Fused 2D and 3D Computer Vision Aided Navigation in GPS-Denied Environments for Combat Aircraft Take-Off, Landing and Flight Operations

Skyline Nav AI’s Pathfinder™ is a GPS-independent visual positioning system (VPS) designed to provide precise, real-time navigation in GPS-denied, degraded, or spoofed environments. Using computer vision, artificial intelligence, and precomputed 2D/3D terrain datasets, Pathfinder™ enables aircraft, drones, munitions, and autonomous systems to navigate without reliance on satellites, cellular networks, or external infrastructure. This Phase II effort focuses on advancing fused 2D/3D vision-based navigation algorithms and integrating Pathfinder™ into a low-SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) hardware box for deployment in military aircraft and unmanned systems. The Pathfinder Hardware Box consists of EO-IR cameras, an IMU, and an NVIDIA Jetson Nano processor, optimized for edge-based processing in contested operational environments. Unlike traditional Inertial Navigation Systems (INS), which drift over time, Pathfinder™ continuously references real-world terrain features and skylines, ensuring persistent, drift-free positioning even in the absence of GPS. Live demo and testing results of Pathfinder's existing software-based Application Programming Interface (API) and Software Development Kit (SDK) are available here: https://www.skylinenav.com/demo/air and https://api.skylinenavai.com/demo.  The proposed 21-month work plan includes algorithm optimization, hardware prototyping, software integration, and live-flight testing on surrogate and military platforms. The system will be tested under real-world conditions, including urban, mountainous, and electronically contested environments, to validate sub-meter accuracy and operational resilience. Additionally, this effort will enhance sensor fusion capabilities, ensuring compatibility with existing military avionics, targeting pods, and ISR platforms.  Expected outcomes include: TRL advancement from 3 to 7, demonstrating readiness for operational deployment.Five Pathfinder Hardware Box prototypes delivered for testing and evaluation.Live-flight demonstrations on Air Force test platforms to prove GPS-independent navigation.Pathway to Phase III adoption, targeting integration into combat aircraft, autonomous drones, and precision-guided systems.By delivering real-time, GPS-independent navigation, Pathfinder™ enhances the mission effectiveness, survivability, and autonomy of DoD assets, ensuring operational success in GPS-contested environments. This technology directly supports Navigation Warfare, Agile Combat Employment (ACE), Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2), Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) and next-generation air dominance initiatives, providing a scalable, cost-effective alternative to traditional GPS-based navigation.