Asymmetric Air Defense: Advanced Navigation secures $18.5 Million deal with KONGSBERG for C-UAS platforms
Two Defense Disruptors Strengthen Europe's Counter-Drone Capability in GPS-Denied Warfare
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HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Sept. 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As militaries race to counter low-cost drone attacks and increasingly contested electromagnetic environments, Advanced Navigation, a global leader in assured positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), has secured a $18.5 million supply agreement with KONGSBERG.
Under the deal, Advanced Navigation will supply hundreds of its Boreas Fiber-Optic Gyroscope (FOG) Inertial Navigation System (INS) for integration into KONGSBERG’s PROTECTOR Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-UAS) platforms. The inertial systems provide precise positioning, orientation and heading, allowing C-UAS stations to accurately detect, track and engage air threats when GPS signals are jammed, spoofed or unavailable.
Manufactured out of Norway, the PROTECTOR platforms will be delivered to the Polish Armaments Agency as part of a NOK 16 billion deal (about $1.74 billion), to protect the country against the evolving air threats.
This collaboration follows a previous multi-million dollar deal which saw Advanced Navigation provide its Boreas D90 FOG INS for integration into KONGSBERG’s PROTECTOR RS4 platform.
Solving the Economic and Electronic Asymmetric Gap
Modern conflicts have exposed two defining challenges for air defense.
The first is economic. Defending against thousands of low-cost attack drones with interceptors costing millions of dollars per shot is unsustainable.
The second is electromagnetic warfare. GPS jamming and spoofing have become commonplace on today's battlefield, degrading the effectiveness of defense systems that depend on satellite navigation to initialize, stabilize and accurately engage targets.
Together, KONGSBERG and Advanced Navigation address both challenges. PROTECTOR delivers a low-cost-per-engagement C-UAS capability, while Boreas FOG INS ensures the platform continues operating when satellite navigation can no longer be trusted. Drawing on algorithms to fuse, interpret, and filter critical sensor data in real time, the system is able to maintain positioning under extreme physical and electronic stress, providing a resilient source of truth.
Why GPS-Denied Navigation Matters for Air Defense
The success of KONGSBERG's PROTECTOR platforms comes from its ability to integrate the sensors, arsenals and fire control needed to defend against modern aerial threats on a combat-proven, highly adaptable system.
"As electromagnetic warfare becomes a defining feature of modern conflict, precision is no longer determined by arsenals or sensors alone. It depends on knowing exactly where the platform is, how it is moving and maintaining that accuracy even when GPS is denied. That's where Boreas becomes mission-critical," said David Leniewski, head of EMEA at Advanced Navigation.
"By providing a resilient source of positioning, orientation and stabilisation independent of satellite navigation, Boreas enables PROTECTOR to maintain accurate sensor alignment and target engagement under conditions that would degrade conventional navigation systems. It ensures operators retain confidence in every engagement, even in the most heavily contested electromagnetic environments."
"Together, PROTECTOR and Boreas deliver a layered C-UAS capability that is both economically sustainable and operationally resilient. One provides the proven kinetic effect; the other ensures that effect can still be delivered when the battlespace is actively trying to deny it."
Strengthening Europe's Multi-Domain Defense Capability
"Modern threats do not observe fixed boundaries, and countering them requires a fundamental evolution in platform survivability," said Jørgen Andreas Bull, senior vice president, land systems, KONGSBERG.
"By integrating Advanced Navigation’s inertial navigation technology into our PROTECTOR C-UAS platforms, we are providing forces with a resilient capability that continues when GPS is denied. Whether protecting tactical land convoys from asymmetric attack, safeguarding critical airfields, or defending coastal naval assets against uncrewed swarms, this partnership delivers the reliable, multi-spectrum resilience modern forces demand."
Built for Rapid Production with Global Supply Chain Resilience
Today, KONGSBERG PROTECTOR systems are equipped with Advanced Navigation technology and are deployed across infantry fighting vehicles, armored personnel carriers, naval vessels and uncrewed ground vehicles.
“Unlike legacy PNT suppliers burdened by years-long lead times, Advanced Navigation’s vertically integrated production facilities enable full internal component sourcing, environmental stress-testing, and simulated EW validation prior to delivery. This streamlined capability ensures rapid, high-volume production and delivery timelines as European defense ministries work to fulfil urgent procurement schedules,” said David Leniewski, Head of Advanced Navigation EMEA.
Supported by the Australian Department of Defence’s Global Supply Chain (GSC) Program, this agreement demonstrates how deep-tech disrupters can integrate into international defense manufacturing networks.
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