Ukrainian Company Develops GPS Solutions for Wartime Farming

SMILA, Ukraine – While most farmers worry about weather and crop prices, Ukrainian agricultural producers face an additional challenge: keeping GPS navigation systems operational during air raids and electronic warfare interference. A company in the central Ukrainian city of Smila has developed solutions that address these wartime complications.

Smilab, a manufacturer of agricultural GPS equipment, traces its origins to the 1980s Smila Radio Equipment Plant, which produced Orizon televisions and military electronics. The facility was one of the Soviet Union’s centers for developing satellite navigation technology. After the plant’s dissolution, smaller enterprises emerged from its remnants, with Smilab focusing on agricultural applications.

The company manufactures GPS-based navigation systems that guide tractors and combines through field operations. These devices allow operators to follow precise paths with accuracy between 10 and 50 centimeters, which matters for tasks like spraying, fertilizer application, and harvesting. The technology reduces overlap between passes, cutting fuel consumption by roughly 15% and reducing fertilizer waste by 10-12%, according to user reports.

Ukraine’s agricultural sector continues operating despite the war. Ministry of Agricultural Policy data shows farmers harvested over 4.4 million hectares of early grain and oilseed crops by summer 2025. However, the conflict created technical problems that Western equipment manufacturers hadn’t anticipated.

Russian electronic warfare systems, deployed both at the front lines and within Russian territory, create radio interference that disrupts GPS signals. These systems, designed to defend against drones and precision munitions, affect civilian GPS receivers across large areas. Space surveillance data indicates jamming occurs throughout eastern Ukraine, with effects extending into the Baltic region and Eastern Europe. During air raid alerts, which can last several hours in some Ukrainian regions, GPS satellites stop transmitting correction signals over Ukraine as a security measure to prevent their use in targeting weapons.

Standard agricultural GPS systems lose accuracy under these conditions. Smilab’s response centers on its Nav-Agro RTK model, which uses a dual-frequency L1/L2 receiver. This design allows the device to operate in multiple modes. In standard operation, it provides 10-30 centimeter accuracy without subscription fees. The critical feature: the system continues functioning during air raid alerts when most competing products stop working. For operations requiring maximum precision, an RTK (Real Time Kinematic) mode delivers 2-5 centimeter accuracy.

The product line spans several price points. The basic Nav-Agro mini costs 12,300 hryvnia (approximately $300) and suits smaller farms. The Nav-Agro B18, priced at 14,300 hryvnia, offers enhanced specifications for difficult terrain. The Nav-Agro B44 improves on the B18’s design with a lower profile and magnetic mounting. The 2025 introduction, Nav-Agro B56, is a dual-frequency L1/L5 antenna with jamming resistance and update rates reaching 28 Hz.

All devices connect to tablets and smartphones via Bluetooth and work with free navigation software. This contrasts with Western systems from manufacturers like Trimble and John Deere, which typically cost from 50,000 hryvnia to several thousand dollars and often require annual subscription fees of $500-1,500 for satellite correction signals.

Manufacturing in Ukraine provides cost advantages. Local production eliminates import logistics, customs duties, and licensing expenses. Service and support operate in Ukrainian, with parts available domestically. The company offers 12-month warranties and tests each unit before sale. Software receives regular updates based on user feedback.

The equipment targets small and medium-sized farms up to 3,000 hectares, which form the backbone of Ukraine’s agricultural sector. For a 100-hectare operation, the system saves approximately 30,000 hryvnia ($800) per season through reduced overlaps and gaps. First-year payback is typical.

Large agribusinesses with tens of thousands of hectares may justify investments in expensive Western systems with autopilots, section control, and variable rate application. For most Ukrainian farms, however, such functionality exceeds practical requirements. Smilab’s approach emphasizes modularity, allowing farms to add controllers, auto-steering, and other components gradually.

Over 2,000 units of Smilab’s ASN-Agro course indicator have been sold. The company continues developing features specific to conditions in Ukraine, where farming operations must account for both traditional agricultural challenges and the complications of ongoing conflict.

The Ukrainian experience demonstrates vulnerabilities in GPS-dependent systems and highlights the need for solutions resistant to electronic interference. Technologies developed for these extreme conditions may eventually influence broader industry standards, particularly as concerns about GPS reliability grow globally.