‘Silent hangar’ to help protect against GPS jamming
A new ‘silent hangar’ test facility is being built to help military equipment including helicopters and jet aircraft to be better protected from GPS jamming.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the facility will provide a key capability to develop UK assets that can perform in the harshest electromagnetic environments on operations.
Under the new £20m contract, Qinetiq will build a radio frequency, anti-jamming test facility at the MoD’s Boscombe Down site in Wiltshire.
The so-called ‘silent hangar’ will be large enough to accommodate military assets including Protector drones, Chinook helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets.
Due to open in 2026, the anechoic hangar creates an environment to test the integrity of the UK’s military equipment. The hangar also prevents testing affecting other users, such as the emergency services and air traffic control.
In a statement, Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, said: “Hostile threats jamming GPS to disorientate military equipment has become increasingly common.
“This…test facility will help us eliminate vulnerabilities from our platforms, protect our national security and keep our armed forces better protected on global deployments.”
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