What is the Honeywell Kestrel EGI and what does it do?

The Kestrel is a compact Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System (EGI) from Honeywell Aerospace. It combines GPS with an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) to provide accurate position and attitude data for small tactical drones, even when GPS signals are jammed or spoofed.

How does the Kestrel EGI perform in GPS-denied environments?

By fusing IMU data with GPS, the Kestrel continues to provide reliable navigation even when GPS signals are temporarily lost, jammed, or spoofed. This inertial navigation capability is essential for maintaining mission effectiveness in electronically contested battlefields.

Honeywell Aerospace Unveils Kestrel Compact EGI…

Q: Which drones or missions is the Kestrel EGI designed for?

The Kestrel is purpose-built for small, lightweight tactical UAVs operating in contested environments. It supports reconnaissance, target designation, electronic warfare, and precision strike missions — the same roles that have proven critical in conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Honeywell Aerospace Unveils Kestrel Compact EGI Navigation System for Tactical Drones

Honeywell Aerospace has introduced the Kestrel, a miniaturized Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System (EGI) designed specifically for small tactical unmanned aerial vehicles. Built to maintain precise navigation in GPS-denied and electronically contested environments, the Kestrel targets missions including reconnaissance, target designation, electronic warfare, and precision strike — directly addressing growing demand driven by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

7 days ago

Highlights

Honeywell Aerospace launched the Kestrel EGI, a compact Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System designed specifically for small tactical UAVs.

The Kestrel fuses GPS with an IMU to sustain accurate navigation in GPS-denied environments where signals are jammed or spoofed.

The system supports multiple tactical mission types including reconnaissance, target designation, electronic warfare, and precision strike.

The Kestrel addresses a recognized market gap for lightweight, high-resilience navigation solutions driven by drone warfare in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Honeywell Aerospace designed the Kestrel to deliver performance comparable to larger military navigation systems within the strict size and payload limits of small UAV platforms.

Compact EGI Brings Critical Navigation Capability to Lightweight Tactical UAVs

Unmanned vehicles are reshaping the modern battlefield. Nowhere is this more evident than in Ukraine and the Middle East, where small, low-cost drones now routinely carry out reconnaissance, target designation, electronic warfare, and precision strike missions — keeping human pilots out of harm's way.

In these highly contested operational environments, precise navigation is a non-negotiable capability. Yet conventional navigation systems have traditionally been too large and heavy to integrate into lightweight small tactical drone platforms.

The Kestrel EGI: Purpose-Built for Small UAVs

Honeywell Aerospace has developed the Kestrel Embedded GPS/Inertial Navigation System (EGI) to address exactly this challenge. The system delivers the following core capabilities:

Compact, lightweight form factor: Designed to integrate into small tactical UAVs with strict size and payload constraints
Anti-jamming and anti-spoofing resilience: Maintains navigation accuracy in GPS-denied environments where signals are jammed or spoofed
Inertial navigation fusion: Combines an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) with GPS so that reliable position and attitude data remain available even during temporary signal loss
Multi-mission versatility: Supports a broad range of tactical missions, including reconnaissance, electronic warfare, target designation, and precision strike

Aligned With Rapid Growth in Battlefield Drone Use

Real-world experience from the Ukraine conflict and operations across the Middle East has firmly established the strategic value of small, affordable drones in modern asymmetric warfare. Military operators worldwide are increasingly demanding UAV systems capable of maintaining precise navigation despite sophisticated electronic countermeasures.

Honeywell Aerospace developed the Kestrel EGI to fill this market gap, delivering performance comparable to larger military-grade navigation systems on platforms severely constrained by weight and volume.

Conclusion

The launch of the Kestrel EGI represents Honeywell Aerospace's latest advance in navigation technology for unmanned systems, and reflects the broader defense drone industry's urgent need for miniaturized, high-resilience navigation solutions. As tactical drones assume an ever-greater role in modern conflicts, accurate and reliable navigation will increasingly determine mission success or failure.

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