ESA tests GNSS resilience during jamming test in the Arctic
In the world's largest field test for satellite navigation, ESA is investigating how Galileo and GPS react to jamming and spoofing with 360 participants.
ESA took part in this year's jamming test in Norway. The effects of GPS jamming and spoofing are being investigated there.
(Image: ESA)
The European Space Agency (ESA) has taken part in the world's largest field test for the resilience of satellite navigation systems. At the 2025 Jammer Test in Bleik, Norway, 300 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, 360 participants from 120 organisations and over 20 countries investigated how their GNSS receivers react to targeted interference attacks. The event is organised annually by seven Norwegian authorities and Testnor.
The increasing dependence on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) such as the European Galileo or the US GPS makes these systems attractive targets for jammers. Incidents are increasing worldwide daily – UN organizations had already warned of the dramatic increase in April.
The economic risks are considerable: a GNSS failure would cost Europe billions of euros every day, according to the ESA. Not only navigation services would be affected, but also energy networks, banking infrastructure, emergency transportation and civil aviation. The precise time signals from satellites synchronize financial transactions, communication networks and power supplies – a failure would have far-reaching consequences for public safety.
Jamming, spoofing and meaconing in practice
The jamming test simulates three main types of GNSS interference. Jamming floods receivers with interference signals on the same frequencies, completely blocking satellite navigation. Polish researchers documented such interference in the Baltic Sea for over 84 hours in 2024.
Spoofing, in which fake signals are sent out to mislead receivers, is even more dangerous. A variant of this is meaconing, in which genuine signals are recorded, delayed and rebroadcast – harder to recognise because the signals are authentic.
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Galileo Second Generation with improved interference immunity
"As designers of the EU satellite navigation systems, we are responsible for building technical capabilities into EGNOS and Galileo that ensure robustness against jamming and spoofing," explains Miguel Manteiga Bautista, ESA Head of Galileo. The first Galileo generation already offers services such as the Public Regulated Service with special protection functions. Improvements through multi-frequency operation, wider bandwidth and authentication of navigation messages will be gradually introduced.
The second Galileo generation will represent a major evolutionary leap in terms of capabilities and flexibility. The next generation of EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service), a system that will complement both GPS and Galileo, will also improve resilience to interference. In parallel, ESA is working with the industry on more resilient receivers and alternative systems that work in the event of GNSS failure.
Field tests under Arctic conditions
The field tests in Norway complement the laboratory tests carried out by ESA and manufacturers. In the real world, interference is unpredictable and weaknesses occur when they are least expected. Checking the robustness of GNSS receivers under real test conditions is therefore essential.
The village of Bleik on the island of Andøya offers ideal conditions: At almost 70 degrees north latitude, the eastern mountains act as natural barriers that contain interference signals. The participants tested their equipment on vehicles, drones, aeroplanes, helicopters, and ships. The jamming test enables controlled experiments under realistic conditions.
ESA emphasises that satellite navigation is part of the critical infrastructure and requires appropriate protective measures. The findings from the jammer test are directly incorporated into the development of more robust systems and receivers to strengthen European resilience in satellite navigation.
(mki)
