Other Navigation Equipment

The Other Navigation Equipment program, detailed in Line Item 0670 of the Navy's FY 2026 budget request, is focused on the procurement, modernization, and support of a broad array of navigation systems and subsystems for surface ships, submarines, and aircraft carriers. The goal is to ensure the U.S. Navy's fleet maintains accurate, resilient, and cyber-secure navigation capabilities, which are essential for safe operations, mission effectiveness, and integration with combat and weapon systems. This line item supports both the replacement of obsolete equipment and the fielding of new technologies to address evolving operational requirements and threats.

A major component of this line item is the replacement of legacy inertial navigation equipment with the AN/WSN-12 Inertial Navigation System. The objective is to procure and install the AN/WSN-12 system on surface ships, submarines, and carriers. This system provides critical position, velocity, and attitude data to shipboard systems, ensuring navigation accuracy even in GPS-denied environments. The procurement plan includes recurring and installation costs, with production lead times and installation schedules aligned to fleet modernization needs.

Upgrades and tech refreshes for Speed Logs are funded to maintain and improve the accuracy of ship speed measurements, which are vital for navigation, maneuvering, and integration with other shipboard systems. These upgrades are implemented across amphibious ships, surface combatants, submarines, and carriers. Procurement and installation are managed to minimize operational disruptions and address obsolescence.

The Navy Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) program focuses on software development, hardware procurement, and installation. This program aims to replace the legacy ECDIS-N capability, providing fleet-wide electronic charting, improved situational awareness, and enhanced safety at sea. It also supports classroom and simulator upgrades for navigation training, ensuring operators are proficient with the latest systems.

Modernization of the AN/WSN-7 involves field changes, technical insertions, and information assurance updates to the legacy inertial navigation system. Objectives include firmware upgrades, hardware refreshes, and cybersecurity enhancements to extend the service life of the AN/WSN-7 on various platforms. These efforts are coordinated with broader navigation network upgrades to ensure interoperability and compliance with current standards.

Funding for Navigation Networks supports the procurement and installation of systems that distribute navigation data securely and reliably across shipboard networks. This is essential for supporting integrated bridge systems and ensuring navigation data integrity for combat and control systems. The program incorporates lessons learned from prior installations and addresses material lead time challenges.

Additional objectives within this line item include procurement of Automated Celestial Navigation Systems for surface ships to provide a GPS-independent backup navigation method, replacement of Time Frequency Distribution Systems for submarines to address obsolescence and support future payloads, and efforts to replace aging sensors and leverage new submarine architectures. The initiative for cyber situational awareness and boundary enforcement for navigation systems reflects the Navy's emphasis on cybersecurity.