Working Principles, Technological Evolution, and Data-Flow Integration of Warship Electronic Navigation Systems: A Qualitative Descriptive-Comparative Study

Electronic navigation systems are the backbone of the safety and effectiveness of warship operations. This study aims to map the working principles, technological evolution, and data-flow integration of six navigation devices GPS/DGPS, AIS, radar, echo sounder, speed log, and gyro compass as a single information system. A qualitative-descriptive approach was applied, combining field observation, technical interviews, and literature study at PT PAL Indonesia, together with comparative technology analysis and data-flow mapping. The results show that each device contributes a distinct data domain (position-time, heading, motion, depth, identification, and target) that mutually verify one another; position-time data from GPS/DGPS and heading from the gyro compass act as the principal nodes used by the other devices. Technology is evolving toward multi-GNSS, solid-state, multi-beam, fiber-optic gyro, and sensor fusion to improve accuracy, integration, and resilience against interference. The main challenges include GNSS interference (jamming/spoofing), interoperability, calibration, redundancy, human-resource competence, and cybersecurity, mitigated through cross-validation, standardization, and documentation. The study concludes that navigation quality is determined not by the sophistication of a single device, but by the success of integrating all data into a consistent, reliable, and resilient system.