Ground Control has launched RockBLOCK APNT, a compact positioning and timing board that detected GNSS spoofing in under one second during testing at Jammertest 2026.
During controlled spoofing tests, standard GNSS positions began to diverge from the test vehicle’s known route while the board’s Iridium-derived position remained stable. The difference between the two sources became detectable within one second, allowing RockBLOCK APNT to provide continuous position and precise timing updates without loss of service.
The board gives developers direct access to Iridium Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) signals broadcast from Low Earth Orbit satellites. These signals are approximately 1,000 times stronger than standard GPS/GNSS signals to resist jamming, while using authenticated and cryptographically protected signals to protect against spoofing.
Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control, said, “Alastair MacLeod, CEO of Ground Control, said, “GNSS is fundamental to autonomous systems, but dependence on a single source of position creates a vulnerability. For UAV and USV manufacturers, the critical questions are how quickly a problem can be identified, whether an independent position source remains available, and how confidently that information can be incorporated into the vehicle’s own decision-making. RockBLOCK APNT gives manufacturers that additional source of position and timing, without prescribing how they use it.”
The hardware builds on Ground Control’s RockFLEET Assured maritime system, which is currently used by merchant vessels operating in GNSS-contested areas of the Middle East. While RockFLEET Assured is a complete maritime solution, RockBLOCK APNT packages the Iridium PNT ASIC into a compact 59 x 36.5 x 7.7 mm board weighing 10 g, tailored for integration into uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), and robotics.
The receive-only board contains no internal GNSS receiver, enabling host systems to compare Iridium PNT against primary GNSS inputs to monitor integrity, trigger alerts, or power alternative fallback logic. Field testing demonstrated a median position accuracy of 25 meters at 69°N and 42 meters at 19°N. The system also supports resilient timing applications with a 1PPS output, timing stability under 50 nanoseconds, and a verified average time offset within 5 nanoseconds of UTC(NIST).
Designed for harsh operating conditions, the board functions from -20°C to +70°C with power consumption rated at 0.95 W idle and 1.2 W peak. Initial evaluation is supported via USB-C and an included approved antenna, while embedded integration utilizes 3.3 V power along with LVTTL UART, SPI, I2C, UART, and GPIO interfaces. RockBLOCK APNT is available directly from Ground Control.
