Airborne navigation system for U.S. Navy getting Northrop Grumman upgrade
NewsFebruary 13, 2025
WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. Northrop Grumman Corp. is modernizing the U.S. Navy’s airborne navigation capabilities with the implementation of the LN-251M, the next-generation upgrade of the LN-251 inertial navigation system/Global Positioning System (INS/GPS), which leverages M-Code technology.
This move by the Navy and Northrop Grumman marks the first M-code navigation system – M-code is an encrypted, military-specific signal with stronger jam resistance to shield against adversarial threats -- implementation for naval aircraft.
According to the Northrop Grumman announcement of the Navy project, M-code technology provides enhanced robustness to counter GPS signal degradation, enabling pilots greater ability to effectively operate in air spaces where GPS has been shut down or spoofed. The company also notes that LN-251 systems equipped with Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Modules GPS may easily upgrade to M-code configuration.
