Insights
Maritime navigation depends on accuracy and reliability. However, as vessels increasingly rely on GNSS-based positioning, they also become more vulnerable to external interference.
Escalating Threats to Maritime Navigation
The rise in GNSS jamming and spoofing has become an increasing concern for maritime navigation, with incidents growing in both frequency and severity in recent years. These disruptions have now become a widespread challenge, driven in part by geopolitical tensions.
Recent reports from Reuters highlight the growing scale of these incidents. Over the past few months, persistent GNSS disturbances in the Gulf of Finland have caused vessels to lose course, risk collisions, and suffer critical navigation failures. Spoofing—where ships’ locations are intentionally misrepresented—has further complicated maritime operations.
While such disruptions are often associated with conflict zones, GNSS jamming and spoofing are no longer confined to high-risk areas. With commercially available equipment making such attacks more accessible, the risk of GNSS interference has significantly expanded, affecting maritime operations worldwide.
Pioneering GNSS Resilience Through Real-World Testing
For SAL Navigation, delivering technology that directly addresses the challenges our customers face is essential. That’s why, for years, SAL Navigation, in collaboration with its Norwegian partners, has been at the forefront of addressing the vulnerabilities related to GNSS signal disruption.
Recognizing the need for controlled, large-scale testing, Norwegian authorities established the first testbed at Bleik, Andøya, in 2022, in collaboration with international partners, including defense agencies and research institutions. This site now hosts the largest open PNT/GNSS resilience tests in the world, providing a unique opportunity to validate system performance under real-world jamming and spoofing conditions.
Unmatched Performance
Our system has undergone rigorous testing under a strict testing programme, exposing it to a comprehensive range of jamming and spoofing scenarios. These scenarios include exposure to commercially available low-power jammers, high-power military-grade jammers capable of varying transmit power, frequency, and modulation, as well as sophisticated signal generators equipped with both jamming and spoofing capabilities. The result is the pioneering SAL SPU-200—an advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing solution delivering unmatched performance even in the most hostile signal environments.
The most significant test, the Ramp Test, simulates real-world conditions by gradually increasing and decreasing the power of a jammer positioned 1,100 meters away, with a maximum output of 20 watts across L1, G1, L2, and L5 frequency bands.
Proven Protection Against Extreme Jamming
Rigorously tested in real-world environments, SAL SPU-200 has consistently demonstrated unmatched resilience against jamming and spoofing attacks, with test results confirming its superior performance compared to traditional SOLAS-class GPS/GNSS systems. Even during tests with high-power, military-grade jamming—SAL SPU-200, equipped with advanced CRPA anti-jamming antenna technology, proves its superiority with interference suppression levels of up to 50 dB.
Leading Maritime Innovation
For over a century, we have delivered technology you can trust—proven to perform in the most extreme environments. Through continuous innovation and rigorous real-world testing, we ensure that our technology delivers where it matters most. Explore how the SAL SPU-200 sets a new standard in navigation security.
Read more: SAL SPU-200
Get in touch at sales@salnavigation.com
