The UK, with US support, is looking for alternatives to GPS that are not dependent on satellite data. This is done out of concern that the RF will try to block the operation of the satellites. It is reported by The Times.
The military speculates that wars could soon be waged with signal-taming devices without firing a shot. This, in particular, was stated by the Deputy Minister of Defense of Great Britain Jeremy Quinn. The government “needs to be vigilant” about the threat of satellite interference, he said, as Russia is using the war in Ukraine to test its GPS obstruction.
“We need to learn from this and continue our own innovative work in this area,” Quinn adds.
Information about the government’s search for alternatives to GPS was confirmed by the British Ministry for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
According to the publication, the UK is considering alternative navigation systems, including the British OneWeb and the American NextNav. Negotiations are already underway with the latter on the deployment in London and Manchester of a navigation system that uses only the signal of ground stations.
“We are working with the US federal government to try to create a system that can replace GPS due to the threat to GPS from Russia and other countries,” said NextNav CEO Ganesh Pattabiraman.
The sudden stop of GPS would be an “almost existential” threat, he said, as it could disrupt power systems, mobile phones, banks, and seriously complicate the use of precision-guided weapons.