Due to interference with navigation signals, attributed to Moscow, two Finnish flights were compelled to make mid-journey turnarounds.

• Baltic Officials Discuss GPS Jamming Issues with Allies, Urge Russia to Cease Putting Civilian Aircraft at Risk: Will Talks Yield Positive Results?

Baltic Officials Discuss GPS Jamming Issues with Allies, Urge Russia to Cease Putting Civilian Aircraft at Risk: Will Talks Yield Positive Results?

In recent weeks, the Baltic Sea region has witnessed an escalation in gps jamming incidents, prompting serious concerns from Baltic ministers. The foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have each issued warnings regarding the potential hazards posed by these disruptions, which have already led to two Finnish flights being forced to turn around mid-journey due to interference with navigation signals. This GPS jamming, believed to originate from Russia, not only poses a threat to aviation safety but also risks causing a major air disaster. Baltic officials are now engaged in discussions with their allies regarding this critical issue, urgently calling on Russia to halt its actions that are putting civilian aircraft in jeopardy. For more information on this developing story, readers are encouraged to visit https://www.ft.com/content/37776b16-0b92-4a23-9f90-199d45d955c3. Please note that sharing of articles should be done via the sharing tools provided, and copying articles for distribution is a violation of FT.com’s Terms and Conditions as well as Copyright Policy.

The situation in the Baltic region is escalating as officials scramble to address GPS jamming incidents that are putting civilian aircraft at risk. This week, two Finnair flights from Helsinki bound for Tartu, Estonia, were forced to turn back due to navigation challenges caused by the jamming. Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s foreign minister, likened the situation to having headlights turned off while driving at night, emphasizing the urgent need for action. Meanwhile, Estonia’s foreign minister Margus Tsahkna condemned the incidents as part of Russia’s hostile activities, vowing to discuss the matter with allies. He further described the GPS disruptions as a hybrid attack, posing a direct threat to the security of the region’s people, and stated that such actions will not be tolerated.

In recent months, GPS jamming has caused widespread disruption, affecting tens of thousands of civilian flights and posing significant threats to the safety of shipping in the Baltic Sea, as warned by the Swedish navy. This jamming, which can be easily conducted with relatively inexpensive equipment, has impeded signals crucial for navigation, raising concerns among experts. While no country has publicly acknowledged responsibility for the interference in the Baltics, officials in the region have pointed to Russia as the likely perpetrator, with suspicions falling on both its mainland and the exclave of Kaliningrad, located between Poland and Lithuania. One senior official speculated that Russia may be attempting to shield Kaliningrad from potential Ukrainian drone attacks, although the Kremlin has remained silent on the matter. The situation underscores the vulnerability of GPS systems and the need for heightened vigilance in the face of such disruptions.

The safety of civilian aircraft has been called into question as Baltic officials engage in discussions with allies regarding GPS jamming. This concern arises from incidents such as the one confirmed by the UK in March, where a government plane carrying defense secretary Grant Shapps experienced GPS signal jamming near Kaliningrad during a flight home from Poland. GPS expert Dana Goward, president of the Resilient Navigation and Timing Foundation, warns that the chance of an accident is rising due to GPS jamming. While backup systems are available, crews have received less training on them compared to GPS, making aviation less efficient and less safe without it. Despite this, Juho Sinkkonen, a veteran pilot and head of flight operations at Finnair, views GPS interference as a nuisance with no imminent safety impact. According to Sinkkonen, GPS interference has been increasing since 2022, but most airports are equipped to handle landings without GPS. However, he notes that Tartu is one of the few airports where approach procedures require a GPS signal, adding urgency to the officials’ calls for Russia to stop putting civilian aircraft at risk by jamming GPS signals.

Baltic officials are actively engaged in discussions with their allies regarding the recent GPS jamming incidents, strongly urging Russia to desist from actions that potentially endanger civilian aircraft. According to experts, the GPS interference originates from multiple sources, with one likely located in Kaliningrad, another causing disturbances in Estonia and Finland, and a separate source affecting the northernmost regions of Norway and Finland. Latvia’s foreign minister, Baiba Braže, emphasized the gravity of these incidents, stating, “We take these incidents seriously. Our relevant institutions are in close communication with their counterparts in other nations.” Marko Mihkelson, the head of the foreign affairs committee in Estonia’s parliament, echoed this sentiment, urging allies not to turn a blind eye to Russia’s GPS jamming, which poses a significant threat to international air traffic.