# Project AV9 — Advanced PNT for GPS Independent Environments Tech

**Program element:** 0602146A — Network C3I Technology  
**Project:** AV9  
**Component:** U.S. Army  
**Appropriation:** 2040 — RDT&E, Army  
**Budget Activity:** 2 — Applied Research  
**Vintage:** President's Budget PB2027  
**Canonical URL:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602146A/AV9  
**Parent:** https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602146A

## Summary

Project AV9 — Advanced PNT for GPS Independent Environments Tech requests $16.5M in FY2027, 31% of the $53.4M requested for program element 0602146A, up 108% on FY2026. 4 R-2A activities decompose the request, 1 new this cycle.

## Funding profile

| Fiscal Year | Estimate Type | Amount ($M) |
|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | Actual | 7.9 |
| FY2026 | Enacted | 8.0 |
| FY2027 | Request | 16.5 |
| FY2028 | Outyear | 19.3 |
| FY2029 | Outyear | 19.5 |
| FY2030 | Outyear | 19.6 |
| FY2031 | Outyear | 19.7 |

> Estimate types are not summed. This project is one leaf of PE 0602146A; the PE total is the sum of its projects, never added to them.

## What project AV9 buys

This project develops technologies that will enable precise and assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments by addressing the PNT's toughest Scenario - Scenario 4 (no available GPS signal during the mission duration) with a goal of enabling Soldier missions of up to seven days in a GPS denied environment. This is achieved by researching advanced quantum timing circuits, advanced inertial measurement unit (IMU) components, multi-sensor modalities, perception techniques, geo-location data, vision aided navigation sensors, and available radio frequency (RF) signals. This work also addresses the PNT Scenario 1 (GPS operations that start well and have degraded GPS signals throughout the mission duration) through Scenario 3 (GPS operations that have bad or limited availability of GPS signals throughout the entire mission). This is achieved by investigating the ability to transmit jam- resistant, precision timing synchronized signals using optical fibers, free-space using lasers, and in the RF domain using innovative RF antenna concepts to extend the reach of Soldier compatible capabilities in heavily contested GPS environments. Work in this project complements Program Element (PE) 0603463A (Network C3I Advanced Technology) / Project AW6 (Modular GPS Independent Sensors Advanced Tech) and Program Element (PE) 0602146A (Network C3I Technology) / Project AW5 (Modular GPS Independent Sensors Technology). Work in this project is performed by the Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC).

## Activities (R-2A) — 4

| Activity | FY2025 | FY2026 | FY2027 | Move | Page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced PNT for Precise Complex Effects | — | 8.0 | 14.0 | +77% | [a2](https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602146A/AV9/a2) |
| Visual Terrain Reference Navigation | — | — | 2.5 | new | — |
| Precision Measurement Technology for Contested Environments | 2.4 | — | — | — | — |
| Quantum Effects for Assured PNT in Zero-GPS Environments | 5.5 | — | — | — | — |

> Activities carry the prior, current and budget year only — no five-year plan. In the request year they partition this project exactly; in earlier years they can under-cover it.

### Advanced PNT for Precise Complex Effects

Will continue to develop optical technologies for chip-scale holdover clocks by investigating and integrating a micro optical frequency comb with stability locking circuitry; integrate epsilon-near-zero resonator and assess locking stability potential; assess multi-modal architecture and fusion algorithms for precision PNT towards the…

Full year-by-year narrative: https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602146A/AV9/a2

### Visual Terrain Reference Navigation — NEW START

**FY2027 planned work.** Will mature methods for multi-view sensor geometries.

**FY2026 to FY2027 change.** Increase is to mature methods for multi-view sensor geometries and is due to consolidation from PE 0602146A (Network C3I Technology) / Project CV4 (Pathfinder 3D Applied Technology) to combine Position, Navigation, and Timing capabilities into a project. This will generate efficiencies and enable flexibility as mission needs change.

### Precision Measurement Technology for Contested Environments

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Will assess performance limits of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors with novel self-calibration and tuning methods based on integrated novel piezoelectric materials; investigate new high-quality-factor structural materials for next-generation inertial sensors; validate inertial measurement unit (IMU) system-level modeling techniques for multiple degrees of freedom.

### Quantum Effects for Assured PNT in Zero-GPS Environments

**FY2025 accomplishments.** Will investigate optimized algorithms and architecture for modular positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) sensor fusion state estimation; down-select self-stabilization circuitry architecture for frequency stabilization of micro-resonator optical frequency combs; assess integration techniques for micro-resonator optical frequency combs, injection-locked laser, and self-stabilization circuit that enable low-SWAP chip-scale optical clocks/oscillators; investigate performance of low SWAP-C optical transmit/receive unit for free-space optical positioning and time transfer.

## What is NOT on this page

Congressional marks, the R-2 mission description and acquisition strategy, the industry vs government split of the whole request, and related program elements are recorded at **program-element** grain — an NDAA mark lands on a PE, never on a project. They are at https://hitchintel.com/programs/0602146A.

## Source & machine access

- **Source:** FY2027 Department of the Army RDT&E Budget Justification, Exhibits R-2/R-2A/R-3, PE 0602146A project AV9 (PB PB2027).
- **MCP:** `mcp.hitchintel.com` — `budget_get_program_element(pe="0602146A")`.

*HitchAI is an independent intelligence service, not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Budget figures are requests/estimates, not obligations.*