The U.S. Army has awarded Austin-based startup Tern an $11.26 million contract to deploy its GPS-alternative navigation technology in military vehicles. While the exact scope of rollout remains confidential, the system aims to provide positioning and routing independent of satellite-based GPS.
Why GPS Alternatives Matter
GPS has proven to be vulnerable in conflict zones, with disruptions increasingly common in the Middle East and airspace over Ukraine and Russia. These interruptions pose serious risks to operations that rely on uninterrupted navigation — from medevac flights to logistics convoys. The Army’s growing concern over GPS jamming and deception has prompted investments in resilient navigation platforms.
How Tern’s System Works
Tern’s system derives navigational data from existing vehicle signals rather than external satellites. A device plugs into the vehicle’s diagnostics port and feeds into a tablet interface, which displays continuous position and routing information. The company claims its proprietary software passively listens to data generated during regular vehicle operation, processes it locally at the edge, and translates that into reliable latitude and longitude coordinates.
One of the founders reportedly tested this setup across a 1,300-mile drive between Austin, Texas and Laguna Beach, California. Despite traditional GPS dropouts along the route, Tern’s system maintained consistent awareness of the vehicle’s location.
A key feature of the tech is its closed-system design, which reduces exposure to external threats. Being less reliant on radio signals or external infrastructure, it is inherently harder to jam or spoof than satellite-based systems.
Origins and Real-World Validation
Tern was founded in part by military veterans who drew on time in deployments such as Afghanistan to craft a system aimed not just at proving a concept, but delivering something deployable and scalable. The contract’s approval marks a major validation of years spent refining and testing the tech under harsh conditions.
Rather than building something for lab environments, the startup emphasized its goal of operational readiness from the start. The Army deal is a milestone in their ambition to move beyond being a “science project” and into practical field use.
Tern’s $11.26 million award underscores the Pentagon’s increasing urgency to secure navigational autonomy amid growing threats. With GPS vulnerabilities becoming more apparent, especially in contested regions, alternative systems are no longer optional — they may soon become essential.
