Tactical NAV

Tactical NAV

Jonathan J. Springer·3.9 ★·$8.99

Screenshots

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Description

BACKGROUND:

Created during a combat deployment to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), Tactical NAV was developed to honor the soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. As the first MGRS-focused navigation app available on all app stores, it serves as a tool to enhance soldier safety and mission success, built with the memory of fallen comrades at its core.

Built from the ground up in the rugged mountains of eastern Afghanistan, Tactical NAV was developed by a U.S. Army Field Artillery officer with the vision of crafting a low-cost and highly accurate mobile navigation platform tailored for the U.S. military.

Tactical NAV’s journey began in the Pech River Valley in Kunar Province, Afghanistan.

U.S. Army Capt. Jonathan J. Springer, a Field Artilleryman serving as a Fire Support Officer with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), embarked on the development of Tactical NAV following the memorial services for Spc. Blair D. Thompson and Spc. Jared C. Plunk, who were killed in action on June 25, 2010.

Despite initial rejections by the Department of Defense, Captain Springer remained steadfast in his mission to continue developing Tactical NAV — even to this day. His ultimate goals were (and still are) to make a positive difference for other soldiers and service members and to honor the men and women killed and wounded in battle.

He used his life savings to fund and develop TACNAV-X, all with the ultimate hope of saving military lives, and helping his fellow service members in accomplishing their missions at home and abroad.

Tactical NAV officially launched on the App Store and Google Play on February 14, 2011.

BUILT FOR ACCURACY:

TACNAV-X’s performance accurately matches that of the AN/PSN-13 Defense Advanced GPS Receiver (DAGR).

MISSION:

Empower military service members with a highly accurate and powerful mobile navigation platform.

VISION:

Assist and support our nation’s service members with their mobile navigational needs and enable them to operate and win in both training and combat environments.

BOTTOM LINE:

Tactical NAV has successfully undergone evaluation against other software platforms and devices such as Nett Warrior, ATAK, and BFT. Its accuracy is within 1mm of these officially approved systems issued by the DoD.

IAPs & SUBSCRIPTIONS:

Tactical NAV offers in-app purchases (IAPs) and subscriptions. Currently, tactical drawing mode is available as an in-app purchase, and offline mapping mode is also accessible to users as either a monthly or yearly subscription.

All revenue generated from these features contributes to further developmental coding and updates, and a portion of the proceeds are donated to charities that specifically benefit disabled veterans.

KEY FEATURES:

• A military-quality precision targeting platform
• Purpose-built for the individual Soldier
• Offline mapping capabilities (complete usage of the app with no emission of a cellular signal)
• WGS-84 standard (MGRS, UTM, BNG, and USNG coordinates)
• Tactical drawing mode (useful for mission planning, building overlays, targeting, etc.)
• Waypoint plotting functionality with military graphics (per FM 1-02.2)
• Compass “FastLock” function for capturing quick and precise azimuths
• Snap and save photographs onto the main map to increase situational awareness
• Location, waypoint, and photo-sharing capabilities (via email and text)
• ‘Go to Grid’ feature for precision planning, drawing of overlays, and dropping waypoints
• Android native code built for austere and contested environments

IMPORTANT NOTES:

The Department of Defense does not endorse Tactical NAV and TACNAV-X, nor should it be used in life-threatening or combat situations in place of a government-issued device.

SUPPORT:

If you have any questions about the app, please contact Jonathan Springer directly at jon@tacnavx.com.

TACNAV VIDEO WALKTHROUGH:

https://bit.ly/TACNAV-X

____

Thank you for your support, everyone!

– Jon

Developer

Jonathan J. Springer

Developer ID: 5300966467373988467

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Ratings & Reviews

3.9

157 ratings

10,000+ downloads

5★
54%
4★
15%
3★
8%
2★
6%
1★
12%

Recent Reviews

Jason Actual

v1.1.57

Elite navigation app with superb developer support

Aug 30, 2026

KRS

v1.1.57

This is a killer app. The developer (Jon) even responded to my email from the hospital... Unbelievable. Really looking forward to foldable support!!!

Aug 14, 2026

kathy springer

This is my son's app. He created this app during his combat tour to Afghanistan after two of his soldiers were killed. He continues developing Tactical NAV in honor of his fallen soldiers and he also donates proceeds from the app to disabled veterans. Jonathan has given his heart and soul into making this app available for other soldiers, and it's his way of giving back to the military community. We love you son, and dad and I are proud of you!

Jun 30, 2026

Hunter Plumbtree

v1.1.57

unsure how to import overlays if it is possible at all. is a very helpful app otherwise.

Developer Response

Hey Hunter, I really appreciate the review and kind words! You should be able to tap or click on an overlay file and import/open it directly in TACNAV. If you’re still having trouble, feel free to email me directly at jon@tacnavx.com and I’ll personally walk you through it. Take care, man! - Jon

May 12, 2026

May 12, 2026

Dalton Jerrell

Long time user and paid for the app twice and also paid for the drawing mode to help support. I am a little disappointed that there's still no team tracking and team tools for marking etc. I think the app should be kept simple nothing overly complicated and no weird stuff. Just simple nav, topo, 3D, mapping, team tracking and markers, with simple tools. I've used ATAK and absolutely love the team tools but it is a more complicated interface.

Developer Response

Hey Dalton, I appreciate the great review! I’m sorry you had to pay for the app twice... just hit me up via email and I’ll get that refunded for you. On team tracking, I totally hear you. It’s easily a $1M+ project on the backend, and as a small independent dev, I have to build toward that in stages. Thanks for sticking with the app, brother! – Jon

Apr 11, 2026

Apr 11, 2026

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