Israeli intelligence 'jammed GPS signals to confuse attackers' - as the IDF ... trends now
Israel reportedly 'jammed GPS signals' in Tel Aviv in the days before Iran's 300-strong missile strike in a bid to confuse its attackers, as the IDF claimed to have intercepted '99 per cent' of Tehran's projectiles.
It is believed that Iran's drones and ballistic missiles were fitted with a Russian GLONASS system - a satellite navigation system - to break through the alleged jamming, according to the Mirror.
While Israeli locals are no strangers to having their navigation tools jammed during security alerts, some reportedly claimed that while they were using Waze and Google Maps yesterday, their GPS switched to show them to be in Cairo or Beirut.
The confusion was a deliberate attempt to throw their enemies' strikes off target, but the move meant an increased risk of them hitting other domestic areas.
It comes as Israel vowed to retaliate after the barrage of airstrikes amid rising fears of a more widespread conflict.
Israel reportedly 'jammed' GPS signals in the days before Iran's Saturday night's series of missile strikes in a bid to confuse Iranian enemies
Iran has said it had attacked Israel in 'self-defence' following the April 1 strike on its diplomatic mission in Damascus, which was widely blamed on Israel. Pictured are missiles yesterday
'We are aware that these disruptions cause inconveniences, but it is a vital and necessary tool in our defensive capabilities,' Israel Defense Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a televised briefing on Thursday night.
Disrupting the GPS signals in this way 'is a form of electronic warfare,' according to Oded Vanunu, who heads vulnerability research at Check Point Software Technologies.
Iran claimed that the fierce bombardment of Israel is a response to the April 1 airstrike on an Iranian consulate building in the Syrian capital Damascus, which killed 12 Iranians and two senior commanders.
Iran has blamed Israel for the airstrike, but the country has not yet confirmed to carrying out what Iran has dubbed 'Operation True Promise'.
The massive air attack began on Saturday at around 8pm and lasted around five hours, according to US officials.
The strike marks the first time a direct military assault has been launched by Tehran on Israel despite decades enmity dating back to the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution.
In Iran's first direct attack on Israel, missiles and Shahed 'kamikaze drones' were launched from its homeland and its proxies in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen.
During the attack, explosions were heard across cities in Israel, including Tel Aviv and were even heard in Jerusalem as air raid sirens blared in over 720 locations.
Israel's chief military spokesman, Daniel Hagari, said Iran's attack involved more than 120 ballistic missiles, 170 drones, and more than 30 cruise missiles, according to reports.
But the IDF claimed they intercepted '99 per cent' of Iran's missiles through the use of their Iron Dome defence system and through help from allies including the UK and the United States.
Speaking to media tonight, Hagari warned bigger plans for both
