Pacific Defense to Develop Next-Gen GPS-Denied Navigation Card for US Army
The US Army has contracted Pacific Defense to develop the next generation of its Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT) plug-in card for military platforms.
The award covers development of an enhanced version of the company’s Block 1 APNT plug-in card, aligned to the US Army’s CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF) program requirements.
Pacific Defense will design, build, and test prototype hardware for delivery to the army to support system integration and evaluation.
The contract follows earlier APNT development work carried out by the company through internal research, previous US government programs, and collaborations with industry and government partners.
Assured PNT technologies have become an increasing priority for the US military as potential adversaries expand their capabilities to jam or spoof GPS signals.
These systems are intended to maintain reliable positioning, navigation, and timing information by combining GPS with alternative navigation sources and onboard sensors, allowing military platforms to continue operating in contested electromagnetic environments.
Block 2 Capability
According to Pacific Defense, the Block 2 APNT plug-in card is built as a rugged 3U VPX module compliant with both The Open Group’s Sensor Open Systems Architecture and the C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards, US Department of Defense initiatives aimed at improving interoperability and simplifying technology upgrades across military systems.
The module is designed to fuse data from GPS, alternative navigation signals, inertial sensors, and vehicle information to provide navigation and timing data when satellite navigation signals are degraded or unavailable.
“Our APNT PIC products are designed from the outset to operate in contested environments and to evolve quickly as new technologies emerge, ensuring soldiers retain mission effectiveness when GPS is degraded or denied,” said Mike Repko, general manager of APNT programs at Pacific Defense.
“This award reflects our commitment to helping our customers solve the assured PNT problem and advancing standards-based MOSA solutions that can be rapidly integrated and deployed across operational platforms.”
Although the initial effort is focused on US Army mounted ground vehicles and aviation platforms, Pacific Defense said the technology could also be adapted for airborne, ground, and maritime systems used by US and allied forces.
The contract is structured as a multi-phase, multi-year program. Work will be carried out at the company’s facilities in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Mukilteo, Washington; Sunnyvale, California; and El Segundo, California.
