Technology to automatically counter the threat of GPS jamming has been successfully demonstrated for the first time, it was announced today.
On several excursions aboard the THV Galatea out of Harwich, UK, ACCSEAS (Accessibility for Shipping, Efficiency Advantages and Sustainability) has successfully demonstrated a prototype resilient PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) system. The system used eLoran technology to automatically and seamlessly step in to transmit mission-critical data in the event of GPS loss or failure. The trials were successfully completed between 28th February and 1st March.
Today, many devices and applications rely on GPS-based information and it plays a fundamental role in delivering the PNT data that ships rely on to ensure safe navigation. GPS signals are vulnerable to interference from space weather, however, accidental jamming and deliberate threats have recently been highlighted as very serious concerns because of the wide availability of GPS jammers online for as little as £30. Even the cheapest jammers are capable of causing complete outages across all receivers currently on the market.
Building on two previous trials conducted by the General Lighthouse Authorities (GLA) in 2008 and 2010 which investigated the impact of GPS service denial, this latest demonstration is the first time that an automatic and seamless solution has been demonstrated in a real-world scenario. The prototype system was integrated into the bridge of the vessel and monitored the performance of independent PNT sources in order to provide the ‘best’ available. As such, when GPS was deliberately jammed, the system switched automatically to eLoran and provided eLoran derived PNT information to the connected bridge systems, allowing them to maintain operation and enabling the mariner to continue to navigate safely and efficiently.
Martin Bransby, Research & Radionavigation Manager at GLA, which carried out the trial on behalf of ACCSEAS, commented, “The more dependent we become on electronic systems, the more resilient they must be. Otherwise, we face a scenario where technology is actually reducing safety rather than enhancing it. Demands on marine navigation are only getting tighter, yet electronic systems at sea are primitive compared to those used in air travel. This needs to change.”
Bransby continued, “The results announced today are a significant step towards mitigating a very real threat in GPS vulnerability. Whereas our previous GPS jamming trials have focused on determining the extent of the problem, today’s results mark a new phase whereby we are proposing legitimate solutions.”
“GPS and other satellite navigation systems are deeply embedded in several critical sectors such as telecommunications, power distribution and high frequency financial trading, in addition to transport,” says Martyn Thomas, Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, “The dangerous over reliance on GPS makes it a potential common point of failure for very many systems, so any technology that can provide resilience to these systems should be welcomed across the board.”
ELoran technology is based on longwave radio signals and is independent and complementary to GPS. ACCSEAS is taking advantage of the availability of the prototype eLoran transmitter at Anthorn and eight other Loran stations around the North Sea Region, but few vessels currently have receivers. Most recently, in January 2013, a differential Loran station was installed at Dover, UK, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, enabling mariners to obtain port approach level accuracies using eLoran within this area; and a receiver was fitted on a P&O Ferries vessel. The successful demonstration of the prototype resilient PNT system is a significant step towards gaining traction for the technology in the shipping industry worldwide.
By 2014, eLoran Initial Operational Capability is expected in seven major ports along the East Coast of the UK, with full operational capability covering all major ports expected by 2019.
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