What is GPS jamming, a growing concern for global aviation?

Imagine a passenger aircraft’s worst nightmare. Lost for directions mid-air as a false signal is picked up by a GPS receiver, confusing the pilot and air traffic control by showing the wrong time or coordinates without warning.

This has reportedly been the case for Estonia’s aviation sector for some months. The European nation has accused neighbouring Russia of jamming GPS navigation devices in the airspace above the Baltic states.

Estonian foreign minister Margus Tsahkna’s accusation, for which he provided no proof, followed Finnair’s decision to pause flights to Tartu in the eastern part of the country for one month because of GPS disturbances. The Kremlin did not immediately respond to requests for comment, reports Reuters.

There have been increased cases of GPS jamming worldwide, especially since last year, sparking concerns about heightened accident risks.

What is GPS jamming and spoofing?

GPS, short for Global Positioning System, is a network of satellites and receiving devices used for positioning, navigation and timing on Earth in everything from ships and planes to cars.

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GPS  is one of the most important navigation tools in aviation, which has replaced expensive ground devices that would transmit radio beams to guide planes towards landing. However, it is also fairly easy to use store-bought tools to block or distort GPS signals and militaries have invested in technology that can do so.

GPS jamming involves a frequency-transmitting device to obstruct or disrupt radio communications, typically achieved by emitting ground-based signals that overpower satellite-based signals.

Spoofing, considered disruptive and riskier than jamming, might involve one country’s military sending false GPS signals to an enemy plane or drone to hinder its ability to function.

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Why is it a concern for airlines?

Most modern airliners have a variety of sensors and sources to determine their positioning, in addition to GPS, meaning they can fly if there is interference.

However, according to pilots and industry experts, airlines still rely primarily on GPS. If jamming or spoofing occurs, GPS might have to be switched off and cannot be reset for the remainder of the flight in many cases. That can cause stress and delays for take-off and landing because certain procedures require GPS.

GPS navigation is also the only form of navigation for some private jets.

Earlier, a disturbance in jamming prompted Finnish airline Finnair to pause flights to Tartu in eastern Estonia for one month after two of its flights couldn’t land due to GPS disturbances.

However, AirBaltic safety manager and flight captain Janis Kristops said in a Reuters report that the Tartu incident with Finnair was rare. Most major airports have a variety of navigation tools available if GPS isn’t working, he said.
How common are incidents of GPS jamming?

In December, the aviation advisory body OPSGROUP highlighted a notable increase in GPS spoofing incidents impacting both private and commercial jets in conflict zones across the Middle East, including Iraq, Iran, and Israel, as well as the Black Sea region.

As per Lauri Soini, the head of the Finnish Pilots’ Association’s safety and security committee, GPS interference is now taking place at lower altitudes and in a wider area than six months ago. “It has begun to come to the north side of the Gulf of Finland as well. And the same has happened in Sweden, where it has reached the Swedish airspace,” Lauri Soini, himself a Finnair pilot told Reuters.

Cases of GPS jamming have been observed in locations as distant as Britain and Germany, as per Reuters reports quoting Lithuanian foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis.

“This is part of Russia’s hostile activities, which have been carried out before, but now their intensification is being observed,” stated Landsbergis, emphasising Lithuania’s call for a unified response from targeted nations and NATO allies.

Also read: What is GPS spoofing and why is it a concern for Indian airspace?
How is the industry tackling the threats?

Authorities are now shifting focus towards training pilots to promptly identify and verify instances of jamming and spoofing as devising a comprehensive technological solution to mitigate risks proves challenging for the airline sector.

In November 2023, Indian aviation watchdog DGCA issued a circular to airlines and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) outlining measures to address threats posed by jamming and spoofing of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) following reports of GPS interference.

With inputs from Reuters