GPS Jamming in the NEWS

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Why is GPS Anti-Jam (AJ) Capability Important?

GPS Anti-Jam technology shields GPS receivers from intentional jamming and interference. The GPS signal is feeble by the time it reaches the Earth's surface, and it is vulnerable to being overpowered by higher-power Radio Frequency (RF) energy.

GPS Jammers are Available to Bad Actors

It is unlawful to advertise, sell, distribute, import, or otherwise market jamming devices to consumers in the United States. Nevertheless, foreign countries market these products on the web. https://www.fcc.gov/search/#q=illegal%20jammers&t=edocs&f=%5B%7B%22releasedDate%22%3A%222016%22%7D%5D

Pilots Encountering GPS Disruptions

Kyle Mizokami writes in Popular Mechanics on Jul 1, 2019: Russian efforts to protect one of its most important military bases in Syria is causing GPS headaches in the surrounding Middle East—even in nearby Israel. GPS jamming and spoofing designed to overpower legitimate GPS signals and replace them with fake ones is meant to protect Khmeimim Air Base, but is causing problems as far away as the island of Cyprus.

Fake GPS Signals

Kevin Taylor wrote in Politics on July 17, 2019: Russia has designed fake GPS signals to overpower legitimate GPS signals by way of ‘GPS jamming’ and GPS spoofing. In the case of latter – a fake signal is broadcast by a third party causing the GPS devices to think they are somewhere else instead of where they actually are. Where as in the case of former – a third party makes an attempt to prevent the satellite-based navigation system from reaching receivers.

Safety of Maritime Navigation

Catherine Dunn Wrote in Fortune on Jan 22, 2020: Last September, ... the master of a tanker, ... carrying more than 5,000 metric tons of ethanol [reported] ...The ship’s GPS signal had suddenly disappeared—leaving the crew to navigate Cyprus’s shoreline in the dark.  In daylight, an experienced ship captain can maneuver using paper maps, markers, and the coastline as guides. But at night, GPS becomes a critical tool in unfamiliar waters—especially near Cyprus, where NATO and Russian warships..