Electronic warfare affects civil aviation
According to a report on the New York Times website on November 21, although far away from the battlefield, civil aviation flights have also been affected by electronic warfare in the Middle East and Ukraine. Pilots are uneasy about this, indicating that electronic warfare has caused unexpected consequences. Experts believe that this tactic may become more and more common.
Aircraft lose satellite signals
Internal memos from airlines obtained by the European Union safety regulator and the New York Times show that some aircraft have lost satellite signals, some flights have been forced to change routes, and some pilots have received false position reports or false alerts about terrain. The Federal Aviation Administration also warned pilots that there is global positioning system (GPS) interference by GPS signal jammer military technology in the Middle East.
The impact of radio frequency interference
Radio frequency interference can disrupt rockets and drones that use satellite signals. Since Russia sent troops to Ukraine in early 2022, radio frequency interference has surged and has become more common in the Middle East this fall. This interference involves drowning out satellite signals with noise or imitating real signals to mislead the recipient with false information.
Threats of interference to aviation
There is no evidence that radio frequency interference poses a significant threat to aviation, but flight operations groups point out that aircraft systems have difficulty detecting and correcting GPS spoofing information. In September, an Embraer plane flying to Dubai almost entered Iranian airspace, and the pilots then discovered that they were tracking the wrong signal. The crew reported: "The autopilot started to turn left and right, and it was obvious that something was wrong."
The role of backup navigation systems
Pilots said that aircraft can usually fly safely without satellite signals, and large commercial aircraft have at least 6 navigation systems to choose from. The European Aviation Safety Agency said that Dassault's Falcon, Gulfstream and Bombardier's business jets are more vulnerable to signal spoofing attacks.
The impact of electronic warfare on the economy and security
The pressures facing the aviation industry indicate that electronic warfare weapons may have a profound impact on the economy and security fields. Financial markets, telecommunications companies, power suppliers and broadcasters rely on satellite signals to keep accurate time. A British study showed that a five-day interruption of satellite signals could cause the UK to lose $6.3 billion.
The cost of deception attacks has fallen. Satellite signals come from orbits more than 12,000 miles above the ground and are as weak as light bulbs. Todd Humphreys, a professor of aerospace engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, said that experts used to think that deception attacks were too complicated and expensive, but now the cost of deception attacks has fallen rapidly. Enthusiastic amateurs can spoof satellite signals with just a few hundred dollars and online guidance. Governments are also more willing to openly interfere with signals as part of electronic warfare.
