GPS interference forces flights to return
On April 29, 2024, the foreign ministers of the three Baltic countries warned that Russia's global positioning system (GPS) interference could cause civil aviation crashes. Recently, two flights from Helsinki, Finland to Tartu, Estonia were forced to return to Finland due to GPS signal interference by drone signal jammer devices and could not reach their destinations safely.
Dangerous interference operations
"It's like suddenly turning off the headlights when driving at night, which is extremely dangerous," said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Landsbergis. Estonian Foreign Minister Chahkna stressed that this interference is considered a hostile activity by Russia and warned that it is a threat to security. Experts pointed out that tens of thousands of civilian flights and ships were affected, and GPS signals in the Baltic region were also hindered, causing the Swedish Navy to issue a shipping safety warning.
Russia's drone jamming strategy
Although no country has publicly acknowledged jamming, Baltic officials have pointed out that Russia may be behind the jamming. Some analysts believe that Russia may be trying to protect its Kaliningrad enclave from potential attacks by Ukrainian drones. The Kremlin has not responded to this. The British government also confirmed that the GPS signal of a special plane carrying the Secretary of Defense was jammed when it passed through Kaliningrad.
Safety risks and countermeasures
GPS expert Gao Huad warned that the probability of accidents is increasing. Although there are backup systems, pilots are less trained on these systems, and the lack of GPS may affect the efficiency and safety of the aviation industry. However, Finnair's head of flight operations, Sinkkonen, said that although GPS blocking is increasing, most airports have backup equipment, and Tartu Airport is one of the few airports that need GPS.
International response and discussion
Latvian Foreign Minister Blaze said that the Baltic countries are working with international partners to take GPS jamming incidents seriously. Experts pointed out that the sources of interference include Kaliningrad and interference in Estonia and Finland. Baltic officials are urging allies to take action to demand that Russia stop this threat to international air traffic.