LinkedIn iconBluesky iconX iconFacebook icon

The West Is Terrifyingly Vulnerable to Chinese Hacking of GPS – Heritage Foundation

May 5, 2025

Blog

Written by Editor

Image: Shutterstock

What’s new: A reminder and concise summary of issues from Diana Furchtgott-Roth at the Heritage Foundation.

Why it’s important: This huge national security threat has yet to be acknowledged by the U.S. administration, or any other western government. The message coming from the conservative Heritage Foundation may have more credibility with the party in power.

What else to know:

  • Diana was the Deputy Assistant Secretary at the Department of Transportation in the first Trump administration and was responsible for PNT issues.
  • We like the following highlights from her post:

Protecting global navigation satellite systems from interference from China, Russia and Iran is a matter of extreme importance.

In America, Congress has repeatedly asked the Department of Transportation to install a back-up to GPS, without allocating sufficient funds to do so.

This is an area where like-minded governments can and should work together to develop reliable back-ups, both for economic and military security.

 

Heritage Foundation Logo

The West Is Terrifyingly Vulnerable to Chinese Hacking of GPS

Apr 10, 2025
Diana Furchtgott-RothDirector, Center for Energy, Climate, and Environment

The West may be divided on tariffs, but all countries can agree that protecting global navigation satellite systems from interference from China, Russia and Iran is a matter of extreme importance. Disruptions would pose an immense economic and national security threat, costing trillions of dollars daily, dwarfing any market disruptions from tariffs.

Global navigation satellite systems are free services that send positioning, timing and navigation systems to phones, banks and other electric utilities. America has the global positioning system (GPS), Europe has Galileo and China has Bei Dou. But these systems are vulnerable. They depend on satellites, which can be damaged by electromagnetic storms or military attacks. Even with the satellites intact, hacking incidents proliferate, using inexpensive, easily available hardware.

Both China and Russia have shown that they have the capacity to take down Western satellites. The University of Texas student Zach Clements, meanwhile, has traced GPS manipulation to Iran.

READ MORE

What Can YOU Do? How Can YOU Help?

PNT is the quiet backbone of everything but too many leaders still don’t see the risk.

But you do. You understand the systems, the dependencies, the failure chains. That insight is rare — and it’s exactly what your country needs right now. Contact your government leaders and industry decision-makers and tell them resilient PNT isn’t a feature — it’s the foundation everything else depends on.

Start the Conversation

Use our Resilient PNT Key Talking Points to make the case.

Get the Guide

U.S. Advocates

Find your representatives at Congress.gov, then use our email template to reach them in minutes.

When you get a response, let us know. Every conversation strengthens the mission.

More PNT News

Russia is jamming GPS from space – SpaceNews

Russia is jamming GPS from space – SpaceNews

Jun 8, 2026

Image: Copilot AI What's new: Another report about Todd Humphreys' efforts, though this one has a bit more of the backstory about how this was discovered. Why it's important: We hope this helps raise awareness about threats and risks. What else to know: Regrettably,...

Inside GNSS, Inside LEO: LEO PNT – Why Now?

Inside GNSS, Inside LEO: LEO PNT – Why Now?

Jun 7, 2026

Image: Shutterstock What's new: A new recurring feature at Inside GNSS. Why it's important: LEO PNT has enormous potential to provide similar services as MEO PNT but with greater performance and greater resilience. What else to know: Xona, Trustpoint, (both RNT...

Why the FCC Must Reject Ligado’s Latest Plan – Broadband Breakfast

Why the FCC Must Reject Ligado’s Latest Plan – Broadband Breakfast

Jun 6, 2026

Image: RNT Foundation What's new: It has been six years since the FCC ruled in favor of Ligado. Now Ligado wants to change almost everything about the bargain it struck with the commission. Why it's important: Use of some of the frequencies Ligado was granted could...

New Company for Broadcast Positioning System – NAB

New Company for Broadcast Positioning System – NAB

Jun 4, 2026

Image: Shutterstock What's new: The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has formed a separate company to develop, advocate for, and deploy the Broadcast Positioning System (BPS). Why it's important: NAB has put increasing effort behind BPS since its inception...

More Posts →

Get PNT News in Your Inbox

Subscribe