At its core, GPS spoofing involves the transmission of fake satellite signals stronger than those from real satellites causing a GPS receiver to accept and process incorrect positioning data. The spoofing system essentially impersonates legitimate GPS satellites, overriding actual signals to insert false coordinates.

Unlike GPS jamming, which simply blocks reception, spoofing is more insidious. Aircraft systems remain operational, but they rely on incorrect location data, which can lead to:

• Navigation drift or deviation from flight plans
• Failure in onboard systems that depend on synchronized location/time data
• Miscommunication with air traffic control, especially in restricted zones
• Potential breaches into foreign airspace, escalating political risk

Aircraft affected in recent reports lost GPS position, experienced failures in inertial reference systems (IRS), or required manual navigation corrections. In many cases, pilots were unaware of the spoofing until they received warnings from ATC or noticed inconsistencies in onboard instruments.

While GPS spoofing is not new, its operational use in recent years has surged in scale and complexity.

• 2013: A pivotal moment came when researchers at the University of Texas at Austin successfully hijacked a civilian drone mid-flight using spoofed GPS signals. This academic demonstration proved what many suspected—that GPS, without encryption or validation, could be a soft underbelly for many critical systems. (WIRED)
• 2019: Maritime reports from the Black Sea revealed anomalies in GPS readings. Several ships appeared to drift far from their actual locations. Analysts suspected Russian testing of spoofing tech, manipulating civilian GPS receivers by transmitting fake satellite signals at higher power.
• 2022: During heightened geopolitical tensions, aircraft flying near the Baltic region—including over Finland, Latvia, and parts of Poland—experienced significant GPS disruptions. Thousands of commercial flights reported navigation faults, especially near Russian borders, believed to be part of coordinated electronic warfare activity.
• 2023–2024: Fast forward to today, spoofing has become commonplace in contested airspace—most notably over Iraq, Iran, Syria, and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean. Reports confirm that aircraft are being fed falsified positional data, often placing them far from their actual location, in some cases near restricted military zones. These disruptions have led to flight diversions, rerouting, and increased workload for already-stressed air traffic control systems.