VectorNav and NAL Research are jointly developing Iridium® STL-aided Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to meet the growing need for resilient Position, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) in GNSS-denied environments.
Both companies will be exhibiting and discussing the collaboration during the SOF Week Exposition 2025 in Tampa, FL (May 5–8).
GPS/GNSS signals are increasingly susceptible to vulnerabilities such as jamming/spoofing, outages, and other challenges. An alternative source of APNT is crucial for enabling continuous access to accurate location data and time synchronization. Unlike other APNT sources, NAL’s APNT receivers are integrated with Iridium STL service, which leverages a low-earth orbit (LEO) transmitted signal approximately 1,000 times stronger than traditional GNSS and is capable of penetrating indoors and other GNSS-obstructed areas.
Operators of uncrewed systems, in particular, can benefit from implementing an INS solution that leverages NAL’s Iridium STL-enabled APNT receivers to maintain critical operations in areas where GPS/GNSS signals are denied or degraded.
For such applications, VectorNav is leveraging its VN-210E GNSS-Aided INS, which combines a tactical-grade IMU with an L1/L2 GNSS receiver in a miniature, board-mount package. Designed for maximum modularity, the VN-210E hosts VectorNav’s tightly coupled INS and includes four serial ports that enable simultaneous integration with multiple external PNT-aiding sources, such as NAL Research’s ALTM GEN2 Mini Iridium STL receiver. When paired, the system provides a high-rate and continuous position, velocity, and attitude solution, even in dynamic applications and in GNSS-denied environments.
NAL Research and VectorNav will continue to focus on co-developing product solutions that combine VectorNav’s industrial and tactical-grade INS with NAL Research’s Iridium STL receivers. Future offerings will focus on reducing SWaP-C (size, weight, power, and cost), increasing environmental resilience, and supporting MIL-STD compliance for defense and aerospace applications.
NAL Research President, Robert Bills, commented, “This complete offering delivered through our high velocity collaboration with VectorNav will deliver dynamic innovation to the emerging APNT market. Our partnership streamlines our customers’ implementation of alternative APNT sources. We look forward to helping government and enterprise users achieve operational success by enabling the ability to rapidly implement highly accurate and reliable navigation solutions.”
Jakub Maslikowski, VP of Business Development for VectorNav, added, “The demand for robust APNT solutions, manufactured at scale and capable of supporting dynamic autonomous systems, is growing rapidly—particularly in the critical maritime domain. This collaboration with NAL Research will help to realize the emerging LEO satellite PNT capability and strengthen the U.S. and allied nations’ resilience when operating in contested environments.”
VectorNav will be exhibiting at Booth 1941 and NAL Research at Booth 3005.
