Honeywell Aerospace is exploring how Vision-Aided Navigation and other independent aiding technologies can help aircraft maintain accurate positioning when GNSS signals are degraded, jammed, spoofed, or unavailable. Read more >>
As aviation continues to rely heavily on satellite-based navigation, sustaining trusted position information in these conditions remains an important technical challenge.
Vision-Aided Navigation (VAN) provides one approach to maintaining trusted position information without continuous reliance on GNSS. By comparing imagery from onboard cameras with stored map data, the technology can provide an absolute position fix that helps correct the drift inherent in inertial navigation over time.
Honeywell Aerospace is developing this capability as part of its Alternative Navigation Architecture (HANA), which is designed to support VAN alongside other independent navigation sources, including magnetic anomaly-aided navigation, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite signals, and supplementary sensors.
The approach reflects a wider challenge in resilient navigation: no single alternative source is suited to every operating environment. Different aiding technologies can therefore complement inertial navigation when conventional satellite signals cannot be relied upon.
Maintaining Navigation Accuracy Without GNSS
Inertial navigation systems (INS) provide aircraft with estimates of position, velocity, and attitude and are used across both crewed and uncrewed aviation.
Over extended periods, however, even advanced inertial navigation systems require a second independent source to maintain accuracy and precision.
GNSS has fulfilled this role for decades, making combined GNSS and INS architectures a standard approach across aviation. When satellite signals are blocked, intentionally jammed, or manipulated through spoofing, another independent information source is required to support the inertial system.
Alternative navigation technologies can provide this reference, allowing the system to continue delivering trusted position, velocity, and timing information in satellite-denied environments.
Using Vision-Aided Navigation to Correct Inertial Drift
Honeywell Aerospace’s VAN solutions use onboard cameras to observe the surrounding environment and identify visual features that can be tracked, including landmarks, structures, and runways. The VAN software compares live camera imagery with stored maps to produce an absolute position fix that does not drift over time.
When this information is fused with INS sensor data, VAN can eliminate accumulated inertial drift, improve navigation accuracy, and support safer, more precise operations in complex and contested environments.
The technology is particularly applicable to crewed and uncrewed military aircraft operating where dependable GNSS signals may not be available. Honeywell Aerospace currently offers VAN solutions for military and commercial operators.
Combining Multiple Navigation Sources Through HANA
VAN also forms part of Honeywell Aerospace’s broader Alternative Navigation Architecture.
Rather than depending on a single substitute for GNSS, HANA supports multiple independent navigation sources. This reflects the fact that no individual alternative navigation technology is suitable for every operating environment.
Honeywell Aerospace is currently working on programs incorporating alternative navigation technologies for current and future defense platforms. Available VAN solutions are also supporting the broader application of HANA across aviation.
Beyond VAN, the architecture supports additional navigation technologies that can provide different sources of positioning information when GNSS is degraded or unavailable.
Magnetic Anomaly-Aided Navigation
Magnetic anomaly-aided navigation uses subtle variations in Earth’s magnetic field as a natural reference map. Real-time magnetic measurements are compared with known magnetic signatures to estimate aircraft position.
The technique provides a passive, globally available source of navigation aiding that complements INS. It is particularly relevant over maritime environments where visual references are unavailable.
Low Earth Orbit Satellite Navigation
LEO satellite navigation uses signals from low-altitude satellite constellations. These signals are typically stronger and more difficult to jam than traditional GNSS signals.
They can provide an additional source of ranging and timing information, helping sustain navigation performance when conventional satellite signals are degraded or unavailable.
Supplementary Navigation Sensors
HANA can also accommodate future or supplementary sensors, including radar, celestial or star-tracking technologies, and radio-based ranging.
Each technology can contribute different motion or position information according to the operating environment, while integrating into the same fused architecture.
Developing Resilient Navigation for Future Aircraft
Vision-Aided Navigation demonstrates how camera-derived positioning can provide an independent position reference when GNSS cannot be relied upon. When fused with INS sensor data, VAN can address inertial drift while maintaining navigation accuracy in complex and contested environments.
Within HANA, this capability can be combined with magnetic anomaly-aided navigation, LEO satellite navigation, radar, celestial or star tracking, radio-based ranging, and future sensor technologies.
By supporting multiple independent aiding sources within a common architecture, Honeywell Aerospace’s approach addresses the limitations of relying on any single alternative navigation technology and provides a framework for resilient navigation across different operating environments.
