More than 6 billion devices rely on 113 satellites. There is arguably no other piece of modern infrastructure that exhibits as much leverage as the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The interplay between the vast array of devices and GNSS technologies like GPS not only underscores the technology’s importance, but accentuates its risk as a single point of failure in high-stakes environments. 

This is amplified in military operations where success is often determined by effective and efficient use of troops and ammunition. Resource advantages can be rendered useless if central command and control centers are disabled. Hence, the common belief that GPS is the Achilles’ heel of the US Armed Forces and navigation warfare will be one of the first fronts in the next major military conflict. 

In this blog post we will focus on the vulnerabilities of GPS, the core criteria for GPS alternatives and how AI solutions like Pendulum Navigate can provide assured PNT when it matters most.  

GPS Threats

GPS relies on a constellation of satellites orbiting the Earth that emit continuous signals containing timing and positioning information. Receivers (smartphones, IoT devices, etc.) on the ground triangulate signals from multiple satellites to determine their precise location.

However, this seemingly straightforward process fails in certain environments and can be disrupted by adversaries. GPS vulnerabilities can be classified into two broad categories, unintentional and intentional threats. Unintentional threats arise from environmental factors and poor hardware or design choices, while intentional threats arise from malicious intent. 

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Avoiding a single point of failure during critical moments

To get a glimpse of the future and consequences of navigation warfare, one does not have to look any further than the war Russia is waging in Ukraine. Both sides are successfully disrupting GPS signals to prevent GPS guided rocket systems hitting their targets  and down enemy drones. 

This goes to show that over-reliance on GPS opens doors for adversaries to disrupt any critical military and civilian safety operations, impeding the navigation of ground troops, land vehicles, munitions, aircrafts and ships. With no real backup technology, GPS becomes a single point of failure in high-stakes environments. 

Finding GPS alternatives to reduce dependence is a two-part problem. On one hand, the positive attributes of GPS like low cost, low weight, high accuracy and ability to integrate into a variety of smart devices must be matched. On the other hand, negative attributes like being subject to jamming and spoofing must be prevented.

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Currently multiple avenues are being explored to strengthen GPS and build GPS-independent technologies. Most contending technologies fall into one of the following two categories: 

1. Relative PNT:
Technologies that use onboard sensors to track the position of a platform and keep time without the use of an external signal. Examples include inertial sensors and clocks. 

2. Absolute PNT:
‍Technologies that use external sources of information, other than GPS to determine the position of a platform, geo-referenced to Earth. Examples include environmental maps (celestial navigation using stars, terrestrial image analysis, magnetic navigation) and radio signals (from terrestrial and space infrastructure). 

Most if not all of these technologies face challenges and do not meet the criteria for a viable GPS alternative outlined above. They either face difficult and expensive manufacturing processes or are prone to positioning errors that accrue over time and are subject to unintentional threats like bad weather. 

In summary, the ideal GPS alternative comes with all of the benefits that GPS provides today and without any of its drawbacks. This requires a significant paradigm shift or breakthrough in hardware and/or software used for assured PNT. 

Introducing Pendulum Navigate: AI-powered assured PNT in GPS-denied environments

With over a decade spent on AI R&D, Pendulum Navigate represents a paradigm shift for GPS alternatives. Unlike conventional navigation systems or its alternatives, Navigate does not rely on GPS or a single absolute or relative PNT data source. 

Instead, Navigate leverages proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) models that merge and analyze any available data source, whether it is relative like sensor data from smart devices and wearables or absolute like elevation maps. Navigate uses whatever is available offline or online at any given point in time to provide assured PNT with an accuracy of 20 to 50 meters. 

Furthermore, designed for the operating edge, Navigate does not require any additional hardware and integrates directly into handheld smart devices and wearables. Efficient algorithm design enables the calculations to run on-device and minimize power draw, allowing for long-lasting missions. 

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Pendulum Navigate has been integrated into the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), a collaborative effort involving the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). This integration enables operators to estimate their geolocation even when GPS signals are unavailable due to jamming or signal loss. This was demonstrated and recorded in recent field tests, showcasing its ability to maintain accuracy within 20 meters in challenging environments where GPS was only partially operational due to jamming. The recordings of the field tests are available upon request. 

Most recently Pendulum Navigate’s ecosystem is expanding to wearables and advancing to military operational readiness with contracts awarded by AFWERX in partnership with AFRL and AFSOC to address some of the most pressing challenges in the US Air Force. These engagements underscore the solution's potential to enhance navigation resilience and operational capabilities across diverse groups within the Armed Forces, but also beyond in civilian rescue operations. 

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Beyond GPS Dependency with AI

With GNSS services like GPS serving as the backbone for navigation across various devices and vehicles in critical environments, the need for alternatives that can step in when GPS signals are compromised is apparent. In an era characterized by rising geopolitical tensions and technological dependence, AI solutions like Pendulum Navigate offer robust, resilient, integrated and accurate PNT. 

Reach out to Pendulum today to learn more and get a demo on how Navigate can serve as a GPS-backup for your personnel and assets in critical moments at the operating edge.

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About Pendulum

Pendulum is an AI company that optimizes critical supply and demand networks. We make ubiquitous systems more intelligent, maximizing the impact of resources available. Pendulum products are deployed via APIs that navigate, predict demand, and optimize supply  - continuously and autonomously improving on their own.‍‍

If you’d like to learn more about Navigate or Pendulum, please send an email to navigate@pendulum.global.

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