Vermeer

Two MAJOR reports out recently on GPS Jamming in Europe, and they’re both incredibly significant and incredibly strong warnings about what the future holds for navigation. The first, from the Independent, that the RAF jet carrying the UK defence secretary had its signal jammed while returning after visiting British troops in Estonia. It lasted for the ENTIRE THREE HOUR flight. Reports Dan Haygarth, “It is thought Russia was behind the incident on Thursday, which meant that smartphones and laptops were unable to connect to the internet and pilots had to use a different navigation system as the plane’s GPS was disabled for the entire three-hour flight.” This comes on the heels of a similar incident in the summer of 2025 where President of the European Commission Ursula Von Der Leyen’s plane suffered GPS jamming in Bulgaria, and another in March of 2024, where an RAF plane carrying the UK's then-Defence Secretary Grant Schapps reported a GPS spoofing incident. The second story comes from Reuters reporter Andrius Sytas on Tuesday, reporting that Lithuania has said that Russia can now falsify GPS signals DEEP into Europe - 280 miles deep - due to expanded capacity after the country increased its GPS spoofing antennae from 3 in early 2025 to 36 now in the territory of Kalingrad. Both of these stories should serve as a warning of where things are headed in the future when it comes to GPS spoofing and denial. The wakeup calls are getting louder and louder every week, this isn’t just something that is affecting the frontlines in the Russia Ukraine war. This is on its way to becoming a global problem, if it isn’t already. At Vermeer, we’re building the solution. Links in first comment.

The Silicon Valley Defense Group just released its fourth annual #NatSec100 report and the data speaks volumes about where the defense tech ecosystem is heading: AI, Autonomy and Software-defined systems. When it comes to the drone space, It’s not 2022, and the lesson isn't simply that drones are everywhere. It's that autonomy increasingly determines whether those drones succeed. The modern battlefield doesn’t reward platforms that depend on perfect communications, perfect GPS, and constant human control. GPS is jammed. Communications are disrupted. Electronic warfare is everywhere. The question is no longer whether a platform can fly, the question is whether it can keep navigating and complete the mission when conditions get ugly. That's why autonomy isn't a feature. It's becoming foundational infrastructure for modern military systems. At Vermeer, we're focused on building autonomy for exactly those environments: enabling platforms to navigate and operate in GPS-denied and electronically contested conditions. The future of defense won't be defined by hardware alone. It will be defined by what that hardware can do when it's on its own. And as Tectonic points out in their exclusive write-up, the SVDG and it’s leadership recommended an emphasis on adoption: “The Pentagon (and companies) should actually focus on what’s being fielded and works. Their suggestion is that every acquisition office should publish an “adoption scorecard documenting what got fielded, what remains in prototype, and what stalled and why.” For companies like Vermeer, this shift toward accountability and adoption is exactly what the ecosystem needs.

Another NATO drone exercise with Ukraine, another sign Europe and the US need to catch up. When will we move from observing Ukraine’s drone lessons to fully implementing them? The AP reports that Ukrainian drone pilots were invited to advise at a NATO war game on the island of Gotland, Sweden. The Ukrainians reportedly overwhelmed NATO forces using battlefield-tested drone tactics learned in real combat against Russia. Swedish forces in the exercise needed to stop the training three times so troops could figure out what went wrong. One pilot put it plainly: "If it were real life, they would have been dead." Ukraine’s combat-hardened pilots showed exactly why the West must integrate drones, counter-drone systems, and new tactics faster. At Vermeer, we're proud to equip Ukrainian (and U.S.) forces with vision-based navigation systems that keep drones operational in fully GPS-denied environments. Our optical tech uses real-world visual cues like landmarks, terrain, and stars to deliver precise autonomy when traditional signals fail. No jamming. No spoofing. Just reliable performance where it matters most. We remain committed to equipping those on the front lines with the intelligent components they need to stay ahead of the curve. Ukraine proved once again this week that it has knowledge Europe and the US need. We're proud to be part of the ecosystem, translating that knowledge into hardware that can scale across allied forces. Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/eh5JKxa6

SOF Week is in full effect! Come swing by Westin Oasis Ballroom booth 6000 and see our vision navigation, terminal guidance, and CUAS avoidance systems and to get a look at this incredible model from our friends at Sentinel R&D!

Vermeer develops GPS-denied, spoofing-resilient autonomous navigation systems for modern electronic warfare. Built in America, with a permanent Ukraine combat lab, our technology enables operations in contested environments and addresses one of warfare’s fastest-growing battlefield challenges. Westin, Oasis Ballroom — 6000 at #sofweek  https://lnkd.in/eygnzX8m

We’re excited to welcome Ely Driscoll to the Vermeer team as our new Flight Test Engineer! A 2023 graduate of the University of Connecticut engineering physics program and an early employee at Wave Aerospace, Ely brings deep experience in small aircraft design, flight operations, mission planning, and R&D. “GPS-denied navigation is a clear problem for any drone operator anywhere in the world, so there’s a lot of room to grow,” Ely said. As Vermeer continues building autonomy and navigation systems for contested environments, having engineers and operators who understand real-world flight challenges is critical. Ely’s background in advanced flight testing, among other things, makes him a strong addition to the team. Ely’s also worked in multiple manufacturing research and development departments, and is previously certified to perform high-risk operations to maintain critical public infrastructure. Welcome aboard, Ely! 

“I guess I'm still disappointed writ large. I think there’s a concept that all this stuff is automated, oh ‘automation, automation, AI, AI,’ but the reality is it’s just not true. A lot of this stuff is still manually being flown, a lot of this stuff is still janky methods and techniques to get around comms jamming or gps jamming. We’re still really not at full-blown automation, one guy to many.” Vermeer CEO and founder Brian Streem is back on Drone Wars Podcast with Dan Magy 🏴☠️ and it is a hell of an episode. If you're trying to parse through all the stories and half-truths about drone warfare and how it actually works (and doesn't work), this episode is a must-listen! Another choice quote: “If you’re having a 1% success rate, I go, ‘hey spend $20,000 on my thing and it means next year I’ll bring you from 1% to 8%,’ and it means next year you could sell less drones, now who the hell wants to hear that? The people who do want to hear that are people in congress and US tax payers, so the cost benefit analysis which is the amount on drones we’re spending that aren't hitting anything is insane. You get what you pay for, if you spend a little bit more money on this, and you get it to be more effective cost per hit, that’s the real metric. “ Also discussed: REAL autonomy, GPS-denied navigation, electronic warfare, and why the future of drone warfare is not just about building more systems, it’s about making them work reliably when it matters. Special thanks to the good folks at Firestorm for having us on. Definitely worth your time! Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gCukawbJ

Looking forward to heading to Tampa next week for SOF Week 2026! If you’re operating in contested spaces, stop by. Let’s talk about giving your platforms true resilience and autonomy when it matters most. The battlefield is evolving, and the need for resilient, GPS-denied navigation has never been more critical. We’ll be on-site showcasing how Vermeer is empowering the modern operator with GPS-denied, spoofing-resilient navigation systems built for the realities of modern electronic warfare. Should have a pretty cool model set up, too! Where to find us: 📍 Booth 6000 at the Westin Oasis Ballroom.

What a day at Vermeer’s New York office looks like: Building. Testing. Flying. And constant coordination and feedback with our team in Ukraine. Designing autonomous systems for GPS-denied environments that actually work, when it matters most.