DGCA alert about GNSS jamming and spoofing risks
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the regulatory body, released a thorough warning circular detailing the growing risks of GNSS jamming and spoofing in an effort to allay growing worries about GNSS interference in airspace.
All aircraft operators including the Airport Authority of India, an air navigation service provider (ANSP), are subject to the circular.
A senior DGCA source claims that the circular was issued in response to growing complaints of GNSS interference over Middle Eastern airspace, which prompted the DGCA to form an internal committee on October 4.
By addressing the possible effects on aircraft and ground-based systems, the DGCA circular seeks to provide stakeholders a useful road map for navigating this dynamic problem.
Notably, since the internal committee was established, it has carefully examined the circumstances, heightened awareness among operators, and held talks with global specialists to develop practical plans.
The circular is based on the committee’s suggestions for dealing with the new danger in light of industry best practices, recent advancements, and ICAO guidelines.
It highlights the reporting requirements in accordance with legal standards and defines roles and duties of each stakeholder in monitoring and managing the danger in a coordinated way,” the official said.
The official emphasized that it offers a thorough set of mitigation measures and an action plan for pilots, air traffic controllers, ANSP, and aircraft operators. Among these are the creation of backup plans in collaboration with equipment manufacturers and the evaluation of operational risk through the use of safety risk assessments.
Additionally, it gives ANSP a way to set up a threat monitoring and analysis network in close collaboration with DGCA for both proactive and reactive threat monitoring and analysis of GNSS interference reports. This will allow ANSP to produce insightful data from new developments and threats in real time, enabling a strong and prompt response.
GNSS is essential for technical terminology and aircraft navigation. The terms “GNSS spoofing” and “jamming” describe efforts to trick a user’s navigation system by sending out bogus signals. The interference on frequencies from outside sources is known as GNSS jamming. It can cause the receiver to misplace the positional data.
The jets over the Middle East reportedly got a fake GPS signal meant to trick the aircraft’s internal computer system into believing they were thousands of kilometers off course. Frequently, the signal is powerful enough to jeopardize the aircraft’s system integrity.
