Iridium Launches GNSS-Protection Chip Amid Rising Spoofing Threats — Iridium Communications Inc.

Event summary

Iridium's PNT ASIC chip is now commercially available, offering GNSS protection against jamming and spoofing.
The 8x8mm chip has drawn demand from over 150 organizations across maritime, aviation, and critical infrastructure sectors.
Recent incidents like the May 2026 in-flight jamming of UK Defence Secretary highlight growing risks to GNSS-dependent systems.
A GPS outage could cost the U.S. economy over $1.3 billion per day in 2026, per adjusted NIST estimates.

The big picture

Iridium's chip launch comes as global reliance on GNSS grows alongside sophisticated spoofing threats. The compact, resilient solution targets critical infrastructure where timing and location accuracy are non-negotiable. With partners like Solace Communications and Skyband Systems already integrating the technology, this marks a potential inflection point for assured PNT adoption across aviation, maritime, and telecommunications sectors.

What we're watching

Adoption Pace: How quickly Iridium's PNT ASIC will be integrated into critical infrastructure systems.
Competitive Response: Whether rivals will accelerate development of similar resilient PNT solutions.
Regulatory Influence: The extent to which governments mandate backup PNT systems in high-risk sectors.