GPS World

Tag: GPS-guided missiles

  • HRL Laboratories offers small, rugged IMU

    HRL Laboratories offers small, rugged IMU

    HRL Laboratories has introduced a new inertial measurement unit (IMU) that provides near navigation-grade accuracy in a palm-sized package.

    Smaller and lighter than grade-equivalent conventional sensors, HRL’s AXI-R100 delivers range-extending accuracy for GPS-contested navigation. The product is now ready for pre-production orders.

    Using silicon microelectro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology, HRL’s gyros exceeds the performance of many tactical-grade IMUs in the same or smaller package size, and is manufactured in high volumes at wafer-scale. This near navigation-grade performance is available at a tactical-grade price.

    The new IMU is suitable for use in defense, aerospace and automotive applications, including missile-guidance systems and drone navigation, as well as for commercial automotive applications with higher levels of autonomy. The product is ready for integration as it has been designed and tested against challenging vibration, shock and thermal conditions representative of those applications.

    HRL will present product specifications at the 2026 Joint Navigation Conference, taking place this week in Cincinnati, Ohio, and is exhibiting in booth 129.

      By leveraging high volume design automotive methodologies, HRL designed AXI-R100 navigation sensors to scale for high-volume automotive demand while maintaining performance superiority over traditional tactical-grade sensors. The result is a gyroscope compatible with foundry fabrication processes for high volume applications.

      “Our gyroscopes and inertial sensors support navigation, pointing and stabilization systems for autonomous vehicles, aircraft and guided missile and munition applications,” said Jeff Dickman, director, Precision Sensing, HRL Laboratories. “We leveraged our extensive microelectronics legacy along with innovations in micromechanical and manufacturing processes to pave the way for AXI-R100 to address the urgent needs from our industrial base.”

    • GLONASS receiver factory targeted by Ukraine

      GLONASS receiver factory targeted by Ukraine

      The Ukrainian Unmanned Systems Forces on Nov. 26 struck a Russian factory that produces GLONASS navigation equipment for Shahed drones and Kalibr missiles, weapons used in a strike in Kyiv that killed seven people dthe day before, The factory is 1,000 km from the border between the countries.

      The report comes from Euromaidan, along with the following video showing the strike’s location and aftermath.

      The VNIIR Progress factory in Cheboksary, Chuvash Republic, Russia, specializes in manufacturing GNSS receivers and antennas for satellite systems, including GLONASS, GPS, and Galileo, as well as navigation modules such as Kometa, which are resistant to electronic warfare measures.

      Thes modules are used on Russian missiles, including the Kalibr, Kh-69, Iskander-M, and S-800 Banderol, as well as on UAVs such as Shahed, Orlan-10 and Forpost. The Kometa module is also part of the Unified Modules for Planning and Correction, which Russia uses to convert conventional bombs into precision-guided munitions.

    • Russia jamming aircraft satnav, French official warns

      Russia jamming aircraft satnav, French official warns

      pesian1801/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images
      Photo: pesian1801/iStock Editorial/Getty Images Plus/Getty Images

      The Russian military has disrupted flight systems in three regions since the invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the need for robust alternatives, according to a French safety regulator and as reported by Bloomberg.

      Airline pilots have reported jamming of satellite navigation systems around the Black Sea, eastern Finland and the Kaliningrad enclave, said Benoit Roturier, head of satellite navigation at France’s civil aviation authority DGAC.

      The jamming signals appear to originate from Russian trucks intent on protecting troops and installations against GPS-guided missiles. While the signals are not aimed at civil aviation, however, they force the pilots to deal with distracting alerts.

      “Airplanes hit by jamming can continue to fly using inertial navigation systems — that is standard and works with GPS,” Roturier said. “This could be less accurate, but can be used when GPS goes down.” Yet regulators are realizing the potential for massive airspace disruptions, especially as the European Union pushes for increasing reliance on satellite navigation.