GPS-Denied Navigation Receiver for Hypersonic Flight

General Dynamics Mission Systems partnered with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation and Missile Center to validate alternative radio frequency positioning mechanisms for high-velocity aerospace systems. The cooperative flight test demonstrated alternative navigation capabilities in GPS-denied environments for hypersonic aircraft and precision-guided munition programs.

Operational Constraints and Hardware Architecture
High-speed flight regimes and electronic warfare environments frequently cause loss of standard Global Positioning System signals. Navigating without consistent GPS signals requires compact hardware that can ingest non-standard positioning inputs while enduring high structural loads and thermal stresses. Addressing this operational challenge required General Dynamics Mission Systems to provide software-defined radio architectures, while DEVCOM AvMC delivered platform integration, flight qualification resources, and hypersonic test infrastructure.

The deployed technical solution, designated Multiple Orbit Navigation, is a single-board circuit card assembly. The unit functions as a software-defined receiver configured to process radio frequency navigation data from multiple Global Navigation Satellite Systems, non-GNSS signals of opportunity, and commercial position, navigation, and timing sources. By synthesizing multi-constellation RF signals at the software layer, the system maintains trajectory calculation without continuous GPS link availability.

Flight Demonstration and System Integration
The navigation payload underwent validation aboard the reusable Talon-A testbed, executing maneuvers at speeds of Mach 5 and higher. System integration focused on verifying receiver signal acquisition, RF tracking loops, and algorithmic stability during hypersonic boundary-layer conditions. Prior to this aerodynamic trial, the hardware architecture underwent high-g cannon launches to verify structural integrity and sensor continuity under severe mechanical shock, feeding raw measurement data into an integrated mission computer.

According to Matt Elliott, General Dynamics Mission Systems director for Weapons and Navigation: "General Dynamics Mission Systems is bringing software-defined receiver technology to the fight, allowing programs to continuously outpace the threat with software upgrades instead of requiring new hardware insertions."

Technical Roadmap and Anti-Jam Expansion
Building on the MO-Nav architecture, the collaborative effort is transitioning to the Multiple Orbit Highly Assured Weapons Kit. This expanded architecture introduces broader spectral diversity, increased constellation support, and anti-jam, anti-spoof protection. The modular framework supports either an integrated M-Code receiver or federated links to external M-Code military GPS receivers.

General Dynamics Mission Systems and DEVCOM AvMC are co-investing in joint testing phases to expand system readiness. The deployment roadmap includes validating MOHAWK with integrated M-Code processing during a 2027 hypersonic test profile, followed by integration trials on precision-guided munition platforms scheduled for 2028.

Edited by Evgeny Churilov, Induportals Media - Adapted by AI.

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