Europe Putin The Blame On Russia After GPS Jamming Disrupts Presidents Plane

A plane carrying European Commission (EC) president Ursula von der Leyen to Bulgaria was forced to resort to manual navigation techniques after GPS jamming that authorities have pinned on Russia.

The Financial Times first reported the jamming, and in the EC’s midday Monday press briefing Deputy Chief Spokesperson Arianna Podestà confirmed the chartered plane carrying von der Leyen was indeed unable to access GPS signals on Sunday as it approached the city of Plovdiv.

Podestà said Bulgarian authorities believe Russia conducted the jamming and, when asked if that assessment is accurate, said the EC accepts the theory.

Spokesperson Anna-Kaisa Itkonen chimed in, saying Europe is “seeing quite a lot of this”, especially on its Eastern flank – meaning nations nearest to Russia.

GPS jamming involves transmission of radio waves in the same frequencies used by GPS satellites. As those sats are around 20,000kms above Earth, the signals they send are quite weak. A terrestrial transmitter can overwhelm GPS info. It’s also possible to spoof info from GPS satellites in an effort to lead those who rely on satnav astray.

Neither Podestà nor Itkonen described the exact nature of this jamming incident, or how the presidential plane addressed it. Itkonen mentioned procedures for switching from autopilot to manual flying. She also noted that the EU’s sanctions on Russia have singled out companies thought to provide Moscow with GPS jamming capabilities.

• GPS on the fritz? Britain and France plot a backup plan
• Europe is Russian to sanction Putin's pals over 'hybrid' threats
• Singapore to increase road capacity by tracking all vehicles with GPS
• Boffins explore cell signals as potential GPS alternative

The European Union’s Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius used his X account to lament the incident.

“Jamming and spoofing harms our air, maritime & transport economies,” he wrote, adding that the bloc “…will increase satellites in low Earth orbit for robustness and we will enhance interference detection.”

Those efforts could be years off. Itkonen said member states are working on an action plan to ameliorate future GPS jamming attacks, but when that will arrive is unknown. She added that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is part of that effort.

EASA has already taken some action: in June it announced “a comprehensive plan to mitigate the risks stemming from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) interference” that described jobs that need to be done to address GPS jamming, including:

• Developing standard radio calls for reporting GNSS interference and standardized notice to airmen (NOTAM) coding, i.e. Q codes;
• Tightening controls (including export and licensing restrictions) on jamming devices;
• Maintaining a backup for GNSS with a minimum operational network of traditional navigation aids.
• Improving civil-military coordination, including the sharing of GNSS radio frequency interference (RFI) event data.

The plan also calls for Europe to “Prepare for evolving-threat capabilities, also for drones.”

Again, there’s no deadline for this stuff to happen.

Which leaves open an important question: Is it safe to get on a plane in Europe right now?

The answer is “Yes”, because plane-makers and airlines equip commercial aircraft with other navigation tools. Pilots receive training in how to use them.

A better question may be “Can a European military rely on GPS to guide drones or missiles right now?” The Register suspects the answer to that could be “Classified.” ®