Europe is facing a threat posed by GPS jamming, characterised by disruptions of Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in Europe. Such instances are particularly common in the regions surrounding the Baltic Sea, the Black Sea, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
Why does it matter?
Who is affected?
In the year 2022, over 430,000 jamming attacks have been reported. This electronic warfare technique interferes with flights’ navigational systems, creates false terrain alerts, derails maritime logistics, and jeopardises the split-second timing needed for power and communications grids to function.
The primary targets of drone attacks are still critical infrastructure operators, including airports, seaports, energy companies, telecommunications, and emergency services. The protection of these sites requires the deployment of alternative positioning technologies and RF monitoring along with a resilient counter-drone solution.
The Scope of the Crisis: Understanding the Numbers
The past three years have been marked by an escalation of electronic warfare activities within the airspace of Europe and its critical infrastructure networks. Statistics collected from aviation bodies and network providers highlight the alarming extent of this interference.
According to the Flight Data eXchange program by IATA that studies data on over 18.4 million flights, incidents related to GPS signal loss increased by 220% between 2021 and 2024. It is not an insignificant temporary phenomenon; it is an unprecedented transformation of the security environment.
There has been an increase in GNSS interference activities within the Council of the European Union, whereby such occurrences are caused by state actors and greatly affect the Baltic Sea area.
The matter became so grave that 13 EU Member States sent an official request to the European Commission to act immediately to solve Radio Frequency Interference (RFI).
As a response, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL formulated a 22-point roadmap. The roadmap aims to shift the industry from its fragmented approach towards RFI issues into a coordinated one.
These kinds of interference attacks rarely affect any civil infrastructures directly. It is generally due to the application of the military electronic warfare systems that are intended to confuse guided weapons and drone surveillance systems.
However, since the signals sent out by satellites are inherently weak when they reach the earth surface, a signal jammer could cause a blanket interference effect across a huge area of land.
GPS Jamming vs GPS Spoofing: Technical Distinctions
In order to protect vital assets, it is essential to know the type of interference that has occurred. Though ‘jamming’ and ‘spoofing’ might be considered similar terminologies, both have different implications.
What is the difference between GPS jamming and GPS spoofing?
In GPS jamming, the attacker sends out a lot of radio frequencies into the air, disrupting the normal functioning of the GPS signal, thus completely blocking all position data. In GPS spoofing, a trickery technique is adopted where false signals are sent into the receiver that calculates a wrong position or time.
| Feature | GPS Jamming | GPS Spoofing |
| Mechanism | Overpowers real signals with heavy RF noise | Transmits false signals to deceive receivers |
| Primary Effect | “Signal Lost” or “No Fix” errors on equipment | False location data or altered timestamps |
| Detection Difficulty | Relatively easy to detect via spectrum analysis | Very difficult to detect without advanced sensors |
| Intent | Denial of service and operational blinding | Hijacking, misdirection, or system manipulation |
| Infrastructure Impact | Halts automated navigation entirely | Causes systems to act on dangerously false data |
At UAV Defence, we frequently meet with security managers who misunderstand their own airspace vulnerabilities. It is important to know the difference between these two terms in order to use proper RF detection and protection technologies.
If you need a technical analysis of the two different issues, please read our technical guide on GPS Spoofing vs Drone Jamming: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters for Airspace Security.
Operational Impact Across Critical National Infrastructure
When it comes to satellite navigation interference, most discussions revolve around civilian aviation only. However, the effects of such an issue extend far beyond civilian aeroplanes and influence other critical national infrastructure on land. GNSS integration in many industries creates vulnerability to sudden signal interruption.
Aviation and Airport Authorities
GNSS is critical for aircraft in order to utilise RNAV and RNP technologies that allow them to navigate using the most economical routes.
In case an aircraft comes into the area where signals are blocked, the flight crew will lose their position, and the TAWS system will give false alarms, causing pilots to make uncoordinated climbs to avoid obstacles.
Aircraft may experience issues like the changing of time and dates in their FMS, together with ACAS functionalities being lost.
Controllers will find it very difficult to manage aircraft that do not have accurate navigational capabilities. Authorities in the airports need to be prepared for delays as well as extended holding.
EASA is calling upon network managers to optimise the existing VOR, DME, and TACAN networks so that aircraft have a conventional ground system to fall back on.
Maritime and Port Operations
Commercial ships today depend wholly on the Automated Identification System (AIS). The AIS system utilises information from GPS to send the ship’s location, speed, and direction to other ships and shore stations.
During jamming attacks that have occurred within the Baltic and Black seas, large commercial ships have become invisible on the radar screen. Even worse, the ship can appear at a totally wrong location through spoofing attacks, miles away inland.
It is difficult for port officials to manoeuvre ships through straits that have no proper AIS signals. The chances of accidents become exceedingly high due to increased interference.
Moreover, the automated crane system and logistics systems within the ports depend on the GPS positioning system to position shipping containers in the right place. This requires accuracy of the centimetre level.
Energy Grids and Substations
The distribution of power does not require movement; however, it requires perfect timing. The energy providers utilise the GNSS receivers to provide microsecond time signals to PMUs. These time signals ensure that the phase of the alternating current is synchronised over great distances geographically.
In case the signal is jammed or spoofed, then the power grid encounters serious phase mismatches. The big timing errors could trigger automatic shutdowns, leading to power failures in a region.
Telecommunications Networks
In addition to energy grid systems, 4G and 5G cellular networks require time synchronisation for the efficient transfer of information when moving from one tower to another.
If the RF interference affects the time signal of the GPS of a particular tower, it results in the internal clock of that tower getting desynchronised. Once the synchronisation limit is reached, all functions performed by that tower become dysfunctional.
This causes dropped calls and blocked data transmission channels for emergency services.
The Drone Threat in GNSS-Denied Environments
In the wake of infrastructure providers giving prominence to GNSS resiliency, the danger from UAVs increases proportionately.
Can drones operate during GPS interference?
Yes. The entry-level consumer drones can fly in a hovering pattern or make an emergency landing even when GPS is not available, but that is not how advanced drones work. The military-grade drones and advanced consumer drones use INS, Optical Flow Sensors, and terrain-mapping cameras.
This poses a major threat to airport security, military strategists, and critical infrastructure operators. Recent research by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) reveals how hostile groups have been able to map holes in Europe’s air defences by carrying out drone attacks, with such attacks taking advantage of weakened GNSS signals.
In case the security is based on conventional UAV detection technology that simply receives the GPS coordinates from the UAV, a GPS jammed environment means no visibility at all for these types of systems.
Another point is that well-organised aggressors make use of GPS jamming techniques in order to protect themselves from any detection. They saturate the RF spectrum in the area in order to block communication channels of their UAVs.
Protecting Infrastructure: Detection and Mitigation Technologies
The availability of satellites cannot be taken for granted anymore by infrastructure providers. Layered security is a must.
UAV Defence builds and deploys C-UAS systems that will operate effectively regardless of the GNSS conditions at their location. We make use of multiple sensor integration to ensure continuous operation.
Micro-Doppler Radar Systems
In case of critical national infrastructure that needs round-the-clock security, fixed radar systems provide the highest level of reliability of detection. However, traditional radar equipment for aviation purposes is programmed not to detect small items to prevent the creation of the clutter.
Here comes micro-Doppler radar, which registers the speed fluctuations inside the moving object, primarily the fast rotation of drone propellers.
Thus, the system becomes able to distinguish the drones from the birds and minimise the number of false detections. Moreover, the radar supplies the information on the three-dimensional position of the object without relying on satellite positioning systems.
Advanced RF Detection
Detecting hostile drones through Radio Frequency (RF) is still one of the leading techniques used for identifying these threats. The system performs a survey of the airspace using the communication frequencies between the drone and its pilot.
More sophisticated RF detectors have the ability to recognise, classify, and locate both the UAV and the pilot. More importantly, the passive RF detection does not require GPS; thus, it is very efficient even if the drone’s navigational systems are jammed.
The current RF-based detectors use extensive databases for recognising certain UAV models and estimating their flight and payload capacity.
Optical and Thermal Imaging
AI-enabled cameras can track the possible threat through visual confirmation. This system becomes more effective when coupled with radar and RF sensors since they provide the visual confirmation along with identifying the payload.
Thermal imaging ensures that such capabilities remain consistent even at night, in fog, or during bad weather conditions.
Mitigation and Drone Jammers
Upon intrusion by the rogue drone into a security barrier, the drones have to be stopped from causing any further harm. The process of mitigation needs thorough consideration of the environment in order to prevent any form of collateral damage. Directional drone jammers can be used to disconnect the communication link between the rogue drone and the pilot, thus forcing the UAV into a fail-safe mode.
Spoofing protection systems can be used to carefully take control of the rogue drone and guide it into a safe landing area away from the protected assets.
Strategic Recommendations for Operators
In order to improve resistance to GNSS disruptions and drone attacks, infrastructure managers should take the following actions:
- Start with Vulnerability Assessment: find out which systems at your facility rely on GNSS for positioning, navigation and/or synchronisation purposes.
- Implement Alternative Timing Systems: deploy Precision Time Protocol solutions and high-stability local oscillators, such as rubidium atomic clocks.
- Apply Multi-Sensor Counter-Drone Solutions: do not limit yourself to one way of drone detection; use micro-Doppler radar, RF detection, and optical sensors.
- Establish Contingency Plans: conduct training programmes for your employees and teach air traffic controllers, grid operators, and other relevant personnel what to do in case of an alarm triggered by spoofing.
- Consult with Experts: cooperate with professionals in airspace security services to create your own customised system architecture.
Securing the Future of European Infrastructure
Europe has become witness to an unparalleled problem of GPS interference, which has revolutionised the way airspace is handled and managed. The sheer number of incidents involving tens of thousands of disruptions has forced the operators not to look at GNSS interference in isolation anymore.
It is time to take preemptive action in light of state-sponsored electronic warfare and growing advancements in unmanned aerial vehicles.
Reliance on one-shot solutions will ensure that efforts are destined for failure. Whether it is energy substations requiring synchronisation or airport officials dealing with congested airspace, there is no way but through resilient design.
We provide at UAV Defence all that is required for protecting critical infrastructure in our country against any form of sophisticated attacks from the sky or electronically. Contact us today to know more about our detection and mitigation systems for your operation in GNSS-denied areas.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What causes GPS jamming?
GPS jamming occurs when jammers transmit very strong radio waves in the same frequencies utilised by GPS satellites. The signals transmitted drown out the signals from the satellites in space. In Europe, electronic warfare equipment from the military is the major source of GPS jamming.
Is GPS jamming illegal?
Yes. According to both international and national telecommunications law, unauthorised transmission through protected aviation and emergency frequencies is illegal. Illegal jamming of satellite signals may be heavily punished by criminal law since it poses a risk to people’s lives.
Which European countries are affected?
This issue mostly affects countries around the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Eastern Mediterranean. The interference happens quite frequently in countries like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, and Romania and in the airspace around Cyprus.
How does GPS jamming affect airports?
It makes it difficult for automated landing equipment and navigation systems to function correctly. The pilots are compelled to use old-fashioned radio navigational aids or fly visually, thus increasing work in the cockpit. Consequently, the flights are delayed, there is less space available in the air, and sometimes the aircraft are even diverted.
What technologies detect GPS interference?
The operators use interference monitor networks, along with the spectrum analysers, to identify the jamming. The modernised aviation system uses GPS receivers, together with the inertial reference system, to detect discrepancies between expected signals and actual signals.
How can critical infrastructure protect against GPS attacks?
Backup systems must be integrated into facilities. This should include having an atomic clock installed for accuracy, using radar on the ground for surveillance in the air, and installing anti-jamming antennas to eliminate ground interference.