Churchill Navigation

About Churchill Navigation

Founded in 2005, Churchill Navigation is a Boulder, Colorado-based company specializing in augmented reality mapping solutions for tactical operations. In August 2020, the company merged with SHOTOVER Camera Systems, a manufacturer of gyro-stabilized camera systems, to form SHOTOVER Systems. Thomas Churchill, the founder of Churchill Navigation, now leads the merged entity as CEO. The catalyst for the company's core product was the realization that tactical flight officers needed a way to view location information without taking their eyes off a target, similar to how NFL viewers see a yellow first-down line superimposed on the field.

The firm's primary offering is the Augmented Reality System (ARS), a mission management platform that overlays real-time, critical data onto a live video feed from airborne cameras. This technology is designed to enhance situational awareness for operators in high-stakes environments. The ARS integrates with a variety of electro-optical and infrared imagers and displays information such as street names, building addresses, points of interest, and vehicle locations directly onto the operator's screen. The system can be installed in both manned and unmanned aircraft and can be controlled from the ground, with options to record and downlink video and data for immediate analysis. Beyond its primary product, the company has developed other solutions including a geospatial video recorder (ION) and a cloud-based platform for video management (Earthscape).

Churchill Navigation primarily serves the law enforcement, military, and public safety sectors. Its client roster includes domestic agencies at every level, such as the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as international clients like the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the UK's Ministry of Defense. The technology is also applied in other areas, such as utility surveying, where it can overlay the routes of pipelines and power lines on live video feeds to identify hazards. The business model appears to be based on the sale of hardware and software systems, with public records showing a system for a single helicopter valued at over $140,000. The company also provides customer support, including free software updates, on-site training for U.S. clients, and system customization.