Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles will be fitted with fibre-optic gyroscope inertial navigation systems so they can operate in GPS-denied environments.

Australian company Advanced Navigation announced it had secured multi-million-dollar deal with Rheinmetall Defence Australia to supply the fibre-optic gyroscope inertial navigation systems for the Boxer CRV. Currently in service with the Australian Army, the vehicles will be exported for use by the German Army. This follows a previous deal which saw Advanced Navigation provide 200+ FOG INS to Rheinmetall in 2021 for the Boxer.

Advanced Navigation CEO Chris Shaw said in a statement that the FOG INS provides the situational awareness and ability to coordinate with other units in challenging environments, where GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable, “Our PNT solution equips the Boxer CRVs with accurate and robust navigation independent of satellite signals, ensuring they maintain tactical advantage in all conditions, even in electronic warfare scenarios.”

Software-enabled hardware allows the FOG INS to deliver navigation data superior to outputs based on traditional filter methods while hosting a small form factor. Additionally, the built-in optical gyroscope technology has no moving parts. “This makes it less susceptible to shock and vibration-induced errors, which is critical when the vehicle is travelling through rough terrains, said Advanced Navigation.

Validated in real-world operations, Advanced Navigation said the FOG INS is easily integrated into the Boxer CRV armoured 8x8 vehicle. The Australian Defence Global Supply Chain (GSC) Program, aims to increase the number of Australian suppliers and export opportunities with large defence primes.

Advanced Navigation is one of only four companies in the world to manufacture strategic-grade FOG components.