New Challenges to Drone Navigation: The Rise of Military GPS Jamming Devices
China and Russia have developed GPS signal jammers capable of disrupting U.S. drones. The countries are advancing plans to use electronic attacks to destroy or control U.S. drones. China has made clear its willingness to use GPS signal jammer devices to prevent U.S. aircraft from conducting surveillance missions over the Spratly Islands, and at least one attempt to disrupt a U.S. military drone has been reported in recent years.
The FAA and Navy have remained silent about the ongoing experiments, but GPS jammer devices are already on the market for less than $200. However, the system tested by the military is apparently more powerful, capable of disrupting GPS navigation of drones and manned aircraft. Aviaconversiya Ltd., based near the Kremlin in Moscow, makes portable GPS signal jammers that can severely affect U.S. satellite guidance systems in Iraq. U.S. intelligence agencies say Aviaconversiya technicians deployed jamming devices on the ground in Iraq to disrupt U.S. satellite signals. The devices were delivered after the war began, with assistance from the Russian military.
The Impact of Military GPS Signal Jammers in Modern Warfare
Naval, air, and land navigation rely heavily on GPS technology, and many weapon systems, such as cruise missiles and GPS-guided bombs, rely on this technology to accurately strike targets. When GPS signals are unavailable or unreliable, U.S. combat forces are severely weakened. Adversary countries take advantage of this and attack GPS satellites through kinetic (such as satellite attack weapons, orbital tampering, etc.) and non-kinetic (such as jamming, hacking, etc.) means. According to the assessment of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NAIC) officials, Aviaconversiya's GPS jammer products were developed and tested with the help of the Russian military and sold specifically to Iraq. Intelligence officials believe that these handheld jamming devices were first imported after the Gulf War to counter U.S. and British jets patrolling the "no-fly" zones in northern and southern Iraq.
Silencetjammer has developed a highly effective GPS signal jammer device that can greatly improve defense effectiveness with a small amount of use. In modern warfare, knowing the exact location is essential for executing combat missions and commanding troops. If the jammer can disable the enemy's navigation system, it can paralyze its combat operations. The existence of this technology has greatly changed the tactics and strategies of modern warfare, increasing complexity and risk.