The US Congress is seeking answers after a preliminary report showed that US military GPS jamming led to a fatal plane crash in New Mexico.
Global Positioning System jamming, or GPS spoofing, is a tactic used by militaries to try to confuse an adversary in transit, or to protect various assets. The jamming process involves the use of devices that confuse GPS consoles, sometimes making them unusable.
This week, New Mexico Representative Gabe Vasquez wrote a letter to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Transport Secretary Sean Duffy raising “serious concerns” about the use of the tactic in his state.
The preliminary report from the US National Transportation Safety Board released in June showed that investigators had determined that GPS jamming conducted by the US military for testing purposes played a role in the fatal crash of an plane ambulance on its way to pick up a patient.
“Air route traffic control centre (ARTCC) controller telephoned their operations supervisor and requested [the military] to stop jamming,” the NTSB's timeline of communication from the May crash report reads. It added that it being night-time, visibility was significantly affected, making the malfunctioning GPS system more concerning.
The NTSB's report says that the plane's crew were made aware that the US military would be testing GPS jamming in the area before the start of the flight.
The plane crashed into the Capitan Mountains, and all four people on board were killed.
Mr Vasquez's letter to Mr Hegseth and Mr Duffy, released on Wednesday, sought answers about why jamming technology was being tested in the area, and pushed for the development of regulations to prevent fatal aviation crashes.
“This incident comes after the abrupt closure of airspace in El Paso and southern New Mexico earlier this year, also due to testing of military equipment, which raises more serious concerns about your agencies’ co-ordination with other federal agencies, local governments, private companies, and other impacted stakeholders,” he wrote.
The congressman said the crash is the latest in a string of incidents related to GPS jamming.
“It is of utmost importance that the airspace in New Mexico is safe for both military and civilian passengers alike, and I strongly urge you to make this issue among your top priorities,” he wrote.
Concerns about the increasing prevalence of GPS jamming have grown in recent years, especially with the current war between the US, Israel and Iran.
The technique has affected smartphone users throughout the Middle East amid the conflict, sometimes rendering map apps useless.
It has also affected shipping companies and can quickly drive up costs.
Several technology companies have touted GPS alternatives that are more secure, but those tools have not yet entered the mainstream.
In short, there's no quick fix.
Satellite experts have pointed out the qualities that make GPS so popular, such as the technology being largely device agnostic and easy to implement in various capacities, are also what make it so vulnerable.
A basic internet search shows a plethora of available devices aimed at jamming GPS signals, ranging in price from $130 to $2,000.
Last year, the GPS Innovation Alliance (GPSIA) urged US President Donald Trump to allow law enforcement to co-ordinate to “rapidly identify and respond to interference events and crack down on illegal sales and use of jamming devices”.
