Exail has unveiled the Marins M1, a compact inertial navigation system (INS) designed for smaller naval platforms.
As informed, the INS is intended for RHIBs, fast interception craft, patrol boats, uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) and uncrewed underwater vehicles (UUVs). With Marins M1, Exail extends military-grade inertial navigation to platforms where size, integration and cost are key considerations, according to the company.
Forces are operating a more diverse mix of major combatants, tactical craft and autonomous systems. As smaller and uncrewed platforms take on demanding missions, they need navigation that remains accurate and reliable when GNSS is degraded or unavailable. Their tighter SWaP-C (size, weight, power and cost) constraints make the integration of high-performance inertial navigation particularly demanding.
Marins M1 was developed to address these requirements. Built on fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) technology, it provides the accuracy and stability required to navigate reliably in GNSS-denied environments, Exail noted. It delivers accurate position, heading, roll and pitch data, with a maximum position drift of 1 nautical mile after 3 hours without any external aiding. Combining a compact architecture with a more accessible price point, Marins M1 delivers this level of inertial performance in a solution tailored to smaller platforms.
“A RHIB or a USV operating without GNSS faces the same navigation challenge as a larger vessel, with far less room to address it. With Marins M1, we are making very high-performance FOG navigation accessible to these platforms in a system designed around their constraints," said Madeleine Laguarigue de Survilliers, Naval Navigation Product Manager at Exail.
To remind, Exail recenrly secured a contract to supply its Marins military-grade inertial navigation systems for USVs from an undisclosed navy.