Navigation/ID System

The PE 0604777N: Navigation/Id System program is a Navy Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) line item focused on advancing navigation and identification technologies critical for naval battle management. The overarching goal is to ensure reliable, secure navigation and positive identification capabilities for platforms operating in increasingly complex and contested environments. The program supports both cooperative and non-cooperative identification systems, integrating multiple sensor inputs to enhance situational awareness, reduce fratricide risk, and enable effective weapons employment and air defense management.

0253: Navigation & Electro-Optical Support is a major sub-project dedicated to developing and fielding advanced imaging and navigation systems for submarines. The primary objectives include the procurement and integration of the Integrated Submarine Imaging System (ISIS), which consolidates periscope, photonics mast, and legacy imaging systems into a unified platform. ISIS leverages a broad spectrum of electro-optic and thermal imaging technologies, as well as electronic warfare support capabilities, to provide enhanced visual and electronic search, digital image management, and platform interface capabilities for various submarine classes. The project also encompasses the development and production of low profile photonics masts, sustainment of legacy periscopes, and technical insertion of new software and hardware capabilities to maximize cyber-resiliency and delivery speed.

0676: Improve ID Development focuses on the modernization and improvement of shipboard Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) systems, specifically the Mark XIIA Mode 5 and Mode Select upgrades for the AN/UPX-29(V) and AN/UPX-46(V) interrogator systems. The project aims to ensure joint and NATO interoperability, enhance cyber security, and address obsolescence through engineering change proposals and integration with combat systems such as Aegis, Ship Self Defense System, and COMBATSS-21. Additional objectives include upgrading the DDG 1000 Zumwalt Class IFF sensor suite, refining non-cooperative target recognition capabilities via the Radar Track Discriminator System, and supporting logistics, technical data management, and cyber assurance for future releases.

1253: Combat Ident System is dedicated to sustaining and advancing the Navy's cooperative encrypted combat identification capabilities via the Mark XIIA Mode 5 IFF system. Developed in coordination with NATO and governed by AIMS standards, the program supports ongoing hardware and software upgrades, cryptographic modernization, and integration of Mode 5 capabilities into a wide range of Navy and Marine Corps platforms. Objectives include systems engineering, developmental and operational testing, and certification of transponders and interrogators. The program also investigates future non-cooperative identification technologies and ensures compliance with evolving cryptographic standards.

9999: Congressional Adds in FY 2024 provided targeted funding for encrypted IFF enhancements to support Mode 5 deconfliction, particularly for Group 2 and 3 Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other weight-critical platforms. The goal was to develop micro IFF transponder/interrogator solutions that meet stringent space, weight, and power requirements, enabling assured position, navigation, and time reporting and continuity of battlespace situational awareness. Specific efforts included Small Business Innovation Research contract awards for cryptographic module upgrades and enhancements to incorporate deconfliction capabilities and sustain interoperability.

The program's acquisition strategies emphasize engineering change proposals, technical refreshes, and integration of new capabilities into existing and future platforms. Funding realignments and consolidation efforts, such as the planned transfer of Project 0253 to another program element in FY 2026, are intended to foster innovation and promote efficiency in technology development. The coordinated approach ensures that navigation and identification systems remain secure, interoperable, and adaptable to emerging threats and operational requirements.