Jamming GPS...is this a thing in the US too?

LongRoadBob

LongRoadBob

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I mentioned recently in some thread or other about the northern part of Norway, the Russians were jamming GPS during their military training exercises.

Then I saw this in the newspaper Aftenposten. A story about an emergency medical helicopter (luftambulanse, literally "air ambulance") flying south recently experienced (I think this was near Bergen) GPS dropout, and if I am reading correctly also off of the ATC screen, not radar of course but maybe it is written incorrectly or ATC is using GPS as well.

Anyway, even if you can't read norwegian, the map (halfway down) shows where they lost GPS signal for about 100 seconds. Also further on down you can see the culprit.

Story is here: https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/...ient-Arsaken-sto-i-sigarettenneren-til-en-bil

The norwegian authorities (like the FCC here) used triangulation, and when they got near enough a hand-held device to track the jamming signal. It was the little device pictured in the guys hand, that was plugged into a car cigarette lighter. It's illegal to sell, buy, or have one of these but the story goes on to say that mainly three types of uses folks are finding, since these are available online. Mainly to cheat toll stations (some use GPS tracking to charge toll), to defeat (for trucks) the employer "watching where you are" and how often you take breaks, etc. and thirdly to defeat "device trackers" for stolen goods that the thieves suspect may have trackers on them...

Given that this one little device defeated GPS for a whole area, this sounds like a problem that is ramping up. Anyone heard about this happening in the US?
 
LongRoadBob said:
I mentioned recently in some thread or other about the northern part of Norway, the Russians were jamming GPS during their military training exercises.

Then I saw this in the newspaper Aftenposten. A story about an emergency medical helicopter (luftambulanse, literally "air ambulance") flying south recently experienced (I think this was near Bergen) GPS dropout, and if I am reading correctly also off of the ATC screen, not radar of course but maybe it is written incorrectly or ATC is using GPS as well.

Anyway, even if you can't read norwegian, the map (halfway down) shows where they lost GPS signal for about 100 seconds. Also further on down you can see the culprit.

Story is here: https://www.aftenposten.no/norge/i/...ient-Arsaken-sto-i-sigarettenneren-til-en-bil

The norwegian authorities (like the FCC here) used triangulation, and when they got near enough a hand-held device to track the jamming signal. It was the little device pictured in the guys hand, that was plugged into a car cigarette lighter. It's illegal to sell, buy, or have one of these but the story goes on to say that mainly three types of uses folks are finding, since these are available online. Mainly to cheat toll stations (some use GPS tracking to charge toll), to defeat (for trucks) the employer "watching where you are" and how often you take breaks, etc. and thirdly to defeat "device trackers" for stolen goods that the thieves suspect may have trackers on them...

Given that this one little device defeated GPS for a whole area, this sounds like a problem that is ramping up. Anyone heard about this happening in the US?
Click to expand...

Happens often, but our overlords tell us it makes us “safer” :)

https://disciplesofflight.com/faa-july-2017-gps-interference-testing/
 
#1 area in the US is centered in New Mexico where GPS testing goes on all the time.The impact area is a huge ice creamcone that can affect up to 40k ft and as far away as northern Colorado. Which is hilarious because GPS control center is just east of Colorado Springs.

And my friends are always hassling me why I want my ADF fixed. There will always be AM radio playing the oldies!
 
They’re not jammers. They’re “test signal generators.”
 
Takes me back to the good old days of Loran-C on a rainy day.
 
GPS is a weak, vulnerable signal, and the threshold to building and deploying a jamming device is very low. Won't cost much in parts, or electronic know-how.

Get somene a little smarter than the average bear, and finding a few coordinated jammers could become a real tough task.
 
Sundancer said:
GPS is a weak, vulnerable signal, and the threshold to building and deploying a jamming device is very low. Won't cost much in parts, or electronic know-how.

Get somene a little smarter than the average bear, and finding a few coordinated jammers could become a real tough task.
Click to expand...

Up until now I wasn't aware of how weak the GPS signals are. I had read that just as they experience with Russia jamming it in the north of Norway, the US armed forces also had jamming the enemies signal as part of normal warfare tactics. Actually in some places read that they actually don't just jam, but move the positions one way or another so positioning is in error, gives faulty results but they wouldn't be aware of it.

Which seems strange. Would seem like if it is this simple, both or all sides in a conflict would render all GPS unusable.

As a student, I liked learning about the "old school" Nav equipment anyway. Even as a hiker in the woods, love using map and compass. This just gives me more incentive to work on nav skills (when I start cross country flying)
 
In soaring we use recording gps's to prove our flights. A few yrs ago one of our pilots in Kansas had a couple drop outs that we figured were jammers in trucks on I35. Another friend lost a podium spot at the seniors contest in Florida after his GPS was jammed as he crossed the finish line. No record, no finish.
 
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