Navigation and autonomous systems company Advanced Navigation has signed a memorandum of understanding with MBDA to co-develop a resilient navigation system integrating MBDA’s NILEQ absolute positioning technology.
The co-developed solution will provide resilient absolute positioning for a multitude of airborne platforms. The agreement will see the companies foster joint research and technology development between the United Kingdom and Australia.
“In an increasingly uncertain world where interference is becoming ubiquitous, commercial and military sectors can no longer rely purely on GNSS for flight operations,” said Advanced Navigation CEO Chris Shaw. “There is an urgent need for additional navigation aiding to supplement platform inertial navigation and GNSS receiver systems.”
“We look forward to seeing MBDA’s innovation-driven solutions form the cornerstone of future airborne navigation systems, said MBDA Australia’s CM Tom Tizard. “NILEQ seeks to address the enormous demand for resilient absolute positioning information that will complement the existing navigation systems of airborne platforms.”
“Advanced Navigation are an ideal Australian partner to help accelerate the technology towards market entry,” he said. “Navigation technologies that are not simply accurate and precise, but also provide the resilience against interference, is what propels this partnership.”
NILEQ’s patent-pending technology is underpinned by the use of novel neuromorphic sensors to derive and match terrain fingerprints. Initially inspired by biological change detection processes, the sensing technology captures data of the changing terrain as an airborne system flies across it, and matches it to an existing database of the Earth’s surface.
The final solution is set to enable systems, such as uncrewed air systems (UAS), to secure an absolute position fix over land with a solution that is passive and resistant to interference. The technology will enhance the safety of beyond visual line of sight operations, as the solution overcomes many of the conventional limitations of airborne image-based navigation technologies.
The potential applications of the co-developed solution are wide-ranging and span both the civilian and military domains. The solution also further supports growing legal requirements for GPS alternatives. This is of heightened importance at a time when geopolitical conflicts and electronic warfare, including the the jamming and spoofing of GPS signals, are simultaneously on the rise.
The companies are working on capabilities to translate novel, complex research and technology into meaningful practical applications that are of mutual benefit to the United Kingdom and Australia. This means informed decision-making, strategic autonomy, and heightened combat efficiency in the face of emerging threats. More than a strategic advantage, it is the key to bolstering national security.
Advanced Navigation and MBDA will validate NILEQ in an airborne demonstration planned in Australia.
