– We work extensively with primarily military GPS and wanted to gain better insight into developments on the civilian side, as a lot is happening there. We also wanted to create an overview for our clients, says Sara Nilsson, research engineer at FOI's Electronic Warfare Division in Linköping.
GPS, owned by the USA, has been operational since the 1980s and has undergone several modernizations. The Russian system GLONASS was developed during the Soviet era and is currently being upgraded. The EU's Galileo project, which aims to create a completely civilian alternative, has experienced delays but is now in the final stages of its expansion. Over the past two decades, China has established BeiDou as a global system, after previously relying on Western technology, writes FOI.
– BeiDou has been developed very quickly, with significant financial investment. It may have progressed so rapidly because certain technology was taken from GPS and Galileo. But today it is a modern system; they have truly done it right from the start, says Sofia Bergström, research engineer at FOI.
FOI points out in the report an increased risk of interference and deception of GNSS signals, particularly through so-called spoofing, where a receiver is tricked into receiving incorrect information about position and time.
– In aircraft, such systems can be so affected that they must be completely shut down, which cannot be done in the air. Jamming protection systems can help, or using features like Galileo's OSNMA where the signal is partially encrypted. This allows for signal authentication so you know it is correct, says Sara Nilsson.
The defense sector, according to the report's authors, should closely monitor civilian developments. Civilian receivers can in some cases complement military systems, for example on low-cost drones that are used only once. At the same time, the importance of the military primarily using dedicated defense systems to reduce vulnerability to interference and manipulation is emphasized.