Military testing hangar to be built at MoD site

The new testing facility will be built at Boscombe Down in Wiltshire

A new facility to test how effectively the UK's military equipment can withstand jamming attempts is set to be built at a Ministry of Defence (MoD) site.

The hangar, will be based at Boscombe Down, in Wiltshire, as part of a £20m contract with defence technology contractor QinetiQ.

The hangar is set to open in 2026 and would be large enough to fit Protector drones, Chinook helicopters and F-35 fighter jets, officials said.

Maria Eagle, Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, said the "cutting-edge test facility" would help the MoD "eliminate vulnerabilities" from their platforms and "protect our national security".

“Hostile threats jamming GPS to disorientate military equipment has become increasingly common," she added.

'Enhances safety'

The ministry will use GPS simulators and threat emulators to create hostile environments inside the new facility, testing how effective the equipment can withstand jamming and attempts to confuse or disrupt military assets.

Testing inside an anechoic chamber – designed to reduce reflections, echoes or the escape of radio-frequency waves – meant emergency services and air traffic control in the area would be unaffected, project leaders said.

Will Blamey, chief executive of QinetiQ UK Defence, said: “On an increasingly digital battlefield, the debilitating effects of electronic warfare are a persistent threat.

“The testing we will conduct using this new facility will be integral to strengthening the resilience of military equipment, which, in turn, enhances the safety and security of our armed forces and the United Kingdom."