Moving Ships Likely Behind GPS Jamming In Baltic Sea, Study Finds

Shipping — Image for representation purposes only

A new study by Polish researchers has revealed that GPS disruptions in the Baltic Sea likely originate from moving vessels rather than land-based sources.

The findings reveal that powerful jamming devices may be mounted on ships, with earlier reports of high-power radio equipment aboard vessels in Russia’s so-called “shadow-fleet.”

The study, conducted by GPSPATRON and Gdynia Maritime University, monitored GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) interference at ground level using a specialised sensor installed at the university’s Faculty of Navigation building.

Positioned 120 kilometers from Kaliningrad, the sensor could detect disruptions up to 20 nautical miles offshore but not in the central Baltic, where most maritime traffic flows.

Over six months, from June to November 2024, researchers recorded 84 hours of GNSS interference, with October seeing the highest disruption-29 hours in total.

Some jamming events lasted up to seven hours, causing navigation errors of up to 35 meters (100 feet), which could pose serious risks in confined waterways.

Initially, the interference affected multiple satellite systems, including GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, and Galileo. However, from October onwards, the jamming pattern changed.

Researchers noted that the disruption patterns moved, reinforcing the theory that ships-rather than a fixed land-based station-were responsible.

Since the interference was detected at ground level but did not match airborne GPS disruption reports from ADS-B tracking systems, experts have called for dedicated ground-based monitoring networks.

Such systems, they say, could help authorities pinpoint the exact location of jamming sources, identify the vessels involved, and take enforcement action.

The study also warned that without immediate intervention, persistent GNSS interference could severely impact maritime navigation, port operations, and overall security in the Baltic region.

Researchers call for the urgent need for real-time monitoring systems to counter these threats and prevent potential maritime accidents caused by GPS failures.

Reference: gpspatron

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