Qinetiq is to build a new anechoic chamber test facility under a £20 million ($26 million) contract which will enable the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to assess the performance of its aircraft systems and other equipment “in the harshest electromagnetic environments”.
Dubbed a ‘silent hangar’, the structure will be able to accommodate assets including the Boeing CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Protector RG1 remotely piloted air system, and the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter, as well as armoured vehicles.
Qinetiq says work on the new facility at the MoD’s Boscombe Down site in Wiltshire, southwest England, will be complete in 2026.
“On an increasingly digital battlefield, the debilitating effects of electronic warfare are a persistent threat,” says Will Blamey, Qinetiq’s chief executive, UK defence. “The testing we will conduct using this new facility will be integral to strengthening the resilience of military equipment.”
“The GPS simulators and threat emulators inside the chamber will provide the ability for the UK to create a number of hostile environments to test how well equipment can withstand jamming and other threats,” the company says.
Maria Eagle, minister for defence procurement and industry, says the new facility “will help us eliminate vulnerabilities from our platforms, protect our national security and keep our armed forces better protected on global deployments”.
The MoD’s investment falls under its multi-year long-term partnering agreement with Qinetiq, which has seen the company deliver test and evaluation services since 2003.
An existing anechoic test facility at Boscombe Down has previously supported work on types including the Pilatus PC-21 flown by the Qinetiq-managed Empire Test Pilots’ School.
