{"id":73646,"date":"2025-11-16T11:57:05","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T06:27:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=73646"},"modified":"2025-11-17T11:51:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T06:21:04","slug":"rising-gnss-spoofing-threat-why-delhis-airspace-faced-navigation-disruptions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/rising-gnss-spoofing-threat-why-delhis-airspace-faced-navigation-disruptions\/","title":{"rendered":"Rising GNSS Spoofing Threat: Why Delhi\u2019s Airspace Faced Navigation Disruptions"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><b>GNSS Spoofing Latest News<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In early November, several aircraft flying over Delhi experienced GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) spoofing, where satellite navigation signals were manipulated without warning. Such incidents are uncommon outside border or conflict areas.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GNSS is a general term for satellite-based systems that provide positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) services on a global scale.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">E.g., &#8211; Russia&#8217;s GLONASS, Europe&#8217;s Galileo, China&#8217;s BeiDou etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following the disruption, the government ordered an investigation led by the <\/span><b>National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> under National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>GNSS Spoofing Near Delhi: A New and Unusual Safety Threat<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aircraft flying near Delhi recently faced <\/span><b>GNSS spoofing<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where fake satellite signals give wrong navigation data. Pilots reported incorrect aircraft positions and false terrain warnings.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Air India pilot said he faced spoofing on all six days he flew in early November. These signals were detected within <\/span><b>60 nautical miles of Delhi<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because navigation systems became unreliable, air traffic controllers had to give <\/span><b>manual guidance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to pilots.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GNSS spoofing is usually seen only in <\/span><b>war zones or border areas<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, such as West Asia, eastern Russia, and India\u2019s borders with Pakistan and Myanmar.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It had <\/span><b>never been reported before over a major inland city<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> like Delhi. It should be noted that VIP movements do not cause spoofing; they only involve <\/span><b>GNSS jamming<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, not false signals.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No NOTAM (warning notice) was issued to explain the interference.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A NOTAM, or Notice to Airmen, is a notification issued by aviation authorities to alert pilots and other aviation personnel of potential hazards or changes that could affect flight safety.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The National Security Council Secretariat under Ajit Doval has launched an investigation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>About GNSS Spoofing<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Modern aircraft depend heavily on <\/span><b>GNSS\/GPS signals<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for navigation, timing, terrain awareness, and communication.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When these signals are faked or altered, aircraft systems may show:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wrong positions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">False terrain or runway warnings<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Incorrect braking cues<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Errors in communication and surveillance systems<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spoofing usually doesn\u2019t immediately endanger a flight because aircraft have <\/span><b>backup systems<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, like the Inertial Reference System, which works for up to five hours even if GPS fails.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, spoofing still affects safety by confusing pilots, creating false alerts, and increasing workload \u2014 especially when no NOTAMs warn them in advance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even after the aircraft leaves the spoofed zone, some systems may <\/span><b>not reset properly<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and may continue showing false alerts or navigation errors. This makes the situation harder to manage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>How Spoofing Became a Global Aviation Problem<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a 2024 OPS Group report:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GPS spoofing grew sharply after September 2023.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By January 2024, around 300 flights per day were affected.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By August 2024, spoofing hit 1,500 flights daily.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In one month (July 15\u2013August 15, 2024), 41,000 flights worldwide experienced spoofing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Delhi region ranked among the top 10 global hotspots, reporting 316 spoofing events during the same period.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>India\u2019s Exposure to Spoofing Events<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Government data shows 465 GPS interference and spoofing incidents in India\u2019s border areas \u2014 mainly Amritsar and Jammu \u2014 between November 2023 and February 2025, roughly one event per day.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delhi saw several spoofing events despite being far from conflict zones.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Actors Behind GPS Spoofing<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Primary actors include:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Military units using spoofing to mislead enemy drones and GPS-guided weapons in conflict zones.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are also claims of deliberate targeting of civilian aircraft, particularly in regions around Russia.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><b>Global Aviation Leaders Call for Stronger Protection<\/b><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Experts urged all nations and agencies to protect civilian flights and airports, reminding that international law bans targeting civil aviation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They stressed the need for urgent global action against spoofing and jamming threats.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>IATA\u2019s Multi-Layered Strategy to Tackle GNSS Spoofing<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the ICAO Assembly, IATA proposed a comprehensive plan to address the growing risk of spoofing:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Standardised reporting for all GNSS interference events<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Stronger cross-border cooperation and real-time information sharing<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Regulation and enforcement on the sale and use of jamming devices<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Better spectrum management at national and global levels<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Advanced detection systems to identify interference early<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More resilient GNSS receivers, with anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology built into aircraft systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These steps aim to build a global shield against spoofing and protect aviation safety.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><b>Why India Needs Faster Response and Transparency<\/b><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Repeated spoofing incidents around Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata have raised serious safety concerns in India.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Delayed communication and limited transparency make it difficult for airlines and pilots to take timely decisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This undermines trust among flight crews and passengers and highlights the urgent need for clear reporting protocols, faster alerts, and stronger technical safeguards.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/sci-tech\/technology\/what-are-the-threats-from-gnss-spoofing-explained\/article70284960.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tribuneindia.com\/news\/explainers\/explainer-gps-spoofing-rattles-aviation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TI<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiatoday.in\/india-today-insight\/story\/how-india-battles-spoofing-and-why-our-skies-remain-safe-2817535-2025-11-11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IT<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>GNSS spoofing over Delhi triggered false cockpit warnings &#038; navigation errors. Learn about its risks, global surge &#038; IATA\u2019s solutions to protect aviation safety.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":73778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[3726,60,22,1888],"class_list":{"0":"post-73646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-gnss-spoofing","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affair","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73646","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73646"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73646\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/73778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73646"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73646"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=73646"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}