Image: Air Traffic Technology International
What’s New: There have been a lot of items in the news recently that we haven’t posted and commented on. Many are about issues we have addressed elsewhere, and some of them are behind paywalls – but you can get a sense of them from the headlines and teasers.
Why It’s Important: There seems to be a growing understanding in the public at large that PNT is important and is under threat. We hope this translates into action by leaders.
What Else to Know: We have spoken to a number of journalists over the last several weeks, some of those have items below, Unfortunately, some continue mention the bogus $1B/day figure as the loss to the U.S. if GPS goes away. Whenever we speak to a journalist from now on we are going to mention how unreasonably low that number is and refer them to this article we published in 2022.
Here is a sampling:
This item was in the center above the fold of the front page of the 24 September print edition. The print headline is:
Fake Signals Fill Cockpits, Adding Risk for Air Travelers
On line version:
Electronic Warfare Spooks Airlines, Pilots and Air-Safety Officials
Hundreds of daily flights around the world are running into GPS spoofing, a hazard that poses new risks for pilots and passengers
American Airlines Capt. Dan Carey knew his cockpit equipment was lying to him when an alert began blaring “pull up!” as his Boeing 777 passed over Pakistan in March—at an altitude of 32,000 feet, far above any terrain.
The warning stemmed from a kind of electronic warfare that hundreds of civilian pilots encounter each day: GPS spoofing. The alert turned out to be false but illustrated how fake signals that militaries use to ward off drones and missiles are also permeating growing numbers of commercial aircraft, including U.S. airlines’ international flights.
“It was concerning, but it wasn’t startling, because we were at cruise altitude,” Carey said. Had an engine failure or other in-flight emergency struck at the same time, though, the situation “could be extremely dangerous.”
The US Invented GPS. Now It Risks Losing Its Way: Editorial
Without stronger signals and more resilient backups, the nation’s military and economy could be crippled in a conflict
2024-09-26 10:00:29.486 GMT
By The Editors (Bloomberg Opinion) –
The satellite-based Global Positioning System has long been one of America’s proudest technological achievements, transforming the way the military fights, companies do business and citizens live their lives. It is now also a critical vulnerability.
GPS spoofing incidents rise by 400% as pilots warn of dangers: Report
Pilots are warning about a growing international problem that could have tragic consequences, GPS spoofing, a warfare tactic to throw off the position of the enemy. The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, Sept. 23, that commercial flights are now being increasingly impacted by GPS spoofing, with incidents rising by 400% in the past six months.
