Mobile satellite network operator Iridium Communications has announced the commercial availability of a chip to protect GPS- and GNSS-dependent devices from jamming, spoofing and other growing threats.

Since the Iridium PNT (positioning, navigation and timing) ASIC’s unveiling in October 2025, Iridium has received demand from more than 150 organisations worldwide, spanning maritime, unmanned and autonomous systems, aviation, telecommunications, and other critical infrastructure sectors.

“The market response to the Iridium PNT ASIC has reinforced what we’re hearing from customers around the world: assured PNT is becoming an essential capability across critical industries,” said Michael O’Connor, executive vice president at Iridium. “With commercial availability, we’re enabling manufacturers to integrate trusted timing and location capabilities into smaller, more efficient designs, making assured PNT accessible to more applications than ever before.”

Measuring 8 by 8mm and weighing less than 0.2g, the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) represents a step forward in expanding access to assured PNT technologies at scale. The chip delivers cryptographically secure timing and location data from the Iridium satellite network through one-way signal bursts that are powerful enough to work where traditional GNSS often cannot, including inside structures and in contested environments.

By continuously validating signal integrity and delivering trusted PNT data anywhere on Earth, the ASIC (www.iridium.com/products/iridium-pnt-asic) provides a foundation not only for resilient navigation, but also timing. Financial markets, telecommunications networks, power grids and governments all depend on precise time synchronisation to coordinate operations and maintain reliable service.

As global reliance on GNSS continues to grow, so does the frequency and sophistication of signal interference such as jamming and spoofing. Recent incidents including the May 2026 in-flight jamming (www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyp0jrxv7ro) of the UK defence secretary highlight increasing operational and safety risks associated with GNSS spoofing and jamming across commercial transportation, aviation and critical infrastructure environments. According to a 2019 study sponsored by the US National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), a GPS outage was estimated to cost the US economy approximately $1bn per day (www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2019/10/economic-benefits-global-positioning-system-us-private-sector-study). Adjusted for inflation, that figure would exceed $1.3bn per day in 2026, underscoring the growing importance of reliable backups.

Solace Communications, a provider of mission-critical communications for demanding and remote environments, is one of several Iridium partners integrating the ASIC. Its Vector family of assured PNT products combines Iridium PNT with multi-band GNSS and inertial sensing to deliver resilient positioning, navigation and timing with continuous confidence scoring, while LTE and Iridium SBD short burst data provide secure telemetry and messaging.

“The Iridium PNT ASIC supports our wider strategy of building one of the first edge-native, confidence-scored assured PNT platforms around multiple sources of positioning, timing and motion data,” said Adam Elcock, co-founder of Solace Communications (www.solacecomms.com). “Future navigation systems must do more than report a position. They must continuously determine whether that position and its timing can be trusted. That is the role Vector has been designed to fulfil and is now being deployed.”

Skyband Systems, a developer of aviation-grade, PNT-resilient navigation hardware, will integrate the PNT ASIC into its M100 LRU for business and commercial aviation. The M100 combines Iridium PNT with onboard inertial sensing to alert crews to GNSS jamming and spoofing while providing aircraft location for enhanced situational awareness.

“Iridium’s secure and powerful global service is the perfect platform for Skyband’s resilient navigation product,” said Robert Wiggenhorn, co-founder of Skyband Systems (www.skybandsystems.com). “We are excited to partner with Iridium as they launch the Iridium PNT ASIC and look forward to further strengthening their legacy of aircraft innovation and safety.”

Iridium Communications (www.iridium.com) operates a global mobile satellite network. It is headquartered in McLean, Virginia, and has more than 500 technology and distribution partners, serving millions of customers worldwide.