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Friday, May 16, 2014

EU tests back-up to satellite systems to avoid ships sailing blind

More and more, ships rely on systems that use satellite signals to navigate or keep exact time, such as the Global Positioning System and GLONASS. Because of this, some are worried that Europe has become vulnerable to maritime disasters caused by signal jamming and satellite blackouts.

Experts say GPS and GLONASS are exposed to signal loss from solar weather spikes or radio and satellite interference, and can also be affected by intentional jamming by criminals, nation states or militant groups.

The General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA) is pioneering a radio-based back-up prototype called eLoran, which is being used in test trials in British and Dutch ports.

"Europe still doesn't centrally recognize GNSS (global navigation satellite system) vulnerability," Martin Bransby of the GLA said.

A spokeswoman said the EU Commission recognized that devices like Europe's Galileo as well as GPS and GLONASS "will not be immune to radio-frequency interference. The Commission is working with member states to support actions and projects at the national, European and global level to reduce the potential impacts from these devices," she said.

To bring home the escalating risks, the GLA posted two incidents in April when the GLONASS system experienced signal disruptions. In one of them, GLONASS transmitted location errors up to 55 km off the UK coastline for almost 12 hours.

For more of the Reuters story: in.reuters.com