'GPS spoofing' threatens flights over airspace in war-torn West Asia |
The electronic spoofing signals not only lead to misreading of location but
also faking of other vital parameters like distances and altitude etc by
confusing the computer system with unpredictable consequences.
Because all cockpit equipments are integrated.
Tailpiece: Could this have been the cause of some recent crashes in the Indian subcontinent! Spoofing altitude reading while flying over valleys and hills? (ALSO see: What caused Ethiopian air crash)
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NEW DELHI, Nov 26: The Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has warned
that civilian flights over war-torn West Asia can be risky with recent reports
of 'GPS spoofing' disrupting navigation. The DGCA has issued an advisory to
all Indian airlines to be alert.
"The aviation industry is grappling with uncertainties due to new threats and
reports of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) jamming and spoofing,"
the DGCA circular said.
The latest incident was reported near Ankara, Turkey, on November 20. The navigation
system showed that the aircraft was in Beirut. Since nobody has been found manipulating
the GPS it is likely due to the military electronic warfare systems active in
West Asia. In case one strays into Iran airspace it runs the risk of getting
shot down.
The problem is like a driver blindfolded! With modern aircraft totally depenedant
on electronic instrumentation, if signals are faulty we don't know where we
are flying. This ‘GPS spoofing’ is threatening flights across West Asia, a perennial
war zone. And the region has the busiest air traffic between East and the West
like the Suez canal for shipping.
In the last few weeks, there were about 50 incidents being reported from near
Baghdad, Cairo and Tel Aviv. One aircraft was about to stray into Iranian air
space.
In conflict zones aircraft risk terrorist attacks by spoofing.
The electronic spoofing signals not only led to misreading of location but
also other vital parameters leading to unpredictable consequences. Because all
cockpit equipments are integrated. Could this have been the cause of some recent
crashes in the Indian subcontinent! Spoofing altitude reading while flying over
valleys and hills?
Recent incidents of ‘GPS spoofing’
Misleading electronic signals imitating the GPS signals led to total failure
of navigation for 12 flights near Iran in September, according to data. “A troubling
new development in en route airspace is emerging: Aircraft are being targeted
with fake GPS signals, quickly leading to complete loss of navigational capability,”
according to OpsGroup.
According to another report, GPS spoofing misguided around 20 planes near Iran-Iraq
border. The planes included Boeing 777, 737 and 747. The aircraft’s navigation
system went awry, the planes losing their navigational capability. The manipulation
was called ‘GPS spoofing.’ It means a satellite signal is replaced by a malicious
intervention possibly from ground by third party such that the GPS receiver
shows a wrong position and time leading to disasters. On the other hand, in
'jamming', GPS signals are jammed, which is not as threatening as spoofing and
happens once in a while.
Airway UM688 in Iraqi airspace was found to be particularly risky.
Iranian Defence Ministry had disclosed a couple of years ago that Iran has
an electronic warfare system that is exclusive. It also has electronic warfare
aircraft.
In one incident, a pilot asked an air controller while flying near Iraq, “What
time is it, and where are we?” In these cases, the aircraft were shown off course
by certain distances.
Even the latest inertial reference systems (IRS) has been found to be vulnerable
to spoofing.
The IRS can circumvent signal errors with available last correct information
but it reads a 'spoof position' as true.
What is GPS: GPS or Global Positioning System is a satellite-based utility
providing positioning and navigational services. It comprises of a series of
satellites. Simply put it guides a road journey to its destination like in cabs
to locating oneself in ocean while shipping or air while flying where nothing
is seen by the naked eye. It provides time and location information anywhere
on earth to a corresponding GPS receiver. According to NASA, GPS is a space-based
radio-navigation system, owned by the US Government and operated by the United
States Air Force (USAF). It can pinpoint a three-dimensional position to metre-level
accuracy and time to the 10-nanosecond level, worldwide and 24/7. It reads like
20° N, 50° W means the location is 20 degrees north of the Equator and 50 degrees
west of the Prime Meridian. With a GPS receiver, users can determine their precise
latitude, longitude and altitude. The location of objects like vehicles, people,
phones, bikes, etc. can be tracked in real time.
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