High-Precision Navigation and Positioning Technology Empowers Modern Military and Aerospace Missions

In modern military operations and aerospace missions, precise positioning, attitude determination, and anti-jamming navigation capabilities for platforms (including ground vehicles, ships, drones, and spacecraft) have become critical factors for mission success. Whether for precision-guided munitions, autonomous unmanned systems, in-orbit spacecraft services, or battlefield situational awareness, traditional navigation systems face severe challenges in complex electromagnetic environments, high-dynamic conditions, and signal-contested scenarios.

Why Is Reliable High-Precision GNSS/INS Fusion Navigation Crucial for Military and Aerospace Applications?

In denied, contested, or highly dynamic operational and space environments, the continuity and integrity of navigation information directly impact mission success and platform survivability. Centimeter-level positioning errors or slight attitude deviations can lead to weapon system misses, formation collisions, or rendezvous and docking failures. The AsteRx SBi3 Pro not only provides high-precision GNSS absolute positioning but, more importantly, delivers real-time three-dimensional attitude (heading, pitch, roll) through its built-in high-performance inertial sensor (IMU). It also features autonomous dead reckoning capabilities when GNSS signals are jammed, spoofed, or completely lost, ensuring continuous and reliable navigation output under any conditions.

Core Advantages of the AsteRx SBi3 Pro GNSS/INS Receiver

The AsteRx SBi3 Pro is a ruggedized GNSS/INS fusion navigation system designed for harsh environments. It integrates a multi-frequency, multi-constellation GNSS receiver with a tactical-grade IMU within a robust enclosure, emphasizing anti-jamming, high reliability, all-weather operation, and ease of integration.

Powerful Anti-Jamming and Full-Band Signal Tracking Capabilities

Designed for complex electromagnetic environments with exceptional signal acquisition and retention capabilities:

-544 hardware channels support parallel processing of all visible satellite signals, ensuring uninterrupted signal tracking under high dynamics.

-Full-constellation and multi-band support provide redundancy and robustness:

GPS: L1 C/A, L1C, L2C, L2 P, L5

GLONASS: L1 C/A, L2C/A

BeiDou: B1I, B2I, B3I

Galileo: E1, E5a, E5b

QZSS: L1C/A, L2C, L5

SBAS: EGNOS, WAS, GAGAN, MSAS, SDCM

-Multi-frequency reception effectively counters narrowband interference and ionospheric effects, enhancing availability in extreme terrestrial and space environments.

Septentrio’s Proprietary GNSS+ Anti-Jamming and Integrity Technology Suite

Optimized for high-intensity electronic warfare and complex environments:

-AIM+ (Advanced Interference Mitigation): Industry-leading interference monitoring and suppression technology capable of countering continuous-wave, narrowband, and even the most complex broadband and pulsed jammers, as well as anti-spoofing. This is critical for ensuring PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) security in Navigation Warfare (NAVWAR) environments.

-FUSE+: Deeply coupled GNSS/INS algorithms enable precise heading, pitch, and roll measurements using a single antenna and provide smooth, high-precision inertial navigation continuity during GNSS outages.

-APME+: Advanced Post-Processing Multipath Estimation and mitigation reduce multipath effects in urban areas, canyons, or near spacecraft structures.

-LOCK+: Designed to withstand intense mechanical shock and vibration, ensuring signal tracking stability during artillery fire, rocket launches, or high-speed maneuvers.

-IONO+: Ionospheric scintillation mitigation ensures mission performance in polar regions or during intense solar activity for space and near-space missions.

-RAIM+ (Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring): Provides critical system-level integrity alerts.

The fusion of these technologies delivers predictable high performance:

RTK-INS Positioning Accuracy (Baseline < 40 km, 3σ): Horizontal 0.6 cm + 0.5 ppm, Vertical 1 cm + 1 ppm (typical initialization time: 7 seconds).

Integrated Attitude Accuracy (RTK mode): Pitch/Roll 0.2°.

Dead Reckoning Performance (After GNSS Signal Loss, Baseline < 40 km):

5 seconds: Horizontal position error 0.106 m, heading error 0.35°, pitch/roll error 0.04°.

10 seconds: Horizontal position error 0.306 m, heading error 0.35°, pitch/roll error 0.06°.

30 seconds: Horizontal position error 3.006 m, heading error 0.4°, pitch/roll error 0.1°.

INS Velocity Accuracy (RTK mode): 0.02 m/s.

Rugged and Reliable, Meeting Military and Aerospace Environmental Standards

Physical Specifications: Dimensions 102 × 36 × 118 mm, weight 490 g, compact and easy to integrate.

Protection Rating: IP68 fully sealed waterproof and dustproof housing, resistant to harsh battlefield environments (sand, dust, rain, salt spray).

Environmental Adaptability: Operating temperature -30°C to +65°C, storage temperature -40°C to +75°C, suitable for global deployment and near-space environments.

Ruggedness Certification: Fully compliant with MIL-STD-810G military standards (humidity, dust, shock, vibration), ensuring reliable operation in harsh mechanical environments.

Power Supply: Wide voltage input (4.5 – 36 VDC), compatible with military vehicle and ship standard power sources.

-Power Consumption:

Typical (GPS/GLONASS L1/L2): 1.3 W

Full-constellation, all-band tracking: 1.5 W

Maximum: 2.5 W

Low-power design extends the endurance of unmanned platforms.

High-Performance Tactical-Grade IMU Core

-Gyroscope Performance:

Range: ±500 °/s, suitable for high-dynamic maneuvers.

Bias Instability: 2.7 °/hr.

Random Walk / Noise Density: 0.15 – 0.2°/√hr

-Accelerometer Performance:

Range: ±8 g.

Bias Instability: 2.7 – 4.4 µg.

Random Walk / Noise Density: 17.0 – 24.8 μg/√Hz

-System Performance:

Maximum Update Rate: Integrated position output 10 Hz.

Output Latency(7): <20 ms (98% of samples).

Time Accuracy: xPPS output 5 ns, event marker accuracy < 20 ns.

-Time to First Fix:

Cold Start (no almanac, no approximate position): < 45 s

Hot Start (almanac and approximate position known): < 20 s

Reacquisition Average Time: ~1 s

Tracking Performance: Tracking threshold 20 dB-Hz, acquisition threshold 33 dB-Hz.

Integration Applications of AsteRx SBi3 Pro in Military and Aerospace Platforms

The AsteRx SBi3 Pro provides position/attitude update rates up to 10 Hz with low latency (<20 ms for 98% of samples) and event marker accuracy < 20 ns. This enables precise synchronization with EO/IR gimbals, radars, and communication systems for accurate target localization, route tracking, and coordinated operations. Its dead reckoning capability ensures uninterrupted navigation during strong electromagnetic interference or covert penetration.

Positioning and Orientation for Ground Combat Vehicles, Self-Propelled Artillery, and Command Vehicles

As a key component of Army Navigation Warfare capabilities, it provides armored vehicles and artillery with precise position, attitude, and heading, enhancing first-round hit probability and command/control efficiency. AIM+ technology effectively counters common battlefield interference, while APME+ mitigates multipath effects in urban warfare.

Maritime and Airborne Precision Navigation Systems

Provides ships, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft with high-precision position, attitude, and velocity information to support precision approach, landing/takeoff, weapon deployment, and reconnaissance missions. Its rugged design withstands shipboard vibrations and airborne environments, with a wide temperature range for global deployment.

Spacecraft On-Orbit Servicing, Docking, and Constellation Management

Provides relative/absolute navigation foundations for small satellites and on-orbit servicing vehicles. High-precision RTK positioning enables precise orbit determination, while IMU data aids attitude control and maneuver awareness. Offers valuable navigation continuity during deep-space mission transitions with weak GNSS signals or interference events.

Dismounted Soldier Systems and Portable Reconnaissance Equipment

Its compact size and weight allow integration into portable terminals, reconnaissance robots, or drones, providing high-precision position and azimuth references for frontline soldiers or special forces.

AsteRx SBi3 Pro: Delivering Trusted PNT Solutions for Critical Missions

Enhancing Mission Success Rates and System Survivability

By providing anti-jamming, spoof-resistant, and highly available continuous PNT information, it significantly reduces mission failure risks due to navigation data loss and enhances platform survivability and operational effectiveness in contested environments.

Simplifying Integration and Accelerating Equipment Deployment

Offers comprehensive data interfaces (Ethernet/PoE, 3 high-speed RS232 serial ports, USB, 2 event markers) and supports standard data protocols (NMEA 0183 v3.01/v4.0, RTCM 2.x/3.x MSM, CMR+) and Septentrio’s efficient binary format (SBP). Compatible with NTRIP client. Intuitive Web UI and comprehensive API documentation support rapid system integration, testing, and validation.

Compliance with Regulations and Standards

Product certified to CE, FCC, RoHS, WEEE, and other standards.

Which GNSS/INS Receiver Is Suitable for Unmanned Platforms in High-Contest Military Environments?

The Septentrio AsteRx SBi3 Pro is an ideal choice for high-contest environments. It integrates industry-leading AIM+ anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology to effectively suppress various complex interferences. Its high-performance IMU maintains horizontal positioning errors within approximately 3 meters (heading error 0.4°) for up to 30 seconds during GNSS outages, ensuring continuous autonomous navigation and mission execution for unmanned platforms in complex electromagnetic environments.

Why Do Military and Aerospace Applications Require Tightly Coupled GNSS/INS Systems?

Pure GNSS systems are highly vulnerable to failure under jamming, spoofing, or signal occlusion (e.g., tunnels, inside vehicles). Tightly coupled GNSS/INS systems use deep algorithmic fusion to leverage the IMU’s short-term high-precision inertial measurements. This not only enhances overall accuracy and output rates when GNSS is available but, more critically, provides seamless, high-confidence dead reckoning navigation during GNSS outages and aids rapid GNSS signal reacquisition. This is essential for missions requiring continuous, uninterrupted navigation.

How Does AIM+ Technology Operate in Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) Environments?

AIM+ technology is a multi-layered interference countermeasure system. It first monitors the energy distribution across the entire GNSS band in real-time using a broadband digital channelized receiver to identify interference signals (whether narrowband, broadband, or pulsed). It then applies advanced filtering and suppression algorithms in the digital domain to suppress interference while maximizing useful satellite signal retention. For spoofing signals, it detects and alerts based on signal characteristic analysis. This provides critical protection for operational platforms to maintain usable PNT capabilities in complex electromagnetic environments.

How Physically Rugged Is the AsteRx SBi3 Pro? Can It Withstand High-Impact Environments?

The receiver is designed for harsh environments. Its robust structure features an IP68-rated enclosure. More importantly, its design and testing fully comply with MIL-STD-810G military standards, covering rigorous mechanical environment tests such as shock (Method 516.6) and vibration (Method 514.6). Its internal LOCK+ technology is specifically optimized to ensure stable satellite signal tracking loops under sustained or transient high-intensity shocks and vibrations, preventing loss of lock to meet requirements for vehicular, airborne, and even certain launch environments.

Summary

-Anti-Jamming High-Precision Positioning: Under open-sky conditions with a baseline <40 km, provides RTK-INS centimeter-level positioning (horizontal 0.6 cm + 0.5 ppm, vertical 1 cm + 1 ppm) and precise attitude (pitch/roll 0.2° in RTK mode).

-Military-Grade Anti-Jamming Capabilities: Integrates AIM+ technology to counter broadband, narrowband, pulsed interference, and spoofing (anti-spoofing).

-Uninterrupted Reliable Navigation: High-performance IMU (gyro bias instability 2.7 °/hr) supports dead reckoning, maintaining horizontal position errors <3.1 m (RMS) and heading errors 0.4° for up to 30 seconds during GNSS outages.

-Full-Constellation Robust Signal Tracking: 544 channels support full-constellation multi-frequency signals including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo.

-Rugged Military Design: IP68 protection, compliant with MIL-STD-810G military standards (shock, vibration, temperature/humidity), operating temperature -30°C to +65°C.

-High Performance and Flexible Integration: 10 Hz update rate, <20 ms latency (98% of samples), Ethernet (PoE), multiple serial ports, USB interfaces, supports SBP, NMEA, RTCM, CMR+, and other formats.

-Rapid Response and Recovery: Cold start (unaided) <45 seconds, hot start <20 seconds, average reacquisition ~1 second.