Successful deployment at APEX validates the technology as a crucial inertial-sensor stack for assured PNT on the modern battlefield.
Advanced Navigation successfully demonstrated in April 2025 its inertial-centric intelligent navigation as part of the U.S. Army’s All-Domain Persistent Experiment (APEX), underscoring the ability to deliver reliable, high-accuracy navigation in GNSS-degraded and -denied conditions.
Designed for the DDIL (Degraded, Denied, Intermittent and Low-bandwidth), APEX provided Advanced Navigation with an operationally relevant testbed to evaluate the performance of its Boreas D90 fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) inertial navigation system (INS) when fused with complementary aiding sensors, including the laser velocity sensor (LVS) and a wheel-speed encoder. The results reaffirm Advanced Navigation’s intelligent software-defined approach as a resilient foundation for APNT on the modern battlefield.
“Assured PNT is non-negotiable. The only path to operational advantage is an intelligent, multi-sensor fusion anchored by a resilient inertial core. We deliver this with our sophisticated AdNav Intelligence software,” said Chris Shaw, Advanced Navigation CEO. “Now in our third year participating in this U.S. Army program, APEX continues to challenge our systems under realistic electronic warfare conditions.”
Boreas D90. At the center of the architecture is the Boreas D90, a strategic-grade FOG INS that serves as the “nervous system” of the navigation stack. Unlike conventional systems reliant on GNSS or magnetic compasses, Boreas D90 determines true North through gyrocompassing, using ultra-sensitive fiber-optic gyroscopes to detect the Earth’s rotation. This enables independent, high-confidence navigation, even when external GNSS signals are compromised.
AdNav Intelligence. AdNav Intelligence software continuously validates all sensor inputs, adjusts in real-time to the operational environment, and autonomously counteracts spoofing and jamming. The sophisticated software can adapt in real time to respond to incoming threats, dynamically weighing the input from each sensor to make real-time adjustments on which sensor to rely on based on their reliability scores, environmental conditions, and operational context.
Demonstration setup
During APEX, Boreas D90 with AdNav Intelligence was integrated with both a laser velocity sensor and a wheel-speed encoder aboard a four-wheel-drive vehicle. The demonstration was conducted during night operations at a site in rural New Mexico, under a created environment of complex and emerging electronic warfare threats with GNSS jamming.
The Boreas D90 was fused with Advanced Navigation’s advanced infrared laser sensor that measures ground-relative 3D velocity with exceptional precision. LVS performs reliably on both ground and airborne platforms regardless of environmental conditions or the availability of visual references, as long as it maintains a clear line of sight to the ground or a stationary surface. By providing direct, drift-free velocity measurements, the LVS ensures continuous, high-precision mobility and enhances navigation resilience even in the most extreme contested GNSS environments.
This configuration demonstrated dead-reckoning accuracy, achieving a 0.012% error per distance traveled (7.5 m over 65 km) in the same contested conditions.
Wheel-speed encoder. Wheel-speed encoders offer a rugged and cost-effective source of motion data, measuring wheel rotation to determine ground speed and distance traveled. Their design ensures quick integration across tactical platforms. Ideal for firm terrain and structured routes, they provide dependable dead-reckoning performance when GNSS is denied, making them a practical choice for missions that demand reliability over complexity.
When paired with a wheel-speed encoder, the Boreas D90 delivered reliable dead-reckoning performance useful for platforms operating in predictable or structured environments. Across the demonstration, the Boreas D90–wheel-encoder configuration maintained strong navigation continuity, achieving a 0.018% error per distance traveled (11.7 m over 65 km), without reliance on GNSS, even under deliberate jamming.
Next Steps for APNT
For Advanced Navigation, the results from APEX show significant potential for a range of current and future defense applications. The technologies exceeded the team’s expectations, demonstrating the level of accuracy and operational reliability required for successful navigation under GNSS-denied and -degraded conditions.
Integrating INS with next-generation photonics promises to further advance capability, resilience and adaptability on the battlefield, Advanced Navigation said.
About the U.S. Army’s APEX event
Previously known as the Positioning, Navigation, and Timing Assessment Experiment (PNTAX), the sixth annual APEX event was held at the U.S. Army’s premier military test range, designed to replicate the complex, contested conditions that forces are expected to face in future multi-domain operations.
The next experiment will include partners within the United States Air Force’s 746th Test Squadron and the Joint Navigation Warfare Center, U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, and the Army Test and Evaluation Command. Advanced Navigation expects to take part 2026.
APEX provides a rigorous environment for evaluating mission resilience across a broader spectrum of technologies. While resilient PNT remains a core component, the event extends to integrated sensing capabilities, advanced communications architectures, data transport, and edge processing. These systems are evaluated under threat-informed, operationally realistic scenarios that reflect the evolving demands placed on modern military platforms in GPS-degraded or -denied environments.
