Jamming of GPS Satellites Becomes a Growing Problem

The jamming of Global Positioning System (GPS) navigational signals and communications was once mainly a terrestrial concern, but it's increasingly affecting satellite systems. One of the nations being impacted by jammers is Latvia.

Recently confirmed through Latvia's Electronic Communications Office is that another nation close to its borders, Russia, is using three sites in Kaliningrad, Leningrad, and Pskov Oblasts, to disrupt satellite navigation systems. It's thus causing concerns for the safety of civil aviation across the Baltic Sea region, even to the extent of grounding flights to ensure the safety of passengers. 

Many technology firms, including Lithuanian laser-communications developers Astrolight, have expressed the need for jamming-resistant technology to protect communications and navigation reliability from jamming efforts. The CEO of Astrolight, Laurynas Mačiulis, notes how the threat is growing,“The Baltics are on the frontline of electronic warfare, and this could spread to other regions soon.”

He added, “Satellites, navigation, and communications are experiencing regular attacks. We need jamming-resistant technology now, and it must be addressed across NATO, not just locally.”

Recent Ukrainian reports have indicated that ground-based Russian jamming systems can now disrupt GPS signals 1,200 miles above ground, with the capability to block communications and GPS navigational signals from low-Earth-orbit satellites (LEOS). Such ground-based jammers represent a major threat to battlefield environments as well as commercial applications, including airline navigation.

In hopes of thwarting these jamming attacks, the European Space Agency (ESA) is investing heavily in a military-grade satellite network. Andrius Kubilius, the ESA’s European Commissioner for defense and Space, explained, “Russia’s hybrid and total war strategy in Europe is clear — from attacks on Ukraine to sabotage in Germany, disruption of Baltic communication lines, and ongoing interference in political processes across the region.”

Concerning the hybrid combination of technologies being used in Russian jamming attacks, Kubilius added, “These actions show that hybrid threats are happening now, and we must respond with higher investments and even stronger technology.”

Mačiulis tried to shed some light on the solution: “Laser-based communication is the only technology today that offers true immunity against these new-generation electronic-warfare threats and can reliably protect our satellites from jamming and interference.”