Advanced Navigation wins $18.5M deal for C-UAS navigation

Advanced Navigation has secured an $18.5 million supply agreement with Kongsberg. The deal involves providing hundreds of Boreas Fiber-Optic Gyroscope Inertial Navigation Systems for Kongsberg's PROTECTOR Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems platforms.

These platforms are part of a larger NOK 16 billion contract with the Polish Armaments Agency. The inertial systems are designed to deliver precise positioning and orientation when GPS signals are jammed or unavailable.

Addressing Asymmetric Warfare Challenges

Modern conflicts present two core problems for air defense. The first is an economic imbalance, where defending against low-cost drones with expensive interceptors is unsustainable. The second is the prevalence of GPS jamming and spoofing on the battlefield.

The partnership between Kongsberg and Advanced Navigation aims to solve both. PROTECTOR offers a low-cost-per-engagement C-UAS capability. The Boreas FOG INS ensures the system can operate effectively without relying on satellite navigation.

The Role of GPS-Denied Navigation

Kongsberg's PROTECTOR platform integrates various sensors and fire control systems. Its effectiveness relies on knowing its own precise location and orientation, even in contested environments.

David Leniewski, Manager Director at Advanced Navigation EMEA, explained the technology's importance. "As electromagnetic warfare becomes a defining feature of modern conflict, precision is no longer determined by arsenals or sensors alone," he said. "It depends on knowing exactly where the platform is, how it is moving and maintaining that accuracy even when GPS is denied."

The Boreas system uses algorithms to fuse sensor data in real time. This provides a resilient source of positioning information under physical and electronic stress.

Expanding Multi-Domain Defense

Jørgen Andreas Bull, senior vice president for land systems at Kongsberg, highlighted the need for evolving platform survivability. Modern threats do not observe fixed boundaries, and countering them requires a fundamental evolution in platform survivability, he stated.

The integrated technology is intended for use across multiple domains. Applications include protecting land convoys, safeguarding airfields, and defending naval assets against drone swarms.

This agreement follows a previous multi-million dollar deal where Advanced Navigation supplied its Boreas D90 FOG INS for Kongsberg's PROTECTOR RS4 platform.

Enabling Rapid Production

Advanced Navigation emphasizes its production capabilities for meeting urgent defense needs. The company states its vertically integrated facilities allow for full internal component sourcing and testing prior to delivery.

This streamlined process is designed to support high-volume production and rapid delivery timelines. The agreement is supported by the Australian Department of Defence's Global Supply Chain Program.

Today, Kongsberg PROTECTOR systems equipped with Advanced Navigation technology are deployed on various military vehicles and vessels.