GPS chaos over Baltic: Planes rerouted as disruptions escalate
GPS system disruptions in the Baltic Sea have been ongoing for over 60 days, affecting the navigation of planes and ships, according to Swedish media.
These disruptions, which impact the navigation of both planes and ships, have persisted for more than 60 days in the Baltic Sea. Swedish media outlets, including "Expressen" and "Dagens Nyheter," report strong anomalies in the area of Gotland Island and southern Öland. Intentional GPS interference can have serious consequences for civil aviation and shipping.
On Thursday, a Ryanair plane traveling from Luton to Vilnius had to abort its landing due to GPS issues and was rerouted to Warsaw. Swedish Defense Minister Pål Jonson emphasized that "the government is closely monitoring the situation and remains in close contact with both Finland, the Baltic countries, as well as within NATO and the EU."
Swedish authorities are working on increasing resistance to GNSS disruptions (a collective term for global navigation satellite systems).
Similar issues are occurring in northern Norway. The Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) reported on Friday about GPS disruptions in the Kirkenes region near the border with Russia. Disruptions appear at increasingly lower altitudes, as confirmed by measurements from Norwegian experts.
These GPS disruptions in the Baltic and northern Scandinavian Peninsula have been ongoing since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Swedish military previously identified Russian activities in the Kaliningrad oblast as a potential source. Lt. Col. Joakim Paasikivi, a lecturer at the Swedish Defense Academy, suggested that the disruptions might be some kind of "tests" before being used by Russia in hybrid warfare.
