First test campaign of the RIPTIDE project in Spain

The Resilient PNT Testing for Defence (RIPTIDE) project has reached an important milestone with the execution of its first field tests on Spanish soil in July, at INTA’s Marañosa campus in Madrid. RIPTIDE is a Category B project promoted by the Spanish and Italian defense ministries and coordinated by the European Defence Agency (EDA). Its main objective is to provide EU Member States with a platform for cooperation in the field of superiority in positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) tests, thus enhancing the operational capability of their armed forces. GMV and INTA are the Spanish partners in the project.

The tests in Spain focused on defining standards and regulations for possible attacks that could affect military navigators. Two of the main threats analyzed were spoofing, where a GNSS signal is imitated, and jamming, where a GNSS signal is jammed in order to disrupt the vehicle’s nominal navigation.

Navigation reliability and accuracy are paramount in defense, and the ability to cope with potential attacks is critical to mission success. During the tests, the ISNAV navigator developed by GMV and used in the Spanish Army’s 8x8 Dragon vehicle demonstrated its anti-spoofing and anti-jamming capabilities against simulated attacks.

The tests were carried out on an ISNAV navigator fitted to one of the 8x8 demonstrator vehicles. Through the RIPTIDE project, GMV is strengthening the anti-spoofing capabilities of the ISNAV family of navigators by upgrading the algorithms to account for the evolving nature of attacks. 

ISNAV uses a multi-constellation, multi-frequency GNSS receiver that significantly improves signal availability and accuracy. The measurements received from each satellite are combined with data from an inertial sensor, providing a wealth of information on the quality of the measurements and the presence of attacks, as well as accurate estimates of the vehicle’s position and heading in real time, even in challenging situations.

The multinational collaboration on this project constitutes an important cooperative framework for sharing knowledge, experience, and resources in the continuous improvement of PNT technology for defense purposes. With a focus on innovation and adaptability, RIPTIDE opens up new possibilities for protecting navigation and overcoming technological challenges in the military field.

The RIPTIDE project is planning to expand its scope to include tests on other platforms, such as the Tornado fighter and state-of-the-art military helicopters.