QinetiQ-Led Team Elaris Wins £6 Million MoD Contract

Land May 7, 2026

QinetiQ-led Team Elaris has been awarded a £6 million Ministry of Defence contract to develop a deployable solution for enhanced Long-Range Navigation (eLoran) — a terrestrially based alternative to satellite navigation that can operate in environments where GPS signals are jammed or spoofed.

The two-year Urgent Compass programme will produce a deployable solution concept to inform future demonstration, production and deployment phases, extending the MoD’s investment in resilient position, navigation and timing (PNT) capabilities.

Why This Matters: The GNSS Vulnerability Problem

Modern military operations are heavily dependent on global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals for troop movement, weapons guidance and operational coordination. But those signals represent a known vulnerability. Adversaries can jam or spoof GNSS in contested environments — and if undetected, the consequences range from misdirected troop movements to incorrectly guided munitions.

The conflict in Ukraine has brought this threat into sharp focus, accelerating demand across NATO for alternative PNT solutions that function independently of satellite infrastructure. eLoran — which uses terrestrial radio signals rather than space-based assets — offers a resilient complement to GNSS that is significantly harder to deny or deceive at scale.

Urgent Compass will specifically explore eLoran solutions that can be rapidly deployed into contested locations worldwide, addressing one of the more operationally complex aspects of the PNT resilience challenge.

The Team and What They Bring

Team Elaris brings together four organisations with complementary expertise across the PNT technology landscape: QinetiQ, UrsaNav®, Roke and GMV. The partnership is exploring both deployable and fixed eLoran solutions, drawing on decades of combined experience in advanced navigation systems.

The contract builds on QinetiQ’s existing MoD engagement on assured PNT, which includes the separate Robust Global Navigation System (RGNS) programme — another strand of the UK’s broader approach to navigation resilience.

Ministerial Backing

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard MP welcomed the award, framing it explicitly within the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy: “This contract catalysing private investment is our Defence Industrial Strategy in action. We are backing innovative technology companies, boosting defence skills and strengthening supply chains, making defence an engine for growth across the UK.”

QinetiQ Group CEO Steve Wadey said the award builds on the team’s existing work in alternative navigation: “Our expertise in eLoran systems will support the UK Government’s requirements for resilient position, navigation and timing capabilities to help protect the UK from adversaries seeking to undermine this critical service.”

Procurement and Supply Chain Implications

The Urgent Compass award is a signal of increasing MoD urgency around PNT resilience — an area that has historically been treated as a niche capability concern but is rapidly moving toward mainstream procurement priority. With the two-year concept phase designed to feed directly into demonstration and production packages, there is a clear pathway to larger follow-on contracts.

For businesses operating in navigation technology, electronic warfare, signals intelligence and assured communications, this programme is worth tracking closely as requirements mature and the supply chain around eLoran deployment takes shape.