(TrueTrendNews.com) – European airlines have been impacted by malfunctions in GPS data systems in what is suspected to be Russian-launched attacks as the nation continues to fight with Ukraine.
Since August 2023, nearly 3,800 commercial flights leaving or entering the United Kingdom have seen their GPS signals jammed. Additionally, tens of thousands more that have flown over the Baltic Sea experienced the same issues during the same time frame. The nautical region has been a point of tension amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, which began in February 2022.
Data analysis has suggested that roughly 46,000 flights saw GPS system malfunction while travelling over the Baltic Sea from August 2023 through March 2024. However, these issues with the navigation system were not clearly linked to Russian involvement.
Last month, a military flight from the United Kingdom—which happened to include Grant Shapps, Britain’s Defense Secretary, as a passenger—also experienced similar technology glitches while traveling near the Russian city of Kaliningrad. At the time, a government spokesperson explained that the there was “GPS jamming” and said that the malfunction was “not unusual” when traveling in that region.
Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland are the most likely destinations to experience GPS glitches during travel. Beyond the Baltic Sea, Turkey is also a high-risk location for these issues. The jamming experienced by the navigation technology is caused by releasing fake data to satellites, resulting in inaccurate reports of location.
This interference is categorized as a method of electronic warfare, which is utilized to upset the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and GPS used by planes. Russia is suspected of having used extensive electronic warfare systems in Kaliningrad, as a spokesperson from the Defense Ministry in Lithuania recently explained that the jamming practices are expected to persist and “negatively affect” commercial flights in the area.
The spokesperson added that Russia’s military has a range of equipment designed for electronic warfare that can have impact at “varying distances, duration and intensity.”
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