The government has announced a £155 million investment to strengthen the UK’s defences against threats to the essential signals that underpin everything from mobile phone networks
to financial trading.
Unveiled by Science Minister Lord Vallance at the Royal Institute of Navigation’s annual PNT Leadership Seminar, the package aims to bolster the nation’s Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) infrastructure—technology so deeply embedded in daily life that a 24-hour outage could cost the economy an estimated £1.4 billion.
PNT services power far more than car sat-nav. They provide the precise timing that enables mobile communications, stock trades, energy grids, transport networks and emerging technologies such as AI-driven systems and autonomous vehicles. But recent incidents, including electronic interference linked to the war in Ukraine and natural disruptions like solar flares, have highlighted how vulnerable these systems can be to jamming or spoofing.
“We cannot be complacent,” Vallance said. “Reliable access to PNT is a cornerstone of national security. This funding will help protect Britain from both accidental outages and hostile acts, safeguarding our economy and the everyday services people rely on.”
The £155m package includes:
£71m to begin developing a national Enhanced Long-Range Navigation (eLoran) system—providing land, air and sea PNT signals that operate independently of satellites and are far harder to jam.
£68m to advance the National Timing Centre programme, run by the National Physical Laboratory, which is building the UK’s first distributed national time infrastructure.
£13m for a new GNSS interference monitoring system, giving the UK an early-warning capability against jamming and spoofing.
£3m for Space-Based Time Transfer R&D, which will support global timing solutions that don’t depend on GPS or other satellite systems.
The investment marks what government officials describe as a “substantial year of progress” for UK PNT strategy. In recent months, the UK has agreed closer cooperation with the US and France on PNT resilience and issued a national call for evidence to identify market opportunities and barriers for the domestic PNT sector.
Officials say the measures will strengthen national security, stimulate industry growth and reinforce the UK’s standing as a global leader in PNT technology.
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”. Photo by Michael Coppins, Wikimedia commons.