Pretoria-based electronics company Etion Create has clinched two contracts in the Middle East for its locally developed CheetahNAV vehicle navigation system.

The military navigation system is on display at the World Defense Show, currently being held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Etion says several major international vehicle manufacturers are showcasing the CheetahNAV system in their mine-resistant armoured protected vehicles.

“The CheetahNAV has gained significant interest in the Middle East market from the time we launched the system in September 2020,” says Etion Create executive business development manager Tobie van Loggerenberg.

“Due to our clients insisting on confidentiality in military deals, I can only confirm we signed major contracts with two Middle East customers without being able to name them.”

Van Loggerenberg confirms that the Middle East has become a focus area for Etion Create as an original design manufacturer.

The CheetahNAV was designed for harsh environments as encountered in battlefield conditions.

Using an inertial measurement unit (IMU) comprising several aids, including an advanced algorithm, the CheetahNAV provides vehicle crews with outstanding situational awareness, explains Van Loggerenberg.

“The system provides dead-reckoning horizontal position accuracy of 0.2% of distance travelled, even in a situation where the vehicle crew is denied satellite navigation,” he notes.

“This translates to accuracy of 200 m over a distance of 100 km.”

The tactical grade IMU ensures that the system is also immune to enemy jamming, says Van Loggerenberg.

Data is displayed on a sunlight-readable touch-screen-enabled moving map display unit measuring 11.6 inches diagonal, in 16:9 TFT format, with 1 920 x 1 080 resolution.

Etion Create also offers a slave unit for the vehicle driver, as the main display might be positioned elsewhere in a space constrained vehicle.

This slave unit, measuring 3.5 inches diagonal TFT, displays information that is specifically required by the driver.

According to Van Loggerenberg, the CheetahNAV evolved from a multifunctional display product from Etion Create’s existing harsh industrial product portfolio, which has an installed base of more than 1 000 units.

This resulted in the system reaching a high technology readiness level suitable for the export market, especially where transfer of technology is a requirement, he adds.

“For the export market, specifically multinational operations that are almost the norm, we also offer a multi-language option. Our CheetahNAV is focused on the export market, including the possibility of technology transfer to enable indigenous manufacturing, as is the case with most Middle East countries.”

Previously called Parsec, Etion Create is a South African original design manufacturer active in the defence and aerospace, information security, and mining and industrial sectors.