Electronic Warfare (EW) and Cyber attacks threaten commercial aircraft primarily through GPS jamming and spoofing, disrupting navigation and causing false alerts, which can mislead planes off course or into terrain, even far from conflict zones. These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in legacy systems, causing significant safety issues by confusing flight management systems and air traffic control, impacting situational awareness and leading to dangerous inaccuracies in altitude/position.
As per the written reply of Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol, 1,951 incidents of GPS spoofing and interference with aircraft have been reported across various airports in the country since November 2023. These incidents were reported mainly at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai airports. The minister also brought out that the Wireless Monitoring Organisation (WMO) is investigating the matter.
GPS Spoofing incidents were initially observed near conflict-prone regions or areas of heightened geopolitical tension. It was considered more of a nuisance than a real concern for safety. However, with the proliferation of spoofing/jamming to more areas and with an increase in sophistication, it has become a cause of concern among the operators and regulators.
As per recent pilot reports, GPS Spoofing has evolved into systemic jamming and is affecting not only the navigation system but also other systems of aircraft, as mentioned below:-
- Loss of functionality of FMS, like the Flight Plan going blank
- Change in flight identification on ADSB
- MFD going blank
- FMS going blank
- Loss of ILS signal on approach.
This increased sophistication of Jamming is a real threat to aircraft avionics and flight safety. Many research papers have highlighted the real threat to aircraft avionics. The most vulnerable systems, apart from GPS/GNSS, are –
- Data Link System
- Software Radio
- SATCOM
- ADS B/ADS C
- ACARS
- In-Flight Entertainment Systems
Unlike a military aircraft, the cyber threat to a commercial plane has to be managed at an international level. The lack of cooperation and coordination in various parts of the commercial aviation system further complicates the threat identification, analysis and intelligence. The commercial aviation industry requires a coordinated effort to secure aircraft avionics and systems by introducing standards requiring new equipment to be made less susceptible to jamming and interference. What we need immediately is a mitigation strategy, as Radio signals do not respect geographic boundaries, whether domestic, commercial, or national. Complaints about interference and jamming must be properly managed by the regulatory authorities so that we can make efficient use of the radio spectrum and users may enjoy the benefits of the entire spectrum.
The threat that jamming poses could be addressed in several ways by:-
- Enforcing the current regulations prohibiting the sale and use of electronic items which cause interference;
- Introducing stricter regulations and significant penalties for deliberate jamming;
- Provisioning more resources to investigate interference and jamming.
- Equipping and training the law enforcement authorities to investigate possible cases of deliberate jamming, e.g. during crime or public order incidents.
The commercial aviation sector continues to improve the safety and quality of services provided to customers. However, there is an immediate need to address passenger concerns regarding spoofing and jamming. As a long-term measure, it would be appropriate to develop new standards for avionics systems to limit susceptibility to jamming and interference. Otherwise, there exists a great likelihood that terrorist groups may be able to breach on-board systems and remotely operate in-flight aircraft by using sophisticated attack tools with consequent severe damage to property and loss of life.
Be Safe. Fly Safe.
Title Image Courtesy: ABC News
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of India and the Defence Research and Studies
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