(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) — The GPS system of a British Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft carrying the country’s Secretary of State for Defence, Grant Shapps, was reportedly “jammed” while traversing the airspace of the Russian Kaliningrad region.
British media outlets and defense sources have attributed the incident, deemed “highly irresponsible,” to Russia, exposing the RAF aircraft and its passengers to significant risks.
They alleged that the experience of the RAF aircraft carrying Britain’s Defence Secretary was an instance of electronic warfare (EW) aggression by Russia.
“Due to the electronic attack by Russia, the phones on the aircraft failed to connect to the WIFI system, forcing the aircraft to use alternative navigation systems to ensure safe arrival at its destination,” according to British media reports.
The incident occurred as the RAF aircraft carrying Britain’s Defence Secretary was returning from Poland after observing NATO’s large-scale military exercises in the country.
While in the airspace of the Kaliningrad region, the Global Positioning System (GPS) of the RAF’s Dassault 900LX Falcon aircraft, named “Envoy,” was jammed for 30 minutes while traversing Russian airspace.
Kaliningrad lies between Poland and Lithuania.
Assurances were given to Britain’s Defence Secretary by his officials that the electronic attack by Russia did not threaten the safety of the aircraft carrying him.
However, defense sources cited by British media outlets state that while the RAF is equipped to handle such situations, it still poses unwarranted risks to civilian aircraft.
“It could potentially endanger the lives of passengers. There is no justification for such occurrences, and it is highly irresponsible on Russia’s part,” said a British defense source.
Another source stated that incidents of electronic attacks or “jamming” often occur against aircraft passing through Kaliningrad airspace.
The incident involving the aircraft carrying Britain’s Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, over Kaliningrad airspace is not the first experienced by British aircraft.
In 2021, aircraft departing from the RAF airbase in Akrotiri, Cyprus, reportedly faced electronic attacks from Russia, resulting in their GPS systems failing.
The involved aircraft were said to be Eurofighter Typhoons, F-35s, and A400M transport aircraft.
Although the incident did not cause any damage or accidents to Britain’s combat aircraft, British authorities accuse Russia, particularly its military personnel stationed in Syria, of responsibility.
Poland and several Baltic countries have also reported an increase in GPS disruption incidents in recent months.
The Institute for the Study of War, in its report, stated that areas in northern and eastern Poland face GPS disruptions believed to originate from Russian electronic attacks.
With the increased use of drones in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the use of electronic warfare such as GPS system “jamming” has seen a rise not only in Ukraine but also in neighboring countries. — DSA