Photo: QinetiQ

The UK Ministry of Defence will construct a new anti-jamming test facility at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. This facility is designed to safeguard military equipment from threats posed by GPS jamming. A £20 million ($26 million) contract has been awarded to the defense technology firm QinetiQ, which will create one of Europe’s largest anechoic chambers, set to be operational by 2026.

This facility, referred to as a “silent hangar,” will accommodate large military assets such as Protector UAVs, Chinook helicopters and F-35 fighter jets, allowing for comprehensive testing against electronic warfare threats. Maria Eagle, the minister for defense procurement and industry, said that this facility will help eliminate vulnerabilities in military systems, thereby enhancing national security and better protecting armed forces during global deployments.

The hangar will be engineered to minimize radio-frequency wave leakage, ensuring that testing does not interfere with local emergency services and air traffic control. Additionally, according to the UK Ministry of Defence, the project is expected to generate 20 new jobs in the Boscombe Down area and will support broader applications beyond defense, benefiting various sectors of government and industry.

<p>The post UK Ministry of Defence, QinetiQ to build anti-jamming test facility first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Photo: Infleqtion

The UK has successfully tested quantum-based navigation systems in flight. The commercial trial was led by Infleqtion, a quantum technology company, and is designed to improve resilience against GPS jamming and spoofing.

Although GPS jamming typically does not affect an aircraft’s flight path, quantum-based positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) systems aim to provide accurate and resilient navigation, complementing existing satellite systems and offering uninterrupted operations for global air traffic.

Infleqtion, in collaboration with aerospace companies BAE Systems and QinetiQ, conducted the trials at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire. Science Minister Andrew Griffith participated in the final test flight on May 9. The project has received nearly £8 million in government funding as part of the National Quantum Strategy, which seeks to establish the UK as a leader in quantum technology.

The test flights included two key quantum technologies: the compact Tiqker optical atomic clock and an ultra-cold-atom-based quantum system, both tested aboard QinetiQ’s RJ100 Airborne Technology Demonstrator. These technologies are part of developing a quantum inertial navigation system (Q-INS), which aims to provide precise and resilient navigation independent of traditional GNSS.

The successful flight trials are a step towards deploying quantum navigation systems on aircraft by 2030 as part of the UK’s National Quantum Strategy. The demonstrated potential of quantum technology in enhancing navigation security is an important development for future aerospace applications.

<p>The post UK government tests quantum-inertial navigation technology first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Drawing more than1,500 visitors annually, DSEI is an event at which representatives from governments, armed forces and industry leaders meet to advance the technology of weapons systems. With mostly armed or armored exhibits, the show is aimed at demonstrating to British forces and others coming from around the world, the various advances in weapons-related products and activities — with technological advances taking a primary position throughout the meeting and the exhibit hall.

Some unmanned exhibits/notes of interest

Drone Evolution promoted its UK-built Sentinel tethered UAV and MPU5 mesh radio system that puts a UAV-mounted radio/camera/thermal imaging system more than 150 ft above the ground for up to 6 hr or more — typically to support intelligence gathering, surveillance / reconnaissance, force protection and security. Sentinel is capable of running off of 12 v or 24 v power such as from a field vehicle battery without an inverter or generator, but also through main power, the company states.

Elistair France also launched its Orion 2.2 TE tethered UAV with a 2-in-1 propeller configuration change, which allows it to carry a heavier 5 kg payload. A recently integrated Nextvision Raptor with a 3 km laser rangefinder provides continuous imagery, target tracking, automated object categorization, automated scanning routines, and points of interest for military units, border guards, and national security agencies. Elistair claims its Orion UAV is capable of continuous operations for more than 50 hr over a 328 ft tether.

Robosys Automation and Landau Marine announced a collaboration to convert regular marine vehicles into autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USV). UK’s Robosys provided the Voyager artificial intelligence (AI) vessel system — an autonomy solution using AI combined with decision-aids. These new USVs are capable of surveillance, surveying, warfare, and patrolling duties — Voyager AI is claimed to be vessel-, propulsion-, and sensor-systems agnostic and retrofitting a crewed vessel can result in an autonomous craft operating at speeds of up to 45 kn. The system provides collision avoidance, anti-grounding, smart object avoidance, and autonomous operation during loss of communications.

Orion 2.2 TE – Standard props (left) and with heavy-lift props (right). (Image: Elistair)

Robosys Automation and Landau Marine announced a collaboration to convert regular marine vehicles into autonomous unmanned surface vessels (USV). UK’s Robosys provided the Voyager artificial intelligence (AI) vessel system — an autonomy solution using AI combined with decision-aids. These new USVs are capable of surveillance, surveying, warfare, and patrolling duties — Voyager AI is claimed to be vessel-, propulsion-, and sensor-systems agnostic and retrofitting a crewed vessel can result in an autonomous craft operating at speeds of up to 45 kn. The system provides collision avoidance, anti-grounding, smart object avoidance, and autonomous operation during loss of communications.

Landau Marine USV conversion (Image: Landau)

W Autonomous Systems (WAS) released news of the first landing of an autonomous UAV on the UK Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier Prince of Wales while at sea off Cornwall, England. The WAS HCMC UAV involved has two engines and a twin boom tail and can carry 220 lb across 620 mi and land within 500 ft — about half the length of the landing area on the Price of Wales aircraft carrier. For this trial, the UAV took off from a remote airfield at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose and flew for 20 min to land autonomously on the deck of the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier. The trials aimed to demonstrate that cargo UAVs are capable of relieving some of the re-supply tasks which are currently carried out by the ship’s helicopters. 

BAE Systems and QinetiQ signed an agreement at DSEI to collaborate on autonomous uncrewed air systems (UAS) and mission management systems. Both companies are leading competitive UK aerospace companies, and it’s perhaps unusual to see them collaborating. Perhaps this indicates the degree of importance and complexity that this development investment signifies. The mission management system work will investigate compatibility between BAE Systems and QinetiQ ground-based mission software systems, and develop autonomous systems that enable operator/human decision-makers to combine the use of both manned and unmanned assets on the battlefield. The companies will continue to develop their own airborne vehicles independently but aligned with the intent to continue their collaborative concepts.

HMS Price of Wales leaving Portsmouth UK on its way to rendezvous for the HCMC UAV autonomous deck landing at sea (Image: UK Ministry of Defence)

In summary

This show is huge and this was only a small sample of the sort of unmanned and autonomous news found there this year — tethered UAVs, retrofitting surface vessels to become autonomous USVs, autonomous landings on the Royal Navy aircraft carrier Price of Wales and British industrial collaboration around UAVs.

<p>The post Samples from DSEI Unmanned 2023 first appeared on GPS World.</p>

GMV trades in the aerospace, defense, ICT and intelligent transportation systems markets, while NSL is a U.K. leader in satellite navigation and critical applications.

After the agreement, GMV becomes sole shareholder of NSL and sets up the company GMV NSL, to be integrated seamlessly into GMV’s set of companies. NSL was founded in 1998 by Vidal Ashkenazi, a former member of GPS World’s Editorial Advisory Board.

Vidal Ashkenazi

In 2013, as part of its international expansion, GMV rolled out a business development strategy in the U.K. This involved setting up a new company, which came on stream in late 2014 to join the suite of companies and offices in Spain, USA, Germany, France, Poland, Portugal, Romania, The Netherlands, Malaysia and Colombia.

Working from its Harwell innovation center in Oxfordshire, GMV’s main U.K. business is Earth observation, space debris tracking, mission planning, flight dynamics, navigation, autonomy and robotics. Its principal clients include the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC), as well as U.K.’s space agency (UKSA), the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), Innovate UK, ASUK, Satellite applications Catapult and the Science Technology Facility Council (STFC).

Set up in 1998 and with a solid and acknowledged track record in high-tech projects, NSL is a U.K.-based SME specializing in satellite navigation and critical applications. From its Nottingham head office in the East Midlands, NSL offers GNSS-based services, systems, solutions and intellectual property, helping to ensure that navigation and positioning are precise and reliable, secure and protected, resistant and robust. NSL’s major clients include UK Space Agency, ESA, U.K. Government departments, QinetiQ, Inmarsat, and the European Commission.

GMV NSL, 80 strong, will be integrated into GMV’s set of companies, which closed 2019 with a staff of 2,176 and a turnover of more than €236 million. Membership of the GMV powerhouse will enable GMV NSL to rise to even greater challenges and tap into the opportunities offered by the U.K. market, especially the space market, not only in satellite navigation and in critical applications, but also in Earth observation, telecommunications and new technologies, with the overarching aim of winning pole position in Britain’s space sector.

Jesús B. Serrano, GMV CEO (Photo: GMV)

“This merger will enable the resultant firm to tap into significant commercial, technological and operational synergies, boosting GMV NSL’s rate of growth and winning it a place in the space programs of both the U.K. and Europe as a whole,” said Jesús B. Serrano, GMV CEO.

“In our different ways, GMV and NSL are regarded as world leading space companies and this agreement will expand our capabilities and capacity enabling us to successfully tackle even greater challenges and consolidate GMV NSL’s position as the benchmark space company,” Mark Dumville, co-founder and director of NSL, added.

The sheer quality of both teams and the like-mindedness of GMV and NSL on company values, heritage, technological excellence and client satisfaction were all deal clinchers in this merger agreement.

<p>The post GMV NSL launched: GMV merges UK company with Nottingham Scientific first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Photo: Collins Aerospace

QinetiQ and its partner Collins Aerospace have won a £67 million contract with the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to develop multi-constellation satellite receivers under the U.K. Robust Global Navigation System (R-GNS) program.

The program will deliver critical capability to provide UK Defence with accurate and resilient positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), which will underpin the UK’s ability to undertake 24/7 military operations around the world in demanding and increasingly contested operational environments.

QinetiQ, working with its partner (Collins Aerospace) and sub-contractors (Roke Manor Research, Raytheon Systems Limited, Garfield Microelectronics, Nottingham Scientific Limited, Phixos and a number of other specialist suppliers and manufacturing partners) will work together to provide advanced navigation products that are UK sovereign supplied, low size, weight and power (SWAP) delivering high-accuracy, resilient and secured operational capability.

The use of multi-constellation, multi-service satellite navigation signals, multiple sensors and QinetiQ’s advanced processing technologies will enable secured navigation, ensuring that users and platforms —autonomous land, maritime, air and weapons systems — will be able to navigate accurately, robustly and safely.

“Whether it’s soldiers conducting operations in remote environments or fighter jet pilots flying in contested airspace, our Armed Forces depend on satellite navigation technology,” said Defence Minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan. “These state-of-the-art receivers will help to ensure our armed forces can defend UK interests wherever and whenever they are threatened.”

“Ensuring that UK Forces have the best and most resilient secured navigation capabilities is essential to ensuring that they are able to operate effectively in increasingly challenging operational environments,” Steve Wadey, CEO, QinetiQ said. “We are extremely pleased to be working with MOD, DE&S and DSTL to deliver this critical capability. This programme will exploit QinetiQ’s advanced technologies and, working collaboratively with our partners across the supply base, deliver substantial operational advantage for UK Defence.”

The delivery date for the first R-GNS products is February 2022.

<p>The post Qinetiq, Collins to develop GNSS receivers for UK first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Remotely controlled Javelin firings can help keep soldiers out of harm’s way. (Photo: Lockheed Martin)

The Javelin Joint Venture team, a partnership of Raytheon Company and Lockheed Martin, successfully fired Javelin missiles from a Kongsberg remote launcher mounted on a Titan unmanned ground vehicle built by QinetiQ North America and Milrem Robotics.

The demonstrations, conducted at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center, Alabama, validated the integration of the weapon station, missile and vehicle.

“Javelin is ready to support emerging military robotic vehicle requirements,” said Sam Deneke, Raytheon Land Warfare Systems vice president. “Remotely operated technology like this protects soldiers in battle.”

Javelin has been fielded on the Common Remote Operations Weapon Station-Javelin across U.S. Army Stryker 8×8 vehicle brigades in Europe.

“Javelin offers true fire-and-forget engagements to 4 kilometers in most operational conditions,” said David Pantano, Javelin Joint Venture vice president and Lockheed Martin Javelin program director. “Once the launch command is issued, soldiers and vehicle assets like the UGV can reposition out of harm’s way. These tests demonstrated our ability to evolve Javelin capabilities to address new missions in support of the warfighter.”

Javelin is a versatile one-man-portable and platform-employed anti-tank and multi-target precision weapon system. The Javelin Joint Venture team has produced more than 45,000 Javelin missiles and 12,000 command launch units. The program continually updates the system to stay ahead of advancing threats, including enhancing its platform-mounted capabilities.

U.S. and coalition forces have used Javelin extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq in more than 5,000 engagements.

<p>The post Javelin missiles remotely launched from unmanned vehicle first appeared on GPS World.</p>

The goal was to determine how new unmanned technologies can enhance soldier’s survivability and effectiveness on the modern battlefield.

The modular base can be adapted for various missions, including casualty retrieval. (Photo: Milrem Robotics)

The test was conducted in three phases: conduct combat operations without the benefit of new technologies; conduct combat operations using new technologies but without changing tactics; and, lastly, conduct combat operations using new technologies and adapting tactics according to the capability that the new technology provides.

The UGVs were used in a number of different roles with missions conducted in urban, open and forested terrain.

In remote-control mode, a command-and-control station allows the operator to receive real-time sensor data from the UGV and to transmit command data to the vehicle through a tactical data link. Various third-party sensor packages can be installed.

Of the four Milrem UGVs, two were deployed by Milrem Robotics and two by QinetiQ. The Milrem-fielded systems included one configured as a casualty evacuation and logistical support unit and a second unit equipped with a tethered multi-rotor drone pod provided by Threod Systems.

One of the four UGVs was TITAN Strike, a prototype system carrying a Kongsberg remote weapon station, fully controlled by a remote operator and using QinetiQ’s Pointer system as a means of integrating the capability with dismounted infantry.

The second system, TITAN Sentry, also enabled with Pointer, featured a Hensoldt-provided sensor suite including electro-optical and thermal-imaging cameras and a battlefield radar.

<p>The post UK tests tracking UGVs in military exercise first appeared on GPS World.</p>

Check out a photo slideshow and videos from the event below, as well as speeches from each of the award winners.

• Satellites Leadership Award

Giuliano Gatti | Space Segment Procurement Manager, European Space Agency

Gatti received the award for his contribution to setting up the Galileo constellation from GIOVE-A and -B precursors through all Galileo operational satellites: Soyuz and Ariane 5 launches, a total of 26 Galileo satellites deployed in 7 years.

Javier Benedicto, head of the Galileo Programme and Navigation-related Activities, European Space Agency, accepted the award and delivered these remarks on behalf of Gatti.

Check out his speech here.

• Signals Leadership Award

Logan Scott | Principal, LS Consulting

Scott is the inventor of an asymmetric navigation security paradigm for civil GPS signals that avoids the need for secure key storage in civil receivers and allows for widespread adoption in applications without physical security capabilities.

Check out his speech here.

• Services Leadership Award

John Raquet | Director, Autonomy and Navigation Technology Center (ANT), U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology

Raquet’s team has developed PNT sensors and systems utilizing GPS, GNSS, inertial, vision, lidar, magnetic field, pseudolites, radar, terrain mapping, signals of opportunity, star trackers, radio ranging, 3D audio, X-ray pulsars, clocks, and more.

Check out his speech here.

• Products Leadership Award

Andrew Simsky, Wim De Wilde, Jean-Marie Sleewaegen and Tom Willems | Navigation Algorithms Software Engineer, System Designer, System Architect, and Senior Researcher, Septentrio

The Septentrio team received this award for developing the versatile PolaRx5 receivers, enabling many Earth-observing applications including worldwide ionosphere monitoring.

Sleewaegen offers an acceptance speech on behalf of the team here.

Photos

Videos

Click the symbol in the top left hand corner to choose the video you’d like to view.

Words from our sponsors

Satellites. “We have seen our military and professional users looking to greater flexibility in their use of GNSS, as new capabilities and constellations come on line. But with that flexibility, a retention of assurance and where possible, mitigation of threats. For this reason Rockwell Collins and QinetiQ signed an agreement to produce a new family of high-assurance, multi-constellation GNSS receivers for professional and military use.

“This new family of receivers, complementary to the current encrypted family of Rockwell Collins receivers in service across the globe, allows the customer to select level of capability and protection based upon their operational, political or even financial needs. The new MICRO family of GNSS receivers will offer a multi-constellation open service (MCOS) GNSS capability, which will initially provide two receivers; the Q40-MicroPNT will address dismounted low-dynamics requirements, and the Q40-MicroSTRIKE will be a gun-hard, high-dynamics receiver.”
—Phil Froom, Rockwell Collins

Signals. “For over thirty years, we’ve overcome challenges and delivered GPS payloads that provide a technology the world uses every day. We’ve gotten to the point where we can honestly say, almost nothing works without GPS. The challenge that I see [for the future] is to overcome the politics: Where do governments of GNSS draw the line between doing what’s right for a PNT solution for the common good of humanity globally versus addressing your national security and protecting your own country? Truth is, because of politics, year after year our government has been forced to start the fiscal year with a continuing resolution because our politicians can’t approve a budget.”
—Joe Rolli, Harris Corporation

Services. “We’ve been manufacturing GPS simulators for the past 30 years. This year we launch a new product, SimMNSA. We’re currently in the final test phase of this new M-code option and we’ll be delivering to several authorized customers by the end of the year. We also offer products that simulate all other GNSS signals, plus a variety of other sensors.”
—Ellen Hall, Spirent Federal

<p>The post GPS World 2018 Leadership Awards overview first appeared on GPS World.</p>