Cobham Secures UK MoD's Anti-Jam Satellite Signal Research Contract

The UK Ministry of Defence has asked Cobham Aerospace to research Advanced Anti-Jam techniques for the protection of navigation signals received from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).

"Cobham Aerospace Connectivity announces that it has been awarded a contract by the UK MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to research Advanced Anti-Jam techniques for the protection of navigation signals received from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)," the company said in a statement last week.

The contract will see Cobham conduct research to develop means to provide assured and resilient Position Navigation and Timing (PNT) information derived from the GNSS multi-constellation.

The research is set against a backdrop of increasing reliance on GNSS navigation signals in the nation’s critical infrastructure and national security and the frequent interruptions of the signals either accidentally or intentionally. The more sophisticated interruptions involve the falsification of the navigation signal information for nefarious reasons such as piracy, civil disruption and military advantage, Cobham said.

The DE&S-backed research feeds into the company’s goal of taking already developed Anti Jam capability and developing a miniaturized system capable of providing advanced means of protection of the navigation signals received from the GNSS multi-constellation network. The anti-jam system will combine the use of advanced Controlled Radiation Pattern Array (CRPA) antenna technology with intelligent digital signal processing techniques not only to ensure reliable and assured navigation information, but also to derive important signal intelligence and domain awareness information regarding the source and nature of the interference and the best means of mitigation.