The U.S. Army has announced plans to procure 619 Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing System Generation II (MAPS Gen II) units, allocating a budget of $130 million for fiscal year 2025. This acquisition underscores the Army’s commitment to enhancing the resilience and accuracy of its navigation systems in contested environments.
Background on MAPS Gen II
MAPS Gen II is the latest iteration in assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) technology, designed for both manned and unmanned ground vehicles. Developed by Collins Aerospace, a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies, this system addresses the increasing threats of GPS jamming and spoofing by adversaries. The system integrates Collins Aerospace’s NavHub™-100 navigation system and the Multi-Sensor Antenna System (MSAS-100), providing a robust solution against evolving electronic threats.
Features and Capabilities
The MAPS Gen II system offers several advanced features:
- Sensor Fusion: Utilizes Collins’ NavFusion technology to amalgamate data from multiple sensors, ensuring high-assurance and accurate navigation even when GPS signals are compromised.
- Modular Open-System Architecture: Allows for the integration of new sensors and capabilities at a reduced lifecycle cost. This includes external Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), alternative Radio Frequency (RF) inputs, video feeds, and dismounted command and control functionalities.
- Interoperability: Compatible with Collins Aerospace’s PRC-162 manpack radio, ensuring seamless operations within the Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) battlespace.
Previous Contracts and Deliveries
In September 2022, Collins Aerospace secured a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) production contract for the MAPS Gen II program, with a ceiling value of $583 million. collinsaerospace.com This contract followed a competitive Other Transaction Authority (OTA) phase, during which the system demonstrated its capability to counter PNT threats effectively.
Subsequent orders have been placed to bolster the Army’s PNT capabilities:
- August 2024: The Army awarded Collins Aerospace a $96.8 million contract for the delivery of additional MAPS Gen II units. This order included 1,212 systems for Army units, 29 for Army Watercraft Systems, and 400 for the Marine Corps Systems Command, bringing the total procurement to 3,419 units. govconwire.com
- December 2024: Collins Aerospace received a $95 million order to supply MAPS Gen II hardware to both the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marine Corps. This contract aimed to enhance the resilience of combat ground vehicles during multi-domain operations in contested environments. nasdaq.com
Strategic Importance
The procurement of MAPS Gen II systems is a strategic move to ensure that U.S. military ground vehicles maintain operational effectiveness in environments where GPS signals may be unreliable or denied. By integrating advanced sensor fusion and anti-jamming technologies, these systems provide warfighters with trusted data, crucial for mission success.
Philippe Limondin, Vice President and General Manager for Resilient Navigation Solutions at Collins Aerospace, emphasized the growing demand for electronic warfare resilience. He noted that close collaboration with the U.S. Army aims to reduce overall costs, facilitating faster fielding of MAPS Gen II across the services.
Future Outlook
As near-peer threats continue to evolve, the U.S. Army’s investment in MAPS Gen II reflects a proactive approach to modernizing its navigation and timing infrastructure. The modular design of the system ensures adaptability to future technological advancements, positioning the Army to counter emerging electronic threats effectively.
Collins Aerospace’s ongoing commitment to increasing production capabilities and developing aftermarket installation kits indicates a concerted effort to streamline the fielding process and reduce retrofitting complexities on existing vehicles. This approach ensures that the MAPS Gen II systems can be rapidly deployed to support various mission sets, including combat, artillery fires, air and missile defense, ship-to-shore operations, and contested logistics. asdnews.com
In conclusion, the U.S. Army’s planned procurement of 619 MAPS Gen II systems for $130 million in fiscal year 2025 signifies a critical step toward enhancing the assured PNT capabilities of its ground forces. This investment not only addresses current electronic warfare challenges but also ensures that U.S. military operations remain precise and effective in the face of evolving threats.
