From Computing by John Leonard
Signals have been jammed simultaneously over Europe, Canada and Greenland
Sometimes the interference is an overspill from military activity - for example, to disrupt drone strikes or confuse enemy aircraft.
Other times, it appears to be deliberate.
Last month, an RAF aircraft carrying defence secretary John Healey had its GPS signal jammed as he returned from a trip to Estonia.
Last month, an RAF aircraft carrying defence secretary John Healey had its GPS signal jammed as he returned from a trip to Estonia.
In 2024, a plane carrying his predecessor, Grant Shapps, was also subject to GPS jamming near Kaliningrad.
Signal jamming is usually perpetrated by ground-based military systems or, occasionally, criminals using cheap handheld devices.
Signal jamming is usually perpetrated by ground-based military systems or, occasionally, criminals using cheap handheld devices.
Sometimes signals are transmitted from ships or aircraft too, but the disruption is almost always limited to a relatively small area.
But on dozens of occasions since 2019, monitoring stations have recorded simultaneous GPS interference across a vast area covering Europe, Canada and Greenland.
But on dozens of occasions since 2019, monitoring stations have recorded simultaneous GPS interference across a vast area covering Europe, Canada and Greenland.
The incidents - which typically last just a few seconds - appear to originate from a single source.
Given the enormous geographic footprint, researchers have long suspected that the transmitters could be space-based.
Now a group of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University have confirmed this hypothesis, identifying the likely culprit as a group of Russian early-warning satellites in high-altitude “Molniya” orbit - an elliptical path that allows them to linger over Russia and northern Europe for extended periods.
The scientists developed a framework to detect interference based on received signal power and analysed the spatial, temporal and spectral patterns of the disruptions.
Now a group of researchers from the University of Texas at Austin and Stanford University have confirmed this hypothesis, identifying the likely culprit as a group of Russian early-warning satellites in high-altitude “Molniya” orbit - an elliptical path that allows them to linger over Russia and northern Europe for extended periods.
The scientists developed a framework to detect interference based on received signal power and analysed the spatial, temporal and spectral patterns of the disruptions.
They ultimately identified three satellites belonging to Russia’s Edinaya Kosmicheskaya Sistema (EKS), which is designed to detect missile launches that could threaten Russian territory.
The first EKS satellites were launched in 2019 - the same year the wide-area disruptions were first observed.
These satellites appear to be transmitting signals that interfere with GPS frequencies, either intentionally or as an accidental consequence of their operations.
These satellites appear to be transmitting signals that interfere with GPS frequencies, either intentionally or as an accidental consequence of their operations.
The US Russian Embassy told the New York Times it currently had no comment on the matter.
It is not the first time satellite transmissions have interfered with GPS signals, but in two previously documented cases the disruption was attributed to technical error.
In their paper, the researchers do not speculate on whether the interference is accidental or deliberate, but they note a clear pattern: the disruptions are more likely to occur on weekdays and almost always during business hours (UST timezone) making a random technical fault less plausible.
Whatever the cause, space-based interference marks an unwelcome new chapter, the researchers write:
“While terrestrial or near-terrestrial sources are primarily responsible for the recent uptick in GNSS [Global Navigation Satellite Systems] interference worldwide, space-based interferers are of special concern given their potential for vast geographic reach and their portent of a qualitative escalation in GNSS interference.”
Amid growing concern over GPS disruption, the UK is trialling quantum-based navigation systems that cannot be jammed or spoofed by hostile actors.
It is not the first time satellite transmissions have interfered with GPS signals, but in two previously documented cases the disruption was attributed to technical error.
In their paper, the researchers do not speculate on whether the interference is accidental or deliberate, but they note a clear pattern: the disruptions are more likely to occur on weekdays and almost always during business hours (UST timezone) making a random technical fault less plausible.
Whatever the cause, space-based interference marks an unwelcome new chapter, the researchers write:
“While terrestrial or near-terrestrial sources are primarily responsible for the recent uptick in GNSS [Global Navigation Satellite Systems] interference worldwide, space-based interferers are of special concern given their potential for vast geographic reach and their portent of a qualitative escalation in GNSS interference.”
Amid growing concern over GPS disruption, the UK is trialling quantum-based navigation systems that cannot be jammed or spoofed by hostile actors.
Links :
- Computing : Will space warfare threaten global trade and communications? / Can GPS jamming compromise the safety of modern aviation? / How do quantum-based navigation systems resist GPS jamming? / Can hackers access my Signal messages via linked devices? / How can I protect my location data from mobile app breaches?
- NYTimes : Russian Satellites Have Been Jamming GPS Signals Across Europe, Scientists Say
- BBC : Grant Shapps plane's GPS signal 'jammed' near Russia's Kaliningrad
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