Stops Registering GPS Disruptions in Finnmark, Northern Norway
A swarm of drones is controlled from a CV90 tank in Finnmark during the large military exercise Nordic Response in March. Drones can be put out of action by jamming, i.e. sending powerful radio waves towards the drone to block the signals that control it. (Photo: Ole-Sverre Haugli/the Norwegian Armed Forces)
The jamming of GPS signals is now so recurring in Finnmark, Northern Norway, that the national authorities no longer want to be notified. It has become the new normal.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, there has been a strong increase in jamming in parts of Northern Norway. Jamming is sending out noise or false signals, indented to disrupt systems based on global satellite navigation systems (GNSS), such as GPS receivers.
This could lead to GPS users receiving the wrong position and time and could also affect communication systems. Finnmark is particularly affected. In 2023 alone, 294 days of signal disturbances were reported, an increase of 48 times from 2019, writes the National Defense Magazine - Norway.
For pilots flying over Finnmark, interference with the aircraft's navigation systems has become the new normal. Due to the high number, the Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) no longer wants jamming to be reported from this area.
Nkom monitors which areas are exposed to jamming and what causes these disturbances. Nkom will nevertheless monitor any changes in the situation in Finnmark closely.
The jamming signals come from Russia. According to Nkom, several countries that share borders with Russia have experienced increased disturbances. They are now testing a Norwegian AI model to look for GPS disruptions.
"This AI model makes it possible to distinguish between deliberate jamming and disturbances caused by other types of errors. Compared to traditional machine learning models, this AI model delivers competitive performance, while the results are explainable, which can provide insight into which signal patterns are decisive," says John-Eivind Velure, acting director of Nkom, in a press release.
What is what?
Jamming: Disruptions or blocking of radio and GNSS signals. GNSS stands for Global Navigation Satellite Systems, and GPS is an example of such a system, found in our phones and smartwatches, among other things.
Spoofing: Sending out false signals to deceive the recipient.
Source: Nkom
