“SAFRAN Unveils NAVKITE: A Cutting-Edge PNT System Crafted with French Naval Elite”
During the SOFINS 2023 Special Forces seminar and exhibition, Safran Electronics & Defense is unveiling its innovative and resilient PNT (position, navigation, timing) system, named NAVKITE, designed to fulfill operational demands for the French Navy Commandos (part of the Special Operations Command). The NAVKITE system is set to be integrated into ECUME (Embarcation Commando à Usage Multiple Embarquable), a portable, multi-functional, semi-rigid vessel specially crafted for commandos and other elite forces.
In today’s world, functioning in a GNSS-denied environment (due to jamming, spoofing, or absence of signals) poses a significant challenge. All onboard systems must be accurately geolocated and synchronized to ensure they deliver reliable, consistent, and time-stamped information under all circumstances.
Safran Electronics & Defense, starting with an idea conceived by FUSCOLAB*, has crafted a compact, hybrid navigation system for use on ECUME, enabling special forces to navigate an increasingly intricate and unpredictable landscape. The system’s capabilities hinge on the integration of a GEONYXTM M inertial navigation system with the VersaSync® time/frequency server, both products of Safran Electronics & Defense. Together, they manage the transfer of trusted position, navigation, and timing information to guarantee mission continuity. NAVKITE harnesses Safran’s established PNT expertise to deliver navigation reliability and performance whether operated on land or at sea, even over extended durations and in the most challenging conditions.
The initial maritime trials of the system, executed from the Lorient naval base in Brittany by FUSCOLAB and the Ponchardier commando unit, showcased NAVKITE’s functionality under operational scenarios. It was subsequently deployed in February 2023 during the joint services exercise HEMEX, simulating a significant engagement in phase 2 of ORION, a large-scale initiative aimed at developing resilient, innovative, and interoperable armed forces, concentrating on high-intensity conflicts. The NAVKITE system exhibited highly satisfactory performance.
NAVKITE emerges as a significant technological advancement in resilient PNT solutions to satisfy the stringent requirements of naval special forces. It was developed through a collaboration built on mutual trust between Safran and FUSCOLAB, the “innovation lab” for the infantry commandos of the French navy. Safran Electronics & Defense has been a key player in inertial navigation solutions for over 70 years, having pioneered the core technologies. Today, NAVKITE symbolizes a new self-sufficient and sovereign PNT solution.
