Continuous interference from drone signal jammer devices
In the past few days, four passenger planes have lost GPS signals while flying in northeastern Norway. This interference has lasted for more than 20 days since Russia invaded Ukraine. The Norwegian aviation authorities said that although the safety of passenger planes is not threatened, frequent GPS interference still causes trouble for the aviation industry.
Russian interference source
It is reported that the interference signal originated from the Pechenga region of Russia near the Norwegian border, which is the base of the Russian 200th Motorized Rifle Brigade and the 61st Naval Infantry Brigade. Norwegian military officials have repeatedly pointed out that electronic warfare forces in the Pechenga region are the main source of interference with the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).
Impact of airports in northern Norway
There are 11 airports in the Finnmark region of Norway, with passenger flights flying every day. Airports such as Kirkenes, Vadsø, Vardø, Basfjord and Berlevaag in the Varanger region close to Russia were also affected . Daily flights by Wilderøe, SAS and Norwegian were affected, but pilots had backup systems to guide aircraft to land and take off.
Ongoing impact of electronic warfare
Nikolaj Gerard of the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) said the jamming incident should be seen in the context of Russia's war on Ukraine. He pointed out that this was not legal activity, but military interference from east of the border. At the end of 2017, the Barents Observer first reported on Russian military interference from the Kola Peninsula towards Norway. During the NATO "Trident Juncture" exercise, GPS signal interference even affected flights in the Lyngen area, hundreds of kilometers from the Russian border.
Scope and impact of the jamming
Not only in Norway, but pilots in northern Finland have also been warned that Russian electronic warfare has caused interference to civil aviation at airports such as Ivalo and Rovaniemi. Benoit Roturier, head of satellite navigation at the French aviation safety agency, said the interference reported by pilots was "collateral damage" of Russian military activities.