Navy counters GPS-denied environments via new Saildrone technology

A new positioning system that allows unmanned surface vessels to operate in GPS-denied environments is now operational within the Navy -- a landmark in the service’s efforts to boost navigational capabilities in contested areas.

USV developer Saildrone developed this capability to be used in conditions like those observed by Task Force 59 -- the Navy’s unit for unmanned systems -- in the Middle East but did not develop it “exclusively” for that group’s mission, a Saildrone official told Inside Defense.

“We developed it because it delivers more capability for the customer,” said Andy Hertel, Saildrone’s senior director of Navy programs. “It will be deployed across the fleet, not in response to the environment, but so that we have it when/if we need it to be prepared before GPS denial/spoofing starts happening. It is another great example of the tight turning radius Saildrone has when compared to traditional assets.”

The positioning system uses multiple forms of localization, to ensure vehicles like the mid-sized Voyager USV can operate without relying on satellites, according to the company’s news release.

“Satellite positioning and connectivity can no longer be relied upon in potential future conflicts,” Saildrone CEO Richard Jenkins said. “It is essential that our unmanned systems can continue to operate in denied environments, and Saildrone once again leads the way with demonstrated resilience in real operational missions with U.S. Navy.”

In January, Task Group 59.1 -- which falls under Task Force 59 -- announced plans to launch a USV with GPS-denied capability. GPS disruptions in the Gulf of Aqaba have posed a challenge for the task group, Lt. Luis Echeverria shared at the Surface Navy Association’s conference in January.

“Initially we saw that as a challenge, but now we see that as a win and we capitalize on that,” Echeverria said. “We ran a series of tests with GPS-denied capability, and later on this spring we will be launching for the first time a USV with GPS-denied capability out of the Gulf of Aqaba and into the northern Red Sea.”