The U.S. Army awarded Austin-based Tern AI an $11 million contract to adapt its Independently Derived Positioning System (IDPS) technology, an alternative to GPS, for military applications. The system determines location by combining speed and movement data from vehicle sensors with pre-downloaded maps, without satellite, cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity.
The contract comes at a time when the risks posed by GPS jamming and spoofing attacks are increasing. Tern AI says IDPS does not require a new satellite network or roadside transmitters and can work with sensors found in many vehicles built after 2009.
Why it matters
By reducing the dependence of location data on external sources, this approach offers another resilience option for military missions affected by GPS jamming and spoofing attacks. Because it does not require a new satellite network or roadside transmitters, the solution could be evaluated alongside existing vehicle infrastructure while limiting the need for additional hardware. For this reason, the development is particularly important for military vehicles operating in environments where connectivity can be disrupted, as well as for the operational continuity of these vehicles. However, how compatible the system will be with different vehicle sensors, how it will perform when pre-downloaded maps become outdated, and under what conditions positioning accuracy in military applications can be maintained remain among the outstanding questions.
Background
The U.S. is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 18 reports mentioning it in the last 90 days; the most recent was dated September 9, 2026.