Russia jams the GPS systems of powerful F-22 Raptors and F-35 Jets in the Middle East
Among other things, electronic warfare by Russia, including jamming, poses a significant threat to civilian air traffic, police, and peacetime medical operations.
Experts distinguish between jammer and identity theft. So, if the jammer amounts to creating electronic noise to disrupt GPS services, spoofing, on the other hand, consists of deceiving and manipulating a satellite navigation system to provide false data.
In late June 2019, The Times of Israel reported that since last spring, pilots flying in the Middle East, particularly around Syria, had noticed that their GPS systems were showing the wrong location or had stopped working altogether.
According to data collected by US researchers, the signal that has disrupted (and allegedly continues to do so until now) satellite navigation for planes flying in Israeli airspace originates from Russia's Khmeimim airbase in Syria.
Khmeimim Air Base is home to sophisticated Russian military hardware, including S-400 surface-to-air missile batteries, Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft systems and Su-57 stealth fighter jets
Russia most likely seeks to protect its troops in Syria, including from drone attacks, by interfering and waging active electronic warfare. According to The National Interest, Israeli sources are "increasingly convinced" that the failure of GPS for civilian flights in the region "is a side effect of Russian radio interference in Syria."
In recent years, ships have also reported GPS jammer in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, with Russia suspected of carrying electronic jamming to protect its troops in Syria fighting for Bashar al-Assad's regime.
However, the jamming may well be the result of spoofing. Vessels posting GPS issues to the United States Coast Guard Navigation Center reported having apparently genuine satellite signals but were unable to receive credible positioning information, echoing spoofing events identity in Syria near the Russian airbase.
Moscow is believed to be trying to interfere with Western aircraft, including the latest F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters, and armed drones that periodically attempt to attack Russia's Khmeimim base in Syria's Latakia.
Starting in April 2019, the US Air Force deployed the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates respectively. This was part of a broader force build-up in the context of the US-Iranian confrontation in the region.
Russia is also seen in the GPS war on the European continent. “Interference to GPS signals was first detected during a large-scale NATO Trident Junction exercise in Norway at the end of October 2018,” the Defense earlier noted. News.
Norwegian military intelligence later said it recorded a source of interference from a Russian military base on the heavily fortified Kola Peninsula. Finnish military intelligence also indicated that the analysis of the Norwegian partners reflected its own investigations and assessments.
The Norwegian government has denounced what it calls the continued "electronic harassment" of critical communications systems and networks by the Russian government. "The Norwegian government has hated Russia's electronic jamming actions and is strengthening collaboration with Nordic partner states to improve intelligence sharing regarding Russian military's signal blocking technologies and measures," Bakke- said Jensen, the Norwegian Defense Minister.
The Norwegian armed forces are also exploring the use of new methods and technologies to protect against military communications interference and jamming of GPS systems by Russia. The US Air Force is currently planning to test interference-resistant GPS systems in Europe. This will be done in order to counter Russian electronic warfare.
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