Putin's 'top secret electronic weapon' causing havoc in the skies: How the West ... trends now
Russia could be using a top secret electronic weapon to disrupt aircraft and ship GPS systems, experts have warned, as thousands of British holiday flights are believed to have fallen victim to 'extremely dangerous' signal jamming attacks.
Military chiefs have warned over recent months that a system known as Tobol, based in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, could be interfering with signals on planes and boats, causing them to 'malfunction'.
It emerged last night that passenger jets appear to have faced GPS jamming and spoofing, which interferes with wireless communication systems and uses fake signals to trick pilots into believing the aircraft is in a different location than it is.
The European Aviation Safety Agency warned back in January that authorities had seen a 'sharp rise' in jamming and spoofing 'attacks', but did not say who was behind them.
Soon after, an RAF plane carrying Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had its signal jammed as it flew near to Kalingrad - with insiders blaming Russia for what they called a 'wildly irresponsible' attack.
The suspected electronic weapon causing these disruptions is likely based in Russia's military site in Kaliningrad (pictured), sitting between Lithuania and Poland, according to Western intelligence findings
Aircraft logs have revealed jamming hotspots in the Baltic region, Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean, with a map showing where attacks are alleged to have taken place
Vladimir Putin's forces have been accused of using a secret weapon to jam GPS signals
A defence source reportedly said at the time: 'While the RAF are well prepared to deal with this, it still puts an unnecessary risk on civilian aircraft and could potentially endanger people's lives.'
The anticipated threat to civilian aircraft appears to have been borne out, with The Sun reporting yesterday that 46,000 flights logged satellite navigation (satnav) issues over the Baltic region between August and March.
Among those were 2,309 Ryanair flights, 1,368 Wizz Air flights, 82 British Airways flights and four EasyJet flights.
The electronic weapon suspected of causing disruptions to aircraft in the area is likely based in Russia's military site in Kaliningrad, a Russian territory between Lithuania and Poland, according to Western intelligence findings.
It is reported to be a large satellite dish, though images circulating on social media claiming to show the device have not been verified. Aerial shots shows the suspected site.
There has been disruption to the GPS guidance of air and sea traffic in Finland, the Baltic states and Poland, in recent months, according to Estonia's military chief.
'What we have seen is a malfunctioning of GPS for ships and air traffic,' General Martin Harem, commander of the Estonian Defence Forces, told the Telegraph.
'And we really do not know if they [Russia] want to achieve something or just practice and test their equipment.'
The fixed jamming system in Kalingrad is said to be one of around ten such facilities across Russia. Pictured: A photo believed to show the site
