Why GPS-Denied Navigation Is No Longer Optional for Defense & Autonomy
By Mario Paniccia, CEO and Co-Founder of ANELLO Photonics
In an increasingly contested and congested global environment, GPS-denied navigation is no longer a theoretical problem - it is a daily operational reality. From jamming and spoofing on the battlefield to underground and indoor operations in urban warfare or autonomous robotics, the reliability of traditional GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) has reached its limits. Jamming and Spoofing is a rising threat in 2025. Every single day, over 1,700 flights face GPS spoofing, while about 850 jamming and spoofing incidents threaten daily the safety and reliability of navigation worldwide. These are not isolated events - they’re part of a fast-growing, global challenge. The infographic below reveals the scale and urgency of this threat.
Global rise of GPS jamming and spoofing in 2025
The Problem with Overreliance on GPS
For years, GPS has been the backbone of navigation for everything from UAVs to guided missiles. But adversaries have evolved, and nation-states and bad actors can now disrupt satellite signals with relative ease. In both defense and commercial autonomy applications, losing GPS signal isn’t just inconvenient - it’s mission-critical and essential to the protection of lives.Enter Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)
Inertial Navigation Systems offer a resilient, independent solution for position, orientation, and velocity, particularly in GPS-denied environments. Using gyroscopes and accelerometers, Inertial Navigation Systems independently track motion without relying on GPS or external infrastructure.Until now, the challenge has been finding a scalable, high-performance, yet cost-effective optical gyroscope to power these next-generation INS solutions.
Enter SiPhOG™
ANELLO Photonics, has developed a breakthrough optical gyro which we call the SiPhOG TM (Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope). The SiPhOG is in essence a fiber optical gyro-on-chip that delivers tactical-grade level performance in a compact, rugged and low power form factor that can be produced in high volume.Unlike traditional Fiber Optic Gyroscopes (FOGs) built with bulky, discrete optical components, ANELLO’s design replaces these components with a compact photonic integrated circuit (PIC), paired with proprietary low-noise electronics and advanced control circuits - all assembled using standard electronics manufacturing.
The ANELLO Advantage
In addition, we have added our ANELLO AI Sensor Fusion Engine to combine data from multiple sensors and provide highly accurate, and reliable real-time position, velocity, and orientation information, even in GPS-denied or degraded environments. The ANELLO AI Sensor Fusion Engine uses machine learning and AI algorithms to recognize patterns in sensor drift or GPS loss. The engine then corrects these errors and biases in real time and accurately predicts movement even during temporary GPS signal outages. This allows us to output real-time position anytime, anywhere and independent of GPS. In addition, due to fact that we can compare ANELLO’s position to GPS position we can detect when spoofing events are occurring - something that other systems just cannot easily do.
With this tactical-grade performance the ANELLO systems can maintain accuracy over long periods of GPS loss, making them ideal for applications such as:
Drones/UAVs operating beyond line-of-sight
Autonomous Ground Vehicles (AGVs)
Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) and Unmanned Underwater Vessels (UUV)
Missile systems and guided munitions
Subterranean or indoor robotics
Final Thoughts
The era of GPS-only navigation is over, and the next chapter of navigation belongs to those who can operate without boundaries - any place and any where. As the world moves to more autonomous systems and global operations push into more complex and unpredictable environments, navigation must be as resilient as the missions it serves. At ANELLO, we’re not just preparing for that future - we’re building it. With ANELLO the world’s most critical missions can now navigate with absolute confidence, anywhere, anytime and under any conditions.Discover how ANELLO Photonics is redefining what’s possible in inertial navigation for GPS-denied environments.