The Ministry of Defence has announced the construction of a cutting-edge anti-jamming test facility at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, designed to protect military equipment from GPS jamming threats.
The £20 million contract has been awarded to QinetiQ, which will build one of Europe’s largest anechoic chambers, set to open in 2026.
The facility, known as the “silent hangar,” will be capable of housing large military assets such as Protector drones, Chinook helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets for testing against electronic warfare threats.
According to Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle, the new facility will “help us eliminate vulnerabilities from our platforms, protect our national security and keep our Armed Forces better protected on global deployments.”
The design of the hangar will ensure that radio-frequency waves do not escape, preventing interference with other essential services like emergency response and air traffic control.
The project is expected to create around 20 new jobs in the Boscombe Down area and will support not only defence needs but also wider government and industry applications.
Will Blamey, Chief Executive of UK Defence at QinetiQ, noted that “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.”
Richard Bloomfield, Head of Electronic Warfare (CBRN) Space at Defence Equipment & Support, pointed out that “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.” He added that the facility will be “one of the most up-to-date and high-tech in the world,” capable of replicating hostile environments to thoroughly test military assets in challenging conditions.
This initiative is part of the Long Term Partnering Agreement with QinetiQ.
Sensible investment.
Suprised it is that cheap TBH.
Suggests it is an existing structure?
Ideally you build this to be able to accommodate one end of a big airliner with doors that adjust to odd shapes so that you can test these too?
I think you need to get the whole aircraft inside the structure?
They have one already at Boscombe. I’ve been in, very odd sensation to the ears! No reverberation, sound seems to be sucked out.
That will be the anechoic chamber this will be an EM screened chamber.
I believe they are the same facility. The reason for my visit was EMP resiliency testing. Certainly, the headline picture depicts a Toucano (I think) in an anechoic chamber.
Cheers
Which is why I was suggesting for £20m it had to be an existing building that was being modified and upgraded.
Anchors rooms are really weird as all the normal audible cues are just not there.
👍
It’s a Pilatus PC-21, as it helpfully says on the rear fuselage. 😃
I’m love a go in one, They fly over quite often practising. Bloody noisy they are too.
Cheers, Specsavers anyone?🤓
Its not just aircraft that are tested!
Yup, I’ve witnessed AFV’s being tested too!
Pilatus PC21 in the pic, they fly out of Boscombe, normally in pairs, we often see them with the Cobham Falcons, noisy but they do sound good when doing their dog fights.
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I think it is, yes.
I have a certain hanger in mind.
Boscombe is the natural location for this.
Good bit of investment
Not sure this is a good investment as a large facility already exists at BAE Warton that can do the same job. The real cost is in the amplifiers to generate the required signals so if a screened room exists that will do the job just reuse.
Good to have one on MoD estate, though.
I don’t think any part of Warton is MoD owned.
I would have thought Spadeadam would be a better fit. Form a centre of excellence across the EW spectrum.
There is no real runway at Spadeadam AFAIK, so test subjects would need to be trucked in, surely more convenient to locate at an active airfield?
The “runway” that is there is fake.
Agree on the centre of excellence, which Spad is, along with Waddington.
There is a large four spot pan which any of the rotary assets can use. 35 can also use I would think. The UAV could easily be trucked in. Remote location would be ideal in my eye. There is also a case for a runway at Spadeadam also a refuelling facility. At present Eshot airfield is making a bundle as a petrol station for the MOD and Other Nations.
Evening. Very true with the rotary.
Eshot? Interesting, I’ve not heard of that place I’ll have a look.
I know Leeming is also used.
Really interesting, just looked Eshott up. Had never heard of the place!
They get a lot of Rotary visitors. Especially Apaches using Otterburn. Merlins Lynx Chinook Coastguard Police. It is also in real terms one of the gateway approaches to Spad of the North Sea. C17 have done low level fly pasts. No landings as yet though as far as I know.
Really interesting, and new to me so always appreciate a new bit of info.
I did notice as I was looking at it on GE his close Otterburn is to the west.
Council want to fine the owners for its use like this as the assets using it are too heavy.
Really….they should be honoured that their armed forces have use for it.
Just my out if date view.
For Spad they tend to favour Carlisle. I think it depends on their routes in and out. Also what area of the range they are using. Eshot very popular with Apaches for sure in and out of Otterburn. Pictures on open sources of military AC using the field. On the commercial aspect refuelling is revenue for the field, typical of a council not to understand revenue flows. It’s hardly a built up area so I can’t see the problem. Interestingly the SNP have in my eyes an almost disdain for the UK military. Even less for the US military. However… Read more »
On a separate subject have you picked up on Hartland Points latest voyage.
No? What have I missed?
She loaded our of Sunny Point. On her way to Emden. No prizes for what’s onboard. A well trodden path by the US shadow fleet which have all turned of their tracking now.
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As I’m obviously no expert, dare I ask those of you who are, just what GPS Jamming systems are used to test these ? I’m guessing the various different potential enemies will have their own jamming systems so how do we do this ?
Nick them.
Or buy them on Amazon. Increase the range from a few metres to thousands by adding a highpower amplifier. If you have spent all your budget on an expensive hanger a pocket money priced system would be a good start.🔧🔨Joking aside the UK probably already has access to military grade GPS jammers.
There’s a chap called Yaroslav, he has a tractor, and is an expert at towing AFVs down country roads in the dark. Seriously though the war in Ukraine has resulted in a lot of captured Russian hardware, that has gone for what’s called Foreign Materiel Exploitation by us and the US- after Ukraine has taken a peek of course. A lot of it, because of the threat of drones and PGMs, are the latest models as well. In addition to that, we have ELINT aircraft flying circuits in Poland and Romania, sucking up any and all signals that are being… Read more »
Thank you Joe, I was beginning to think any of my comments were just going to attract more grief. It’s just what I was thinking really, having this stuff to be able to evaluate/test must surely be the key when it comes to this sort of stuff ?
Russian Systems have been touted as pretty good over the years at this sort of thing, I guess we now have access to some of them so it makes sense. Wonder if we have similar success with Chinese systems ?
Sorry if you’re getting some flack, the comments section can be a shade sarcastic and/or salty at times. It is absolutely vital that we have representative equipment from the countries/groups that we might be facing off against for testing. We, but even more so the US, have entire units of the armed forces devoted to sourcing, evaluating, copying and countering enemy equipment- which is the FME I was referring to. They often buy the stuff from countries that may have bought it from source (like Egypt or elsewhere), but Russia often sells less advanced stuff to them and keeps the… Read more »
Spadeadam has several Soviet era SAMs, SA6s, SA8s, ZSU 23s, and radar systems, and has had them long before the Ukraine war kicked off.
NATO aircraft fly against them, and the training is invaluable.
No doubt more modern systems have been acquired by the FME methods as Joe describes, and this has gone on for years.
Signals recorded by collection assets are added to the collection of the JEWOSC at Waddo to advise front line forces.
A fascinating area.
I figured they had and maybe some newer stuff. TBH, I have no Idea whatsoever about this tech it just seemed that whatever was being done here would involve actual/potential enemy tech.
The Tractor wars! It was a big thing in 2022 when lots of Russian kit was getting towed away, but is quieter now the front lines have intensified.
When Finland was announcing joining NATO and Russia threatened them I saw on Twitter that they deployed Tractors to the border as a piss take.
Hillarious.
Hi Daniele, I studied the Fins “war plan” in depth recently, the forest tracks etc. Must admit they would be a fearsome lot to take on having learned how to fight Russians the hard way. Their arty alone is amazing. And with Sweden it gives Nato the depth on the northern flank it always lacked in my day. Do not miss Northern Merger though one bit, my toes get cold just thinking about it.
Afternoon John.
Yes, they’re well prepared! Bunkers everywhere, bridges surveyed to blow.
As you said, they know how to fight them.
Respect, mate.
I’m saying nowt. 🚀🔥👀
You are making me smile Baker
Are you a fellow northerner or has the word nowt spread far and wide
A few weeks ago you took on some of the regular contributors like DM and I commented
Just keep contributing
Bunkers are part of the Finnish building regulations so all new builds must have them, usually on the ground or basement floor on the least desirable side of the building since windows are not required.
It’s in the Finnish psyche to be prepared with ‘war stocks’ as people remember the famines of the 20th century and the wars too.
Building Regulations also provide lanes for non ICU traffic including walk, run, ski, cycle because they were smart enough to act having seen deteriorating public health last century. Smart people!
With such a small population and no mass immigration influx, they can afford to, and be organised.
Especially if they start from scratch.
A high density country like the UK with legacy infrastructure, like our railways built in Victorian times, not so easy.
Yes, much to admire with the Finns.
The Finns love a tractor and heavy plant generally as both field, forest and civil engineering require serious kit when most of your country is built on granite not clay. Nothing runs like a Deere! Since Finland joined they have built better fences along the border and closed it to random asylum seekers from Syria etc. that the FSB thought would be useful to disrupt another sovereign democratic nation. Of course the memory of the Winter War and continuing National Service means that there is consensus for 3% GDP Defence Spending and they already did the transformation from BMP /… Read more »
Was not aware of their Tractor fondness, nor their geological foundations, thanks.
I spent 2 days in Helsinki having got the train there from St P.
Very nice.
Understandable as Helsinki is not tractor countryside.
Because they have punitive sales tax on new vehicles, expected to discourage more ICE, they have many well maintained old and classic vehicles.
There’s a preference for American classic cars, only driven in summer time, since they can be traded without the punitive sales tax. Motorcycles also tend not to be leading edge, despite 5 race circuits to have some fun. The speeding law is smart: fine is a percentage of income, so nobody wants that. Much better to go on circuit to see what it can do..
Very true, I’d be far less keen on trying to tow away a stranded tank with a tractor in this age of drones…!
That’s brilliant- I hadn’t seen that before! I hope Putin got sent an extra large print out of them lined up at the border.
There’s a wide variety of jamming kit from the obvious radio power to overwhelm the receiver up to impersonating a satellite to fully mislead the receiver. The GPS standard of GNSS has both civilian and military codes so making it a little harder to jam. Of course the drone use is likely to be the cheapest civilian receiver while Storm Shadow and friends are on the military codes. Having alternative guidance like Inertial Navigation System or Terrain Following is only on the top end military applications. Since INS is digital and as cheap as a couple of dollars due to… Read more »
There is already an anechoic chamber at Boscombe, which is a converted HAS. However, even though it is relatively large. It is limited in what aircraft can fit into the chamber. But also how they can be positioned. These chambers are usually used to test an aircraft against EW threats, but also to see if the aircraft is radiating when it’s not meant to be. For example you could blast the aircraft with an X-band radar, to map the aircraft’s return hotspots. I believe BAe Warton have the biggest chamber and perhaps most advanced chamber in Europe currently. So it… Read more »