Substantiation of the necessity and possibility of improving the navigation equipment of civil vessels based on modern means and methods of nautical astronomy

The role and place of satellite navigation systems in modern navigation are considered, an overview of the currently existing global navigation satellite systems is presented, and the dominant role of the American GPS system in civil navigation is outlined. The features of the use of the GPS satellite system in the context of armed conflicts of recent decades are analyzed and possible cases of its failure in the context of the modern sharply aggravated military and political situation are substantiated. The subsequent negative impact of such failures on the navigation safety of navigation has been determined. The related urgent problems of modern navigation and their solutions based on new principles of obtaining, processing and analyzing astronomical information by means and methods of nautical astronomy, which are completely autonomous and can be used in any areas of the World Ocean, are outlined. The urgent need to equip civilian vessels with alternative GPS backup high-tech navigation equipment using modern methods of nautical astronomy has been identified, which should be taken into account both during the construction of new vessels and during the modernization of existing ones. The successful experience of obtaining, processing and analyzing astronomical information, as well as the creation and application of various automated astronomical navigation systems based on it in the Russian Navy is analyzed. Conclusions are drawn about the necessity and possibility of designing such high-tech digital astrogation devices for ships of the Civil fleet and their inclusion in the onboard navigation equipment. The main technical and methodological directions of promising developments are outlined.