SouthPAN satellite navigation program successfully passes Critical Design Review milestone

Led by Lockheed Martin Australia, with GMV as a key strategic partner, SouthPAN (Southern Positioning Augmentation Network) is an innovative project jointly supported by the Australian and New Zealand governments, set to provide groundbreaking satellite navigation and precise positioning services throughout Australasia.

The Critical Design Review (CDR) represents a vital checkpoint in the lifecycle of a safety-critical system such as SouthPAN, validating that the design meets stringent performance, safety, and security requirements necessary for civil aviation operations. As part of this milestone, the SouthPAN team provided comprehensive certification artifacts aligned with international aviation standards, including ARP 4754A for systems development processes, DO-254 for hardware, and DO-278A for software assurance. The successful completion of the CDR demonstrates that the system's architecture and implementation will satisfy the rigorous design assurance levels mandated for Safety-of-Life applications.  Achieving this milestone confirms the readiness of the system’s design for operational deployment and marks a critical step forward towards its future certification for Safety‑of-Life services in the aviation sector.

SouthPAN is notable as the first SBAS globally designed from its inception as a service rather than as a conventional turnkey system. This innovative service-oriented approach enables scalability and potential expansion into other regions, while establishing clear customer-provider interactions governed by service-level agreements (SLAs) and adherence to defined key performance indicators (KPIs). Early open services have already been provided since September 2022, demonstrating immediate benefits to users across Australasia. Moving forward, the SouthPAN service will fully deliver Safety‑of-Life L1 SBAS critical for aviation operations, significantly enhancing flight safety through precise runway approaches and superior navigation accuracy.

Additionally, SouthPAN has integrated cutting-edge dual-frequency multi-constellation (DFMC) SBAS and Precise Point Positioning (PPP) through SBAS as open services available to diverse users, including the agriculture, maritime, rail, road transport, and geomatics sectors. The DFMC SBAS capability is designed explicitly to support an effortless transition to future Safety-of-Life services through engineering updates and software modifications, without necessitating costly hardware replacements.

GMV’s central role in SouthPAN underscores the company's extensive expertise in developing safety-critical satellite navigation subsystems. GMV is responsible for two core elements of the SouthPAN project: the Corrections Processing Facility (CPF) and the Ground Control Center (GCC). These facilities will ensure that SouthPAN consistently meets stringent performance benchmarks by generating precise corrections for navigation signals and promptly identifying and reporting anomalies critical for Safety-of-Life aviation services. GMV also leads the navigation performance engineering activities and continuous performance monitoring, ensuring the system reliably fulfills its specified operational criteria.