Honeywell Aerospace Launches Kestrel Drone Navigation Solution | Aviation International News

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Honeywell Launches Kestrel Drone Navigation Solution

Compact, cost-effective system applicable to smaller UAS platforms

Drone flying over water at sunset — Kestrel is an Embedded Global Navigation Satellite System / Inertial Navigation System (EGI) system that Honeywell says can reduce UAS attrition by up to 60 percent. © Honeywell Aerospace

By Charlotte Bailey • News Reporter

June 22, 2026

Honeywell Aerospace has launched its Kestrel compact navigation solution, which it says is designed to help uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) operate reliably in contested environments where GPS signals may be degraded, jammed, or spoofed. Announcing Kestrel on June 17, the company said it is around 40% smaller than comparable navigation systems, “while still delivering an up to 80% improvement in navigation accuracy for uncrewed platforms.”

Kestrel combines Honeywell's HG3900 MEMS inertial measurement unit with an M-code receiver and a multi-GNSS receiver, and it could be used for other defense and commercial aircraft. The company said it has been designed to meet the specific needs of Group 2 and 3 collaborative combat aircraft and loitering munitions platforms. It is also suitable for crewed aircraft where weight, size, power, and costs are important considerations.

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