Safran’s SkyNaute inertial navigation system has been selected for the Airbus A220, giving the Safran Electronics & Defense system its first application on a commercial airliner. The equipment combines inertial navigation with hybridised global navigation satellite system data and is expected to enter service on the aircraft around 2030, providing resilient guidance when satellite signals are unavailable, jammed or spoofed.
SkyNaute has previously been selected for military aircraft, helicopters and drones operated by European armed forces. Its commercial debut transfers a capability developed for demanding defence environments to civil air transport, where GNSS interference has increased in several regions.
The system uses Safran’s patented hemispherical resonator gyroscope, which has no mechanical parts subject to wear. Its compact, lightweight and low-power design is intended to simplify installation, reduce aircraft weight and meet commercial-air-transport safety requirements. Secondary coverage puts its indicative specifications at approximately 3 kg, three litres and 20 W, although Safran’s announcement did not provide those figures.
The selection does not identify an airline, A220 variant or delivery date. Safran’s HRG technology is developed and industrialised in Montluçon, France, where the company announced a planned investment in June to expand production capacity.