MAGELLAN tested in Red Sea spoofing incident

During a test in the Red Sea in June, the MAGELLAN system from STARNAV proved its ability to maintain accurate navigation when satellite positioning was compromised by spoofing. The French Navy conducted experiments that revealed how spoofing could create large discrepancies between a ship's actual position and the one recorded by satellite navigation systems.

Discrepancies showed spoofing's impact

The test data showed that the recorded GNSS positions were between 455.7 and 747.1 kilometers away from the ship's real trajectory. Despite this, the MAGELLAN system continued to provide an independent navigation reference, allowing the ship to maintain its course and compare the faulty GNSS data with a reliable alternative.

MAGELLAN uses celestial navigation

MAGELLAN combines an inertial unit that tracks a ship's movements with an automated system that observes celestial bodies. During the day, it uses the sun, and at night, it uses stars to correct drift in the inertial system. This allows the system to function without relying on GPS, Galileo, or radio beacons.

System provides autonomous navigation

Unlike systems that try to restore a compromised satellite signal, MAGELLAN provides an independent positioning reference. This allows ships to continue navigating accurately even when satellite signals are false or unavailable, ensuring that crews can rely on their position in challenging environments.

NATO program selects MAGELLAN

Selected by the NATO DIANA defense innovation program, MAGELLAN is set to be integrated into a Naval Group demonstrator. This comes as jamming and spoofing threats grow, making it essential for military crews to maintain reliable navigation under degraded conditions.

STARNAV develops defense navigation systems

STARNAV is a French company specializing in navigation systems for defense applications. The Euronaval demonstration highlighted the importance of independent navigation systems in contested environments, where a false position can be more dangerous than no position at all.