you a comprehensive
Few believe, and no one hopes, that Van Dyke is really leaving
the PNT stage for good. Despite her retirement from federal review of the fundamentals of ionospheric
service, her connection to the community she helped build effects on GNSS. It is designed for students,
remains strong, and her compass remains fixed on the future engineers, researchers, and managers interested
of navigation. “I started my career in PNT and have been in satellite navigation and remote sensing
deeply involved for the past 36.5 years, so in a way it is now technologies and applications.
in my blood,” she said. Private presentations available now,
Van Dyke is particularly proud of the new generation of contact Trevor at tboynton@[Link]
engineers taking up the mantle. “I am delighted that the
DOT Volpe Center in Cambridge, Mass, where I started +1-703-256-8900 • 800-628-0885
my career, has hired a number of younger engineers over [Link]
the past several years to work on complementary PNT,” she
said. “I am very interested in hearing about the results from
their efforts to implement the DOT PNT Strategic Plan and
DOT Complementary PNT Action Plan. I will be cheering
Fall GNSS/INS Courses
them on and all who serve in the PNT community for their Register Today!
continued successes and accomplishments.”
So, over the course of a few very kind and memorable years,
Van Dyke went from a young engineer curious about satel-
lites to a national strategist who helped lay the foundation
for America’s navigation future. We will hope to see her and
follow her progress for many more years in whatever role
she chooses to play. Her own contributions are sure to be as Live Remote Courses with Real-Time Engagement
enduring as the systems she helped build, quietly reliable, Taught by World-Class Navigation Experts
globally significant, and always pointing the way forward.
346: GPS/GNSS Operation for Engineers and
Technical Professionals.
Instructor: Dr. Chris Hegarty.
November 17-20
122: GPS/GNSS Fundamentals and
Enhancements.
Instructor: Dr. Chris Hegarty.
The first two days of 346. An overview of
how the GPS/GNSS system works.
November 17-18
557: Inertial Systems, Kalman Filtering, and
GPS/INS Integration. Instructors: Dr. Alan Pue
and Mr. Michael Vaujin.
December 8-12
Questions? Contact Trevor at tboynton@[Link]

+1-703-256-8900 • 800-628-0885
[Link]

ION 80s Themed Event with Rudy Kalafus and John Lavrakas.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 59

Photos courtesy of BAE SYSTEMS.

Precision Under Fire

BAE Systems advances Assured PNT (APNT) for UAVs and Loitering Munitions.

I “There are no shortcuts.

n today ’s contes ted bat tlespace, load if it has a reliable clock and initializa-
positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) tion. It can’t start cold in fog or total dark-
solutions must withstand jamming,
Inertial drifts, vision ness. That’s where GPS or even Alternate
spoofing and degraded visual conditions. degrades, and GPS Navigation systems come in.”
For Loitering Munitions and unmanned must be toughened— Importantly, this approach is sensor-ag-
aerial vehicles (UAVs), precision absolute nostic but rigorously integrity-driven. “If a
PNT is mission-critical—not just ideal. BAE
not replaced.” sensor can prove itself in the Integrity Ring,”
Systems’ recent white paper proposes a Mike Shepherd, Director of APNT Strategy, Navigation and Sensor Shepherd said, “then it’s a candidate. It’s not
System Business, BAE Systems
Common APNT Package (CAP) to meet about preference—it’s about credibility.”
these threats head-on. (CPSM) became the standard by which
To gain deeper insight into the thinking effectiveness would be judged. “Every ASSURED SENSOR FUSION
behind the paper, Inside GNSS spoke with program has a unit cost target,” Shepherd AND THE INTEGRITY RING
Mike Shepherd, Director of APNT Strategy noted, “but if you’re flying a $30k drone and This focus on credibility led to one of the
at BAE’s Navigation and Sensor System’s it fails because it lost PNT five minutes in, white paper’s core concepts: the Integrity
Business of BAE Systems. What emerged your CPSM just skyrocketed. That failure Ring. Rather than simply fusing data from
from that conversation is a layered, mod- costs more than the airframe.” multiple sensors, BAE’s system actively
ular and verifiable system for achieving validates each sensor’s input before in-
assured PNT in the most demanding op- MERGED MODALITIES: A UNIFIED cluding it in the final PNT solution.
erational environments. APNT THREAT RESPONSE “ We d o n ’ t j u s t f u s e — w e v e r i f y, ”
From that mission-first mindset, BAE Shepherd said. “ This isn’t a statistical
REDEFINING MISSION SUCCESS turned to the question of how to maintain mean. It’s a vetted synthesis. If a sensor
WITH CPSM AND QUADRANT D PNT under diverse, overlapping threats. starts to diverge from the consensus, we
“Quadrant D—precision absolute PNT— Rather than investing in one dominant identify and exclude it.”
is not a luxury; it’s essential,” Shepherd sensor type, they are developing a hybrid Shepherd elaborated on the metaphor:
said. Defi ned by <10m positional error strategy that leverages the complemen- “It’s like a courtroom. Each sensor provides
and <1ms timing error, Quadrant D sup- tary failure modes of GPS/SATNAV and testimony, but the Integrity Ring is the
ports full mission capability across all UAV vision-based navigation. judge. It asks: ‘Does this align with the rest
operations. “We realized that vision-based systems of the evidence?’ If not, that sensor’s out.”
Arriving at this framework was no small degrade for totally different reasons than This adjudication mechanism enables
task. “We weren’t just trying to document GPS,” Shepherd explained. “So, if you build an change to…“multi-sensor PNT integrity,
requirements. We asked, ‘What’s the real architecture that leans on both, they rarely which allows us to use all available signals
problem here?’ And the answer was simple: fail simultaneously. That’s the sweet spot.” (even open service GNSS for example) while
Successful mission completion. Not partial. Shepherd reinforced this point by de- maintaining high trust in the PNT solution.
Not degraded—successful.” scribing real-world use cases. “During a “You know where you are, you know
This internal reset led to a shift in evalu- GPS outage—say from jamming, canyoning what time it is, and you’re ready to re-
ation metrics. Cost Per Successful Mission or terrain masking—vision can carry the acquire when the environment allows,”

60 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

Shepherd explained. “That’s a powerful “Vision improves SATNAV, ARCHITECTING FOR THE FIGHT
place to be when GPS is denied.” WE KNOW IS COMING
and SATNAV enables The Common APNT Package isn’t simply
MODULARITY AND SCALE: vision. That’s the a technical response to a sensor prob-
COMMON APNT ACROSS ALL symbiosis we exploit.” lem—it’s a system-level rethink of how
CLASSES PNT is delivered and trusted in the most
Mike Shepherd, Director of APNT Strategy, Navigation and Sensor
The Integrity Ring and its surrounding System Business, BAE Systems hostile environments imaginable.
architec ture are not limited to large “Don’t wait for the threat to teach you
platforms. In fact, the CAP concept was but because RF is being jammed,” Shepherd the lesson,” Shepherd warned. “Assured
developed with scalability in mind. Rather said. “If that doesn’t underscore the need PNT isn’t about redundancy—it’s about
than embedding PNT logic in each payload, for assured PNT, I don’t know what does.” integrity. And that has to be built in from
BAE advocates for a platform-level archi- To counter spoofing, the CAP system the start.”
tecture shared across all mission variants. includes multiple defense layers: M-Code Shepherd, with a final call to action:
“We’re not pushing a $50K box for a authentication, radio frequency (RF) anom- “ We’re saying: Star t with the threat ,
$5K drone,” Shepherd said. “We’re scal- aly detection, cold-start checks, and cross- build for sur vivabilit y, and make in-
ing the same architectural logic across sensor validation. “We’re not betting on tegrity the default. The white paper is
all classes, from expendables to Group any single trick,” Shepherd emphasized. a blueprint. Adapt it. Build on it. But
5 UAVs, using modular components and “We’re building a robust web of trust.” don’t ignore it.” 
common interfaces.”
This modularity aligns tightly with the
Department of Defense (DoD)’s push for
a Modular Open Systems Architecture
Notional UAV and Loitering Munitions
(MOSA). Shepherd noted the added benefit APNT Requirements
of continuity in an acquisition environment
Assured Position Navigation and Timing (APNT) System Requirements:
marked by rapid leadership turnover.
1. A PNT system shall maintain a degraded PNT solution through a SATNAV
“Program leads change every 12 to 18
months. Without a standard, you’re re- outage to support SATNAV reacquisition after outage termination.
inventing the wheel with every rotation. 2. A PNT system shall comply with MIL-STD-810 environmental testing methodologies.
CAP creates that consistency.” 3. A PNT system shall comply with MIL-STD-464 environmental testing methodologies.
Shepherd pointed to existing prototypes
4. A PNT system shall provide an APNT solution in a jamming and spoofing threat environment.
as proof of concept. “We’ve got “MILGPS”
based systems flying today in many preci- 5. A PNT system shall provide a MOSA compliant distribution interface for PNT data.
sion weapons. They’re meeting, or exceed- 6. A PNT system shall provide a MOSA compliant sensor interface
ing jamming and spoofing requirements.” for integrating with additional sensors.
7. A PNT system shall perform dead reckoning with no absolute position source.
SURVIVABILITY IN A JAMMED
AND SPOOFED BATTLESPACE SATNAV Requirements
All of these architectural choices converge
8. S ATNAV system shall provide an assured PNT solution.
on a single battlefield reality: the need to
operate in the presence of adversarial 9. S ATNAV system shall provide capability to track encrypted military codes.
interference. In the white paper, BAE mod- 10. S ATNAV system shall mitigate jamming in contested environments.
eled identified benefits of M-Code and AJ/
11. Note: The SATNAV System will provide mitigation against multiple types of
AS techniques. The results are dramatic.
jammers. (contact BAE Navigation & Sensor Systems for details)
GPS receivers can be rendered inoper-
able while still a significant distance from 12. S ATNAV system shall include a multi-element antenna system.
the interference source. In contrast, mod- 13. S ATNAV system shall provide mitigation for multiple spatially unique
ern CAP-equipped UAVs with antijam (AJ) jamming sources. (contact BAE Navigation & Sensor Systems for details)
antennas and M-Code capability can retain 14. S ATNAV system shall provide X dB of anti-Jam Improvement.
full Quadrant D precisionfor operation
(contact BAE Navigation & Sensor Systems for details)
closer to the interference.
15. S ATNAV system shall provide pseudorange and deltarange measurements to the host platform.
Real world scenarios are even more ur-
gent. “We’ve seen in Ukraine that fiber-optic 16. S ATNAV system shall provide synchronous pseudorange and
cable is being laid across contested ter- carrier phase information to the host platform.
rain—not because of bandwidth demand,

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 61

 BAE SYSTEMS WHITE PAPER

APNT for UAVs and Loitering Munitions

This white paper presents the Assured Position Navigation and Time (APNT) Problem
The APNT problem
Statement for UAVs and Loitering Munitions. It explains the different types of PNT and
statement and notional concludes that Precision Absolute PNT is essential to successful mission completion
requirements for UAVs for UAVs and Loitering Munitions. This assessment measures mission success based
on Cost Per Successful Mission (CPSM).
and Loitering Munitions.
We discuss the many environmental and adversarial threats that can impair the
sensors needed to provide APNT, specifically threats to GPS/SATNAV and Vision Map
Matching, and show how they impact performance. We discuss potential solutions to
enable provision of APNT within the threat environments.
We propose an architectural approach that optimizes reuse and reduces cost by
using a Common APNT Package (CAP) to maximize flexibility for a given platform and
maximize scalability across platforms.
Finally, we show how Modernized GPS that is toughened and augmented enables
successful mission completion in the face of significant GPS jamming and spoofing.
The modern battlespace has changed over the past decade, and the military use of
GPS to deliver critical positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) information to warfight-
ers faces challenges from adversaries’ threat systems. We have seen several examples
of outdated GPS solutions failing to provide adequate (or in some cases any) PNT
performance on the battlefield in Ukraine and elsewhere. Modernized (M-Code) GPS,
however, continues to be relevant for the U.S. military and its allies, even when used
in contested environments. Existing and future military GPS solutions must especially
consider those uses designed for handheld and ultrasmall applications where size,
weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) are all key considerations.

62 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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Figure 1: PNT In the battlefield.

Precision Absolute PNT Enables All Mission Types

Figure 2: UAV mission capability by APNT Quadrant.
APNT FOR UAVS AND
LOITERING MUNITIONS

A ccess to Precision Absolute PNT is

critical to the successful execution of
missions for UAVs and Loitering Munitions.
“Precision” PNT, as distinct from non-
precision or relative PNT, is usually defined
within the defense industry as error of
less than 10 meters for positioning ap-
plications and less than 1 millisecond for
communications applications. “Absolute”
PNT is defined as using the World Geodetic
Survey 1984 (WGS84) reference frame and
Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) (Figure 1, GPS & SATNAV That Are Toughened And Augmented Solve All But
Quadrant D). Most Challenging Threat Conditions
The warfighter is dependent on Precision Figure 3: SATNAV threat environment and solution approach.
Absolute PNT to perform many of the mis-
sions anticipated by UAVs and Loitering provide partial mission capability for some vulnerable to a variety of threats as shown
Munitions in all weather, day/night and missions and remain not mission capable in Figure 3. The threat environment ranges
all terrains. Figure 2 shows why Precision for many mission types. from “Permissive” in column 1 through
Absolute PNT (Quadrant D) is important “SATNAV Unavailable” in column 7. Columns
to UAV and Loitering Munition effective- APNT THREAT ENVIRONMENT 2 through 4 involve jamming and/or spoof-
ness. It provides full mission capability AND POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS ing and are solvable using anti-jam and
across all mission types while other lev- GPS and SATNAV Threats anti-spoof technology to toughen the
els of APNT performance (Quadrants A-C) GPS as well as other SATNAV sources are GPS sensor along with iner tial dead

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 63

reckoning and clock coasting to augment capability by merging the solutions. Figure 5 as shown by the cells with bold letter-
the GPS sensor. shows the enhanced ability to provide ing. Vision improves accuracy of the GPS/
Column 5 represents a condition where an APNT solution across all SATNAV and SATNAV solution when in a long outage
GPS has been taken offline altogether and vision threat conditions. As can be seen, and provides a PN (not T) solution when
the solution involves switching to an alter- Precision Absolute PNT (Quadrant D in SATNAV is unavailable.
native “Precision” SATNAV source, such as Figure 1) is provided across most threat Likewise, it is interesting to observe the
Galileo. By toughening and augmenting conditions. A degraded, but still signifi - benefit gained by adding GPS/SATNAV to
this alternative SATNAV source, a solution cant, PNT capability is provided for the a Vision Map Matching solution. Figure 6
is provided for up to long temporary out- rest of the combined threat conditions shows the same merged threat condition
ages. Column 6 shows a condition where with the exception of both SATNAV and matrix with a Vision Map Matching only
all “Precision” SATNAV sources have been vision being unavailable simultaneously. solution. Here, we see that without the
taken offline and is solved by use of alter- Vision Map Matching provides significant precision time of GPS/SATNAV to at least
native SATNAV sources of lower precision, benefi t to a GPS/SATNAV-only solution, initialize a clock coasting function for the
such as ALTNAV or other LEO-based PNT.
Again, toughening and augmenting this
alternative SATNAV source enables a solu-
tion through long, temporary outages of
this source. Column 7 represents a condi-
tion where all SATNAV sources have been
taken offline. In this condition, there is not
a SATNAV-based APNT solution available.

Vision Map Matching Threats

Vision Map Matching is vulnerable to a
diff erent variety of threats as shown in
Figure 4. The threat environment ranges
from “Permissive” in column 1 through
“Vision Unavailable” in column 6.
Providing PNT using Vision Map
Vision Map Matching With Augmentation Provides
Matching requires precise time initial-
APNT Up Through Temporary Outages Requires
ization and clock coasting in all threat
Precision Position and Time Initialization (GPS)
conditions. Columns 2 and 3 represent
vision impairment in the visible spectrum Figure 4: Vision Map Matching threat environment and solution approach.
and multiple spectrums, respectively. The
solution involves adding multi-spectrum
map matching capability. Columns 4 and 5
represent a combination of threats, includ-
ing impairment, unrecognizable terrain and
potentially dazzling, combining to cause
short- or long-term Vision Map Matching
outages. The solution involves adding in-
ertial dead reckoning to the clock coasting
and multi-spectrum sensing needed for
Columns 1 through 3. Column 6 involves
loss of Vision Map Matching capability
due to burnout or other causes resulting
in no vision-based APNT solution.

Merged SATNAV & Vision Map

Matching Solution Low Correlation of GPS/SATNAV and Vision Threats
The lack of correlation between the threats Provides Complementary PNT Capability
aff ecting GPS/SATNAV versus those af-
fecting Vision Map Matching provides Figure 5: Merged SATNAV and Vision Map Matching threat environment
an opportunity for an enhanced APNT and solution approach.

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vision system, PNT is degraded to just PN PNT solution when vision outages become to cover the mission types and determine
(no time). Likewise, without GPS to initial- long or permanent. breakpoints between platform types for:
ize platform location, vision-based PNT • Expendable
may struggle to operate or fail to operate PROPOSED UAV AND LOITERING • Attritable
altogether. Additionally, without GPS, PN MUNITIONS ARCHITECTURE • Survivable
performance will be degraded as outages We propose optimization of the UAV and Figure 7 shows our understanding of the
extend to long time periods. So, all rows Loitering Munitions architecture to minimize current breakdown of UAV and Loitering
benefit from GPS/SATNAV precise position CPSM across the missions of a given plat- Munitions platforms. The better we all
and time and the two lowest rows benefit form and across platforms. We recommend understand the breakdown of planned
by having access to a Precision Absolute defining a minimum viable set of platforms platforms, the better we can optimize
solutions to provide the best performance
at the lowest cost.

ARCHITECTURE OF KEY
UAV SYSTEMS
To optimize CPSM, we recommend incorpo-
rating a Common APNT Package (CAP) that
is part of the UAV platform, not mission
payload, but distinct from the navigation/
guidance package. We recommend that all
mission payloads that require PNT receive
it from the Common APNT package.
For purposes of this discussion, we are
defining platform to include all elements
of the UAV that remain constant across
all mission types. We are defi ning mis-
Merged SATNAV & Vision Map Matching threat sion payload as those elements that may
environment with vision-only solution approach. change based on the selected mission.
Figure 6: Merged SATNAV and Vision Map Matching threat We recommend the CAP incorporate an
environment with vision-only solution approach. APNT multi-sensor package that meets
mission skyline requirements for a given
platform, including:
• M-Code GPS
• Anti-jam
• Anti-spoof
• Assured sensor fusion
• Dead reckoning (including inertial,
velocity, altitude, etc. sensors)
Figure 7: Taxonomy of UAVs with key data.

Common APNT Package in Platform With Standard PNT Interface

Figure 8: Proposed UAV and Loitering Munitions architecture.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 65

• Clock coasting
• Multi-SATNAV
• Vision Map Matching
We recommend implementing a common
standard sensor interface to optimize mod-
ularity between sensors. We also recom-
mend implementing a common standard
PNT distribution interface for all mission
packages to optimize use of the PNT data
from CAP across the platform, including
all mission packages requiring PNT.
Figure 8 shows the proposed top-level
architecture including a CAP in the plat-
form with a common standard PNT in-
terface to enable use across all mission
payloads.
Figure 9 shows a proposed CAP and
mission payload architecture and how it Architect to Optimize Reuse & Flexibility,
optimizes reuse and flexibility across mis- Reduce Cost & Maximize Scalability
sions while reducing cost and maximizing
Figure 9: Proposed APNT and Mission Payload Architecture.
scalability across platform types.
Figure 10 shows a general APNT archi-
tecture model that enables modularity,
flexibility and scalability. It is tailored for
the UAV and Loitering Munitions problem
space, where the bolder colored items are
included and the faded items are optional.
Note the center of the model is assured
sensor fusion, not a specifi c sensor. By
putting sensor fusion in the middle, we
optimize flexibility and scalability, and by
making it assured, we optimize provision
of assured PNT. The key to assured PNT is
the Integrity Ring shown on the diagram,
where the integrity of individual sensor
outputs is validated prior to inclusion in
the assured sensor fusion solution.

SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
(JAMMING/SPOOFING) FOR UAVS
AND LOITERING MUNITIONS
To illustrate performance of the proposed
Assurance Is Key Aspect ofMulti-Sensor Fusion Architecture
architecture in a GPS jamming environ-
ment, Figure 11 shows the relative per- Figure 10: Proposed APNT Architecture Model for UAVs and Loitering
formance of various GPS configurations, Munitions.
including current GPS as well as improve-
ment using different generations of GPS This allows operation closer to the jammer continuous assured PNT. In a corner con-
M-Code, and M-Code with Regional Military while maintaining Quadrant D precision dition where both GPS is denied and the
Protection (RMP). As shown in Figure 11, absolute position and time. non-GPS augmentation is unavailable, an
current M-Code GPS receivers provide For the small area of operation where outage of PNT is possible (Figure 5).
better anti-jam performance than the GPS is potentially denied, non-GPS aug- In addition to GPS jamming, GPS spoof-
legacy military GPS receivers and much mentation technology such as inertial ing is an impor tant consideration for
better than commercial GPS receivers dead reckoning or vision navigation can operation in a threat environment. The
currently used by many UAV platforms. supplement the PNT solution to provide most robust navigation systems include

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a layered approach to PNT integrity, using

all available sensors and sophisticated
algorithms to ensure a trusted solution.
Current military GPS receivers include
several anti-spoofing techniques and pro-
vide the foundation of a layered integrity
approach. When an AJ antenna is applied,
more sophisticated algorithms provide the
highest level of PNT integrity available for
a military GPS receiver. These algorithms
do not depend on specific threat charac-
teristics for detection, can mitigate mixed
threat scenarios, and provide a trusted
GPS cold start capability.
In addition to GPS technologies, non-
GPS augmentation technologies can be
used to enhance integrity by using con-
sistency checks across multiple sensors.
Together, this multi-layered approach pro-
vides a very robust anti-spoofing solution
in all operational scenarios.
Figure 11: Benefits of Military Code (M-Code).
Source: Mr. Cordell DeLaPena, Jr, PNT Advisory Board GPS Update, 4 December 2024, slide 8, avail- CONCLUSIONS
able at [Link]
A PN T, especiall y A ssured Precision
Absolute PNT (Quadrant D in Figure 1), is
essential to successful mission completion
for UAVs and Loitering Munitions. This is
made clear when assessing success based
on CPSM.
We have shown the many environmental
and adversarial threats that can impair the
sensors needed to provide APNT. We de-
scribed those threats, specifically threats
to GPS/SATNAV and Vision Map Matching,
and have shown how they impact per-
formance. We have further included po-
tential solutions to enable provision of
APNT within the threat environments. Of
special note is the benefi t of combining
GPS/SATNAV with Vision Map Matching,
which provides good APNT performance
across all but the most extreme combined
threat environment.
We have proposed an architectural ap-
proach that optimizes reuse and reduces
cost by using a CAP that maximizes flex-
ibility for a given platform and scalability
across platforms.
Finally, we have shown how Modernized
GPS that is toughened and augmented
enables successful mission completion in
the face of significant GPS jamming and
spoofing. 
Figure 12: MST™ anti-spoof performance.

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 67

PhotocourtesyofALANDAVIDSTAATS/[Link].

Defending GPS Integrity

How UHU Technologies is shaping the future
of PNT situational awareness.

W “Northstar isn't just

ith satellite navigation increas- Key features of the UHU 1000 include:
ingly targeted by jamming • Impervious to Spoofing: Spatial
and spoofing threats, UHU validation confirms the monitoring the sky.
Technologies stands at the forefront of authenticity of each satellite by
It's giving operators
innovation, delivering leading-edge so- validating angle-of-arrival.
lutions to protect both military and civil • Adaptive Nulling Anti-Jam: Real-time a window into the
GPS users. Founded by Jeff Sanders, a elimination of interfering signals,
PNT battlespace.”
well-known SME in the SIGINT commu- preserving operational continuity.
nity, UHU Technologies brings decades of • Non-Adaptive Nulling Anti-Spoof: Jeff Sanders,
expertise to one of today’s most pressing Separates spoofed signals for founder, UHU Technologies
challenges: assuring trusted positioning continuous situational clarity.
navigation and timing (PNT) and providing • Integrated Timing Receiver:
unmatched PNT Situational Awareness Maintains precise timing even operations, the Northstar system brings
(PNT SA) in contested environments. under GPS denial conditions. robust PNT Situational Awareness to
Inside GNSS sat down with Sanders to • I/Q Recording: Captures detailed civil infrastructure—a rapidly growing
discuss UHU’s two flagship products—the signal environments for vulnerability as ports, airports and fi-
UHU 1000 and the Northstar—and the forensic PNT analysis. nancial systems depend more heavily
company’s mission to enhance real-time • Situational Awareness GUI: Multiple on GPS.
awareness, threat detection, and opera- operational views—Sky, Map, “Northstar was built to give operators
tional confidence for all GPS-enabled Chart and Spectral—offering full the ability to see—in real time—what’s
operations. visualization of the GNSS environment. happening in their GPS environment,
with the power to react immediately,”
THE UHU 1000: DEFINING NEW Housed in a compact 1U 19-inch rack- Sanders said.
STANDARDS IN PNT SITUATIONAL mount chassis, the UHU 1000 empowers
AWARENESS users to maintain trusted PNT while achiev- Highlights of the Northstar system
At the core of UHU Technologies’ offer- ing continuous, actionable awareness of include:
ing is the UHU 1000, a 7-channel system the threat landscape. • 4 -Channel Antenna
specifically designed to combat advanced “We designed it to ensure that opera- System: Differentiates authentic
GPS attacks while simultaneously locat- tors always know not just that there’s a GNSS signals from threats via spatial
ing their source. “Our goal with the UHU problem, but exactly where it is and how processing.
1000,” Sanders explained, “was to create it’s affecting their mission,” Sanders said. • R apid Threat Detection: Provides
a system that delivers comprehensive PNT immediate alerts and visualizations
situational awareness—not just defend- THE NORTHSTAR: EXPANDING PNT when spoofing or jamming occurs.
ing against attacks but enabling users to SA TO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE • Automatic Timing Holdover: Maintains
understand, visualize and respond to them While the UHU 1000 is geared for mili- operational timing continuity during
in real time.” tar y and high-securit y governmental attacks.

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• Angle-of-Arrival Threat Localization: said. “Our systems bring clarity to the field
Displays the direction and magnitude immediately.”
of threats to enhance operational
decision-making. A VISION FOR BROADER PNT
• Remote RF Disconnect: Automatically RESILIENCE: AVIATION, ENERGY Northstar
protects external GPS receivers by AND MARITIME Northstar brings robust PNT
isolating corrupted signals. With civil aviation, maritime and power Situational Awareness to civil
• Event-Based I/Q Recorder: Enables in- grid operators now confronting growing infrastructure, giving operators the
ability to see what’s happening in
depth analysis for sustained PNT SA GPS vulnerabilities, UHU Technologies is
their GPS environment in real time.
improvements. expanding the reach of its PNT Situational
With a user interface designed around Awareness solutions.
Sky View, Map View and Time Machine re- Sanders cited a recent incident at a
plays, Northstar transforms GPS-dependent major airport where GPS interference dis-
UHU 1000
facilities into PNT-aware operations hubs. rupted navigation, forcing pilots to revert The 7-channel system is designed to
“Northstar isn’t just monitoring the sky,” to Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) and combat advanced GPS attacks while
Sanders emphasized. “It’s giving opera- causing operational delays. simultaneously locating their source.
tors a window into the PNT battlespace.” “Without real-time PNT SA, critical in-
Photos courtesy of UHU Technologies.
frastructure becomes reactive rather than
REAL-WORLD IMPACT: proactive,” Sanders said. “Our mission is
ENHANCING PNT SA AT PORTS, to change that.” a model of after-the-fact vulnerability
BORDERS AND AIRPORTS Upcoming demonstrations, including at assessment to a proactive, resilient pos-
Sanders recounted real-world deploy- NAVFEST, will showcase how UHU’s sys- ture—ensuring continuous mission as-
ments where enhanced PNT situational tems can be networked across facilities surance even in PNT contested or denied
awareness made a critical difference. At a for distributed, collaborative PNT threat environments.
major U.S. port, a rogue refrigeration unit detection.
was emitting interference, crippling GPS PNT SA AS A CORE OPERATIONAL
container tracking. A UHU rapid deploy- INTEGRATING PNT SA INTO DOD CAPABILITY
ment kit quickly located and isolated the PROGRAMS OF RECORD Reflecting on UHU Technologies’ strategy,
source, restoring operational stability. As GPS jamming and spoofing incidents Sanders summarized the new reality:
“PNT SA is about understanding dis- escalate worldwide, the future of military “You can’t defend GPS today without
ruptions before they become operational navigation will depend heavily on inte- superior PNT Situational Awareness. It’s no
crises,” Sanders explained. grated PNT Situational Awareness. Key longer about responding to disruption—it’s
“Knowing when, where and how GPS is Department of Defense (DoD) Programs of about knowing disruption is happening
being attacked along a sensitive border Record, particularly in areas such as resil- before it impacts your mission.”
isn’t just a bonus—it ’s critical for mis- ient communications, aviation command With the UHU 1000 and Northstar, UHU
sion success and international safety,” and control, autonomous systems, and Technologies is redefining the standard for
Sanders said. expeditionary logistics, are increasingly resilient, real-time awareness—transform-
recognizing the need to incorporate field- ing PNT from a passive dependency into
RAPID DEPLOYMENT: proven technologies like UHU’s. Real-time an active operational advantage.
DELIVERING IMMEDIATE PNT detection, localization and mitigation of As the global GNSS landscape grows
AWARENESS PNT threats must become intrinsic to more contested, UHU Technologies en-
Both the UHU 1000 and Northstar were platform and mission system designs. sures operators across sectors will not
designed from the ground up to provide By integrating UHU’s advanced capa- only survive—but thrive—with trusted
rapid, on-the-move situational awareness: bilities, these programs can move from PNT. 
• Installation: Fully operational
within one hour.
• Mobility: Easily mounted on vehicles About UHU Technologies
using magnetic mounts and stowed Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, UHU Technologies specializes in
in low-profile duffel bags. advanced navigation warfare (NAVWAR) and assured PNT Situational
• Real-Time Data Streaming: Secure Awareness solutions. Its products are deployed across government, military
transmission over VPN- and critical infrastructure sectors, providing unmatched defense against
enhanced cellular networks. spoofing, jamming and GNSS interference.
“Fast, reliable PNT SA shouldn’t require Learn more at [Link].
a full engineering team on site,” Sanders

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 69

BEYOND GNSS: L5

WHILE GNSS IS AN EXTRAORDINARY TECHNOLOGY, it is not without its limitations and vulnerabilities.
With the rise of increasingly sophisticated spoofing and jamming threats targeting critical infrastructure, the need for
complementary solutions to toughen and augment GNSS has never been more apparent. A layered approach to positioning,
navigation and timing (PNT) is essential for resilience. In this column, we explore emerging PNT solutions, their role in
strengthening system reliability and resilience, and their implications for the future of PNT.

L5: Helping Build More Resilient PNT

Why now is the time for
W
e at oneNav have been work- military and commercial segments to
ing for more than five years use L5 signals. With 73 space vehicles
solutions like L5-direct™
to develop the first commer- (SVs), the L5-band now has nearly three
Assured-PNT from oneNav to cially viable L5-direct GNSS receiver, times more satellites than any single
anchor a more robust system. which is now implemented in both constellation at L1, making it the domi-
FPGA and ASIC silicon. Unlike current nant unified-signal structure in GNSS.
PAUL MCBURNEY L1/L5 GNSS receivers that tend to sup- Then there’s the growing concern
ONENAV port L5 as minimally as possible, oneNav for the impact an electronic warfare
fully implements L5-direct search and (EW) attack would have on critical infra-
track capabilities to ensure maximum structure and the defense sector. This
resilience to jamming and spoofing. was recognized in the March 6 Federal
The receiver has been validated for Communications Commission (FCC)
jamming and spoofing immunity at Notice of Inquiry (NOI) for Promoting
defense service proving grounds on t he Development of Positioning,
land vehicles, aircraft and sea vessels, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technolo-
PAUL MCBURNEY is the and has been tested for accuracy and gies and solutions. Because all receivers
co-founder and CTO of oneNav, sensitivity in dense urban settings using available on the market today rely on the
his second GNSS startup. He wrist worn smartwatch antennas. Table 1 L1 C/A signal developed in the 1970s,
began his focus on GNSS while summarizes these key benefits. they are vulnerable to potential jam-
earning his PhD in electrical
The availability of L5-direct coincides ming and spoofing attacks that could
engineering and has since been
with significant developments that make easily disable all commercial receivers.
developing location technology
and systems at Stanford Telecom, now the time for it to anchor a new, A more sophisticated attack on L1 and
Trimble, eRide (his first GNSS more robust Assured-PNT system. For L2 signals could also disrupt M-Code,
startup as co-founder and CTO), example, when the Next Generation a military-grade encrypted GPS signal,
and GopherHush (his location analytics startup). Operational Control System (OCX) is indirectly impacting military operations.
Most recently, he was a GNSS architect at Apple. completed in 2025, GPS will officially The FCC inquiry prompted responses
At Trimble Labs, he co-invented a host-based GPS join Galileo and BeiDou as an opera- from more than 100 companies, each
IP that was successfully licensed into consumer tional L5 constellation allowing both proposing an innovative solution.
and automotive segments. eRide successfully
licensed GPS IP into the Japanese mobile phone and GNSS Receiver Evolution Low accuracy High accuracy
automotive segments and was acquired by Furuno.
Zero L1 dependence
Paul holds a BS in Engineering and Physics from
Immune to widespread
St. Ambrose University, and a PhD in Electrical and L1 jamming L5-direct™
Electronics Engineering from Iowa State University.
30x more resilient than L1 to L5
Paul has more than 40 location related patents. in-band jamming
L1 dependent
L1 single band L1/L5 dual band
Easily jammed
TABLE 1 Benefits of oneNav L5-direct versus all other GNSS receivers that must first
Header photos courtesy of U.S. Department of Transportation,
Motional and Port of Virginia.
acquire a fix in the L1 band, then switch to L5

70 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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BEYOND GNSS: L5

While the government can now con-

sider complementary sources for PNT,
resilient GNSS remains at the center of
each solution. Direct acquisition of the
L5-band signals delivers the significant
improvement in resilience modern navi-
gation systems need. oneNav is the only
company that offers direct L5 acquisi-
tion, and until that functionality and the
resilience it offers is available in com-
mercial and non-commercial receivers,
retirement won’t be in my plans.

L5 Offers Enhanced Resiliency

Our response to the FCC explains the
resilience L5-direct provides. Live demos FIGURE 1: oneNav L5-direct smartphone, in green on the left, is completely immune
we’ve presented show a difference in to the L1 jamming and spoofing in northern Israel, while the three top-tier
jamming acquisition resiliency of up smartphones from the world’s best suppliers all fail due to their L1 dependence.
to 10 dB between L5 and L1 and 15 dB
in tracking. We’ve also tested L5-direct make sharing navigation data symbols codes with fine time alignment to GPS
in simulated EW environments. In available on the national level. The data time. The 1 kHz overlay codes in all
February, L5-direct was evaluated would be available for free in real time, L5 signals mean an L5 spoofer must
in-flight while strapped to a UAV. In so connected receivers can remove the align to GPS time 20x more accurately
March, it was tested in a maritime envi- data symbol phase rotations and exploit than an L1 spoofer would to capture
ronment on Chesapeake Bay, operating the phase coherence of the data and a receiver that has already obtained a
together with a tactical grade IMU and pilot channels on all L5 signals. correct GPS time. Additionally, a MEMs
high stability reference clock. In both oscillator can maintain fine time long
cases, the L5-direct capability to acquire Spoofing at L5 Requires Much More enough to allow the L5-direct receiver
at and switch between the E5a and E5b Sophisticated Transmissions to complete a mission without allowing
sidebands along with industry leading Spoofing has become a major threat spoofers with errant time to be strong
tracking KPIs gave us a superb anti- both in and outside of conflict zones. enough to overpower the true signals.
jamming and anti-spoofing advantage. An increasing number of flights make This means most devices equipped with
the news as spoofing disrupts takeoffs L5-direct would reach their target.
Jamming and Spoofing at L5 and landings. To test the performance of
Requires More Power L5-direct against leading smartphones Dense Urban Accuracy
In the maritime in-flight testing cases, the and smartwatches, oneNav set off to Eliminating dependence on L1 band
simulated jamming targeted a bandwidth Haifa in Israel, an area heavily spoofed signals improves dense urban accu-
of 2 MHz for the L1 C/A signal and 30 by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). All racy. By having a larger bandwidth,
MHz for an M-Code BOC(10,5) signal. competitor devices tested in Haifa were signal observables contain additional
The latter is broadcast on both L1 and L2 spoofed 125 km away from the Beirut information that can be used to detect
frequencies, providing M-Code with addi- Airport while L5-direct remained accu- when reflections are present in the com-
tional resilience against interference. The rate to within one meter throughout the bined received signal. By identifying
L5 signal with 50 MHz BW and increased test drive. Smart devices are so often these reflections, they can be corrected,
transmit power has jamming resilience spoofed that shops in northern Israel and the signals can be used in the solu-
like M-Code. Compared to L1, jamming have started selling paper maps again. tion rather than eliminated because of
and spoofing at L5 requires more than 20x Having 73 active L5 satellites and measurement uncertainty. The GPS L1
transmission power because of the wider more on the way means that up to 25 chipping rate is 1.023 MHz, while the
bandwidth, higher satellite transmit power satellites with the same physical layer are modernized signals in the L5 band have
and multiple signals. Jamming devices visible. L5-direct acquires the L5 signals a 10x higher chipping rate of 10.23 MHz.
targeting L5 will be easier to detect and in the same way for GPS, Galileo, QZSS This means one side of L1’s correlation
eliminate. and BeiDou in two frequency bands peak covers 293 m, while one side of an
The acquisition and tracking resil- (E5a and E5b) and with 2-4 PRN codes L5 peak covers only 29.3 m. This yields
ience in oneNav receivers will further transmitted per satellite. inherently more precise measurements.
improve by 3dB when the U.S. National To be effective, spoofing our receivers In dense urban areas, where multipath
Space-Based Positioning, Navigation, would require a significant multisystem reflections are typically tens of meters,
and Advisory Board (PNTAB) helps to upgrade that can generate up to 75 PRN the first arriving signal can be detected

72 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 TruePoint
High Precision GNSS Solutions

Find out more

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HQ: Vancouver, Canada [Link] sales@[Link]

BEYOND GNSS: L5

FIGURE 2: Sample data gathered in San Francisco show reflection

peaks at 45 and 60 meters of pseudo range error. FIGURE 3A: Multiple path reflections cause pseudo range errors.

FIGURE 3B: At 14.65 half-chip correlator spacing, the FIGURE 3C: The half chip L1 correlators are 146.5 meters apart. To
L5 signal is 10x more precise. The L5-direct receiver select the peak, L1 receivers sum up all signals received within
identifies and removes reflections from the solution. the correlator distance and shift the correlator peaks to the right.

using L5-band signals, but not with the Leveraging the Tools We Have receivers will coherently process a specific
L1-band. To paraphrase a statement made two set of the P(Y), M-Code, and C/A on L1 and
To compare the performance of L5- decades ago by a famous Secretary of L2. Knowing they come from the same sat-
direct and L1 receivers in urban canyons, State, we combat threats with the tools ellite, they’re combined to improve overall
oneNav recorded sample location data we have, not with the tools we might GPS performance. This new system must
in the San Francisco Financial District one day have. Because interference is a include L5 signal transmission capability
using a pedestrian wristwatch antenna. present-day problem, it calls for imme- for maximum resilience.
The data revealed two reflections after the diate solutions using the best available oneNav is optimistic GPS L5 will
true signal delayed by 45 and 60 meters. resources. L5 is the most resilient GNSS become officially operational in 2025,
Because the half-chip spacing for the signal, and L5-direct, through direct helping the defense and commercial
L1 channel is 146.5 meters, construc- acquisition, can help build a more sectors harness the advantages of the
tive combining of the correlation peak resilient Assured-PNT in civilian and modern signals. EW is a real threat,
in an L1 receiver typically (Figure 3b) military domains. but with resilient GNSS and direct
produces an artificially high SNR. The The Resilient-GPS (R-GPS) satellite acquisition of the L5 signals, we can
resulting multipath error incorrectly program currently being planned in the be prepared. L5-direct is ready to be
shifts the peak to the right. The 14.5- U.S. is an effort to improve resilience by implemented in all devices as a stand-
meter L5 half-chip spacing (Figure 3c) is adding more satellites to the U.S. fleet. The alone solution or an augmentation to
10x more precise. L5-direct can identify program would launch new, small satel- existing solutions. With the resilience
and eliminate dense urban reflections, lites with Y-M-CA codes to address space of L5-direct protecting us against EW,
resulting in more precise location. EW and satellite viability. The Y-M-CA I will happily retire.

74 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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 etherWhere combines
Photos courtesy of etherWhere.

CRPA chip-level
innovations with a cloud-
based infrastructure
built for high-volume
deployments.

Resilience at Scale: etherWhere’s Chip-Cloud Ecosystem

Tackles GNSS Vulnerability in High-Volume Applications
In a world increasingly reliant on satellite-based positioning and layered on top,” said Michael Raam, CEO
timing, the vulnerabilities of GNSS are no longer just academic. of etherWhere.

F
This decision is as strategic as it is techni-
rom jamming and spoofing to de- sovereign timing systems, the company cal. By aligning with Export Administration
graded signals in dense environ- is helping reshape how organizations think Regulations (EAR) rather than International
ments, these threats are real—and about GNSS reliability and flexibility. Tra f f ic in A r ms Re g ula t ions ( I TA R) ,
they require resilient, scalable and intel- etherWhere’s solutions are accessible to
ligent solutions. EMBEDDED RESILIENCE both domestic and international partners.
That ’s where etherwhere comes in. THROUGH CRPA And with growing demand from civil, de-
Marrying controlled reception pattern At the heart of etherWhere’s approach is fense and commercial sectors for multi-
antenna (CRPA) chip-level innovations a CRPA architecture integrated directly at layered PNT protection, board-level CRPA
with a cloud-based infrastructure built for the board level—enhancing the ability to gives developers a head start in achieving
high-volume deployments, Etherwhere is mitigate jamming and spoofing without re- compliance and reliability.
solving mission-critical PNT challenges at quiring external modules or signal chains.
scale. Whether it’s tracking cattle in the “ The value of board-level CRPA is CLOUD-BACKED CUSTOMIZATION
Amazon, monitoring global pallet networks, that it delivers resilience as a default— etherWhere isn’t just a chip company—it’s
automating retail logistics, or building baked into the system design rather than a vertically integrated platform provider.
The same chip that receives satellite sig-
nals also syncs with a cloud backend that

“WE’RE NOT TRYING TO REPLACE handles configuration, optimization and

application logic. The result: end-to-end
GNSS—we’re making it smarter, more systems that are customizable per use

aware and more adaptable.” case, yet scalable by the millions.

One example: a large-scale cattle tracking
solution in South America, designed to meet
Michael Raam,
CEO, etherWhere stringent European Union deforestation

76 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 sponsored by

compliance regulations. The tags operate in and autonomy without sacrificing reliability
harsh, signal-limited environments—under or flexibility.
trees, across miles of terrain, and without
guaranteed human interaction. BUILDING A TIME-SOVEREIGN
“ We built cloud-managed modes of FUTURE
operation that adapt signal acquisition As discussions about sovereign timing
strategies based on terrain, movement grow louder in the halls of government
and activity patterns,” Raam said. “The “RESILIENT TIME IS JUST AS and telecom operators, etherWhere’s
tag knows how to behave based on its
IMPORTANT AS RESILIENT blend of low-jitter timing, multi-signal
context.” redundancy, and cloud-backed configu-
Other clients use etherWhere’s solu- POSITION. And we’re ration is gaining traction.
tion to track pallets globally, register re-
helping customers build “Resilient time is just as important as
tail appliances automatically, or deliver resilient position,” Raam said. “And we’re
redundant timing services combining GPS that foundation without helping customers build that foundation
and Iridium. While the domains differ, the
needing GPS to be infallible.” without needing GPS to be infallible.”
core system—chip, firmware and cloud— This message aligns with global PNT
remains modular and tunable. Michael Raam, CEO, etherWhere policy discussions—particularly in Five
“We’re focused on use cases where the Eyes and NATO nations—about the need
volume justifies customization. That means for more robust alternatives to GNSS, espe-
chip, tag and cloud all working together “Customization slows time to market— cially in contested or denied environments.
for the mission.” but at scale, it becomes a competitive
advantage.” WHAT COMES NEXT
VOLUME-FIRST STRATEGY With a planned controlled reception pat-
Unlike traditional solution providers who BROAD MARKET RELEVANCE tern antenna (CRPA) strategy at the board
optimize for niche integrations or bespoke While the cattle tracking use case may level and cloud-enabled customization
systems, etherWhere’s sweet spot lies in serve as an accessible entry point, it ’s across millions of devices, etherWhere is
high-volume environments—specifically far from unique. etherWhere’s chips are redefining what GNSS resiliency means
those with at least a million units per also being tested in tracking radioac- for real-world autonomy and asset track-
year or those that can justify disposable tive medical materials, where chain-of- ing—from agriculture and infrastructure
infrastructure. custody and compliance are paramount. to logistics and timing.
In one application, a leading electronics In another vertical, their precise timing With the Joint Navigation Conference
company uses etherWhere’s tag to auto- solutions are enabling more resilient ( JNC) approaching, etherWhere plans to
mate warranty and ownership registra- communications infrastructure by com- expand its message to a broader cross-
tion for appliances. In another, their chips bining GPS with alternate constellations section of stakeholders—from defense
track automobiles from manufacturer to for redundancy. program leads and commercial integrators
dealership, eliminating costly misplace- Raam also teased the company’s next- to satellite infrastructure providers and
ments and improving delivery visibility. generation solution: a “ tag in a chip” timing authorities.
The approach enables etherWhere to architecture that integrates low-power As Raam puts it: “Whether you’re track-
support custom solutions through non- multi-band GNSS, software-defined radio ing a cow, a crate or a critical signal, you
recurring engineering (NRE) fees, while and cloud-native orchestration—all in a need systems that deliver certainty—
generating revenue through chip sales single package. This evolution represents not just accurac y. That ’s what we’re
and cloud subscriptions. etherWhere’s push toward miniaturization building.” 

Unleash the low power and sensitivity of our solution in a diverse set of applications

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 77

 SPOOFING & JAMMING

learning algorithms, multi-antenna sys-

tems and cryptographic protections.
Machine learning can classify signal anom-
alies indicative of spoofing or jamming.
Multi-antenna systems exploit spatial char-
acteristics to detect direction-of-arrival
inconsistencies. Meanwhile, cryptographic
Photos courtesy of Primoco UAV SE.

techniques, such as encrypted GNSS sig-

nals (e.g., Galileo Public Regulated Service),
provide authentication to prevent spoofing.
When combined with robust sensor fusion
architectures, these methods significantly
improve the system’s resilience in contested
Resilient Navigation Alternatives navigation environments.

for GNSS-Denied Environments Technologies for Spoofing

Detection and Mitigation
Spoofing detection and mitigation through multi-sensor integration. As threats such as GNSS spoofing in-
MIGUEL ÁNGEL DE FRUTOS CARRO, LAURA TRAIN GARCIA, SEBASTIÁN C. MÉNDEZ VELÁSQUEZ, creasingly jeopardize the integrity of
JOSÉ MARIA PULIDO FERNANDEZ, JOSÉ ANTONIO GUTIÉRREZ, DAVID PINTA SIERRA navigation systems, UAV Navigation-
UAV NAVIGATION-GRUPO OESÍA Grupo Oesía has developed a suite of
advanced technologies designed to

T
he use of GNSS for unmanned false signal, while sophisticated spoof- enhance the resilience and reliability
navigation has become ubiqui- ing generates multiple false signals that of its navigation solutions.
tous in modern UAS operations. closely mimic the timing and structure of By integrating inertial systems, visual
However, the low power of GNSS signals authentic ones. The latter is significantly navigation, and alternative methods such
makes them susceptible to interference more difficult to detect and can lead to as solar-based heading determination,
and spoofing. Spoofing attacks can mis- severe navigational errors. the company offers a robust, redundant
lead a GNSS receiver into calculating In contrast, GNSS jamming involves architecture that ensures operational
incorrect positions, velocities and times, the deliberate transmission of radio continuity even in GNSS-denied envi-
potentially leading to mission failure frequency signals that overwhelm or ronments. These technologies not only
or loss of the UAS. As the geopolitical disrupt GNSS receivers by raising the detect interference or spoofing attempts
landscape becomes more complex, the noise floor, effectively denying access to but also actively mitigate their impact
need for robust navigation systems that satellite signals. Unlike spoofing, which through independent sources of posi-
can withstand spoofing attacks is critical. aims to manipulate the receiver’s posi- tioning, significantly improving the
This article presents advancements in tion estimate, jamming prevents it from safety and autonomy of unmanned
spoofing detection and mitigation tech- acquiring or maintaining a satellite lock platforms during critical missions.
nologies developed by UAV Navigation- altogether. This loss of signal results in
Grupo Oesía. By integrating multiple degraded or failed navigation capabil- Robust and Precise Inertial
navigation systems and employing ity, especially in systems that rely solely Navigation Systems
advanced detection algorithms, UAV on GNSS. The autopilots developed by UAV
Navigation-Grupo Oesía provides a Traditional methods for detect- Navigation-Grupo Oesía integrate a so-
comprehensive solution to ensure the ing spoofing include signal strength phisticated, in-house designed Attitude
reliability and accuracy of UAS opera- monitoring, time-of-arrival analysis, and Heading Reference System (AHRS),
tions in GNSS-denied environments. and consistency checks with onboard forming the core of their precise in-
sensors. Signal strength monitoring ertial navigation solution. This AHRS
The Growing Threats to GNSS looks for abrupt fluctuations that may employs a combination of accelerom-
GNSS spoofing and jamming are two signal spoofing activity. Time-of-arrival eters, gyroscopes and magnetometers
major threats to the reliability of satel- techniques compare the arrival timing of to estimate the aircraft’s attitude and
lite-based navigation. GNSS spoofing GNSS signals to detect anomalies, while heading, enabling the calculation of its
involves the transmission of false GNSS consistency checks cross-reference GNSS position based on the last known co-
signals that imitate legitimate ones, de- data with inputs from inertial measure- ordinates. When GNSS data becomes
ceiving the receiver into calculating in- ment units (IMUs), barometers, or other unavailable or unreliable, the system
correct positions. Spoofing attacks can be sensors to identify discrepancies. seamlessly continues navigating using
categorized as simplistic or sophisticated. Emerging technologies for spoofing these inertial estimates, ensuring short-
Simplistic spoofing transmits a single and jamming mitigation include machine term positional continuity.

78 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

SPOOFING & JAMMING

To address increasingly common UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía’s signal availability: GNSS-aided mode,
threats such as GNSS spoofing, jamming autopilots have been tested under MIL- enhancing accuracy during normal op-
and electronic interference, the AHRS STD-810F (environmental conditions) and eration; GNSS-denied navigation over
has undergone rigorous validation. It MIL-STD-461F (electromagnetic com- known terrain using terrain recogni-
has been tested extensively by special- patibility) standards, certifying both the tion; and navigation over unknown areas
ized military units under high-intensity hardware robustness and system reliabil- through visual odometry (VO).
electronic warfare scenarios, including ity. In field trials and real-world missions, One of the core challenges in GNSS-
exposure to spoofing attacks and counter- the AHRS/INS system has demonstrated denied navigation is the drift generated by
UAS (C-UAS) systems. These demanding performance comparable to fiber optic inertial dead reckoning. This drift results
tests confirmed the system’s ability to gyroscope (FOG) based systems, despite from the continuous integration of ac-
maintain mission continuity, even when being built on MEMS technology. This celerometer and gyroscope data, which
confronted with intentional disruptions. represents a significant achievement in accumulates errors over time. The VNS01
In one notable operational deploy- size, weight and cost optimization. mitigates this problem by creating a visual
ment, UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía’s Even in fully GNSS-denied and map of the environment during flight.
autopilot successfully completed a highly dynamic flight conditions, the AHRS By recognizing patterns and comparing
sophisticated mission through an area has proven capable of maintaining stable successive images, the system can con-
protected by a “ jamming curtain.” and accurate attitude and heading es- tinuously adjust the estimated position
Despite the intentional GNSS denial, timation, ensuring the continuity and and orientation of the UAV, significantly
the system maintained control, com- safety of autonomous UAV operations reducing navigational drift.
pleted its objectives, and even executed in the most challenging and hostile The VNS01 was launched by UAV
coordinated flight maneuvers as part of environments. Navigation-Grupo Oesía more than four
a swarming operation, underscoring its years ago and has since undergone ex-
capabilities in autonomous navigation Visual Navigation Systems tensive testing in real-world operational
under contested conditions. The VNS01 system is an advanced scenarios. These tests have consistently
A key system feature is its abil- visual navigation solution designed to validated its effectiveness, especially in
ity to detect and assess navigational enhance the accuracy and reliability of GPS-contested or denied environments.
threats, dynamically identifying poten- UAV operations, particularly in GNSS- Under optimal conditions, the system
tially compromised data sources and denied environments. Leveraging ar- achieves a final positional error of less
prioritizing alternative, trusted sources. tificial intelligence (AI) and advanced than 1% of the total distance traveled,
This allows the autopilot to preserve computer vision techniques, the VNS01 making it a highly reliable tool for preci-
navigational integrity and continue the significantly reduces inertial drift, sion navigation in complex missions.
mission effectively and autonomously. thereby improving overall navigation This year, UAV Navigation-Grupo
This resilient behavior is supported by performance when satellite signals are Oesía plans to release a new version of
a robust architectural design based on unavailable or unreliable. the VNS capable of operating in low-
multi-sensor data fusion, advanced algo- The system operates by capturing light and nighttime conditions, signifi-
rithms, and internal logic that intelligently real-time images of the terrain using cantly extending mission windows and
weighs and combines inputs from vari- an onboard camera. These images are operational flexibility. Additionally, the
ous subsystems. This includes data from processed to extract environmental fea- upcoming version will incorporate digi-
the integrated Air Data System (ADS), tures, which are then used to estimate the tal cartography and public map sources
which supplies critical variables such as aircraft’s position and velocity. VNS01 using deep neural networks to enhance
airspeed and barometric altitude, further supports three operational modes de- navigation over known areas, even in
refining inertial navigation calculations. pending on mission requirements and degraded visual conditions.

FIGURE 1A Image of the Visual Navigation System VNS01 of UAV

Navigation-Oesia Group. FIGURE 1B Conceptual illustration of the system image capture.

80 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 In parallel, the company is actively where conventional GNSS-based systems As a result, solar navigation represents
exploring complementary technolo- may be unreliable or unavailable. a promising and complementary solu-
gies such as Terrain Contour Matching One such innovation is solar naviga- tion within a multi-sensor architecture
(TERCOM), a technique based on cor- tion, which determines the aircraft’s aimed at ensuring reliable and resilient
relating onboard altimeter data with heading using the position of the sun. navigation in any situation.
digital elevation maps to estimate posi- This method offers a highly robust al-
tion through terrain profiling—offering ternative to traditional magnetometer- Methodology
another GNSS-independent alternative based heading systems. By precisely The integration of INS, VNS and solar
for robust navigation. measuring the solar incidence vector navigation creates a powerful, multi-
Fully integrated with the VECTOR and referencing the known position of layered navigation solution that signifi-
autopilot, the VNS01 enhances auton- the sun at any given time and location, cantly improves accuracy and reliability
omous flight capabilities and ensures the system can accurately calculate the against interferences and attacks. By
mission stability and continuity, even aircraft’s heading relative to true north— combining data from a diverse range
in challenging conditions. independent of magnetic fields. of sources—each with its unique
Solar navigation systems offer several strengths—the system compensates
New Alternatives: Solar Navigation operational advantages: they require for the limitations and vulnerabilities
As part of its ongoing commitment to in- no onboard calibration, are immune of individual technologies.
novation, UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía to magnetic interference, and are un- For instance, while INS can provide
is actively developing new navigation al- affected by ferrous materials or elec- continuous data in the absence of GNSS
ternatives to further enhance the accuracy, tromagnetic fields. These attributes signals, VNS and solar navigation offer
robustness and autonomy of its systems. make them particularly well-suited for supplementary positioning capabilities that
This includes research into novel sensors missions in urban environments, near further enhance performance in challeng-
and advanced algorithms designed to im- metal structures, or in military scenarios ing environments. This integration not
prove navigation performance, particularly where electronic countermeasures may only optimizes navigation accuracy across
in contested or degraded environments degrade magnetometer performance. various conditions but also strengthens

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 81

SPOOFING & JAMMING

resilience, ensuring the system remains false signals. The systems are equipped Inertial and Visual Navigation System
operational and precise even when one or with advanced algorithms designed to Performance Analysis
more sources of data are compromised. identify interference and prioritize trust- The performance of UAV Navigation’s
Ultimately, this holistic approach offers a worthy data sources, ensuring mission INS and VNS has been rigorously evalu-
more robust, adaptable and fault-tolerant success despite active attempts to disrupt ated through both real-world operational
navigation solution, suitable for a wide navigation. These results demonstrate feedback and structured testing proce-
range of missions and environments. the systems are highly resilient and dures. The extensive hours of flight accu-
capable of functioning even when GNSS mulated in actual missions have provided
Performance Analysis, Results signals are unreliable or compromised. invaluable insights into the performance
and Discussion The solar navigation system has been in contested environments. This opera-
UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía has car- successfully tested in trial flights, dem- tional feedback has been crucial in the
ried out rigorous testing of its navigation onstrating its potential for precise navi- continuous improvement and refinement
systems. These flight logs have provided gation even in the absence of traditional of the navigation technologies, ensur-
invaluable data, enabling the company GNSS signals. The testing was conducted ing their robustness and adaptability
to refine and enhance the systems, on UAV platforms with a maximum take- to evolving mission requirements. The
creating a solution rooted in a philoso- off weight (MTOW) of 10 kg, equipped accumulated data from real-world flights
phy of continuous improvement. with the solar navigation system. These has been systematically incorporated
The systems have undergone exten- tests have proven the effectiveness of the into the system’s development cycle,
sive testing in real-world operational system in real-world conditions, further facilitating the ongoing enhancement
scenarios and have received significant validating its reliability as an alternative of the system’s capabilities.
validation through military-grade as- solution in contested environments. The company has also conducted non-
sessments. Specialized military units An essential aspect of the develop- destructive operational tests designed
have subjected the systems to rigorous ment process for these systems is the to simulate realistic mission scenarios.
scenarios, including deliberate jamming continuous improvement cycle, which These tests included the use of mission
and spoofing attacks. Despite these in- is driven by ongoing feedback from op- configuration, control, guidance and
tense conditions, the systems consistently erators and end users in the field. The navigation systems, with auxiliary
demonstrated their ability to maintain company regularly updates its systems systems integrated to simulate GNSS
mission continuity and successfully based on this feedback, ensuring they jamming or spoofing attacks. The ability
complete objectives even under hostile evolve to meet the challenges of increas- to detect and reject such interference in
interference. These results underline the ingly complex operational conditions. a timely manner is key to maintaining
systems’ ability to withstand and operate This user-driven approach ensures the reliable navigation during compromised
effectively in contested environments, systems remain reliable and effective, GNSS conditions. This capacity allows
offering critical performance when reli- particularly in environments where the system to continue using the avail-
ability is paramount. GNSS signals are compromised or sub- able GNSS signal for as long as possible,
A critical part of the system’s evalua- jected to interference. The integration but to reject it before it compromises
tion is its performance under jamming of real-time performance data allows for the system’s integrity.
and spoofing attacks. Rigorous testing the identification of potential system The system demonstrated its capa-
in environments with active electronic improvements and the implementa- bility during flights in GNSS-denied
interference has shown these systems tion of these enhancements in future conditions, flying over previously un-
can effectively detect, reject and mitigate iterations. explored areas to assess its performance

FIGURE 2A Comparative illustration of in-flight data with GNSS

available (solid white line) and with GNSS not available (green line). FIGURE 2B UAS in flight without an active GNSS signal.

82 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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Increase your reliability with seamless,
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Topnet Live is a real-time GNSS correction service that delivers high-quality data to GNSS receivers
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SPOOFING & JAMMING

Test Distance traveled Description Drift (%) To address this, UAV Navigation-Grupo
Flight without GNSS Oesía is exploring sensors that detect the
1 20 km 0%
with pattern recognition ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, which could
Flight without GNSS allow for continuous operation even
2 20 km 0.5%
with visual odometry under adverse atmospheric conditions.
TABLE 1 Dead-Reckoning Drift Figures. The proposed system is summarized
in Figure 4, which includes all elements
when GNSS signals were unavailable. In face limitations due to environmental involved in the navigation system. The
these tests, the system’s performance was interference or operational constraints. section marked in red highlights the com-
evaluated based on three key indicators Typically, an aircraft’s heading is de- ponents that are active during a GNSS-
as shown in Figures 2a and 2b: rived by fusing data from gyroscopes denied operation. The Air Data, Attitude,
• The raw GNSS position (circle), and magnetometers, or through solu- Heading Reference System (ADAHRS)
representing the last known GNSS tions like dual GNSS, which calculates architecture provides a complete, GNSS-
location. the phase difference between signals independent solution based on a robust
• The estimated position from the from two receivers. However, magnetic attitude estimator and advanced visual
VNS (arrow), derived from visual sensors are sensitive to ferrous materi- navigation techniques. Incorporating the
odometry and terrain pattern als and electromagnetic fields, limiting solar sensor adds a precise and reliable
recognition. their use on naval platforms, electri- observable for the aircraft’s yaw angle,
• The final combined estimation cally driven engines, or in areas with further enhancing the system’s perfor-
from both the INS and VNS strong interference. Magnetometers mance in GNSS-denied environments.
systems (blue aircraft). also require calibration for each air- Figures 4a and 4b outline both the
Figure 2b shows the system success- craft configuration, complicating opera- ADAHRS architecture and the solar
fully navigated over several kilometers tions, particularly for larger platforms. peripheral architecture. Position and
in GNSS-denied conditions. The final Though techniques exist to calibrate UTC time inputs are used as external
combined position (blue aircraft) re- magnetometers in-f light, they often sources to the predictive model. No high
mained highly accurate, demonstrating focus on visual navigation systems. precision is required for these inputs, as
the effectiveness of the INS and VNS Dual GNSS provides precise solutions the sun appears stationary to the observer
systems working together to provide but fails in GNSS-denied conditions. on the ground during short periods, and
continuous, precise navigation even in In contrast, solar navigation elimi- the angular perspective from the sun
the absence of GNSS signals. nates the need for onboard calibration, relative to two separate points on the
simplifying operations and installation, platform remains relatively constant. At
Solar Navigation Performance Analysis with the only requirement being that the this point, we must say factory calibra-
Solar navigation has emerged as a prom- sensor has visibility to the sun. However, tion of the sensors plays a fundamental
ising technology to further improve the it has limitations, such as only being role, as it guarantees optimum perfor-
robustness and safety of unmanned plat- usable during daylight hours and fac- mance within the sensor’s field of view
form operations. While current systems ing challenges during sunrise, sunset or and minimizes assembly errors.
deliver excellent results in contested en- in high-latitude regions during winter. Figure 5 illustrates the comparison be-
vironments, solar navigation provides a Additionally, the sensor operates in the tween the heading estimated by the solar
complementary method to enhance system visible and infrared spectrum, meaning device, which is subjected to radiation
resilience, especially when other sensors cloud cover can obstruct the solar signal. changes on a day alternating between

FIGURE 3 UAS platform with solar navigation system installed for flight testing.

84 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

 ®

INSTITUTE OF NAVIGATION

ION GNSS+
September 8-12, 2025
Exhibit Hall: September 10 and 11
Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor
Baltimore, Maryland

20
25

REGISTER NOW [Link]/gnss

SPOOFING & JAMMING

sunny and cloudy conditions, and the The results obtained from the tests benef it of not requiring in-f light
Dual GNSS Compass. The average dif- indicate the solar navigation technol- calibration.
ference between the two sources is less ogy shows promising potential as an This study provides proof of con-
than 2 degrees. Additionally, Figure 6 alternative solution for heading sta- cept for integrating astronavigation
compares the three heading sources bility in UAS platforms. The system, techniques into UAS guidance, navi-
during level flight, where the magne- through preliminary validation on the gation and control systems. The re-
tometer signal exhibits the highest noise ground and in f light, demonstrated sults highlight the viability of solar
density, while both the solar peripheral low size, weight and power consump- navigation systems as independent
and the Dual GNSS Compass provide tion (SWaP-C), good precision and alternatives to GNSS, with signifi-
much more stable signals. ease of integration, with the added cant potential for the defense sector,

FIGURE 4A ADAHRS architecture. FIGURE 4B Solar peripheral architecture.

FIGURE 5A Alternating sunny and cloudy conditions, solar heading

versus Dual GNSS Compass. FIGURE 5B Radiation measurement.

FIGURE 6 Comparison of magnetic, solar and Dual GNSS Compass heading.

86 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

where GNSS-denied operations are with special attention to AI applications of unmanned vehicles since the
increasingly common. for enhancing autonomy and decision- beginning of his career. Currently, as a
making. He is conducting doctoral team leader at UAV Navigation-Grupo
Conclusion and Future Work research in this field, affiliated with the Oesía in the state estimation and sensor
Center for Automation and Robotics fusion area, he explores innovative
The integration of INS, VNS and solar
(UPM-CSIC). He is the Technical Director at solutions to improve navigation in
navigation provides a comprehensive UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía, a leading contested or GNSS-denied environments.
solution that ensures mission success Spanish company in designing control His strong passion for research, combined
even without the availability of GNSS solutions for UAS. with solid technical knowledge, drives
signals. These advancements address him to continuously investigate advanced
the critical need for precise navigation Laura Train García techniques and develop new approaches
in contested environments where GNSS holds a degree in to enhance the performance, autonomy
signals are subject to jamming, spoofing Aerospace Engineering and reliability of navigation systems.
and a Master’s in Space
or complete denial.
Engineering from the José Antonio
The company’s ongoing research Universidad Carlos III de Gutiérrez Rivilla is an
focuses on further enhancing the ac- Madrid, where she was Industrial Engineer from
curacy and reliability of its navigation also the president of the STAR rocket the Universidad
systems. This includes developing new team. She carried out a one-year Politécnica de Madrid
sensors and algorithms aimed at im- academic stay at Purdue University. She and has more than 20
proving overall performance. In addi- works at UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía as years of experience in
tion, UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía is an engineer in the state estimation and the electronics sector, with over 17 years
actively working on enhancing AI-based sensor fusion area, developing advanced in the unmanned vehicle field. He is
navigation systems, which will enable navigation algorithms and exploring currently responsible for the hardware
more efficient data processing and even disruptive technologies to improve and production department at UAV
navigation in GNSS-denied environments Navigation-Grupo Oesía, where he leads
more accurate positioning, particularly
through the integration of inertial, visual, the design, miniaturization and
in complex operational conditions. and alternative sensors. She also integration of electronic systems onboard
UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía is also participates in the design and support of light aircraft. He has developed over 40
expanding its technologies to cater to flight tests with unmanned systems, with products, coordinating all phases—from
other UAS classes and operational particular interest in navigation solutions conceptual design to production and
environments. This expansion includes applied to the space and defense sectors. delivery to the client—following strict
adapting systems for use in larger plat- quality and validation procedures.
forms and environments with varying Sebastián Camilo
Méndez Velásquez David Pinta Sierra is
interference types, further increasing the
holds a degree in an Aeronautical
versatility and resilience of the systems. Aerospace Engineering Engineer from the
The company continues to invest in from the Universidad Universidad Politécnica
research and development to refine its Politécnica de Madrid and de Madrid with a
technologies, ensuring the best possible a Master’s in Aerospace postgraduate degree in
solutions for unmanned aerial systems Engineering from the Universidad Europea. Marketing and Business
navigating in challenging and GNSS- He is the team leader in the flight control Management from CEPADE (Graduate
denied environments. These efforts will department at UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía, School of Business Administration)–
significantly impact the UAS industry, where he manages projects focused on Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
providing reliable, precise and robust navi- control solutions for high-reliability products. Specializing in business intelligence, data
gation solutions for critical missions. His role requires strong project management analysis, and strategy, he focuses on
skills to coordinate multidisciplinary teams, identifying trends, analyzing competitors,
ensure technical excellence, and deliver defining key market messages, assessing
Authors results under tight operational constraints.
Miguel Ángel de opportunities, and aligning strategies
With extensive operational experience in with business goals to drive growth.
Frutos Carro is an
advanced and highly complex technical Passionate about connecting data,
Aeronautical Engineer
missions, he has worked in demanding strategy and execution, he supports sales
from the Universidad
environments within the unmanned teams in optimizing business
Politécnica de Madrid,
systems sector. development. He excels at bridging
holds a Master΄s in
Artificial Intelligence technical insights and market needs and
Jose Maria Pulido
from the Universidad Internacional de La currently leads marketing and technical
Fernandez is an
Rioja, and a Master΄s in Project communication in the B2B aerospace
Aeronautical Engineer
Management and Organization from sector, with a strong interest in innovation
from the Universidad
Universidad Nebrija. His main areas of and disruptive technologies.
Politécnica de Madrid
interest are guidance, navigation and and has been deeply
control systems in unmanned systems, committed to the field

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 87

WORKING PAPERS

professional and public frames, while

still maintaining its original strategic
purpose for governmental and military
applications.
To this end, several countries have
developed their own global satellite na-
vigation systems, such as the European
Union's Galileo, Russia's GLONASS, and
China's BeiDou.
PNT’s success and constant integra-
tion into the economy, in turn, has stee-
red us to more stringent requirements.
The race for new critical requirements
has led to an unprecedented need for
evolution in performance, resilience,
integrity, ubiquity and connectivity.

Enhanced performance: This includes

accuracy, ubiquitous continuity
LEO PNT: A Fundamental Evolution and availability, time to first fix and
extended coverage.
to Answer New Application Needs Robustness: PNT must protect
To meet increasingly demanding performance requirements, navigation against outliers and anomalies like
technology development must be rapid and innovative, relying on a interference, spoofing and multipath.
Safety: This is driven by integrity
system-of-systems vision that involves a multi-orbit space component— and continuity objectives where
with low Earth orbit (LEO) PNT becoming a critical factor. integrity is a measure of trust of the
MICHEL MONNERAT, HANAA AL BITAR computed position.
THALES ALENIA SPACE Connectivity: For many applications,

P
positioning shall be associated to the
ositioning, Navigation and Timing In this article, we ana lyze new capacity of exchanging the positions of
(PNT) services currently rely trends in PNT application demands, the user with a third party application
almost exclusively on GNSS in the evolution of PNT systems and the or just to exchange position-related
medium Earth orbit (MEO). The first rise of LEO PNT, putting user needs data (location based services).
GPS system (NAVSTAR), developed at the center of future technological Ubiquity: Operations anytime,
in the 1980s by the U.S. Department advancements. everywhere, in diverse and harsh
of Defense, was followed by several environments is more and more
other constellations such as Galileo, The New PNT Drivers mandatory.
GLONASS, BeiDou, and QZSS, pro- The use of GPS by the general public,
viding end users with a vast array of benefiting from the development of Quantifying these performance
navigation signals capable of supporting digital boards, marked the first miles- elements, or related Key Performance
a wide range of applications. tone in the adoption of satellite navi- Indicators (KPIs), in a unified man-
The market adoption of such capa- gation in daily life. ner for different application domains
bilities went tremendously fast. Today, In the early 2000s, the technical re- is very challenging, as the operational
PNT is an integral part of our day-to-day quirements related to emergency calls domains, and their purposes, vary from
lives, impacting critical infrastructure, (E911 in the United States and E112 in one application to another, and within
asset tracking, agriculture and Industry Europe) played a truly catalytic role in the same application.
4.0, as well as intelligent transport sys- the adoption of GNSS in the market, Several sources of such KPI implemen-
tems. The evolution of the application providing precise and fast location of tations can be found in the state of the
ecosystem is pushing PNT systems to distress calls made from mobile phones. art solutions being developed like [1-3].
the limits of their capacity, generating The E911 mandate required an accuracy
highly dynamic research efforts to meet target of 50 meters at 67% despite the Why Satellites Are Still the Cornerstone
growing needs as effectively and swiftly challenges of integrating a GNSS receiver Satellite positioning remains the back-
as possible. Low Earth orbit (LEO) PNT into a mobile phone. bone of all these techniques and is the
has become a critical factor in making Today, satellite navigation is com- most widely used among numerous
that happen. monly and routinely used in both positioning technologies. What makes

88 M AY/J U N E 2025
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WORKING PAPERS

satellites stand apart from all the existing their geometry varies slowly, making answer to the question of resilience and
and emerging positioning technologies? multipaths virtually stationary or an availability. However, it is not a suffi-
First, satellites offer key technical evolution of measurements that is not cient answer to counter the stationarity
differentiators that are essential for favorable for quick ambiguity resolution of multipath effect or the need for low
many applications: when aiming to rapidly converge to a power consumption. This approach is,
high-precision position. Another limiting therefore, often complemented by the
• Worldwide coverage factor is the low power of signals received combined use of additional sensors
• Consistent performance on the ground (around -155dBW), which at user level (inertial sensors, LiDAR,
• An absolute reference makes them vulnerable to jamming, cameras, etc.). However, hybridiza-
• Resilience to meteorological and space whether intended or not, and spoofing. tion is often not enough, either. The
weather conditions Finally, the medium-orbit layer rep- multiplication of sensors still suffers
resents the secure backbone required from problems of reliability (integrity),
Secondly, the satellite is part of a glo- by its strategic aspect, which requires a coherence and the ability to have an
bal approach that can withstand any complex design. Service evolution cycles absolute reference in a masked or blurred
local event or disaster, with independent can hinder the dynamism of application environment. To meet the need for high
operation from the number of users. requirements. accuracy in a fast convergence time,
The use of multiple GNSS constella- availability and resilience while pro-
Toward a Multi-Orbit Constellation? tions and multiple frequencies is one viding an absolute reference, solutions
It is important to highlight that some
PNT requirements for the applications
considered, when taken alone, may be
reachable with a medium Earth orbit
constellation by adjusting the signal
and constellation geometry. However,
the combined need for enhanced per-
formance, increased robustness, AND
integrity for safety is the challenge.
To meet these challenges, we need a
multi-orbit vision.
Although very efficient in their design,
constellations in MEO, around 20,000
km, suffer from a number of limitations,
often the downside of their advantages.
The first one is the relatively low dyna- FIGURE 1 Satellite positioning remains the most widely used
mic range of the satellites, which means among many positioning technologies.

FIGURE 3 An integrated and controlled end to end solution

FIGURE 2 GNSS ecosystem and main limitations. is a game changer.

90 M AY/J U N E 2025
are moving toward adding a LEO com- for enhanced performances, mainly in As the link budget is also favorable
ponent to MEO systems. terms of accuracy and time-to-first-fix. because of the low altitude of the orbits,
It is important to highlight the However, low Earth orbit requires a LEO PNT satellites do not require a
European Space Agency’s (ESA) LEO- higher number of satellites than medium high-power chain onboard for the same
PNT In-Orbit Demonstrator within the Earth orbit for an equivalent number power received on the ground.
FutureNAV program [4], which aims to of visible satellites. Typically, to ensure As a result, small, quasi-autonomous
demonstrate how to provide resilience four satellites are visible from any point satellites can be considered, and in a New
and augment Galileo with a low-Earth on the Earth's surface, a constellation Space approach, micro-satellite based.
orbit layer; the BeiDou program's sta- of about 300 satellites is needed at an LEO also benefits from a favorable ra-
tement along the same lines from ini- altitude of 600 km. Until now, the cost diation balance compared with MEO,
tiatives in China; and Geely Geespace's of such a constellation to guarantee real- enabling the use of commercial off the
initiative to provide a PNT low-Earth time positioning of about 300 satellites shelf (COTS) components. However,
orbit constellation to support its own in LEO compared to 30 in MEO has been these COTS components require ap-
autonomous car development, showing prohibitive. There are several reasons propriate implementation and specific
just how central PNT is to autonomous for this. know-how to achieve the required level
car concerns. The first is an isolated constellation in of performance and reliability (radiation
LEO requires a dense ground segment protection, redundancy scheme, on-bo-
LEO PNT: A Game-Changer and precise clocks on board the satellites. ard power management, reconfiguration
The deployment of PNT systems in These clocks have a volume and mass strategy, etc.). Recently, systems such as
LEO has been studied for many years, that require large satellites. This first Kinéis [7] have demonstrated the ability
both as dedicated constellations and limitation is lifted as soon as we consider of these small satellites to achieve levels
onboard payloads [5,6]. The immediate a layer in low orbit that relies on the of reliability and performance compa-
advantages of LEO PNT lie in a favo- layer in medium orbit that carries the tible with critical commercial missions.
rable link budget, due to its proximity precise clocks. The same applies to orbit The dynamism of the sector and the
to the Earth's surface, but also in a calculation which, instead of requiring proximity of low-Earth orbit have also
greater dynamic range offering natural a dense ground segment, also can be led to many micro launcher initiatives
multipath filtering and a rapid phase based on measurements from MEO and opportunities for low-cost launches.
ambiguity resolution capability useful satellite signals. These arguments make a LEO cons-
tellation economically viable, even for
large constellations. Several ongoing
projects such as CentiSpace [8], Xona
Space Systems [9], GNSSaS [10], as
well as the European Space Agency’s
FutureNAV Program [4], are examples
of the regained worldwide interest in
the LEO PNT concept.
The value of a LEO PNT solution is
now well established and is often based
on the addition of greater flexibility and
degrees of freedom, as well as the ability
FIGURE 4: Various companies and organizations are developing and demonstrating to evolve rapidly:
LEO PNT solutions [13-15].
Increased accuracy and rapid
convergence: This is made possible
by faster resolution of carrier
phase ambiguity in a Precise Point
Positioning (PPP) solution.
Increased robustness: LEO PNT
provides alternative measurements,
often with higher received power and
frequency diversity than GNSS MEO
systems, in the event of localized
GNSS interference or jamming.
Improved availability: LEO PNT
provides a diversity of signals (SiS)
FIGURE 5: Advantages brought by LEO PNT satellites. and frequencies that helps improve

M AY/J U N E 2025 91
WORKING PAPERS

availability in urban or indoor all use cases). The business model system could provide a major assistance
environments. may also be different in that access to the telecommunication function by
Enhanced flexibility and to the navigation resource is linked assisting the terminals to connect to the
scalability: Offering shorter to access to the main mission and communication services.
development and evolution cycles, potentially subject to a charge. The attractiveness of LEO PNT is il-
LEO PNT is natively highly scalable, lustrated in Table 1, providing a view
as the constellation can be deployed The 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks of the main LEO PNT systems being
and optimized according to (NTN), and the work currently being developed. These figures and, more ge-
application needs. carried out by 3GPP, are the most rele- nerally speaking, the LEO constellations
Two-way connectivity: The altitude vant examples of the search for a fusion are still under constant evolution. More
is ideal for an uplink path that between communication and navigation details can be found in [11].
consumes very little energy for missions. Joint optimization remains a
terminals. It also offers greater major complexity, which suggests it will A Need for Hybridization and Reliability
capacity for disseminating be difficult to achieve the same level of Although LEO PNT offers the perspec-
information by regionalizing accuracy, availability, coverage and tive of a significant improvement in the
transmission. suitability for all types of users, as can provision of an absolute position, it must
be obtained with a dedicated LEO PNT be considered in the frame of a hybrid
The LEO PNT implementation pers- constellation. Reversely, a dedicated LEO PNT solutions context, involving MEO,
pectives vary today according to three PNT constellation operating in the same LEO, terrestrial and non-terrestrial
distinct axes: frequency band as the telecommunication telecom networks, as well as user sensors.

1. Dedicated LEO PNT constellations. Constellation Main Mission Altitude Inclination Frequency
Such constellations offer a dedicated, Starlink (Opportunity) Telecom
>500 km–
53°, 97°, 70° Ku-Ka
defined signal that’s optimized for <650 km

navigation. This type of constellation Lightspeed (Opportunity) Telecom 1,015–1,325 km 98°, 51° Ku–Ka
offers frequency diversity while Kuiper (COMNAV) Telecom 600 km 33°, 42°, 51° Ku–Ka
remaining in the low L, S or C band for OneWeb (COMNAV) Telecom 1,200 km 40°, 55°, 88° Ku–Ka
user segment and usage compatibility. Xona System (Dedicated) LEO PNT 1,080 km 53°, ~97° L, C bands
2. Constellations of opportunity. These TrustPoint (Dedicated) LEO PNT <700 km TBC C-band
are constellations in low orbit, so the
1,175 km (72 sat), 1174 MHz,
mission does not natively include SATNET (Dedicated) LEO PNT
1,150 km (432 sat)
86.5°, 50°
1202 MHz
navigation. Navigation signals are GNSSaS (Dedicated) LEO PNT 500–600 km — L/S bands
added opportunistically. This type of
Jaxa LEO PNT 975 55° C-band
approach offers frequency diversity,
GeelySpace LEO PNT ~650 km TBC L-band
but the accuracy is naturally
degraded compared to what’s ESA’s FutureNAV In-Orbit
LEO PNT ~500-600 km Polar UHF, L, S, C
Demonstrator (Dedicated)
obtained with a signal and a system
geometry designed for navigation. The IRIS2 (LEO/MEO)
Telecom 1200 km 58.2° Ku, Ka, X
(LEO data reported here)
geometry of onboard antenna patterns
TABLE 1 Summary of constellations that may provide LEO PNT services
is often ill-suited to navigation, not to
mention atomic clocks.
3. Merged communication and
navigation constellations. This is
the case with telecommunications
constellations with signals that take
into account the need to provide
a navigation service in addition
to communication services. The
trade-off seems attractive from an
economic point of view, but the
performances are not comparable
to those obtained with dedicated
constellations. Often, the frequencies
used are high, which makes the user
segment more complex (more robust FIGURE 6: Integrity for guaranteed safety: From civil aviation to new safety-critical
applications.
to interference but not suitable for

92 M AY/J U N E 2025
 Reliability is also key for adoption for Radio Access Network; Study propre-constellation-de-satellites-pour-
safety critical applications like intelligent on NR positioning support. [Link]
transport. It is driven by integrity and (4) [Link] Authors
continuity targets. Satellite_navigation/LEO-PNT
The concept of positioning integrity Hanaa Al Bitar is the
(5) P. K. Enge, B. Ferrell, J. Bennett, user segment and
was originally developed for civil aviation
D. A. Whelan, G. M. Gutt, and D. G. augmentations manager
applications. New safety-critical auto- Lawrence, “Orbital Diversity for Satellite
nomous transport applications, such as at Thales Alenia Space
Navigation,” Nashville, TN, Sep. 2012. France (TAS-F), Bids and
cars, drones and trains, require a major
(6) T. G. Reid, A. M. Neish, T. F. Walter, Advanced Projects
adaptation of this heritage. In such envi- department. She
ronments (urban canyons, interference, and P. K. Enge, “Leveraging Commercial
Broadband LEO Constellations for received her Ph.D. in Radio Navigation
etc.), integrity must be shared between signal processing in 2007 form the Ecole
Navigating,” Portland, Oregon, Nov. 2016,
the space system and the user segment. pp. 2300–2314. doi: 10.33012/2016.14729. Nationale de l’Aviation Civile in France.
Global and regional threats are She joined Thales Alenia Space in 2012.
addressed at system level. This is done (7) [Link] Her activities focused on GNSS receiver
through the definition of a new GNSS en/spatial-iot-connectivity/ signal processing, EGNOS Land Earth
high accuracy and integrity service. (8) Y. Long, “The Centispace-1: Stations (NLES) signal processing and
Local effects, on the other hand, are A LEO Satellite-Based design, and technical management of
addressed at the level of the user's on- Augmentation System,” 2019. end to end demonstrators over EGNOS
GEO satellites in 2015 and 2017. Since 2023,
board unit [12]. (9) “LEO Successor to GNSS Comes she has managed the business and
Knocking,” Jun. 2020. [Link] technical roadmap for developing highly
Conclusion com/leo-successor-to-gnss-comes- reliable and precise positioning solutions
GNSS-based PNT technologies are now knocking/(accessed Jan. 26, 2022). for autonomous transport applications.
the backbone of a multitude of innova-
(10) H. Am, A. K, A.-E. O, and M. Mi, Michel Monnerat is
tive applications. These systems have
“NSSTC capabilities and the GNSSaS the Director of Bids and
made considerable progress in recent satellite project,” Aeronaut. Aerosp. Open
years, particularly since the arrival of Advanced Projects at
Access J., vol. 4, no. 4, pp. 156–159, Nov. Thales Alenia Space
Galileo, which offers new, more powerful 2020, doi: 10.15406/aaoaj.2020.04.00117. (TAS-F Navigation
signals and services such as decimetric
(11) FrontierSI State of Market Report Domain). He is a senior
accuracy and anti-blur authentication. expert at Thales Group
on Low Earth Orbit Positioning
All these new applications have one in Space Navigation System and has more
Navigation and Timing (LEO
thing in common: They call for pro- PNT)—2024, [Link] than 50 patents in space systems. He is
gress in terms of precision, continuity, au/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ also Director of the Navigation Advanced
resilience and security. These needs are FrontierSI-State-of-Market-Report- projects department in Thales Alenia
driving R&D and producing major [Link]. Space with more than 25 years of
developments. experience in space systems
(12) “Integrity Complementing development. He has worked on many
The introduction of a constellation
High Accuracy Service via EGNSS for space-based radar programs within
of LEO PNT satellites is key to meeting Autonomous Driving—ICHASE project
the needs identified, while respecting Alcatel Space and was in charge of
results,” Hanaa Al Bitar, Tristan Planchais, developing payloads like ARGOS/SARSAT.
economic imperatives. To provide a Rami Ali Ahmad, Anne-Marie Tobie, from He has been involved in Galileo and
complete response, it must be designed Thales Alenia Space, Ni Zhu, Miguel Ortiz, EGNOS since 1998 as system architect,
and used in a multi-sensor context. from University Gustave Eiffel, Antonella signal designer, performances manager,
Di Fazio, from FDC, Silvia Porfili, Javier regulation manager for ITU and
References Ostolaza, Gerarda De Pasquale, European Engineering Director. With his new
(1) ETSI TR 101 593, Satellite Earth Union Agency for the Space Programme. functions within Thales Alenia Space he is
Stations and Systems (SES); Global in charge of developing innovative
(13) [Link]
Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) upstream and downstream technologies
chinas-geely-first-batch-of-leo-satellites-
based location systems; Minimum and services in the navigation sector, with
for-autonomous-vehicles-launched/
performance and features a worldwide customers portfolio that’s
(14) [Link] both civil and military. He is also in charge
(2) ETSI TR 103 183, Satellite Earth
com/telecom-technology/satellite- of developing New Space programs
Stations and Systems (SES); Global
communications-networks/16165- essentially based on constellations of
Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) based
china-s-geespace-launches-next-batch- satellites (Internet of things, Earth
applications and standardisation needs
[Link] navigation augmentation) as well as space
(3) 3GPP TR 38.855, 3rd exploration systems.
(15) [Link]
Generation Partnership Project;
volkswagen-et-porsche-vont-lancer-leur-
Technical Specification Group

M AY/J U N E 2025 93
BRUSSELS VIEW

GNSS AND PNT RESILIENCE

at the Munich Satellite Navigation Summit

The 2025 Munich Satellite

Navigation Summit sent a
Attendees enjoying
clear message—in a world the space at the
increasingly dependent on Munich Summit.

precise, trustworthy PNT

Photos courtesy of Peter Gutierrez.

services, the work to enhance

resilience must accelerate. The
future of navigation will be
multi-orbital, multi-technology

R
and multinational, or it risks esilience was on the minds and “Resilience is not just a slogan.
becoming no future at all. lips of participants at this year’s It is the foundation
Munich Satellite Navigation of how we
Summit. Christoph Kautz, director for
satellite navigation and Earth obser-
protect critical
vation at the European Commission infrastructure
(EC), set the tone: “Resilience is not just and maintain
a slogan. It is the foundation of how our strategic autonomy in an
we protect critical infrastructure and increasingly uncertain world.”
maintain our strategic autonomy in an
increasingly uncertain world.” Christoph Kautz, director for satellite navigation and Earth
observation, European Commission
The summit took place against the
backdrop of heightened geopolitical
PETER GUTIERREZ, tensions, mounting cyber threats and
Inside GNSS’s European persistent interference challenges facing said, “We are lucky to have Galileo as
correspondent, is a senior global positioning, navigation and tim- an autonomous European navigation
reporter and editor based in ing (PNT) systems. GNSS, once viewed system, but we must make it even more
Brussels, Belgium, who has as an untouchable pillar of technology, resilient against spoofing, jamming and
written about Europe’s GNSS now must evolve or risk becoming the cyber threats.” The urgency is real—
programs for many years. weak link in the chain. “Our systems are resilience must turn from aspiration to
He received his bachelor’s designed to take resilience into account,” implementation, and fast. Governments
degree from the University
said Francisco-Javier Benedicto Ruiz, must integrate resilience into all levels of
of Texas at Austin and a MS
director of navigation at the European PNT infrastructure, from system design
degree from the University
of Massachusetts at Amherst. Space Agency (ESA), “but the chal- to user equipment security, to ensure
lenge is higher today, and we need to continued operational reliability.
respond with more agility, robustness
and diversification.” Beyond Established GNSS
It’s no secret. Every aspect of modern Complementary PNT, alternative
life, from emergency services to energy PNT, and particularly low Earth orbit
grids, now depends on PNT. Kautz (LEO) PNT systems were major topics

94 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

of discussion at the summit. It’s not roadmap includes deployment of dedi- FOC] by the end of this year or early
about replacing GPS, Galileo, BeiDou, or cated LEO payloads for enhanced PNT next. This marks a major milestone,
other GNSS systems, but strengthening services, leveraging satellite constella- completing our first-generation sys-
them. “Low Earth orbit is a solution to tions designed for resilience through tem.” He also noted that two auxiliary
that,” Benedicto said. “New orbits, new redundancy and fast replenishment satellites, used for technology dem-
signals, new frequencies—these will all cycles. ESA and the EC now envision onstrations, and two inactive spares
contribute to resilience. LEO-based PNT a multilayer PNT architecture integrat- are kept ready for contingencies, while
infrastructures, for example, can offer ing GEO, MEO and LEO platforms with the very first Galileo satellite has been
faster refresh rates, stronger signals in advanced ground-based augmentation. decommissioned.
urban environments, and new layers of Meanwhile, commercial innova- Preparations are in full swing for
signal redundancy.” tion is keeping pace. “User needs are the second-generation Galileo system
Michel Monnerat of Thales Alenia evolving faster than traditional architec- (G2G). Initial launches of G2G satel-
Space argued for more f lexibility: tures,” Xona Space Systems CEO Brian lites are scheduled for 2026, introducing
“Resilience is more than diversifi- Manning said. “We need to maintain advanced features like authentication,
cation. It’s adaptability. We need to encrypted ranging and real-time naviga-
observe threats in real time and be able “There will be a ‘SpaceX tion message authentication. “G2G is a
to deploy new solutions rapidly.” He massive leap,” Alcantarilla said. “Not
of navigation’ emerging
emphasized the concept of multilayer just in the space segment, but with a full
GNSS, where LEO signals complement within the next upgrade to the ground infrastructure,
those from medium Earth orbit (MEO) five to 10 years. greater redundancy across our control
and geostationary (GEO) satellites to The question centers, and the addition of new stations,
enable enhanced accuracy, reliability is, which including recently in the Caribbean and
and robustness against jamming and government will Antarctica, to bolster global reach and
spoofing. In particular, LEO satellites resiliency.”
enable it?”
enable high signal power, rapid revisit Galileo’s transition to G2G archi-
times, and improved anti-spoofing Brian Manning, CEO, Xona Space Systems tecture includes major cybersecurity
capabilities. enhancements and deployment of optical
The European Union’s IRIS² satellite alignment between user requirements, cross-links between satellites, reduc-
communication program, originally space segments, and ground infrastruc- ing dependency on ground stations and
intended for secure communications, ture, or risk losing relevance.” Xona’s enhancing overall system autonomy.
might also support LEO PNT. “We are planned Pulsar constellation aims to “The introduction of these cross-links
looking into using IRIS² platforms for deploy dozens of LEO satellites offer- will be a game-changer, enabling faster
LEO PNT satellites,” Kautz said, signal- ing 10-centimeter-level accuracy and updates and maintaining service even
ing a flexible, multi-purpose approach enhanced resilience against interference. if ground connectivity is temporarily
to new space assets. Meanwhile, ESA’s With players like Xona, TeraSense, disrupted,” Alcantarilla said.
OPSTAR initiative is pushing optical Xairos Systems, and others advancing
PNT demonstrations with a strong focus agile LEO-based navigation, govern- More New Services
on resilience and autonomy, enabling ments face a critical choice: foster In terms of services, Galileo continues
secure space-based positioning through commercial ecosystems or be outrun. to expand its offerings. The open ser-
new-generation optical terminals and Manning was clear and direct: “There vice navigation message authentication
quantum timing technology. will be a ‘SpaceX of navigation’ emerg- (OSNMA), designed to protect against
ESA’s in-orbit demonstration pro- ing within the next five to 10 years. The spoofing, has completed testing and will
gram for LEO PNT is set to launch question is, which government will be formally declared operational in the
its first satellites by late 2025, aiming enable it?” coming months. This service authenti-
to validate core technologies such as cates both navigation and timing data,
optical cross-links, multilayer GNSS Pillars of Global Navigation critical for maintaining integrity in regu-
integration, AI-based monitoring of The summit featured the latest updates lated sectors like aviation and finance.
signal integrity, and low-latency ser- on the major GNSS constellations. Following a 2024 decision, the European
vice provision. Ignacio Alcantarilla Medina, head Commission has confirmed the com-
Following successful demonstration, of sector Galileo and EGNOS at the mercial authentication service (CAS),
an operational European LEO PNT European Commission, highlighted providing encrypted E6 signals, will be
infrastructure, fully interoperable with new momentum. “We have now 32 delivered free of charge and is expected
Galileo, could be deployed by 2028, satellites in orbit,” he said, “with 27 to enter pre-operational service in 2026.
offering authentication, encrypted active for navigation and three spares, Galileo is also moving forward with its
timing signa ls, and independent fully positioning us to declare the open new emergency warning service (EWS).
backup PNT capabilities. The current service final operational capability [OS Developed in alignment with United

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 95

BRUSSELS VIEW

Nations disaster communication goals, “Galileo is not just a PNT across all military services and enhanc-
it enables national authorities to broad- ing GPS accuracy and resilience through
system. We are introducing
cast alerts about natural disasters and a combination of commercial partner-
other emergencies. Testing by member safety-of-life ships and small satellite augmentations.”
states has been positive, and smartphone services, real- The new generation of cyber-hardened
app integration is expected to widen time timing ground stations is slated for full deploy-
the service’s reach by the end of 2025. performance ment this year.
“Galileo is not just a PNT system,” alerts, and
Alcantarilla said. “We are introducing
enhanced search-and-rescue New Approach to GPS Resilience
safety-of-life services, real-time tim- One of the most innovative new pro-
ing performance alerts, and enhanced capabilities like remote grams coming out of the U.S. is the
search-and-rescue capabilities like beacon activation and distress Resilient GPS (R-GPS) initiative. “We
remote beacon activation and distress message relays.” are piloting rapid-deployment micro-
message relays. It’s an ecosystem of ser- Ignacio Alcantarilla Medina, head of sector Galileo and EGNOS,
constellations to augment PNT services
vices designed to save lives and ensure European Commission in the event of widespread jamming or
security.” In the near future, Galileo will satellite loss,” Spencer said. These small,
enable remote activation of beacons, seen quickly launched satellites, leveraging
as a major advancement, especially for can seriously disrupt GPS signals, commercial innovations from com-
locating lost aircraft or ships. with potentially life-threatening con- panies like TeraSense, Xairos, Trident
Performance-wise, Galileo remains at sequences in sectors like aviation and Sensing, and Xona, focus on specific
the top of the GNSS field. Open service emergency response. The U.S. continues mission subsets rather than duplicating
positioning accuracy remains better to invest heavily in maintaining and the entire GPS functionality.
than 1.5 meters 95% of the time, and modernizing the system. The GPS III “Each mini constellation can reach
ranging accuracy reaches 20 centime- constellation, delivering four enhanced operational strength in just three years”
ters. “We are still outperforming other civil signals (L1 C/A, L1C, L2C, L5) Spencer said, “compared to the decade
systems by a wide margin,” Alcantarilla and four military signals (L1/L2 P(Y), or more required to build out tradi-
said. Timing accuracy remains at the L1/L2M including the new encrypted tional GPS satellites.” Importantly, the
nanosecond level, typically better than M-Code), is growing steadily. payloads are interoperable with current
±5 ns. “Galileo’s sub-meter accuracy and The constellation currently includes military receivers and can be adapted for
phase stability have consistently led the 31 satellites, significantly outperforming civilian use through software upgrades.
market since 2017,” he said. original expectations in both lifetime The Space Force aims to launch these
Finally, work on the EGNOS augmen- and accuracy, delivering better-than- augmentation satellites starting around
tation system continues. EGNOS V2 is published performance even on the 2028, layering additional resilience atop
rolling out improvements now, while worst days. “Some of our satellites have the core constellation.
EGNOS V3, supporting multi-constel- been in service longer than I have,” Spencer also highlighted continued
lation, multi-frequency augmentation Spencer quipped. The latest GPS III commitment to international coop-
and extending safety-critical services satellite was launched in December, with eration under Space Policy Directive
to Galileo signals, should be ready by another slated for launch this summer. 7 (SPD-7), which formalized U.S.
2028 or 2029. This will greatly enhance Looking ahead, next-generation GPS goals for PNT resilience, protection
integrity monitoring for critical sectors III Follow On (GPS IIIF) satellites are against jamming and spoofing, and
such as aviation, rail and maritime. now on deck, with the first launches international partnerships. “The cur-
scheduled for 2027. “These will feature rent policy that we’re living under
GPS Remains Indispensable advanced anti-jam capabilities, in-orbit came into fruition under the first
Representing the U.S. Space Force, reprogrammability, regional military administration of President Trump,”
Colonel Matthew Spencer said, “Despite protection enhancements, laser retro- Spencer said, “and I see no indica-
its robustness, GPS is vulnerable to reflectors for improved ground tracking, tion that this policy will change,”
interference, cyberattacks and even and broadcast the full suite of modern- Bilateral and multilateral forums
solar weather events. It remains a cor- ized signals,” Spencer said. “GPS IIIF is like the International Committee
nerstone of modern life, a foundational designed with resilience in mind from on GNSS (ICG), he said, remain key
technology for both civilian and military the start. It’s not just an upgrade; it’s a avenues for best-practices sharing
infrastructure worldwide, but that very transformation.” and standards development.
centrality demands we make it more In parallel, robust ground system Finally, the GPS program is also
resilient than ever.” upgrades are also underway. “We are leveraging commercial innovation
Spencer said both unintentional hardening ground stations with cyberse- through programs like AFWER X
and deliberate jamming, along with curity upgrades,” Spencer said, “deploy- and SpaceWERX. In response to a
the growing threat of digital attacks, ing M-Code-capable user equipment recent alternative PNT challenge, the

96 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

Space Force received more than 120 International Collaboration United States’ 13905 (“Strengthening
industry proposals, ultimately fund- Amid Tensions national resilience through responsible
ing 20 of them at approximately $1.9 Despite geopolitical friction, from U.S.- use of positioning, navigation and tim-
million each. “We’re making strategic China tensions to the ongoing Russia- ing services”) underscore this risk-based
bets on disruptive technologies that can Ukraine war, cooperation within the approach, demanding that every critical
strengthen our PNT ecosystem faster GNSS community remains remarkably infrastructure sector assess and mitigate
than traditional acquisition cycles strong. “We are very happy to continue vulnerabilities.
allow,” Spencer said. cooperating closely with the U.S., Japan,
Korea, Australia and others,” Kautz said. Toward Multilayered PNT
Eastern Approaches The European Union’s new space and The consensus, it would seem, among
On the other side of the globe, BeiDou defense strategies explicitly call for part- the international PNT community is
continues to impress. Du Juan of China’s nerships with “like-minded partners,” that the future is not likely to hinge on
National Time Service Center detailed reflecting a deliberate strengthening any one system. Instead, a multilayered,
BeiDou’s growing global reach. “With 50 of international collaboration. Summit diversified architecture is emerging,
satellites in orbit and ambitious plans for participants from all sides echoed the blending GNSS, LEO constellations,
the next-generation BeiDou system, we sentiment. terrestrial augmentations, optical links,
are targeting real-time, high-precision This cooperation extends into com- quantum technologies, and more. ESA’s
services down to the decimeter level,” she mercial realms. “We’re leveraging Optical Synchronized Time and Ranging
said. China’s roadmap aims for critical (OpSTAR) and LEO PNT demonstra-
technological breakthroughs by 2025, tors will pave the way for full European
launch of experimental satellites in “Despite its robustness, operational LEO constellations by the
2027 to validate hybrid constellation GPS is vulnerable early 2030s, setting new standards for
architectures, start of full deployment resilience and redundancy.
Photo courtesy of SSC/Public Affairs.

to interference,
in 2029, and global operational capabil- cyberattacks ESA’s “Moonlight” program, aimed
ity by 2035. at establishing communication and
and even solar
The next-generation BeiDou archi- navigation services around the Moon,
tecture w i l l integrate high-orbit weather events. is another step into the next frontier.
GEO, MEO and LEO segments to It remains a “Navigation technologies must not just
optimize coverage and reliability, cornerstone of modern life, serve Earth but extend to cislunar and
supported by ground networks fea- a foundational technology deep-space operations,” ESA’s Benedicto
turing AI-enhanced data fusion. So, for both civilian and military said. New lunar navigation infrastruc-
the BeiDou vision has a lot in com- tures like Loran Moon are expected to
infrastructure worldwide, but
mon with the multilayer GNSS concept be operational within this decade.
emerging out of Europe. that very centrality demands In Europe, initiatives like ESA’s
Japa n’s QZ S S s y stem ha s a lso we make it more resilient than Navigation Innovation and Support
advanced signif icantly, with new ever.” Program (NAVISP), the new EU Space
satellites and services coming online. Colonel Matthew Spencer, Commander and Senior Materiel Leader, Act proposals, and expanded budget
Satoshi Hosoda from QZSS highlighted PNT Systems Delta, Space Systems Command allocations in the Union’s 2028 financial
the operational rollout of authenti- framework will further stimulate GNSS
cation (QZNMA) and precise point industry innovations from both sides and PNT innovation. Kautz noted the
positioning (MADOCA-PPP) services of the Atlantic,” Spencer said, mention- European Commission’s drive to “cre-
in 2024, bolstering resilience across ing joint initiatives to test and invest in ate an internal market for space” and
the Asia-Pacific region. Full constel- commercial alternative PNT technolo- “foster competitiveness,” aided by stra-
lation completion, achieving seven gies. ESA and NASA collaborations on tegic proposals to enhance sovereignty,
operational satellites, is expected by lunar navigation initiatives are another resilience and industrial leadership.
the end of 2025. example of durable partnerships tran- The world is entering a new era
QZSS innovations include robust sup- scending political divides. where GNSS and PNT resilience are
port for early warning satellite services Still, the realities of political dynamics not optional luxuries but existential
(EWSS) targeting natural disaster alerts cannot be ignored. Karen Van Dyke from necessities. One message coming out
across Asia, again mirroring develop- the U.S. Department of Transportation of Munich was crystal clear: user-
ments in Europe, and improved cross- emphasized the importance of “protect- driven design along with adaptabil-
authentication of GNSS signals via dual- ing spectrum from harmful interfer- ity and agile development cycles, a
constellation protection mechanisms. ence” and “cyber-toughening receivers,” la SpaceX, will define success in the
Future QZSS expansion is expected essential tasks to ensure GNSS resil- coming decades. Monnerat concluded,
to add LEO assets for enhanced urban ience, especially in contested or hostile “Navigation must move from mono-
navigation support by 2028. environments. Executive Orders like the lithic to dynamic.”

[Link] M AY/J U N E 2025 97

GNSS TIMELINE
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98 M AY/J U N E 2025 [Link]

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