CMC Electronics and ÉTS launch major research chair in resilient aviation navigation

A five-year research and development program has been launched to enhance GNSS navigation for aviation, encompassing security, integrity and spoofing resilience.

CMC Electronics is partnerinng with École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) in Quebec, Canada, to create the CMC Electronics Industrial Research Chair in Resilient GNSS Navigation. The five-year chair, valued at more than $6 million, unites CMC’s avionics expertise, led by John Studenny, internationally recognized GNSS navigation expert and standards contributor, with ÉTS’s renowned LASSENA laboratory under René Jr. Landry, an expert in aerospace navigation and cybersecurity.

The chair will tackle critical threats to GNSS navigation for aviation, including jamming and spoofing. CMC and ETS aim to develop spoofing-resilient GNSS receivers capable of real-time detection, mitigation and total recovery from spoofing attacks, setting a benchmark in aviation safety and integrity.

Research focus areas

The chair’s work spans several integrated areas that target key GNSS security challenges:

• integration of spoofing detection algorithms
• spoofing resilience grading and stress testing frameworks
• recovery mechanisms and certification benchmarking
• advanced integrity algorithms (ARAIM)
• sensor fusion and authentication technologies for spoofing mitigation
• end-to-end spoofing-resilient GNSS prototype
• next-generation inertial sensors with built-in integrity

Together, these areas aim to produce operational, spoofing-resilient GNSS systems suitable for aviation environments.

Broader impact and strategic alignment

The chair will train more than 65 highly qualified personnel (HQPs) and promote equity, diversity and inclusion in engineering. It supports initiatives to increase women’s representation and aligns with ÉTS’s strategic research fields in aerospace, cybersecurity, sensors and intelligent autonomous systems.

CMC Electronics is co-leading the research program and industrial deployment, ensuring that the outcomes are fast-tracked toward secure, export-ready GNSS solutions. Safran Trusted 4D contributes specialized expertise, and Jaunt Air Mobility provides operational insights for flight testing and system integration.