siliconindia

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system established by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) in the late 1970s for military use such as Force Deployment, Logistical Support, and Vehicle Navigation. Today, while there are other similar existing systems such as Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo, and China’s BeiDou—the GPS is the most commonly used navigational tool in the world, owing to its ubiquitous nature. That said, increasing demand for smart mobility and location applications, such as navigation, fleet management, remote automated vehicles, satellite road traffic monitoring, and several others, are further likely to escalate the demand for GPS. The Increased reliance on GPS systems has created a need to ensure that GPS systems continue to perform seamlessly, without interruption, to support critical military and civilian services globally.

The emergence of signal jamming technologies, intentional or otherwise, poses a significant threat to both GPS-based military and civilian operations globally. This is where one company, Mayflower Communications, has carved a niche for itself. The company is a pioneer in digital Anti-Jam technology with a broad portfolio of low-cost, power-efficient, robust Anti-Jam solutions for GPS receivers and wireless communication systems.

A commercial spin off Mayflower, Envoy Networks, with funding from leading venture capitalists, focused on addressing the unintentional interference in commercial wireless market and was subsequently acquired by Texas Instruments in 2000. “Given the opportunity, bad actors would intentionally attempt to jam GPS systems. We are in the business of developing anti-jamming technology and solutions to prepare for any kind of such inevitabilities,” states, Founder of Mayflower Communications, Dr.Triveni N. Upadhyay.

Over the years, Mayflower has developed proprietary GPS receiver and anti-jam solutions for various Department of Defense applications, particularly for the SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) constrained platforms such as handheld GPS, small UAVs, and projectiles. Developed by the company from the ground-up—the NavAssure^® receiver is one of the smallest, lightest, and power-efficient SAASM receivers globally. Mayflower’s micro SAASM receiver is available in various form factors tailored for specific applications from embedded radios to artillery applications, to micro-UAV applications. A distinct feature of Mayflower GPS receiver technology is its built-in patented AntiJam technology. With three decades of experience, Mayflower’s state-of-the-art GPS Anti-Jam systems have been refined over a period of time under numerous DoDsponsored programs. The company’s flagship Anti-Jam Electronics (A.E.) product, Small Antenna System (SAS), NavGuard^® 500, was developed and extensively tested in a highly competitive program sponsored by the Advanced Technology Branch of the GPS Directorate. A critical design element in all of Mayflower’s anti-jamming solutions is its backward compatibility, which enables replacing an existing antenna without the need for additional hardware.

Founded in 1986 by an Indian-American, Dr.Triveni N. Upadhyay, Mayflower is now the leading provider of highly reliable GPS SAASM Receivers, Anti-Jam Technologies, and Wireless Communications Solutions. Mayflower was recently awarded a $56 Million contract from the U.S. Army for production of its next generation GPS Anti-Jam System. With the future filled with significant opportunities and challenges for creating a robust and trusted source of protected navigation and wireless solutions—Mayflower is well-positioned to offer the latest technology solutions to support operations in an increasing challenged GPS environment. The company is currently expanding its military offering to the Ground Tactical Vehicles and Radios, Manned and Un-Manned Air Platforms, Sea Surface and Sub-surface platforms, which represents a significant expansion both in the military and commercial avionics market. The global GPS anti-jamming market is large and is continuing to grow. According to a recent market research report, the anti-jamming market for GPS is valued at USD 4.0 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach USD 5.9 billion by 2025; it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.9% from 2020 to 2025.

In the coming years, Mayflower plans to increase its leadership position in the military and commercial avionics market globally by expanding its anti-jam product portfolio with additional capabilities in its GPS anti-jam systems. “As GPS jamming threats grow in sophistication and complexity, Mayflower will continue to innovate and develop cost effective solutions to meet these emerging threats. Anticipating, preparing and executing for what comes next is foundational to what we do at Mayflower.” concludes Dr. Upadhyay.