Austin, Texas – Tern, a burgeoning technology startup based in Austin, has been awarded a significant $11.26 million contract by the U.S. Army to deploy its innovative, low-cost alternative to Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation. This strategic agreement underscores the military’s increasing concern over the vulnerabilities of GPS technology and its commitment to bolstering the resilience of its operational navigation capabilities. The contract signals a pivotal moment for Tern, validating its years of research and development in creating a robust, non-GPS navigation system that can function effectively even in environments where traditional satellite signals are compromised or unavailable.
The U.S. Army intends to integrate Tern’s proprietary technology into its vehicle fleet, aiming to enhance situational awareness and operational continuity for soldiers on the ground. While the precise scale of this initial deployment remains undisclosed by Tern, the substantial financial commitment from the Army indicates a serious effort to operationalize this technology. Tern has ambitiously described its system as "Google Maps for the battlefield," highlighting its user-friendly interface and its ability to provide critical navigation data without reliance on external satellite signals.
The timing of this contract is particularly noteworthy, arriving at a juncture where GPS disruptions are becoming increasingly prevalent and concerning. Geopolitical hotspots, such as the Middle East, and active conflict zones like the skies above Ukraine and Russia, have witnessed escalating instances of GPS jamming and spoofing. These disruptions not only pose significant operational challenges for military forces but also highlight the broader systemic fragility of a technology that has become deeply embedded in both military and civilian infrastructure.
Background: The Growing Vulnerability of GPS
The reliance on GPS for navigation has become ubiquitous, underpinning everything from civilian logistics and financial transactions to critical military operations. However, the very nature of satellite-based navigation makes it susceptible to interference. Signals transmitted from space are relatively weak and can be overwhelmed by deliberate jamming signals or spoofed by adversaries mimicking legitimate GPS transmissions. This vulnerability was starkly illustrated by reports of the U.S. military itself experimenting with GPS jamming techniques, which, in an unintended consequence, may have contributed to the tragic crash of a medevac plane earlier this year. Such incidents underscore the urgent need for reliable, terrestrial-based navigation solutions.
The recognition of GPS fragility is not new within governmental circles. Over the years, multiple initiatives have been launched by both the U.S. Congress and, during his first term, President Donald Trump, to foster the development of resilient, non-GPS navigation technologies. These efforts reflect a growing understanding that military operations, especially those conducted in contested environments, require redundant and robust navigation systems that cannot be easily disabled by adversaries. Tern’s technology emerges as a potential solution to this long-standing strategic imperative.
Tern’s Technological Approach: Leveraging Vehicle Data
At the core of Tern’s innovation is its ability to harness the wealth of data already generated by modern vehicles. Unlike traditional navigation systems that depend solely on external satellite signals, Tern’s technology operates by "listening" to the internal diagnostics and sensor data of a vehicle. This approach allows the system to triangulate a vehicle’s position and navigate without relying on GPS.
"We’ve got a device that plugs into the diagnostics board of the vehicle, wired to a tablet, and then that tablet is the interface for the soldier to use, and we provide both the position and navigation and routing there for the soldier," explained Shaun Moore, co-founder and CEO of Tern, in a previous interview. This elegant integration means that existing vehicle infrastructure can be leveraged, significantly reducing the complexity and cost of deployment.
Moore emphasized that Tern’s system operates passively, "passively listening to" the vehicle’s data streams without interfering with their normal flow. The company employs "proprietary methods" to process this raw data and translate it into actionable navigation information, such as latitude and longitude coordinates. This processing is performed using edge computing capabilities, meaning the computation happens directly on the device, enhancing speed and reducing reliance on external networks.
"There is quite a bit of work that was done to get it to the point where we can just receive that information and then output latitude / longitude, so a big effort by our team," Moore stated, highlighting the significant engineering undertaking involved in developing this capability. This sophisticated data processing enables a vehicle to determine its own position independently, offering a crucial advantage in scenarios where GPS signals are lost or unreliable.
Demonstrating Robustness: Beyond the Battlefield
The practical application and reliability of Tern’s technology have been rigorously tested. Brett Harrison, Tern’s co-founder, recounted a personal experience where he used the system to navigate a challenging 1,300-mile drive between Austin and Laguna Beach, California. During this extensive journey, Tern’s technology reportedly maintained a constant lock on the vehicle’s position, even when traditional GPS signals faltered dozens of times. This real-world demonstration underscores the system’s resilience and its potential to outperform conventional GPS in environments prone to signal degradation.
Furthermore, Tern’s technology possesses another critical attribute for military applications: it is a closed system. This inherent characteristic makes it significantly more difficult for adversaries to disrupt or compromise compared to externally reliant GPS systems. By operating independently and not broadcasting signals that can be intercepted, Tern’s navigation solution offers a heightened level of security and stealth.
Moore commented on the public’s general unawareness of GPS vulnerabilities: "I don’t know that there is broad awareness on the fragility of the [GPS] system from a consumer standpoint. I think people just see the blue dot on their phone and say it will always be there because it’s there now, right? Why wouldn’t it be there?" This contrast between consumer perception and military reality highlights the importance of Tern’s mission to provide dependable navigation solutions for critical applications.
A Mission Driven by Experience
For Brett Harrison, the U.S. Army contract represents a profound validation of Tern’s mission, a mission deeply rooted in his personal experiences as a military veteran. Harrison served in Afghanistan as part of a special operations task force, where the challenges of operating in GPS-denied or degraded environments were acutely apparent. This firsthand exposure fueled his determination to develop a practical and deployable solution.
"From the very foundation of when we decided to embark upon this effort, we recognized it has to be actually deployable, actually scalable, and not a science project," Harrison stated. "We weren’t interested in just seeing what we could prove. We wanted to make sure it actually was something that could get into the wild and serve a purpose." This commitment to practical, real-world application has evidently resonated with the U.S. Army, leading to this significant contract award.
Implications for Military Readiness and Beyond
The U.S. Army’s investment in Tern’s technology signifies a broader trend within defense organizations to diversify and strengthen navigation capabilities. As global tensions rise and the sophistication of electronic warfare increases, reliance on a single, vulnerable navigation system becomes an unacceptable strategic risk. Tern’s success could pave the way for similar contracts with other branches of the U.S. military and allied nations, further solidifying the market for resilient, non-GPS navigation solutions.
The implications extend beyond the military sphere. Civilian applications could also benefit significantly from such technology. Industries that rely on precise timing and positioning, such as autonomous vehicles, drone operations, and critical infrastructure management, could all find value in Tern’s robust navigation system, especially in urban canyons, dense forests, or areas prone to signal interference.
The contract with the U.S. Army is not merely a financial transaction; it is a powerful endorsement of Tern’s technological prowess and its potential to address a critical national security need. As the company scales its operations to meet the demands of this contract, it is poised to become a key player in the evolving landscape of navigation technology, offering a vital layer of redundancy and resilience in an increasingly uncertain world. The $11.26 million award represents a significant leap forward for the Austin-based startup, marking its transition from a promising innovator to a validated provider of essential defense technology.
About the Author
