BAE Systems has secured a $16 million contract from Collins Aerospace to develop an upgraded military GPS solution for the U.S. Navy’s Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS). The modernization will introduce encrypted M-code satellite navigation and advanced anti-jamming technology to improve the reliability of precision aircraft landings aboard aircraft carriers.
Announced on October 1, 2026, the agreement centers on BAE Systems’ DIGAR-500M Digital GPS Anti-Jam Receiver. The system will support the Navy’s transition from legacy military GPS technology while preserving compatibility with existing equipment. Its primary objective is to maintain dependable positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) when satellite signals are exposed to deliberate interference.
The contract highlights a growing operational concern for modern naval aviation. Accurate satellite positioning is essential for carrier approaches, but the ability to trust those signals is becoming equally important as electronic warfare capabilities evolve.
M-Code GPS for Navy JPALS
JPALS is a high-integrity, differential GPS-based landing system developed by Collins Aerospace to guide military aircraft onto aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. Unlike conventional airport landing systems, JPALS must account for a landing platform that is continuously moving, sometimes under difficult weather and sea conditions.
The technology uses shipboard GPS sensors, positioning equipment and a secure communications link to provide aircraft with precise approach guidance. By combining satellite observations with information from the ship, JPALS can support accurate approaches to a moving flight deck.
Collins Aerospace began developing the technology with the U.S. Navy in 2008. The system has since been integrated with aircraft including the F-35B and F-35C, while the MQ-25A Stingray unmanned tanker is also planned to use JPALS.
The new BAE Systems contract addresses the satellite-navigation component of this architecture. It does not represent a complete replacement of JPALS. Instead, it introduces a more resilient GPS receiver capable of operating with the military’s newer encrypted signals.
DIGAR-500M Anti-Jam Technology
The DIGAR-500M belongs to BAE Systems’ family of digital GPS anti-jamming products designed for military aircraft and maritime platforms.
One of the system’s most significant technical capabilities is digital beamforming. BAE Systems states that its DIGAR technology can support up to 24 simultaneously steered beams, allowing the antenna processing system to manage GPS signal reception in complex radio-frequency environments.
Digital beamforming uses signals collected through multiple antenna elements and processes them to control reception patterns electronically. This makes it possible to improve reception from selected directions while reducing sensitivity toward interference sources.
In practical military navigation, this approach can provide:
- Improved resistance to intentional GPS jamming through adaptive antenna processing.
- Greater protection against certain spoofing techniques intended to manipulate positioning information.
- More reliable satellite signal reception in electronically contested environments.
- Support for accurate positioning and timing without depending solely on conventional omnidirectional antenna reception.
The 24-beam figure describes a capability of the DIGAR product family. BAE Systems has not publicly disclosed the full antenna configuration, processing architecture or measured interference rejection performance of the JPALS-specific DIGAR-500M installation.
Those details matter because the actual performance of an anti-jam receiver depends on antenna geometry, available satellite signals, interference direction and the characteristics of the electronic attack.
M-Code and SAASM Compatibility
An important aspect of the modernization is the DIGAR-500M’s planned ability to support both M-code and the existing Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) technology.
SAASM has been widely used in military GPS receivers to provide authorized access to protected GPS signals. However, M-code was developed to provide the U.S. military with a newer generation of encrypted navigation capability and improved resistance to hostile interference.
M-code uses dedicated military GPS signals transmitted on the L1 and L2 frequency bands. These signals are designed for authorized military users and support stronger signal protection and more robust navigation operations.
The distinction between encrypted GPS signals and anti-jamming antenna technology is particularly important. Encryption and authentication-related protections help prevent unauthorized exploitation and reduce certain spoofing risks. Adaptive antenna processing addresses a different problem by helping maintain satellite reception when interference is present.
Combining these capabilities provides layered protection rather than relying on a single defense mechanism.
BAE Systems’ dual-mode strategy also has a practical operational advantage. Naval aviation involves multiple aircraft types, configurations and modernization schedules. Supporting SAASM and M-code during the transition reduces the need for every participating platform to move to the newer technology simultaneously.
This compatibility could make the upgrade easier to introduce across mixed aircraft fleets while allowing the Navy to retain existing JPALS capabilities.
Precision Landing Under GPS Interference
The importance of the upgrade becomes clearer when considering the demands of aircraft carrier operations.
Unlike a fixed runway, an aircraft carrier changes position and orientation throughout an approach. Ship movement, environmental conditions and aircraft dynamics create additional requirements for navigation accuracy and system integrity.
JPALS addresses these challenges through differential GPS positioning and a secure ship-to-aircraft data link. However, the quality of its guidance still depends on the integrity and availability of the underlying navigation measurements.
A powerful interference source can disrupt satellite reception even when the transmitted navigation information is encrypted. This is why the addition of M-code alone would not eliminate the need for specialized anti-jamming hardware.
The DIGAR-500M upgrade is intended to improve resilience at that critical reception stage, before compromised or degraded positioning information can affect the landing guidance solution.
The broader JPALS architecture also demonstrates the versatility of differential GPS in military aviation. Collins Aerospace’s expeditionary JPALS variant can provide precision landing guidance over a 20-nautical-mile operating radius, support up to 50 simultaneous approaches and be deployed in less than 90 minutes by two personnel. These published specifications apply to the expeditionary system, not specifically to the new DIGAR-500M receiver.
Why the JPALS Upgrade Matters
From a technical perspective, the most important feature of this contract may be the combination of signal modernization and compatibility with existing naval aviation infrastructure.
Military GPS modernization is often described primarily in terms of stronger encryption or resistance to jamming. Yet the JPALS application introduces another requirement: navigation data must remain sufficiently accurate, continuous and trustworthy during the final stages of an aircraft approach.
A receiver that successfully rejects interference but introduces unacceptable latency, inconsistent measurements or reduced navigation availability would offer limited operational value in this application.
The engineering challenge therefore extends beyond receiving M-code signals. The upgraded equipment must operate within the timing, integrity and performance requirements of the existing landing system.
Another significant consideration is the relationship between anti-jamming capability and system-level navigation integrity. Digital beamforming can suppress many forms of interference, but it cannot guarantee immunity against every electronic attack. Strong or geographically distributed interference sources, sophisticated spoofing strategies and unfavorable satellite geometry can still create difficult operating conditions.
For that reason, the effectiveness of the modernization will ultimately depend on integration testing and operational validation, not simply the nominal capabilities of the receiver.
BAE Systems has not announced a delivery schedule, the number of receivers covered by the contract or specific quantitative improvements in JPALS landing performance.
Nevertheless, the project reflects an important development in military PNT engineering: protected satellite signals, adaptive antenna processing and high-integrity navigation software increasingly need to function as one integrated system.
This approach is especially relevant to aircraft carrier operations, where navigation resilience directly affects flight safety, aircraft recovery capability and the continuity of naval aviation missions.
About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is a multinational defense, aerospace and security company headquartered in the United Kingdom, with operations spanning military aviation, naval systems, electronic warfare, cybersecurity, space technologies and precision navigation.
According to its 2025 annual report and financial results, the company reported approximately £30.7 billion in annual sales, representing 10% growth over 2024. Its order backlog reached £83.6 billion, while underlying earnings before interest and tax totaled £3.32 billion. BAE Systems reported a workforce of approximately 111,400 people across more than 40 countries, including employees in equity-accounted operations.
Its Electronic Systems division, which includes navigation, electronic warfare and precision guidance technologies, generated approximately £7.53 billion in sales in 2025 and employed around 22,400 people. The company’s military GPS engineering and manufacturing activities are based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where its DIGAR technology supports navigation applications across airborne and maritime platforms.
