Critical services will be better safeguarded, thanks to £155 million government investment to boost national security and deliver national renewal.
- Critical services will be better safeguarded, thanks to £155 million government investment to boost national security and deliver national renewal
- Everyday activities from mobile phone signal to Sat Nav in cars, all use Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) - and invasion of Ukraine has shown how these signals can be vulnerable and if interfered with can cause disruption
- Funding includes work on a world-leading system to give early warning on threats to the UK's PNT
From planning journeys, to making financial transactions, the services we use everyday that depend on access to reliable and accurate Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) services - from finance to transport - will be better safeguarded thanks to £155 million that will boost the UK's resilience and global leadership in this critical field.
Almost all of modern society relies on PNT. One example would be the satellite navigation services that help us get from A to B, but these all-important services go much further than that. Another important use is timing signals - without which mobile phones and even stock markets could not function properly. Research shows that just a 24-hour outage of satellite navigation services could cost the UK economy, £1.4 billion.
It is vital for the growth of the economy, particularly in high-growth sectors like AI and data, and for the delivery of public services, that PNT systems run smoothly. But recent years have shown the threats posed by the jamming or spoofing of PNT services by hostile actors, and PNT can even be impacted by natural events like solar flares from the sun. In an uncertain world where the threats to PNT are growing, the UK cannot be complacent.
The £155 million funding is being announced today (Wednesday 19 November) by the Science Minister at the Royal Institute of Navigation's annual PNT Leadership Seminar, which brings together researchers, innovators and business leaders from across the sector.
This will support a programme of work to boost the resilience of UK PNT - including initial work that would provide PNT that is independent of signals from satellites, making it harder to jam or spoof. Funding will also support work on PNT resilience at the National Physical Laboratory, and on a future system that could monitor for threats to the UK's PNT proactively.
Science Minister Lord Vallance said:
Having resilient and enduring access to Position, Navigation and Timing Services is a critical part of life in today's world, and a major plank in the UK's national security. So many of the things we take for granted every day, from using our phones to planning a journey, simply couldn't happen without it.
The UK is a leader in this field, but in an uncertain world we cannot be complacent. The funding we are announcing today will ultimately help protect Britain from the risks posed to PNT, from both accidental outages and hostile acts, safeguarding everyone's wealth and wellbeing.
The £155 million funding being announced today consists of:
£71 million to begin work on a UK National Enhanced Long-Range Navigation (eLoran) programme, providing PNT across land, air and sea that is independent of signals from satellites, and hard to jam or spoof.
£68 million for further development of the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme. The National Timing Centre is being delivered by the National Physical Laboratory, to develop the UK's first nationally-distributed time infrastructure. As well as boosting resilience, it could help with innovative new uses of technologies like 5G, satellite communications, and self-driving vehicles.
£13 million for work on a UK Global Navigation Satellite Systems interference monitoring programme. This will deliver a world-leading capability for the UK to monitor and react to threats to our PNT signals, like jamming and spoofing.
£3 million for the Space Based Time Transfer R&D programme. This will develop the technology required to deliver global timing systems independent of GPS and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS).
Strengthening the UK's PNT capabilities will give direction to our growing PNT industry, supporting the wider economy and national renewal, whilst cementing the UK's position as a global PNT leader.
Today's news comes after a substantial year of progress for UK PNT. The government agreed to closer work with both the US and France around PNT resilience, as part of September's UK-US Technology Prosperity Deal , and July's UK-France Summit .
DSIT published a Call for Evidence on PNT growth in June, seeking views on the PNT market and R&D landscape in the UK, as well as the barriers to market entry, commercialisation, and user adoption. We will publish a summary of our findings later this year.
We also support the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) - whose work is being highlighted at today's event - to deliver advice, upskilling, and best practice that is vital to the PNT industry.
Support for government work on PNT
Ramsey Faragher, Director and CEO of the Royal Institute of Navigation, said:
Today's £155 million commitment is a very welcome step toward strengthening the UK's protection against PNT disruptions, and the Royal Institute of Navigation is pleased to see our government continuing to grow our Nation's capabilities in this area.
We will continue to provide independent expertise and guidance, working closely with government and industry to ensure the UK remains prepared, protected, and at the forefront of global PNT innovation.
David Henderson, Chief Geospatial Officer, Ordnance Survey, said;
A resilient PNT infrastructure is vital for the success and security of our economy and society.
The government's focus and investment in our national positioning infrastructure is very welcome. This clear direction will help develop our national capabilities, supporting accurate, secure, and resilient positioning services.
Martin Bransby, PNT Committee Chair - UKSpace and TechUK, said:
The UK PNT Industry welcomes these initiatives into providing resilience into essential PNT services. Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), such as GPS and Galileo, underpin much of our economy and security; however, they are vulnerable to nefarious or accidental interference. Providing alternatives, monitoring for interference, and bolstering industrial skills is hugely important to continue life as we know it in the absence, or debilitation, of GNSS.
Since the publication of its " Government Policy Framework for Greater Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) Resilience " in Autumn 2023, the UK government, through its National PNT Office within DSIT has worked with the UK PNT Industry at hitherto unprecedented levels and this has been warmly welcomed. The UK PNT Industry looks forward to continuing this journey with government and applauds its investment in this nationally critical area.
Chris Squier, Defence Director, Roke, said:
We welcome the UK government's decision to fund and establish a national eLoran programme as a cornerstone of resilient Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) infrastructure. This landmark initiative safeguards critical services against satellite disruptions and underscores the UK's global leadership in PNT capability. Through the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology's (DSIT) strategic investment in Roke's world-leading, ultra-compact eLoran antenna and receiver technologies, British industry is driving innovation at the forefront of resilience.
Notes
The UN's International Committee on Global Navigation Satellite Systems has recommended that its members consider developing ground-based PNT interference early-warning systems.
Funding figures in this press release are rounded to the nearest million.
The £68 million allocation for the National Timing Centre (NTC) was published as part of the DSIT research and development (R&D) allocations for 2025/2026 .
DSIT
