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Considering the importance of developing secure access to PNT services, we are disappointed that the...
Recommendation
Considering the importance of developing secure access to PNT services, we are disappointed that the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) is delaying the finalisation and publication of the PNT strategy and therefore refusing to commit to the critical action that needs to be taken. Although BEIS is in the process of establishing cross-government strategy on PNT, we believe the responsibility for PNT should lie outside of any one Department. The Government should establish the National Security Adviser (NSA) as having overall responsibility for the UK’s access to secure PNT capabilities. The NSA should ensure that the importance of developing secure PNT systems is understood throughout Government and take responsibility for developing a programme and budget for the work that needs to be carried out. The NSA should take guidance from work that has already been undertaken within Government and publish the National PNT Strategy no later than the end of February 2023, including details of the space- and ground-based components that will be used to ensure the UK has sustained, resilient and secure access to PNT services. If the strategy includes the use of the OneWeb LEO Gen2 constellation, the solutions to the technical challenges drawn out in our evidence should be addressed and the Government should provide clarification on why LEO satellites have been chosen over other, more commonly used, space-based PNT systems. In summary, the strategy should set out: (a) the updated review and estimate of the impact of loss of PNT services on the economy; (b) the results of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) programme, and details of which aspects of the proposed system will be taken forward; (c) the UK Space Agency’s analysis of the space-based elements of PNT and details of which of these will be taken forward; and (d) how secure PNT services can be delivered through LEO and the technical challenges that will need to be overcome to achieve th
Paragraph Reference
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Government Response
A response document is linked to this report, dated 30 March 2023. Response attribution to this recommendation has not been verified. Read the response document.
Source
Report
Second Report - UK space strategy and UK satellite infrastructure
04 Nov 2022
HC 100
Addressee Bodies
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
Timeline
Recommendation age
3.9 yrs
Report published
04 Nov 2022