GPS jamming in the Baltic: flights, ships and your phone
Interference with satellite navigation over the Baltic is now a daily event. Who jams what, and why.
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Pilots over the Baltic Sea have reported GPS interference on thousands of flights this year. Ships in the Gulf of Finland report position errors of several kilometers. The interference is consistent with ground-based jamming and 'spoofing' — broadcasting fake satellite signals.
Modern aircraft fall back on inertial navigation, so the immediate safety risk is managed. The bigger issue is civilian: port logistics, precision agriculture, and any app that trusts your phone's location.
Several governments have formally protested. The jamming is widely attributed to electronic-warfare units protecting sensitive sites — and testing what they can get away with.
Why it matters
GPS is invisible infrastructure. When it degrades, aviation copes — but logistics, farming and finance timing systems feel it first.
What to watch next
Deployment of backup eLoran terrestrial navigation in the region, and any incident where spoofing guides a vessel off course.