- French and British tech experts will collaborate on multiple projects
- One of them is to secure technology used in GPS systems
- GPS should be more resistant to blocking and clamping
British and French technology experts work closer together to make GPS and other similar technologies more resistant to disruptions.
The news was announced by the British Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) earlier this week. According to the announcement, experts from the two countries will work together on a variety of projects, including strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure for Signal-Jamming, seen in the Russo Ukrainian War.
“From our electricity infrastructure, to transport, to financial transactions, the technique we trust in everyday life depends on reliable positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), often delivered via satellites,” the message reads. “The conflict in Ukraine has shown how new technologies-in some cases just small handheld devices can be used to disrupt PNT services, which could potentially cause major disturbance of the major areas of life and the economy that depend on them.”
E-Loran
One of these complementary technologies that is very resistant to jamming is e-Loran, a system that uses terrestrial radio towers as a “backup” for GPS. DSIT describes it as being “much more challenging” to block, and as such it can keep critical British infrastructure technology that runs “Even when GPS fails”.
The war in Ukraine seems to have exposed significant weaknesses in today’s GPS systems that could end in tragedy. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Telegraph’s researchers examined Flight Administration for the first four months of 2024, which included 63 British military aircraft, which carried out 1,467 flights over Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
“During this time, the United Kingdom’s Military Aviation flew 504 Transport and Reconnaissance Missions over Eastern Europe, where 142 of them encountered GPS fixed clamping, and in 60 cases several times more times,” the publication explained.
At the same time, Business Insider reported that Finnish soldiers are training with “basic navigation tools” – paper cards and compasses due to the unreliability of GPS systems.
Via Registered
