The UK Ministry of Defense commissioned QinetiQ to build a “silent hangar”, which will be one of the largest and most advanced anechoic chambers in Europe, in order to perform jamming resistance testing of GPS devices on UK aircrafts.
The facility will provide a key capability to develop assets that can operate in the harshest of electromagnetic operating environments.
Under the new £20 million contract, QinetiQ will build an anti-jamming radio frequency test facility at the Ministry of Defense’s Boscombe Down site in Wiltshire.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, said:
“Hostile threats jamming GPS to disorientate military equipment has become increasingly common. 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.”
The “silent hangar” will be large enough to house some of the largest military assets, including Protector drones, Chinook helicopters and F-35 fighter jets, a capacity far greater than existing UK facilities.
Scheduled to open in 2026, the anechoic hangar creates the perfect environment for testing the integrity of UK military equipment. The hangar also prevents testing from affecting other users, such as emergency services and air traffic control.
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The facility will support new roles over the next two years for the local area around Boscombe Down, further enhancing the UK’s pool of electromagnetic expertise and specialist technical work.
Will Blamey, Chief Executive, UK Defence, QinetiQ, said:
“On an increasingly digital battlefield, the debilitating effects of electronic warfare are a persistent threat. 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 United Kingdom.”
It will be one of the largest facilities in Europe and approximately the size of an aircraft hangar, simulating hostile environments and testing the UK’s most advanced military equipment.
The specialized hangar will reduce reflections, echoes or radio frequency wave leakage. GPS simulators and threat emulators within the chamber will provide the capability for the UK to create a range of hostile environments to test how well the equipment can withstand jamming and other threats that attempt to confuse or disrupt military assets.
Richard Bloomfield, Head of Electronic Warfare (CBRN) Space at Defence Equipment & Support, said:
“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. 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.”
