NATO's Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), together with the Finnish Border Guard and the Finnish Defence Forces, has carried out new operational tests of technology designed to detect GNSS jamming and strengthen navigation capability under electronic interference. The trials took place from 6 to 9 July 2026 aboard the offshore patrol vessel Turva and an H215 Super Puma helicopter.
"GANDALF has been built step by step through continuous trials. Every workshop effort, laboratory integration, verification campaign and field deployment has contributed to transforming innovative concepts into a coherent operational demonstrator," said NCIA's technical lead for GANDALF-4 in a press release.
GANDALF-4 is described by NATO as a prototype sensor developed by experts at the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA). The system is designed to detect, classify and locate deliberate attempts to jam or manipulate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, including jamming and deceptive signal manipulation, known as spoofing.
The trials were conducted as part of the GANDALF-4 measurement campaign. Experts from NCIA installed and operated the experimental GANDALF system on both Finnish platforms to test the technology under realistic maritime and airborne conditions.
GANDALF has been developed by NCIA and is capable of detecting, classifying and locating sources of interference with satellite navigation signals. The system has previously undergone testing in controlled environments in cooperation with NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA).
The latest campaign builds on flight tests conducted together with the Finnish Defence Forces aboard an NH90 helicopter during 2025. Through the trials with the Turva and the H215 Super Puma, the evaluation was extended to additional maritime and airborne platforms.
According to NCIA, the data collected made it possible to verify previous results, gather new operational data and continue developing the system under representative conditions.
Alongside GANDALF, NCIA also evaluated its latest Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) technology. The technology is designed to help navigation systems continue functioning when satellite navigation signals are subjected to jamming.
NCIA states that GANDALF and CRPA complement one another, with the former improving the ability to detect and locate interference, and the latter increasing the resilience of satellite-based navigation systems.