Next-generation navigation system demonstrates “high positioning accuracy and integrated route determination”
Suparco. PHOTO: PTV
Pakistan successfully launched a new navigation device, ‘Pak-SBAS’, during the Cholistan Rally 2026, based on an advanced navigation device based on Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS), marking what it described as a milestone in navigation technology, according to a press release issued on Sunday.
In the press release, SUPARCO said, “The ‘Pak-SBAS’, based on the Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) concept, achieves a new milestone in navigation technology on the occasion of the Cholistan Rally 2026.”
The statement said the advanced device was tested in the challenging conditions of the Cholistan Desert, where high speeds, unpredictable routes and lack of visual markers require extremely precise positioning and unwavering reliability.
Pak-SBAS demonstrated “high positioning accuracy, integrated route determination and signal stability” during all phases of the rally. “By using SBAS corrections, the system has significantly reduced positioning errors compared to standard GNSS,” the statement said.
He added that the technology provides rally drivers and navigation teams with reliable route tracking, calling it “a key element for competitive desert racing.”
Read: Pakistan successfully launches its second indigenous Earth observation satellite
The press release adds that Pak-SBAS has far-reaching implications for public interest and national infrastructure: “It will help improve relief operations during disasters by accurately tracking rescue teams and affected areas, improve transportation efficiency by positioning vehicles, and provide safer navigation in the aviation sector.”
In the field of surveying and mapping, the system will not only reduce positioning errors but also project costs, the statement said.
This advanced system is expected to play an important role in strengthening public safety, operational efficiency and technological self-reliance in Pakistan.
On February 12, Pakistan marked a major milestone in its space program with the successful launch of its second indigenous Earth observation satellite (EO-2) from China’s Yangjiang Coast Launch Center.
Also developed by SUPARCO, the EO-2 satellite is expected to enhance Pakistan’s Earth observation capabilities, providing high-resolution imagery for critical applications such as national development planning, natural resource management and environmental monitoring.
The successful development and launch of EO-2 underlines Pakistan’s growing technical expertise and self-reliance in advanced satellite technology, marking a key step in the country’s space journey.
