Slate Technology What Next: TBD | When Your Flight’s GPS Gets Spoofed
Dec 1, 2024
Drew FitzGerald, telecom reporter for The Wall Street Journal, dives into the alarming rise of GPS spoofing in aviation. He discusses a recent incident involving a near-miss during landing, highlighting vulnerabilities in pilot awareness and navigation. The conversation covers how hundreds of flights may be at risk daily, especially in conflict zones. FitzGerald emphasizes the challenges pilots face amidst outdated technology and cheap drones, while exploring critical measures airlines are implementing to enhance safety and mitigate these emerging threats.
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Spoofed Flight
- An American Airlines Boeing 777 received a false 'pull up' alert over Pakistan.
- The pilot correctly identified this as GPS spoofing, a fake signal.
Spoofing vs. Jamming
- GPS spoofing is a relatively new issue, unlike GPS jamming which airlines have prepared for.
- Spoofing feeds false location data, while jamming blocks GPS signals completely.
Spoofing Increase
- GPS spoofing incidents have increased, particularly in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
- This is linked to the rise of commercial drones in conflict zones, as spoofing is used to counter them.