The power 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 take a look at facility on the Ministry of Defence’s Boscombe Down website in Wiltshire.
The ‘silent hangar’ will likely be giant sufficient to suit among the largest navy property, together with Protector drones, Chinook helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets – a far better capability than present UK services.
Resulting from open in 2026, the anechoic hangar creates the proper atmosphere to check the integrity of the UK’s navy tools. The hangar additionally prevents testing affecting different customers, such because the emergency providers and air site visitors management.
The power will help new roles over the subsequent two years for the native space round Boscombe Down, additional enhancing the UK’s pool of electromagnetic experience, and expert technical jobs.
It should additionally provide a spread of alternatives past defence, to wider authorities, trade and to vital nationwide infrastructure.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Business, Maria Eagle, mentioned:
Hostile threats jamming GPS to disorientate navy tools has turn into more and more frequent.
This cutting-edge take a look at facility will assist us remove vulnerabilities from our platforms, shield our nationwide safety and hold our Armed Forces higher protected on international deployments.
It will likely be one of many largest services in Europe and roughly the scale 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 cut 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 various hostile environments to check how properly 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 will likely 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) Area at Defence Gear & Assist, mentioned:
The topic of GPS jamming has been properly documented within the press, making this new facility all of the extra important to assist us hold 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 in every of the hottest and high-tech on the earth, the place hostile environments might be safely recreated to place navy tools, reminiscent of fighter jets and drones, by way of testing to know their efficiency in difficult environments representing the various exterior threats that could be confronted.
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