PATROL project awarded by GSA

The PATROL project has been awarded by the European GNSS Agency (GSA) for the procurement of a Galileo Open Service authentication user terminal (OS-NMA).

The GSA has awarded a contract of a total value of approximately 2,250,00 EUR to deliver a “market ready” technology that guarantees robust and secure positioning using the upcoming Galileo Open Service Navigation Message Authentication (OS-NMA) capability. 

The project, who’s acronym is PATROL (Position AuthenticaTed foR OS-NMA Launch) is coordinated by Qascom, with FDC as consortium partner and subcontractors ST Microelectronics, GMV Aerospace and Defence, Actia and the University of Padova. 

This project is an important milestone for the satellite navigation industry, since it aims to prove the importance of Galileo OS authentication in fulfilling the emerging security needs of many applications, starting from a specific case represented by the Smart Tachograph. 

This project confirms the leadership of the team in the design and development of the European Galileo security and authentication. Galileo is the first system to propose an authenticated signal, provided for free use and for mass market applications; this is a major innovation and advantage with respect to the other global satellite navigation systems (e.g. GPS, GLONASS and BeiDou).

Authentication means the ability of the system to guarantee to the users that they are utilising navigation data from the Galileo satellites and not from any other source. 

Once operational, the Galileo Open Service authentication will be provided for free use and will target mass market/consumer applications (including road and location based services markets) as well as a number of professional applications (e.g. aeronautics, maritime, agriculture, timing and synchronization markets).  

PATROL targets the Road and Digital Tachograph domain and will develop a User Terminal that provides a trusted PVT (Position, Velocity, Time) to Smart Tachographs and other positioning applications. 

PATROL validates the User Terminal against a broad set of satellite navigation threats, creating a future-proof solution that fulfils the emerging security needs of several civil applications. Galileo Authentication is used in combination with interference mitigation and other anti-spoofing techniques implemented at receiver level, and backed up by standard Information Technology security.