Safran says SkyNaute, already chosen for some European military aircraft, helicopters, and drones, will make the A220 its first airliner, aiming to keep navigation accurate when satellite signals are jammed or spoofed.
Airbus selected Safran’s SkyNaute inertial navigation system for the A220, bringing military-proven technology to an airliner to help resist satellite-navigation jamming and spoofing, Safran said Oct. 20.
Safran Electronics & Defense announced the Airbus A220 selection in a Paris-dated release. The company said SkyNaute has already been picked for military aircraft, helicopters and drones operated by several European armed forces.
Benjamin Declety, head of the Avionics Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense, said that “for the first time, our inertial navigation system will fly on an airliner.”
The system will not reach the single-aisle jet right away. Aviation Week reported Oct. 21 that the A220 is expected to receive SkyNaute around 2030, attributing that timing to Declety.
Why Satellite Interference Matters
The selection comes as regulators warn about interference with global navigation satellite systems, or GNSS, which include GPS.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency, or EASA, describes jamming as intentional radio interference that prevents GNSS receivers from locking onto satellite signals. Spoofing uses counterfeit signals to produce false position, navigation or timing information.
EASA says such disruption has increased since February 2022. The agency identifies interference near conflict zones and other sensitive areas, including the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Middle East, the Baltic Sea and the Arctic.
The agency warns that interference can lead to reroutings or diversions. It lists false terrain warnings and deviations in hybrid inertial and satellite positions among common symptoms of spoofing. Its advice includes crew training and alternative navigation procedures.
On July 3, EASA announced Revision 4 of Safety Information Bulletin 2022-02, its updated guidance on the problem. The agency said the update followed analysis of recent jamming and spoofing occurrences and work by a joint EASA-EUROCONTROL task force.
In the U.S., Federal Aviation Administration guidance lists loss of GNSS navigation, degraded performance-based navigation and possible loss of hybrid GNSS/inertial navigation among the effects of interference. Neither the FAA nor EASA guidance assesses SkyNaute.
The A220 is flown and built in the U.S. Airbus lists Delta Air Lines, JetBlue and Breeze Airways among operators of the A220 family and assembles the jets in Mirabel, Canada, and Mobile, Alabama.
How Safran SkyNaute Works
Safran describes SkyNaute as a hybrid system that combines inertial navigation with GNSS data. The company says that pairing supports accurate flight paths when satellite signals are unavailable, jammed or spoofed.
Inertial systems use accelerometers and gyroscopes to calculate an aircraft’s movement and position from a reference point, according to a 2023 report prepared for the FAA by contractor LS Technologies. They can work without ground or satellite signals, but small errors accumulate over time. External navigation updates can limit that drift.
At SkyNaute’s core is Safran’s patented hemispherical resonator gyroscope, or HRG.
“With no mechanical parts subject to wear, this sensor offers unmatched compactness and high resilience in harsh environments,” Safran said. The comparison is the company’s own, not an independent test result.
Safran’s generic SkyNaute data sheet lists the unit at 6.6 pounds (3 kilograms), 183 cubic inches (3 liters) and 20 watts of power.
The sheet also lists coasting performance, a measure of how long an inertial unit holds accuracy without satellite updates. Labeled at 95% accuracy, it gives more than 10 minutes at RNP 0.1, more than 20 minutes at RNP 0.3 and more than one hour at RNP 1.
RNP, or required navigation performance, includes onboard performance monitoring and alerting, the FAA says. Its numbers express navigation accuracy in nautical miles expected for at least 95% of flight time, and aircraft and crew requirements also apply.
Those are manufacturer figures for the product in general, not for the A220. The final installed weight, number of units per aircraft, endurance under specific interference conditions and approved operating capabilities had not been confirmed as of Oct. 24.
From Defense Hardware to Passenger Jets
Safran said the system “brings commercial air transport a decisive advantage from the defense world,” and that SkyNaute can “adapt to aircraft with very different integration constraints.” The company thanked Airbus in its announcement.
The first-airliner milestone applies to Safran’s system, not to inertial navigation as a whole. FAA guidance notes that inertial reference units on aircraft are often coupled with other navigation inputs, such as GPS or DME.
Safran’s interference-resistance claim also has limits. It concerns keeping navigation going when satellite information is disrupted. FAA guidance notes that satellite signals also feed other aircraft functions, including ADS-B surveillance outputs and onboard clocks.
What Remains Unconfirmed
A separate Airbus statement on the selection could not be located as of Oct. 24.
Contract value, the number of systems involved, whether SkyNaute will be standard or optional equipment, retrofit eligibility, a launch airline and A220-specific certification had not been confirmed, and no A220 acceptance-test results had been made public, as of that date.
Military Roots and Factory Expansion
SkyNaute’s military record includes a June 14, 2022, announcement that Airbus Helicopters selected it for future H160M Guépard helicopters for the French armed forces.
Safran develops and industrializes the HRG in Montluçon, in central France. In its Oct. 20 release, the company recalled a June 2026 announcement committing €120 million to the site.
The plan targets raising annual HRG production capacity from 10,000 to 30,000 units by 2032. Those figures refer to gyroscopes, not complete navigation systems, and represent a target rather than achieved capacity.
Key Takeaways
- Airbus selected Safran’s SkyNaute inertial navigation system for the A220, Safran said Oct. 20, calling it the system’s first airliner application.
- Safran says the hybrid inertial-satellite design supports accurate navigation when satellite signals are unavailable, jammed or spoofed.
- Aviation Week reported the A220 is expected to receive SkyNaute around 2030.
- EASA says satellite-navigation interference has increased since February 2022 and updated its guidance in July.
- Contract terms, airline rollout, retrofit plans and A220 certification had not been confirmed as of Oct. 24.