Anti-jamming for drones: Ppm GmbH adds GAJT-AE3 from Hexagon/Novatel to its portfolio

German company Ppm GmbH has a further product in its range to counter jamming and spoofing of the global navigation satellite system (GNSS): it is adding the GAJT-AE3 Anti-Jam Antenna System from Hexagon/Novatel to its anti-jamming portfolio. It was developed specifically for aircraft, such as drones. To keep GNSS/GPS navigation reliable, it suppresses interference signals from up to seven directions at once.

The signal from navigation satellites can be impaired by even minor interference, regardless of whether it comes from deliberately deployed jammers or unintentional interference. This poses a growing threat, particularly for drones— Karlheinz Bergel, Sales Manager Industry and Defense at Ppm GmbH

The GAJT-AE3 ensures that GNSS receivers obtain reliable position, navigation and timing data even under difficult conditions.— Karlheinz Bergel

Anti-jamming in a compact format for aircraft

With the GAJT-AE3, Novatel's anti-jammer technology moves to the next stage of development. Measuring just 180×140×25 millimetres, the device is aimed at airborne applications with limited installation space. Installation is also geared to practical needs: a modular architecture and mounting by either screws or rails allow the GAJT-AE3 to be integrated seamlessly into drones or other aerial vehicles. Users can thus easily continue to use existing GNSS/GPS systems.

The GAJT-AE3 suppresses up to seven interference sources simultaneously per frequency band, achieving jammer suppression of up to 65 decibels – a massive improvement in signal quality. This is made possible by digital nulling: the system detects the direction from which interference sources are acting and selectively blanks them out by creating nulls in the antenna pattern.

The GAJT-AE3 obtains information on the power and source of jammers from full-spectrum analysis and direction finding. Together with the OEM7 receiver GRIT firmware, further anti-jamming functions and spoofing detection can be used. In dynamic scenarios with multiple jammers, the system thus delivers comprehensive insights.