The ability will present a key functionality to develop UK property that may carry out within the harshest electromagnetic environments on operations.
Beneath the new £20 million contract, QinetiQ will construct a radio frequency, anti-jamming check facility on the Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down web site in Wiltshire.
The ‘silent hangar’ shall be giant sufficient to suit a few of the greatest navy property, together with Protector drones, Chinook helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets – a far larger capability than present UK services.
Attributable to open in 2026, the anechoic hangar creates the right surroundings to check the integrity of the UK’s navy tools. The hangar additionally prevents testing affecting different customers, such because the emergency companies and air site visitors management.
The ability will help new roles over the following two years for the native space round Boscombe Down, additional enhancing the UK’s pool of electromagnetic experience, and expert technical jobs.
It’s going to additionally supply a variety of alternatives past defence, to wider authorities, business and to important nationwide infrastructure.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Business, Maria Eagle, mentioned:
Hostile threats jamming GPS to disorientate navy tools has turn out to be more and more frequent.
This cutting-edge check facility will assist us eradicate vulnerabilities from our platforms, shield our nationwide safety and maintain our Armed Forces higher protected on international deployments.
It will likely be one of many largest services in Europe and roughly the dimensions of an plane hangar, simulating hostile environments and placing the UK’s most superior navy tools by way of its paces.
The specialist hangar will scale back reflections, echoes or the escape of radio-frequency waves. The GPS simulators and menace emulators contained in the chamber will present the flexibility for the UK to create a variety of hostile environments to check how nicely tools can stand up to jamming, and different threats, that try and confuse or disrupt navy property.
Will Blamey, Chief Govt, UK Defence, QinetiQ, mentioned:
On an more and more digital battlefield, the debilitating results of digital warfare are a persistent menace.
The testing we are going to conduct utilizing this new facility shall be integral to strengthening the resilience of navy tools, which in flip enhances the protection and safety of our Armed Forces and the UK.
Richard Bloomfield, Head of Digital Warfare (CBRN) House at Defence Gear & Help, mentioned:
The topic of GPS jamming has been nicely documented within the press, making this new facility all of the extra very important to assist us maintain our armed forces protected whereas defending the nation and our allies.
Not solely will this be one of many largest such chambers in Europe, however it is going to even be one among the hottest and high-tech on the earth, the place hostile environments may be safely recreated to place navy tools, similar to fighter jets and drones, by way of testing to know their efficiency in difficult environments representing the numerous exterior threats that could be confronted.
Uncover extra from sUAS Information
Subscribe to get the most recent posts despatched to your e mail.
