Enabling the VANTAGE VTOL platform with resilient guidance, navigation and control in GNSS-denied environments
UAV Navigation, a division of Grupo Oesía specializing in advanced guidance, navigation, and control solutions, has been selected as a key technology provider for the European VANTAGE project. This ambitious initiative, funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF), aims to develop the next generation of tactical VTOL unmanned aerial systems for European defense.
Coordinated by Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT), the VANTAGE project represents a major milestone in Europe’s pursuit of technological superiority and operational autonomy – capabilities that have proven critical on today’s battlefields, as starkly demonstrated by recent conflicts such as the war in Ukraine. The resulting platform will be a modular VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) drone, capable of executing a wide range of C4ISR (command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) missions as well as kinetic strikes, with a strong emphasis on adaptability to complex and contested environments.
In this context, UAV Navigation-Grupo Oesía brings its extensive expertise in high-precision inertial navigation and robust flight control, ensuring superior performance even in GNSS-denied environments where GNSS signals are blocked or degraded. The Spanish company autonomous navigation technology guarantees mission integrity and safety, allowing the UAV to operate without human intervention under adverse conditions or safely return to a designated location if communication links are lost.
“At UAV Navigation, we are proud to contribute our cutting-edge technology at the core of the VANTAGE project, a crucial effort to enhance European security and set new standards in unmanned aerial system capabilities,” said Miguel Ángel de Frutos, Director & CTO at UAV Navigation – Grupo Oesía. “Our guidance and navigation solution is essential for enabling UAVs to perform coordinated, resilient autonomous operations on the battlefield of the future, delivering precision and reliability when it matters most, with proven operational capability and a commitment to European strategic autonomy.”
The unmanned VTOL platform developed under the VANTAGE project will also incorporate UAV Navigation – Grupo Oesía’s advanced algorithms for fully autonomous operations. These includesense-and-avoid capabilities, dynamic flight replanning, and coordinated swarm functionality. Such innovations empower the platform to execute complex tactical missions with a high degree of autonomy and operational safety. At the same time, manual intervention mechanisms are embedded within the system to ensure that human oversight remains integral in high-stakes scenarios, reinforcing both operational responsibility and the ethical deployment of systems with kinetic capabilities.
The project is supported by the European Commission (European Union) through the European Defence Fund and is coordinated by Latvijas Mobilais Telefons SIA. It brings together a consortium of leading organizations across Europe, including UAV Navigation–Grupo Oesía, C&V Defence, CAVOK UAS, Centro de Observación y Teledetección Espacial SAU, Vegvisir, Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare Aerospațială „Elie Carafoli“ (INCAS București), and M3 Systems Belgium.
Together, these partners are working collaboratively to advance innovation and technological capabilities in the field of defense.
With VANTAGE, UAV Navigation – Grupo Oesía strengthens its position as a European leader in UAV guidance, navigation and control systems, delivering innovative solutions that enable a safer, more flexible, and technologically advanced defense for Europe.
