UK SPF Cluster 1 event round up: Regulating Radiofrequency Jammers in the UK (information gathering)
The UK Spectrum Policy Forum (SPF) Cluster 1 recently hosted a workshop to explore the role of regulation and technology in preventing jamming and the policy developments required to protect systems from malicious attacks. The discussion focused on government priorities, international cooperation, technical mitigations, and sector-specific impacts.
Strategic Priorities on Jamming
Spectrum access remains a cornerstone of the UK’s economic growth and critical national infrastructure. Government strategies, including the Resilience Action Plan, emphasise the need for clear spectrum access and minimising interference. These priorities underpin efforts to safeguard essential services and maintain operational continuity across sectors.
A major focus is Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) resilience, given the extensive reliance on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The UK has committed significant funding to develop robust PNT infrastructure, including terrestrial eLoran and satellite-based systems. Initiatives also include testing multi-constellation receivers and deploying monitoring systems to detect and respond to GNSS interference. These measures aim to ensure continuity even under jamming or spoofing conditions.
International engagement plays a critical role in these efforts. The UK collaborates with global partners through standards bodies and bilateral agreements to share best practices and develop collective responses to jamming threats. Partnerships with countries such as France, South Korea, and the US focus on enhancing PNT resilience and coordinating strategies for interference mitigation.
Cybersecurity perspectives further highlight the evolving threat landscape. As cyber defences strengthen, adversaries increasingly target radio-based systems, exploiting vulnerabilities in operational technology layers. GPS, a critical component of UK infrastructure, faces growing risks, yet awareness of dependencies remains limited.
To address this, the UK is investing in detection and monitoring capabilities, working with agencies to distinguish routine interference from sophisticated attacks, and developing alert systems for stakeholders.
Technical Responses to Jamming and Spoofing
Across Europe, regulatory and technical measures are advancing to combat GNSS jamming and spoofing. CEPT project teams have issued recommendations to prohibit GNSS jammers and coordinate procedures for managing interference. Findings from surveys with Member States reveal that while most countries ban the sale and use of jammers, possession is not universally prohibited, creating enforcement challenges. To address this, an updated ECC Recommendation advocates for comprehensive restrictions on importing, advertising, installing, and possessing jammers, supporting national legislative efforts and facilitating information exchange.
Sector-specific impacts underscore the urgency of these measures. In aviation, GNSS interference can disrupt up to 30 aircraft systems, including safety-critical components like ground proximity warnings. Pilots have resorted to unprecedented procedures, such as resetting circuit breakers mid-flight, to maintain safety. Maritime and broadcasting sectors face similar risks, prompting the development of connectivity maps to visualise dependencies and improve resilience planning.
Technical mitigations are central to resilience strategies. Multi-layered defences combine advanced antennas, electronics resistant to jamming, and augmentation with inertial measurement units and alternative navigation sources such as eLoran and low Earth orbit satellites. Controlled Reception Pattern Antennas (CRPAs) are increasingly deployed on military and civilian platforms to steer reception away from jammers, with growing adoption in merchant shipping.
Multi-constellation and multi-frequency approaches further enhance resilience, enabling systems to maintain positioning even under active interference. Machine learning techniques, including RF fingerprinting and analogue interference cancellation, are being explored to strengthen detection and response capabilities. Collaboration between industry and government aims to develop robust, energy-efficient receivers and monitoring systems.
Regulatory bodies also play a vital role in enforcement. Spectrum monitoring networks detect anomalies and respond to interference complaints, while market surveillance targets illegal jammers through investigations and collaboration with online marketplaces. Despite these efforts, global trade and adaptable sellers pose ongoing challenges, highlighting the need for legislative updates and coordinated enforcement.
Conclusion
The workshop underscored the complexity of addressing jamming and spoofing threats. Government policy, international cooperation, technical innovation, and regulatory enforcement must work in tandem to protect critical systems. As reliance on GNSS and radio-based technologies grows, resilience strategies will remain a top priority for safeguarding national infrastructure and ensuring operational continuity.
CEPT FM44 ECC Rec on GNSS jamming spoofing operations.pdf
