US Air Force tests alternative PNT systems for GPS-denied environments

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Program Office, Integrated Solutions for Systems (IS4S) and AEVEX Aerospace have completed flight tests for the Resilient-Embedded GPS/INS (R-EGI) Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA). The tests demonstrated R-EGI’s ability to integrate third-party alternative PNT solutions to ensure reliable navigation in GPS-denied environments.

This achievement marks a step forward in developing R-EGI, demonstrating its ability to integrate a “plug & play” third-party alternative PNT capability that ensures reliable navigation in GPS-denied environments.

“This flight test represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of resilient PNT systems,” said Jeff Hebert, senior scientist for PNT at the Air Force. “The rapid and cost-effective integration of third-party PNT solutions into Department of Defense weapons systems is precisely why R-EGI and its open architecture were envisioned.”

The R-EGI system’s open MOSA design enables seamless integration of government and third-party applications to address emerging navigation threats. Its Mission Capability Navigation (MCNAV) component allows for seamless integration of external alternative PNT solutions under challenging conditions.

During six test flights on a Special Operations Command C-146A Cougar aircraft, R-EGI operated successfully in GPS-denied environments, validating the system’s resilience and capacity for real-time adaptability. Using AEVEX Aerospace’s LynxVBN vision-based navigation system, it maintained approximately 10 m of positioning accuracy for up to 2.5 hours. Notably, LynxVBN was integrated into R-EGI’s MCNAV software in just one hour, underscoring the system’s adaptability. As the algorithms continue to improve and evolve, R-EGI’s alternative PNT accuracy will only become more refined, enhancing its capability to perform in increasingly complex and challenging environments, according to the company.

“After demonstrating that the R-EGI architecture could integrate multiple GPS receiver vendors, and then three months later, witnessing its performance, from the Cougar-provided live-stream data feed, in real-time GPS-denied flight scenarios was the most impressive showcase we’ve seen in the program’s history,” said Major Bernard Mutz, project manager for R-EGI

The successful integration of alternative PNT technologies into R-EGI seeks to enhance the system’s GPS resilience. Also, it sets a new benchmark for reliable, flexible navigation in GPS-degraded environments, said Mikel Miller, senior vice president for PNT at IS4S.