French multinational aerospace, defense, and security corporation Safran has unveiled plans to invest €120 million into the expansion of hemispherical resonator gyroscope (HRG) production. HRGs are used in navigation systems for aircraft, vessels, missiles, and other defense platforms.
The investment will be directed to Safran’s Montlucon facility and will allow the manufacturer to triple its annual HRG production from around 10,000 units today to 30,000 units by 2032. According to Safran Chief Executive Olivier Andries, the project is part of the company’s wider €1.4 billion industrial expansion program, which is aimed at increasing manufacturing capacity across key aerospace and defense technologies.
HRGs are high-precision inertial sensors used in navigation systems for aircraft, ships, missiles, and other defense platforms. They help these platforms navigate accurately without relying fully on satellite-based systems such as GPS.
Safran’s Montlucon site has a long history in inertial navigation systems and advanced gyroscope technologies for air, land, and maritime applications. The new investment is expected to strengthen the site’s role in producing critical navigation equipment for both civil and military markets.
The expansion comes at a time when aerospace and defense operators are paying more attention to navigation systems that can continue working when satellite signals are unavailable, disrupted, or spoofed. GNSS jamming and spoofing have become a growing concern for civil aviation and military operators, especially near conflict zones and sensitive airspace.
By increasing HRG output, Safran aims to meet rising demand for resilient navigation systems across aircraft, helicopters, drones, naval platforms and land-based defense systems.
