Honeywell launches software-based navigation to counter GPS jamming and spoofing

Honeywell Aerospace has unveiled a new software platform designed to keep aircraft accurately navigating when global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals are degraded, jammed, or spoofed. The system, known as the Honeywell Alternative Navigation Architecture (HANA), is the company’s latest step in developing technologies that enable “resilient, independent navigation” for both crewed and uncrewed aircraft. 

The unveiling positions HANA as a solution to a growing threat facing aviation and defense operations. In recent years, the spread of inexpensive jamming and spoofing devices has increased the number of GPS disruption incidents worldwide, leading to concerns about flight safety and mission continuity. 

“Due to the proliferation of low-cost tools, the number of jamming, spoofing and blocking incidents is growing and is leaving more pilots and operators in the air without access to GNSS data,” said Matt Picchetti, Vice President of Navigation and Sensors, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “HANA is our latest alternative navigation system designed to counter these threats by providing precise information on the aircraft’s position, velocity and orientation when GNSS signals are unavailable.” 

According to Honeywell, HANA is a software-based, multi-system navigation platform that enhances the performance of inertial navigation systems. It can combine several sensing technologies into a single, layered architecture. These include vision-aided navigation, which uses live camera feeds to match ground imagery with map databases, and magnetic anomaly-aided navigation, which determines position by detecting known variations in Earth’s magnetic field. The system also supports low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite navigation, taking advantage of signals that are stronger and less susceptible to interference due to their lower altitude. 

The company said additional technologies — including lidar, radar, radio-based ranging, and celestial tracking using star sensors — can also be integrated into HANA’s framework. By merging data from multiple independent sources, the system can continue providing accurate position, velocity, and attitude information even when traditional satellite-based inputs are disrupted or unavailable. 

“With this layered architecture, operators can mix and match modalities to meet mission-specific requirements, ensuring maximum resilience, system integrity and consistent availability even in GPS-denied environments,” Honeywell said in its announcement. The software can run on an aircraft’s existing computing platform or on a dedicated system provided by Honeywell, depending on mission needs. 

The initial release of HANA includes vision-aided navigation. Honeywell plans to integrate the magnetic anomaly and LEO satellite navigation modes in 2026. This modular structure allows the company to expand functionality over time as new sensing technologies mature, while keeping the core software platform stable and upgradeable. 

HANA’s launch builds on Honeywell’s long history in inertial navigation — a field the company has been active in for more than 50 years. Inertial systems use gyroscopes and accelerometers to measure an aircraft’s motion and orientation without depending on external signals. By layering these inertial measurements with complementary data sources, HANA aims to eliminate the single-point vulnerability that comes from relying on GPS alone. 

The new platform is also part of Honeywell’s broader effort to enhance “assured positioning, navigation and timing” (A-PNT) capabilities across both defense and commercial sectors. The company said HANA supports a wide range of use cases, from conventional aircraft to next-generation unmanned systems and military ground vehicles. It is also expected to play a role in the emerging advanced air mobility market, where electric vertical-takeoff aircraft operating in dense urban environments may face frequent GPS signal loss or multipath interference. 

“HANA’s launch marks a major milestone in Honeywell’s five-decade legacy of inertial navigation system innovation, reinforcing its leadership in aerospace navigation and its commitment to mission-critical resilience for defense and commercial aviation,” the company said. 

Honeywell has not disclosed which aircraft or programs will be the first to integrate HANA, but the system is designed to be compatible with a variety of existing Honeywell avionics and flight management architectures. The company said the software’s flexibility makes it suitable for retrofits as well as new production aircraft. The post Honeywell launches software-based navigation to counter GPS jamming and spoofing appeared first on AeroTime.

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