Blog Editor’s Note: The below news release from Russia got us thinking.
For years we had heard from our maritime contacts that GPS and AIS were not reliable in Russian waters. Then last summer we heard from a merchant captain in the Black Sea. He and about 20 other vessels had experienced GPS positions that put them at airports dozens of miles away from their true positions at sea. Further research showed that this had happened to over 600 vessels in the previous 24 months.
That similar things were happening near the Kremlin caused some to speculate that this was an anti-drone measure. Make drones think they were near airports and their factory programming would direct them fly the other way.
Perhaps another reason for the Russians to disrupt GPS, especially within their own borders, might be to make using GLONASS more attractive. The system has not had an unblemished record and it must hurt Russian pride that it is so little used around the world.
Information & Analytical Agency PortNews (IAA PortNews) was created and registered as a Russian media outlet in 2004
2018 April 25 11:51
8,791 ships are fitted out with the GLONASS navigation equipment – Dmitry Rogozin
On 24 April 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a working meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin, who briefed the President on the development of navigational/data-exchange technologies of the GLONASS global navigation satellite system, says the Kremlin.
“In all, 8,791 ships, including over 2,000 sea vessels, are fitted out with the GLONASS navigation equipment. All ships and vessels that operate in our basin have this equipment”, said Dmitry Rogozin.
According to him, differential correction systems are installed in 43 seaports out of 67, and 33 on inland waterways.
“Likewise, priority measures were taken on the Northern Sea Route”, he added.
