New anti-jamming capabilities were introduced last week at Satellite 2004 by QinetiQ, a Farnborough, U.K.-based science and technology company with 10,000 employees.

The company’s advanced system, called satID, identifies and locates the source of interference to satellites within 10 kilometers in just a matter of minutes. By locating the transmitters causing the interference, QinetiQ then can alert government officials, regulators and satellite operators regarding the source of the jamming.

The satID product works by using two intercept sites to track the interfering signal, both in the satellite under attack and in an adjacent satellite that would be close enough to receive part of the beam from the offending transmitter. Information gleaned from that process is used to locate the offending interference. Such interference can be intentional or accidental, either due to faulty equipment or the incorrect operation of ground terminals.

Attacks on satellites can deny the distribution of critical news and information. Jamming also can have a big financial impact on broadcasters. For example, the Falon Gong group in China jammed domestic broadcasts of the last World Cup soccer matches that were aired on domestic television using the Sino Satellite. More recently, the transmission of Voice of America broadcasts was blocked in the Middle East.

–Paul Dykewicz

(Stephen Cooke, QinetiQ, 011 44 (0) 1252 394573)