The Indian Army is set to make its armored fighting vehicles more resistant to spoofing with the acquisition of advanced land navigation systems (ALNS) from Bharat Electronics.
The country’s Defence Acquisition Council led by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh recently accorded the acceptance of necessity, which is the initial step in the procurement process.
The ALNS Mk-II works by providing army units aboard armored vehicles with “highly-accurate” navigational guidance when traversing paths or following military coordinates.
It boasts high levels of encryption to prevent spoofing – a deceptive practice wherein fake signals are sent to the receiver to mislead the vehicle about its actual location.
According to a statement from the defense ministry, the system is compatible with the existing Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System that uses the Indian Constellation.
It can also work alongside America’s Global Positioning System (GPS) and Russia’s Global Navigation Satellite System.
The ministry has not disclosed the cost of the planned purchase.
Three Modes
The ALNS Mk-II uses an advanced gyroscope that helps measure a vehicle’s orientation and angular velocity, aiding in precise navigation.
It works efficiently, even in areas without distinct landmarks.
The system’s most unusual feature is its ability to operate in three modes: Inertial Mode, Hybrid Mode, and GPS Mode.
In Inertial Mode, the ALNS Mk-II relies entirely on data from inertial sensors, eliminating the need for accelerometers and gyroscopes.
In Hybrid Mode, the system uses data from both an inertial sensor and a GPS receiver to accurately calculate navigational parameters.
Lastly, an armored vehicle with the ALNS Mk-II in GPS Mode relies solely on GPS to function and does not need data from inertial sensors.