Navicom's NPUT: Lifting Tug Operations to the Next Level in the Panama Canal
We’re excited to share that Navicom Dynamics’ Non-Portable Positioning Unit for Tugs (NPUT) has been chosen by the Panama Canal Authority following a competitive international tender. With 50 units now being installed across the canal’s tug fleet, this is a big moment for us—and a clear step forward for navigation support in one of the world’s most challenging maritime environments.
The Panama Canal is legendary for its scale, precision and volume of daily operations. Keeping things moving smoothly and safely in such a high-pressure setting calls for technology that’s not just accurate—it needs to be tough, smart, and purpose-built. That’s exactly what the NPUT was designed for.
Built specifically for permanent installation on tugs, the NPUT is a compact, robust unit that delivers high-precision position, heading, speed and rate-of-turn data, along with depth and towing winch input capability.
The NPUT is more than a unit—it’s part of our broader effort to make tug operations safer and more efficient. It gives tug masters and pilots reliable, high-quality data right when they need it most. And thanks to close collaboration with operators and engineers at the Panama Canal, we’ve made sure it fits the real-life needs of the people using it every day.
We’re genuinely proud of the work that’s gone into this project, and even prouder to see the NPUT playing its part in one of the most iconic waterways in the world.
