Global Scans · Geospatial · Weekly Summary

• [New] Horizon scanning is a core methodology in strategic foresight used by governments, corporations, and global institutions to identify early signals of change before they become major disruptions. Horizon Scan AI
• [New] The Lyme Timber Company is looking at how it could leverage the data it has collected from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology - which maps a portion of land with more granularity than field mapping - to carry out nature-based carbon projects. Environmental Finance
• [New] China Mobile uses the BeiDou navigation satellite system, and plans to integrate with emerging satellite constellations to further expand its D2D capabilities. Ookla
• [New] As global navigation satellite systems become increasingly contested through spoofing and jamming, the integration of edge-computing, artificial intelligence, and visual terrain navigation will be the defining technical differentiator between operational success and catastrophic failure. Ronin's Grips Analytics
• [New] The first of the new GPS IIIF satellites is expected to launch in 2027. Orlando Sentinel
• [New] Inflation's intermediate-term path will be highly dependent on the Iran situation, notably its duration and navigation conditions in the Strait of Hormuz. Ameriprise Financial
• [New] NATO has acknowledged widespread GPS disruptions impacting both military and civil aviation, reinforcing the need for resilient, GPS-independent navigation. Persistence Market Research
• [New] In 2026, AI tools are autonomously scanning smart contract code for vulnerabilities, reducing audit time from weeks to hours and catching exploits that human reviewers miss. BYDFi
• [New] The project, co-funded by the Swedish National Space Agency, aims to accelerate the development of robust positioning, navigation and timing technology, to address growing societal needs and increase risks to critical infrastructure. GPS World
• [New] Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) vulnerability to jamming and spoofing necessitates resilient Positioning Navigation Timing alternatives. Nature
• [New] The EU's decision to prohibit scanning will have ripple effects in other regions around the world. The Guardian
• [New] Increasing use of jamming to block GPS signals and the risk that an adversary could seek to take out some or all of its 30 GPS satellites or distort signals in future conflict has Space Force leaders seeking back up alternatives. Air Force Tech Connect
• Alongside Teledyne CARIS, Raymarine Commercial will debut its S-100 - ready ECDIS, a future-proof navigation system engineered to support enhanced data layers, modernised workflows, and next-generation electronic charting for commercial fleets. Barchart.com
• An increasing number of flights across Eastern Europe and the Middle East, particularly near Ukraine and the Strait of Hormuz, have experienced navigational disruptions caused not by pilot error or technical failure, but by interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). RTE
• Teledyne FLIR's Prism SKR upgrade suggests a meaningful threshold crossing in drone autonomy, where pixel-lock targeting and closed-loop mission management could render GPS jamming and signal denial substantially less effective against precision strike drones in contested environments. Drone Warfare
• Russia's electronic warfare investments have already forced iterative Ukrainian drone redesigns, and co-production with French AI firms could accelerate the navigation hardening that currently limits Russian jamming effectiveness. Drone Warfare
• France and the U.K. will organize a conference with partners ready to contribute to a peaceful multinational mission to help restore navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. WSLS 10
• At Earth, severe solar storms can threaten astronauts, damage satellites, and disrupt power grids, radio links, and navigation systems. Mars Daily
• A DALEC-based navigation layer could help crews and robots maintain situational awareness, track one another's positions, and synchronize activities even in areas with limited direct line-of-sight to Earth. Moon Daily
• Reliable positioning, navigation, and timing will form the backbone of shared lunar infrastructure that multiple missions can trust. Moon Daily
• Securing critical infrastructure - including pipelines, undersea communication cables, and GPS systems - will be increasingly important from Taiwan to the Mediterranean to the Arctic-Baltic region. Macdonald-Laurier Institute

Last updated: 26 April 2026