Roke launches anti-jam GNSS system for more platforms

Roke has launched Nav-Sync Armour, a GNSS anti-jamming system for defence and commercial platforms that need protected navigation.

The system is a controlled reception pattern antenna, or CRPA, designed to replace standard GNSS antennas. It is intended to broaden access to anti-jamming protection, which has often been reserved for expensive military assets such as tanks and aircraft.

GNSS interference has become a persistent issue in several regions, with jamming affecting ships, aircraft and infrastructure that rely on satellite-based positioning. Weak satellite signals can be overwhelmed by electromagnetic noise, preventing receivers from maintaining an accurate position.

Nav-Sync Armour uses multiple receiver channels and digital processing to separate authentic satellite signals from interference. Roke said the system can mitigate multiple concurrent in-band jammers across L1 or L2 frequencies while maintaining a stable GNSS output.

Lower-cost Access

The launch reflects a broader shift in defence procurement towards protecting larger numbers of autonomous and lower-cost platforms, rather than concentrating protection on a small number of high-value systems. These include drones, maritime platforms and other systems expected to operate in contested environments.

Roke said the unit has a compact design and low size, weight and power requirements, making it easier to fit on platforms where space and energy use are limited. It also said the product is free from US International Traffic in Arms Regulations restrictions.

The company said it has worked with UK partners to build an onshore supply chain capable of manufacturing the system in the thousands. The antenna also connects directly to existing GNSS receivers through standard radio frequency interfaces, which should simplify retrofits.

Roke traces its work in CRPA technology back more than four decades and said it developed the first anti-jam CRPA system in 1984. That background informed the design of Nav-Sync Armour and its digital architecture, according to the company.

Marc Overton, managing director of Roke, outlined the company's view of the market. "CRPAs have long been the gold standard for resilient navigation, but not always a cost-effective offering for some platforms. As a result, a large proportion of assets have been left either exposed to attack or reliant on solutions that struggle to perform in contested environments," he said.

He added: "For decades, effective GNSS protection has been concentrated on high-cost platforms, with many systems operating without meaningful resilience. Nav-Sync Armour addresses that imbalance by delivering the performance of high-end CRPA systems in a compact, low-SWaP solution that is affordable for all platforms."

Wider Portfolio

The new system sits within Roke's resilient position, navigation and timing portfolio. The range is intended to support layered navigation resilience in environments where GNSS signals may be disrupted or denied.

For defence users, the commercial logic behind such products has shifted as low-cost jammers have become more common and autonomous systems have spread across air, sea and land operations. A navigation protection system once economically viable only for a small fleet of high-value assets is now being marketed for larger volumes of platforms.

Commercial operators may also see value in systems that reduce exposure to interference, particularly in shipping and other sectors that depend on continuous satellite navigation. Roke said its sovereign UK design and domestic supply chain could appeal to customers seeking fewer export-control constraints and less supply chain friction.

Roke is part of Chemring Group. Nav-Sync Armour is intended to provide a route to stronger navigation resilience without major platform redesign.