By Arie Egozi, Autonomy Global – Ambassador for Israel
Israeli company ASIO has secured a multi-million-dollar contract from an undisclosed U.S. customer to deliver several hundred NOCTA optical navigation systems for a mission-critical unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) program. The award underscores rising demand in the U.S. defense and security market for Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing (APNT) solutions that can sustain autonomous operations in GNSS-denied and contested environments.
“The U.S. market is actively seeking reliable and proven APNT capabilities that can be deployed today,” added Eugene Mamajek, General Manager, ASIO U.S. “This contract reflects strong confidence in ASIO’s technology and supports our continued expansion and customer engagement in the U.S.”
With more than 10,000 operational hours in real-world combat missions, NOCTA is a fully fielded, compact optical positioning module designed for Group 1 and Group 2 unmanned aerial systems (UAS). According to ASIO, the system delivers drift-free positioning without reliance on GPS or communications, enabling mission continuity when GNSS is jammed or spoofed and links are disrupted.
The self-contained NOCTA unit is designed for rapid integration across a wide range of small UAV platforms, supporting both day and night operations. It can also fuse data with onboard sensors such as LiDAR to enhance navigation performance in diverse mission conditions, including complex terrain and degraded visibility. Also known as NavGuard, NOCTA builds on extensive operational experience and continuous product evolution driven by front-line user feedback.
ASIO reports that its navigation solutions have been proven in some of the most challenging environments worldwide, including snow-covered regions, desert conditions and mixed terrain, to ensure reliable performance across varied mission profiles. The company positions NOCTA as a fielded and combat-tested APNT capability that can be deployed immediately for current and next-generation UAV programs.
“This contract reflects a clear operational requirement,” said Tomer Malchi, Founder & CEO of ASIO. “For UAV operators, mission continuity depends on the ability to operate autonomously and navigate seamlessly when GNSS is spoofed or jammed, and communications are blocked. NOCTA was developed to ensure reliable operation and mission execution under these conditions.”