Context:

A committee has been established by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to keep an eye on GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) spoofing in Indian airspace.

What is GPS spoofing?

• An attempt to alter the initial location of a GPS-enabled device is known as GPS spoofing.
• GPS spoofing sends false data to a receiver to divert traffic, goods, or people with falsified information. 
• How is it done? GPS spoofing involves a radio transmitter near a target that interferes with the actual GPS signals being transmitted.
  • GPS signals are often weak and transmitted through satellites.
  • A stronger radio transmitter can be used to override the weaker signal and send illegitimate coordinates and information to the receiver. 
  • GPS spoofing can then send people off course or say that someone is somewhere that they are not.
    
    

Not the same as GPS jamming

• Spoofing is completely different from jamming and much more dangerous.
• As the name suggests, jamming is when the GPS signals are interfered with.
• While planes and other aircraft frequently deal with jamming, spoofing like the recent instances in Iran is reportedly unheard of.
• Compared to GPS jamming, spoofing is more difficult to detect.

Increasing instances

• Instances of GPS spoofing involving commercial and airline aircraft over Iranian airspace have increased.
• The navigation systems of at least 20 passenger planes travelling over Iran have been interfered with by phoney GPS signals.
• Boeing 777, 737, and 747 are among the aircraft that were deceived into deviating from their intended route by these erroneous signals originating from the ground.
• These signals defeated the aircraft’s in-built navigation system, which swiftly resulted in the loss of all navigational capabilities.

What are the harms of GPS spoofing?

• Misdirecting cargo shipments to alternate locations to steal the shipments
• Hijacking a boat for piracy purposes
• Interfering with GPS at airports
• Misdirecting cars
• Disrupting the universal time source
• Disrupting services through mobile apps and websites