The severity of the problem
In recent years, European flights have frequently encountered GPS interference, especially in the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. signal jammerThese interferences mainly originate from the activities of the Russian military and have had a serious impact on civilian flights. cell phone jammerOn May 2, 2024, BBC Monitoring Russia Editor Vitaly Shevchenko reported the situation in detail, citing the opinions of many experts and institutions.GPS jammer
In March this year, the GPS signal of the Royal Air Force plane carrying British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was interfered when it approached Russian territory. Finnair had to suspend its daily flights to Tartu, Estonia for a month due to interference problems. Juho Sinkkonen, vice president of flight operations at Finnair, said that their aircraft encounter GPS interference every day and receive more than 100 interference cases reported by pilots every month.
Interference technology and impact
GPS interference mainly includes signal blocking and signal spoofing. Signal blocking interferes with legitimate GPS signals, making them unable to be received normally, affecting navigation and positioning functions. Signal spoofing misleads receiving devices by sending false signals, showing the wrong location. These interferences not only affect aviation flights, but also maritime traffic and other systems that rely on GPS.
Although the interference problem poses a limited direct threat to aviation safety, it poses a challenge to operational efficiency and pilot workload. Cyrille Rosay, a senior cybersecurity expert at the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), pointed out that the interference problem existed before Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, but the situation has deteriorated significantly in recent years. EASA records thousands of interference incidents each year, showing the severity and widespread of the problem.
Russia’s interference behavior and motivations
Baltic officials and online investigators agree that the interference originated from Russia. Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said they have evidence that jammers are located near St. Petersburg, Kaliningrad and Pskov in Russia. These interferences not only violate international agreements, but also pose a threat to regional security.
Chakna pointed out that Russia has violated the territory of the Baltic countries by jamming GPS signals and put people and civilian aircraft at risk. This behavior is both offensive and defensive. Keir Giles, director of the British think tank Conflict Research Center, believes that Russia is testing its ability to paralyze Europe on the one hand, and protecting itself from possible missile and drone attacks on the other.
Countermeasures
Faced with increasing interference incidents, airlines and security agencies have taken a series of countermeasures. Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, pointed out that although aircraft have backup systems to deal with GPS interference, jamming signals still pose a serious risk. Our systems and societies are built around precise GPS signals, and interference will lead to reduced efficiency and safety of aviation systems.
To deal with interference, airlines and security agencies need to strengthen monitoring and countermeasures to ensure aviation safety. First, the ability of pilots and airline employees to identify and respond to GPS interference should be improved. Second, airlines should strengthen the use of backup navigation systems so that they can quickly switch to backup systems when GPS signals are interfered with. In addition, airlines and security agencies should work with the international community to jointly develop and implement strategies to deal with GPS interference.
International cooperation and legal means
The international community needs to use diplomatic and legal means to stop interference and ensure the safety and stability of global air traffic. Governments should strengthen cooperation, share information and experience, and jointly deal with GPS interference. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) should play a leading role in developing global standards and guidelines for dealing with GPS interference.
In the future, with the advancement of technology and the strengthening of international cooperation, we can expect to deal with GPS interference more effectively and ensure aviation safety. Through multi-layered defense strategies, legal restrictions and international cooperation, airlines and security agencies can work together to ensure the safety and stability of the global aviation system.
