Concerned that its submarines are becoming too dependent on GPS, the Navy wants a system that will enable subs to navigate when GPS is jammed or otherwise unavailable.
The Navy wants a solution that will “make use of existing sensors – imagers, antenna, gyroscopes, etc., with only limited allowance for new associated inboard hardware support equipment (6 to 8 inches in a 19 inch diameter rack that could be located inside the submarine hull which allows for more flexibility),” according to the Navy research proposal.
Resource: Read the Proposal
The Navy suggests that navigational sources might be magnetic, astronomical, or light-based. But the proposal makes clear that anything involve active transmissions — which presumably might give away a sub’s location — is not acceptable.
