A new test facility, one of the largest in Europe, will help military kit to be better protected from attempts to jam GPS devices. The facility will provide a key capability to develop U.K. assets that can perform in the harshest electromagnetic environments on operations.

Under the new £20 million contract, QinetiQ will build a RF anti-jamming test facility at the Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down site in Wiltshire. The ‘silent hangar’ will be large enough to fit some of the biggest military assets, including Protector drones, Chinook helicopters and F-35 fighter jets – a far greater capacity than existing U.K. facilities.

Due to open in 2026, the anechoic hangar creates the perfect environment to test the integrity of the U.K.’s military equipment. The hangar also prevents testing affecting other users, such as the emergency services and air traffic control.

The facility will support new roles over the next two years for the local area around Boscombe Down, further enhancing the U.K.’s pool of electromagnetic expertise, and skilled technical jobs. It will also offer a range of opportunities beyond defence, to wider government, industry and to critical national infrastructure.

“Hostile threats jamming GPS to disorientate military equipment has become increasingly common,” said Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle. “This cutting-edge test facility will help us eliminate vulnerabilities from our platforms, protect our national security and keep our Armed Forces better protected on global deployments.”

It will be one of the largest facilities in Europe and roughly the size of an aircraft hangar, simulating hostile environments and putting the U.K.’s most advanced military equipment through its paces.  

The specialist hangar will reduce reflections, echoes or the escape of RF waves. The GPS simulators and threat emulators inside the chamber will provide the ability for the U.K. to create a number of hostile environments to test how well equipment can withstand jamming, and other threats, that attempt to confuse or disrupt military assets.

“On an increasingly digital battlefield, the debilitating effects of electronic warfare are a persistent threat, said Will Blamey, chief executive, U.K. Defence, QinetiQ. “The testing we will conduct using this new facility will be integral to strengthening the resilience of military equipment, which in turn enhances the safety and security of our Armed Forces and the U.K.”  

“The subject of GPS jamming has been well documented in the press, making this new facility all the more vital to help us keep our armed forces safe while protecting the nation and our allies, Richard Bloomfield, Head of Electronic Warfare (CBRN) Space at Defence Equipment & Support said. “Not only will this be one of the largest such chambers in Europe, but it will also be one of the most up to date and high-tech in the world, where hostile environments can be safely recreated to put military equipment, such as fighter jets and drones, through testing to understand their performance in challenging environments representing the many external threats that may be faced.”