A new £20mn anti-jamming and radio frequency test facility will be built at Boscombe Down by the UK Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ. The facility, believed to be the largest in Europe, will put military equipment through its paces, ensuring it can withstand  the harshest electromagnetic environments.

GPS simulators and threat emulators will test how well equipment can withstand jamming and other threats that attempt to confuse or disrupt military operations.

Roughly the size of an aircraft hangar, the new facility will test large equipment such as Protector drones, Chinook helicopters, and F-35 fighter jets. Opening in 2026, the hangar will further enhance the UK’s pool of electromagnetic expertise, and offer opportunities beyond defence, to wider government, industry, and critical national infrastructure. 

UK Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Maria Eagle said hostile threats to jam and disorientate military equipment have become increasingly common. “This test facility will help eliminate vulnerabilities from our platforms, protect our national security, and keep our Armed Forces better protected on global deployments.”  

The specialist "anechoic" hangar will reduce reflections, echoes or the escape of radio-frequency waves.

“Not only will this be one of the largest such chambers in Europe, but it will also be one of the most up-to-date and high-tech in the world, where hostile environments can be safely recreated to put military equipment, such as fighter jets and drones, through testing to understand their performance in challenging environments representing the many external threats that may be faced,” said Richard Bloomfield, head of Electronic Warfare (CBRN) Space at Defence Equipment & Support.