Russian Scientists Develop Universal Antenna for Navigation Satellite Systems
A pilot batch of the new devices has already completed field testing.
Satellite navigation has long since become part of everyday life. It is used across countless industries and has evolved into an essential technology layer. At the same time, multiple positioning systems now operate globally, making it increasingly important to develop hardware capable of working seamlessly with all of them. Russian engineers have now taken a major step in that direction.
Researchers from the Department of Radio Electronic Device Design and Technology at Novosibirsk State Technical University NETI (NSTU NETI) recently unveiled a multiband antenna capable of receiving signals from all major navigation satellite systems currently in operation. The project was carried out in partnership with NPP Zashchita LLC and NEVZ-CERAMICS JSC. The antenna offers extremely high sensitivity and can receive signals from GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BeiDou networks. Importantly, the development has already moved beyond the laboratory stage. Industrial partners have produced the first pilot batch of the new devices.
One of the antenna’s defining features is its architecture. Even while receiving signals across multiple frequency bands, the system is specifically designed to protect the device from external interference and hostile signal manipulation.
High Level of Protection
“The ability to operate simultaneously across all frequency bands is critically important for maintaining interference resistance and protecting mission-critical navigation systems under conditions involving active electronic suppression and spoofing attacks,” says Alexey Vostretsov, a professor at NSTU NETI’s Department of Radio Electronic Device Design and Technology who holds a doctorate in engineering sciences. “Spoofing is a type of cyberattack in which an adversary uses counterfeit signals stronger than the original satellite or control signal to impose false coordinates or control commands on a navigation receiver.”
Companies in Novosibirsk played a key role in developing the antenna’s hardware platform. NEVZ-CERAMICS JSC manufactured a special impact-resistant ceramic substrate for the antenna. The device’s wide operating bandwidth – up to 100 MHz – is achieved through a patented antenna structure and topology. To improve sensitivity, the receiving antenna was supplemented with a broadband low-noise amplifier featuring low power consumption. That component was specifically designed with unmanned systems in mind, where onboard energy reserves are severely limited.
Devices Confirm Performance Specifications
The pilot batch has already completed full field testing. The devices confirmed all declared performance specifications. NPP Zashchita LLC and NEVZ-CERAMICS JSC are now preparing the antenna platform for serial production.
Notably, NSTU NETI’s latest success is the result of years of systematic work. Back in 2024, researchers spoke publicly about the opportunities created by adapting equipment for Galileo and BeiDou compatibility. Even at that stage, the team emphasized that success would only be possible through close cooperation with industrial partners.
That same year, specialists also began developing a domestically produced antenna for GPS and GLONASS operation. Developers stated that localization of components would eventually reach 90%. At the time, the focus was on compact active L1 and L2 band antennas for satellite navigation systems. The university noted that such hardware would be widely used in Internet of Things deployments, unmanned systems, personal navigation platforms, monitoring systems and industrial control infrastructure.
The Result of Systematic Engineering Work
The latest breakthrough demonstrates that work in both directions has produced tangible results. Russia now has a domestically manufacturable device fully compatible with the world’s largest navigation systems.
The new technology could provide fresh momentum for the development of unmanned systems while also strengthening their operational security. Just as importantly, the project reinforces Russia’s broader push for technological sovereignty in critical communications and navigation infrastructure. The platform itself also appears to have strong export potential.
