Safran Electronics & Defense has been selected to provide its next-generation SkyNaute inertial navigation system for the electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft being developed by Eve Air Mobility, the Embraer subsidiary focused on urban air mobility solutions.
Under the agreement, each Eve eVTOL aircraft will be equipped with two SkyNaute inertial navigation systems. Built on Safran’s patented HRG (Hemispherical Resonant Gyroscope) Crystal technology, SkyNaute is designed to deliver high navigation accuracy, integrity, and reliability while meeting the stringent requirements of modern aeronautical applications.
The system is engineered to maintain accurate navigation even in environments where Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals are unavailable, degraded, or subject to interference. This capability is expected to enhance the safety and operational reliability of urban air mobility missions, where uninterrupted navigation is critical.
Originally developed to meet the demanding needs of both defence and civil aviation, SkyNaute reflects Safran’s dual-use technology strategy, bringing advanced inertial navigation capabilities to the emerging eVTOL market.
Benjamin Declety, Head of the Avionics Global Business Unit at Safran Electronics & Defense, said the collaboration demonstrates the company’s commitment to supporting the next generation of civil aviation.
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“With SkyNaute, Safran Electronics & Defense is now leveraging its inertial navigation expertise to serve the next generation of civil aviation. We are proud to support Eve Air Mobility in the development of its eVTOL and contribute to the emergence of new urban air mobility solutions,” Declety said.
Johann Bordais, CEO of Eve Air Mobility, said the integration of SkyNaute strengthens the aircraft’s safety, performance, and certification readiness.
“Integrating an advanced navigation solution like SkyNaute is essential to maximizing the safety, reliability, and performance of our eVTOL. Leveraging Safran’s renowned expertise in inertial navigation, we strengthen our aircraft’s architecture and reinforce our commitment to delivering a robust, certifiable solution for the urban air mobility market,” Bordais said.
The announcement follows a recent milestone in Eve’s flight test programme, with the company completing the hover and low-speed flight phase of its full-scale eVTOL prototype at Embraer’s Gavião Peixoto test facility in São Paulo, Brazil. The prototype accumulated nearly two and a half hours of flight time, marking another step toward the commercial development of electric urban air mobility solutions.
