The US Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to develop a collaborative navigation system, which will enhance the overall navigational accuracy of aircraft.
The navigation system will allow aircraft to use information from the onboard sensors in addition to shared data from other aircraft to achieve accurate navigation performance in all flight conditions.
During the initial award period, Northrop Grumman will develop algorithms that will enable the collaborative navigation system to operate across multiple aircraft platforms.
Northrop has teamed up with the University of Minnesota for this contract, awarded under the US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) collaborative robust integrated sensor positioning programme.
The programme seeks to develop navigation technologies to improve situational awareness of the warfighter in all operating conditions.
Future phases of the programme will include the development of a real-time prototype collaborative navigation system and a flight test demonstration.
