Viavi Launches VINS to Tackle Rising GPS Jamming for UAV Navigation

Viavi Solutions Inc. VIAV, through its subsidiary Inertial Labs, has launched a Visual-Aided Inertial Navigation System (VINS) designed to enable aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to maintain accurate flight paths even when GPS/GNSS signals are unavailable. The launch comes amid a sharp rise in GPS jamming and spoofing incidents, particularly across North America and Western Europe.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are up to 700 such events globally each day, with conflict zones like Lithuanian airspace alone reporting more than 800 interference cases in the final quarter of 2024. These disruptions also adversely impact communication networks and emergency services that rely on accurate geolocation and timing.

What Does VINS Offer?

The newly launched VINS leverages Maxar Raptor 3D vision-based positioning software, which applies Perspective and Point (PnP) principles to match onboard camera imagery, both daytime and infrared, with Maxar Precision3D satellite maps. This technology allows UAVs to execute long-range missions even in highly challenging GNSS conditions. Performance tests have shown that VINS can maintain a horizontal position within 35 meters, vertical accuracy within 5 meters and velocity within 0.9 m/s in GNSS-denied settings. With GNSS active, the system’s accuracy improves significantly, offering horizontal positioning within 1 meter and heading accuracy of 0.1 degrees.

Designed for low-altitude operations, VINS integrates multiple components, including processing and sensor modules, a GNSS or CRPA antenna, an air-data computer and a digital windspeed sensor, making it compatible with both fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAVs. The system also supports optional features such as a commercial off-the-shelf radio for data transmission and position estimation in GPS-denied environments, along with an Iridium LEO GNSS and M-code/SAASM receiver.

The VINS will be showcased at the 2025 Joint Navigation Conference alongside VIAVI’s newly launched second-generation RSR Transcoder, a GPS full constellation simulator tailored for military operations in degraded or disrupted space operational environments (D3SOE).

Viavi Solutions Inc. Price and Consensus

Viavi Solutions Inc. price-consensus-chart | Viavi Solutions Inc. Quote

Recently, Viavi announced that it is collaborating with 3-GIS, a prominent provider of fiber network design and management software, to enhance enterprises’ fiber fault detection capabilities. Fiber networks serve as the backbone of data communications.

Viavi reported impressive third-quarter fiscal 2025 results, with both the top and bottom lines surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Solid demand from service providers and network equipment manufacturers for both lab and field instruments supported the top line. Demand for anti-counterfeiting products remains strong. Expansion into various markets such as wireless & fiber, optical transport, Ethernet, broadband access, video testing and storage network testing is likely to bring long-term benefits.

For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, management expects revenues in the range of $278-$290 million. Non-GAAP earnings per share are expected to be between 10 cents and 13 cents.

However, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions, such as reduced end-market demand and supply-chain disruptions, can negatively impact Viavi’s financial condition. U.S.-China tensions have led to a loss of business.

VIAV’s Zacks Rank & Stock Price Performance

Viavi currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Shares of the company have soared 20.4% in the past year compared with the Zacks Communication Components industry's growth of 36.6%.

Stocks to Consider

Some better-ranked stocks from the broader technology space are Juniper Networks, Inc. JNPR, Ubiquiti Inc. UI and InterDigital, Inc. IDCC. JNPR presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), whereas UI and IDCC carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

In the last reported quarter, JNPR delivered an earnings surprise of 4.88%. Juniper Networks’ long-term earnings growth rate is 12.4%. Its shares have inched up 1.8% in the past year.

UI’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, with the average surprise being 29.93%. In the last reported quarter, Ubiquiti delivered an earnings surprise of 61.29%. Its shares have surged 174.5% in the past year.

IDCC earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters while missing in one, with the average surprise being 160.15%. InterDigital’s long-term earnings growth rate is 15%. Its shares have jumped 88.3% in the past year.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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