ALTEN India delivered full lifecycle hardware and software development of a rugged, tamper-resistant GNSS navigator for defence field operations.

An Indian Defence company partnered with ALTEN India for full lifecycle hardware and software development of a secure handheld navigator built around a high-sensitivity, multi-frequency (L1, L5, S), multi-constellation GNSS receiver, deployed on ruggedised, customised Android hardware.

Challenge:

• Multi-Constellation Complexity: The device needed to support five civilian GNSS constellations — NavIC, GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo — plus secure navigation signals, on one platform.
• Rugged, Field-Ready Hardware: The navigator had to meet MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461G environmental and EMI standards while running a customised, field-serviceable Android platform.
• Data Security in the Field: Sensitive navigation data had to be protected even if a device was lost or physically tampered with in the field.
• Consumer Usability, Defence Assurance: Field personnel needed an intuitive moving-map experience without compromising on military-grade security and durability.

The ALTEN India Approach

• Hardware & OS: Delivered the full hardware and software program, porting and hardening Android OS on customised hardware, deployed in a locked-down kiosk mode.
• Mapping & Navigation: Built a fully integrated GIS engine supporting raster and vector maps, including Open Series Maps (OSM) and Defence Series Maps (DSM), with moving-map navigation, route/’GOTO’ guidance and street navigation.
• Security: Implemented secure, custom USB communication between the device and a companion PC-side maintenance application, with PIN-based authentication and automatic data erasure on tamper detection.
• Support Tooling: Delivered map generation from TIFF/SHAPE source data, route management, track record-and-replay, and post-processing/visualisation of trip data.

Value Delivered

• Fielded a single device supporting five GNSS constellations plus secure navigation signals, reducing reliance on any one satellite system.
• Met defence-grade environmental and EMI standards (MIL-STD-810G/461G, IP65/IK06) alongside a consumer-grade Android user experience.
• Delivered a tamper-triggered data-erasure capability that protects operational data if a device is compromised or lost.