Objectives of the service
VGDS-TRUST addressed the growing dependence of critical infrastructure on satellite navigation signals that can be disrupted, spoofed, degraded or manipulated. Users in aviation, maritime, government and timing laboratories often relied on local receivers without an independent way to confirm whether the received navigation and timing data could still be trusted.
The service provided an independent verification layer. Data from distributed reference sites were compared against trusted national timing references and cross-checked across the network. The system identified anomalies, classified the condition of the data, generated alerts and retained evidence for later investigation.
Customers could use VGDS either as a complete monitoring service with local nodes, central processing and dashboards, or as a secure verified data feed integrated into their own systems. This allowed users to improve operational awareness and resilience without replacing their existing navigation or timing infrastructure.
Users and their needs
The targeted users were organisations whose operations depend on reliable satellite navigation and timing, particularly in aviation, maritime, government and national timing infrastructure. Project users and validation partners included AirNav Ireland, DDK Positioning in the UK, NSAI National Metrology Laboratory in Ireland, EIM in Greece, IPE CAS in the Czech Republic and ESA’s ESTEC timing laboratory in the Netherlands.
Key user needs were:
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independent confirmation that satellite navigation data can be trusted;
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rapid detection of spoofing, interference and timing anomalies;
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clear alerts and retained evidence for incident investigation;
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secure, reliable data delivery with appropriate availability and latency;
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integration with existing operational systems without requiring their replacement;
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traceability to trusted national timing references;
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scalable deployment across multiple sites and countries.
The main project challenge was to provide one service that could meet different operational environments and security expectations, from aviation monitoring to maritime data-feed integration and metrology reference services. The solution therefore had to remain technically consistent while supporting different interfaces, deployment models and levels of operational assurance.
Service/ system concept
VGDS-TRUST provided users with a clear indication of whether received satellite navigation data could be trusted. The service delivered verified navigation and timing information, anomaly status, alerts and retained evidence for later investigation.
The main capabilities were:
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verification of satellite navigation and timing data against trusted reference sites;
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detection of spoofing, interference, manipulated navigation data and timing anomalies;
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clear service status such as trusted, degraded, suspect or unavailable;
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secure delivery through dashboards or data interfaces;
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retained event records supporting operational review and incident investigation;
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integration with existing customer systems without replacing their current receivers or infrastructure.
The system used distributed reference nodes located at trusted sites, local national timing laboratories. These nodes collected satellite navigation observations and compared timing against traceable reference clocks. Data were securely sent to the VGDS processing platform, where observations from several sites were cross-checked and analysed. The resulting verified information was then delivered to customers through dashboards, alerts or secure data feeds.
Space Added Value
VGDS-TRUST used signals from the major Global Navigation Satellite Systems, including Galileo, GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou. These satellite signals provided the navigation and timing data that were observed at trusted reference sites operated by national metrology laboratories.
The added value came from combining multi-constellation satellite data with independent, traceable national timing references and observations from several geographically distributed sites. Instead of relying on a single receiver to decide whether its own signal was trustworthy, VGDS cross-checked observations across the reference network and compared timing behaviour against trusted clocks.
This enabled the service to identify inconsistencies, spoofing, interference, manipulated navigation data and timing anomalies, and to provide users with a clear trust status and supporting evidence.
Compared with conventional GNSS receivers, interference monitors or timing appliances, VGDS added an independent verification layer above the individual receiver. It complemented existing customer equipment rather than replacing it, providing cross-site verification, traceability and retained evidence that local receiver-only monitoring could not provide.
Current Status
The VGDS-TRUST Kick-Start established the customer requirements, service concept and commercial foundations for independent GNSS assurance. Live demonstrations with DDK Positioning and AirNav Ireland showed the potential of the service, including spoofing detection demonstrated to DDK. Further testing assessed the extended verification architecture.
The project identified the next stage as integrating verification into partner platforms, maritime field trials and the first customer deployments. At the close of the project, Timing Solutions was developing these opportunities alongside an expanding network of trusted reference partners, with deployment progressing through customer funding and procurement.
VGDS-TRUST explored how critical-infrastructure operators could know when GNSS can be trusted. Combining distributed monitoring, UTC-traceable references and independent verification, the project established a service approach for detecting suspicious navigation and timing behaviour, providing actionable alerts and supporting incident investigation across aviation, maritime and critical infrastructure.
