Recent reports indicate that commercial planes operating in the airspace around the Baltic Sea are facing frequent instances of GPS jamming and spoofing.
Over the past two days alone, approximately 1,614 flights have been affected by persistent interference with national signals, reported Newsweek.
The findings are based on open-source analysis from a reliable source that monitors GPS interference. A map released by the source illustrates extensive jamming across Poland and southern Sweden, with updated data later showing interference primarily concentrated in northern Poland.
Interfering with Global Positioning System (GPS) and broader Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) signals can disrupt the navigation systems of both manned and unmanned aircraft, leading them to believe they are situated in a different location.
The surge in interference has been attributed to jammers located in Russia's Kaliningrad region, situated between Poland and Lithuania, which hosts one of Russia's major naval fleets.
According to statements provided to Newsweek by a Lithuanian defense official, the origins of the interference point towards Russia. The official, who chose to remain anonymous, stated, "Russian armed forces have a wide spectrum of military equipment dedicated for GNSS interference, including jamming and spoofing, at varying distances, duration, and intensity."
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, a pilot highlighted the increasing prevalence of GPS interference, particularly in regions experiencing heightened military activities or border tensions.
The pilot shared insights, stating, "Every flight I operate across northern Turkey and into Iraq - essentially along the Russian and Iranian borders - now has GPS interference."
The interference prompts alerts within aircraft systems, indicating potential issues. Despite these challenges, pilots have adapted to the situation by relying on alternative navigation systems.
The report further mentioned that some commercial airlines have circulated internal memos acknowledging the widespread nature of the problem, particularly over Ankara in Turkey, Baghdad in Iraq, and other locations across the eastern Mediterranean region, including Cairo in Egypt and Amman in Jordan.