RUSSIAN GPS jamming is suspected of sabotaging EU chief Ursula von der Leyen’s plane, according to officials.
The European Commission president was forced to land using paper maps after GPS systems were wiped out at a Bulgarian airport.
AFPRussian interference is suspected to be at blame[/caption]
ReutersEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane had to land with paper maps[/caption]
A jet carrying Von der Leyen to Plovdiv on Sunday afternoon lost all electrical navigation aids when approaching the city’s airport.
The incident is being treated as Russian interference, according to three officials speaking to the FT.
One of them told the paper: “The whole airport area GPS went dark. It was undeniable interference.”
Von der Leyen’s pilot circled the airport for an hour before deciding to land using old-school paper maps, the official said.
Plovdiv Airport’s GPS could have been knocked out by jamming and spoofing.
These methods distort or completely block access to satellite-based nav systems, and were traditionally used by militaries to defend sensitive sites.
EU governments have warned that rising cases of GPS jamming – blamed on Russia – risk causing a major air disaster.
It renders commercial aircraft effectively blind mid-journey.
Cases of GPS jamming have increased considerably in recent years – particularly in the Baltic Sea and eastern Europe, close to Russia.
Planes, boats and civilians using GPS devices have been affected.
Von der Leyen was flying from the Polish capital Warsaw to the central Bulgarian city to meet the country’s Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and tour an ammunition factory.
She is on a tour of the EU states on the frontline with Russia to discuss defence protocols.
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