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Context:  

As per the recent report of OPSGROUP, globally, instances of spoofing have increased from 300 flights impacted daily in January to 1,500 flights impacted daily by August.

What is GPS interference and spoofing?

• GPS Interference: Disrupting the accuracy of GPS signals used for navigation.
• Spoofing: A cyber-attack in which fake GPS signals are transmitted to misleading navigation systems.
• An attacker mimics legitimate GPS signals. It tricks systems into sensing false positions, speeds, or altitudes.

Impacts: Impaired navigation accuracy for aircraft and drones. It can trigger an incorrect speed or terrain warning. It is used in modern war and conflict zones to deceive enemies.

Examples: Common on India-Pakistan and India-Myanmar borders. Contributed to aviation incidents such as the Azerbaijan Airlines crash.

Affected regions: Identified from September 2023, with new hotspots in 2024, including:

• Northern Iraq (Baghdad area).
• Black Sea region.
• Western Russia and the Baltics.
• The border areas of North and South Korea.
• India-Pakistan and India-Myanmar borders.

Inertial Reference System (IRS): A standalone navigation system that provides position, speed and orientation without external signals such as GPS.

Components

• Gyroscopes: Measurement of angular velocity.
• Accelerometers: Track linear acceleration.
• Integrated to calculate position relative to a known starting point.
• Independent of external signals ensuring reliability in GPS-rejected environments. It can operate safely for up to five hours if the GPS fails.
• It acts as a redundant mechanism to maintain navigation accuracy.
• It ensures the safety of the aircraft during GPS jamming or spoofing attacks.

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What is GPS spoofing? 

INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS

INDIA-PAKISTAN RELATIONS

Source:

The Hindu