ANVIL: Handheld GPS Denied Self-Location for ATAK

Rhea Space Activity, Inc. (RSA) proposes to develop an app called ANVIL: Handheld GPS-Denied Navigation for ATAK to provide U.S. Army 1st Special Forces Command with an ATAK plugin as a solution to xTech Special Forces Topic 1: GPS-denied ATAK Compatible Self-Location Application. ANVIL will allow an operator to use their ATAK device to take a picture of the night sky and determine their position with high accuracy. ANVIL leverages AutoNav, RSA’s proprietary optical navigation software, in conjunction with existing cameras on the operator’s ATAK-enabled device (e.g. Samsung S20) to provide GPS-denied navigation to operators without the need for any additional equipment.  ANVIL is currently TRL-3 and based on AutoNav, originally developed for NASA and subsequently flown 3 NASA deep space missions. AutoNav is the backbone of RSA’s Jervis Autonomy Module (JAM), which is TRL-6. RSA is currently under contract with Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) to modify JAM for use on guiding hypersonic nuclear reentry vehicles during GPS-denied times of flight. RSA is also under contract with NASA to fly 2 JAM payloads in lunar orbit in 2026.No Additional Equipment: ANVIL performs optical self-location by observing overhead satellites with only the native phone cameras on the operator’s End User Device (EUD).Integrates into Existing Tools: ANVIL will provide a GPS-Denied self-location service for Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), leveraging existing plugins such as SOMPE’s NorthStar.xTech Special Forces Competition Winner: ANVIL was selected as the Topic 1: GPS-denied ATAK Compatible Self-Location Application by a panel of technical experts and end users.