Concerned over recent reports that Indian planes have been losing their signal over the Middle East and several civilian flights have been flying blind over the region, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has issued a certificate and taken action regarding the same.

After reports emerged about interference faced by Indian civilian aircraft while crossing the Middle Eastern airspace, the DGCA said that the reason behind ‘flying blind’ is the issue caused by the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS).

The GNSS has been causing jamming and spoofing with the signals of Indian aircraft, as per the aviation regulator. In order to combat these “uncertainties” faced by Indian planes, the DGCA recognised the new threats in aviation.

The body called for the development of contingency measures and the establishment of a threat monitoring and analysis network for aviation to encounter these issues faced by civilian planes.

The DGCA issued specific guidelines for pilots, aircraft operators and air traffic controllers to conduct safety risk assessments and coordinate with equipment manufacturers in order to avoid mishaps and loss of signal.

The advisory was issued after multiple incidents were reported where Indian civilian aeroplanes had to avoid the Iranian airspace due to a snag in the navigation system. One flight almost entered the Iranian airspace without permission due to spoofing caused by GNSS.

What is GPS spoofing and jamming?

GPS spoofing and jamming is defined as when someone uses a transmitter to send a counterfeit GPS signal, countering the original signal sent to the receiver antenna. When such a false signal is sent to an airplane, it causes a navigation failure.

Jamming, on the other hand, refers the the blockage of GPS signals, which can cause the airplane to fly blind without navigation. While jamming is the more common phenomenon, spoofing is more threatening and can lead to serious mishaps.

It is usually seen that jamming and spoofing of an airplane signal occurs when it flies over a region with ongoing military projects or regional disturbances, with deployed electronic warfare.