Airborne Anti-jam GPS Receiver Broadens Compatibility With Inertial Navigation Systems

BAE Systems expanded the capabilities of its Digital GPS Anti-Jam Receiver (DIGAR) by enabling beamforming with Trimble receivers in addition to its own receivers. DIGAR's beamforming capabilities increase the level of GPS jamming protection for aircraft by a million-fold – helping pilots execute their missions in contested environments.

BAE Systems’ engineers in Cedar Rapids developed software to ensure the compatibility of its antenna electronics with industry-standard Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation System (EGI) technology, enabling fast communication with transmitter electronics for superior beamforming. DIGAR provides the only antenna electronics on the market to beamform with both BAE Systems receivers and Trimble GPS receivers embedded in aircraft EGIs, as well as federated GPS systems and stand-alone GPS receivers.

“The modern battlespace has evolved, and peer state positioning, navigation, and timing threat systems are challenging our ability to conduct combat operations in the place and manner of our choosing,” said Greg Wild, director of Navigation and Sensor Systems at BAE Systems. “By combining DIGAR’s beamforming with trusted inertial navigation system data, we offer the highest level of jamming protection available today.”

DIGAR is a high-performance military GPS system for fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned airborne platforms. It combines field-proven antenna electronics, advanced signal-processing, and beamforming techniques to improve the reliability of positioning, navigation, and timing data in the presence of disruptive electromagnetic signals. DIGAR is also compatible with the advanced M-Code – delivering additional security to the warfighters who rely on it.

BAE Systems’ anti-jamming GPS technology has defeated powerful and sophisticated adversary threat systems in testing and combat, and is available for airborne, shipborne, and ground vehicle applications. The company’s military GPS business is based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where it is building a 278,000-square-foot state-of-the-art research and manufacturing facility scheduled to open in 2022.