Navigational sovereignty: securing land maneuver in a GNSS-denied era

The digital transformation of European land forces is fundamentally reshaping the requirements for tactical maneuver. As armies pivot toward high-intensity readiness, a critical but often overlooked capability is emerging as a strategic cornerstone: the need for robust, independent position and orientation for every platform in the field. While the defense community’s focus remains largely fixed on connectivity and kinetic firepower, the ability of a unit to maintain a shared and unwavering spatial reference in contested environments has become the true silent enabler of modern operations.

Ensuring continuity in denied environments

For the past two decades, where counter-insurgency operations loomed large over requirements, Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) were primarily viewed as a secondary “bridge” to cover brief GNSS outages. In that context, GNSS-aided systems, which provided a “good enough” position typically for tens of minutes after GNSS loss, were sufficient.

Today, the revival of massive Electronic Warfare (EW) has rendered this model obsolete. GNSS loss is no longer a fleeting inconvenience caused by natural obstacles or localized interference: jamming and spoofing are now the default environment near any combat zone. And its causes are not only external. The prevalence of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) now requires friendly troops to comprehensively disrupt GNSS signals over wide areas for their own protection. In this “self-denied” environment, tactical vehicles must be capable of operating without any external signal, relying on an internal “source of truth” that does not degrade over time.

The anchor of collaborative effectiveness

Moreover, the heart of modern tactical doctrine is the ability to share and allocate targets between a variety of platforms. This collaborative approach – where one vehicle’s sensor guides another vehicle’s effector – is what gives modern land forces their operational edge, and it relies entirely on a shared and ultra-precise spatial reference.

If a vehicle’s heading drifts by even a fraction of a degree due to the loss of GNSS, the coordination fails. A target designated by one unit will be “seen” by another at an incorrect location, leading to mission failure. Without consistent, autonomous North-finding capabilities, the seamless hand-off of targets remains impossible in a contested environment.

From specialized units to full fleet saturation

High-performance North-finding INS, once reserved for artillery or heavy tanks, has become a baseline requirement for the entire tactical fleet:

• C-UAS and pointing: Modern Integrated Air and Missile Defense and Counter-UAS systems require secure positioning and pointing to intercept agile threats. Every vehicle equipped with a Remote Weapon Station (RWS) is increasingly becoming a node in a defensive mesh that demands absolute orientation.
• Universal maneuver: From armored personnel carriers to logistics vehicles, the ability to maintain performance without GNSS—regardless of the time elapsed since the signal was lost—is now essential for tactical survival and synchronization.

FOG: Scalability and low sustainment for fleet-wide sovereignty

The shift toward fleet-wide autonomy is now industrially viable due to the maturity of Fiber Optic Gyroscope (FOG) technology. As the most scalable inertial solution, FOG provides the high-end stability necessary for autonomous maneuver at a total cost of ownership that aligns with large-scale procurement.

Beyond its performance, FOG offers a decisive logistical edge for the modern commander. As a solid-state technology with no moving parts, it requires no preventive maintenance. In an era where fleet availability and reduced logistical footprints are paramount, the transition from legacy mechanical gyros to FOG-based systems significantly lowers the burden on sustainment units while ensuring near-instantaneous operational readiness in the field.

Setting the new operational benchmark

This technical and economic maturity is already translating into large-scale operational adoption across Europe. Notably, Rheinmetall and the German Army have selected Exail’s Advans Ursa systems to equip more than 1,000 Caracal air-assault vehicles.

This massive deployment underscores a broader trend: the transition of northfinding FOG technology from a specialized tool to a universal standard. By prioritizing autonomous, maintenance-free navigation, European forces are securing their ability to maneuver and strike with precision, ensuring that the tactical “mesh” remains resilient even when the skies are silenced.

Colonel (French Army, Ret.) Yann Le Balc’h

Exail

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