The UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency has published new guidance titled Guidance: MGN 719 (M+F) Operating in GNSS denied and degraded environments, issued on 1 October 2026. The document sets out the risks associated with degradation and denial of global navigation satellite systems and identifies measures maritime stakeholders can apply to strengthen resilience and protect operational safety.
The guidance makes clear that GNSS disruption is a matter for the whole maritime community rather than an issue confined to a single sector. It addresses both the risks presented when GNSS signals are degraded and the more severe consequences that follow when signals are fully denied.
The MCA frames the guidance as practical support for maritime stakeholders, summarising a range of measures that can be taken to improve resilience. The document is intended to inform decision making and planning where dependence on satellite navigation and timing is a feature of routine operations.
Scope and purpose
MGN 719 (M+F) is positioned as guidance rather than new regulation. The MCA sets out the aim of the document as assisting those who plan, manage and deliver maritime operations to understand the hazards and to consider appropriate mitigations.
What it means for maritime stakeholders
The guidance is directed at a broad group described in the document as maritime stakeholders. It highlights that resilience and operational safety may be enhanced by adopting the measures outlined; the MCA does not set out mandatory requirements in this notice.
The publication date, 1 October 2026, places the guidance in the context of an ongoing dialogue across government, industry and other interested parties about the resilience of navigational aids and related systems. The MCA presents the material as a resource to be applied according to the needs and circumstances of individual operators and organisations.
While the guidance itself is the primary source for the full detail, the MCA’s summary characterises the publication as addressing both immediate practical steps and broader planning considerations. It is described in the document as a means of improving the safety of operations where reliance on GNSS exists.
The MCA invites stakeholders to consider the guidance in conjunction with their local practices, equipment and procedures. MGN 719 (M+F) is presented as a tool to support assessment of operational risk and the selection of mitigation options tailored to particular voyages, vessel types and shore-side arrangements.
The arrival of this guidance will prompt operators and other maritime parties to review their exposure to GNSS degradation and denial and to consider how the measures described in the notice might be integrated into existing safety management and contingency planning. The MCA’s publication provides a single reference point intended to assist that review process.
The document is a timely addition to the suite of materials that maritime organisations consult when addressing navigation and timing resilience. The MCA’s presentation emphasises that attention to GNSS resilience can contribute to reducing risk and maintaining safe operations where satellite navigation plays a central role.
For those seeking the full text and the MCA’s formal advice, the guidance is published under the title Guidance: MGN 719 (M+F) Operating in GNSS denied and degraded environments and is dated 1 October 2026.
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