"This report provides an overview of the countries and regions most affected by GPS interference in May and June 2024."
This report provides an overview of the countries and regions most affected by GPS interference in May and June 2024. For the sake of this report, we excluded regions outside of the ongoing conflicts between Russia/Ukraine and Israel/Palestine.
We used the following tools to conduct our jamming and spoofing research, as well as several open and public sources of information to reach our investigative conclusions.
Myanmar
Since the start of the military coup in 2021, violence and conflict have spread throughout Myanmar. The military launched the coup against the civilian government, claiming that the results of the 2020 election were fraudulent, ultimately leading to the arrest of Aung San Suu Kyi and other government officials.
Shortly after the takeover, mass communications were cut across the country, leading to nationwide protests. The protests started peacefully but led to deadly clashes with the military in the following weeks. The military began arresting civilian protesters, journalists, and other people of interest and even began firing live ammunition at unarmed civilian protesters.
To date, more than 50,000 have been killed throughout the conflict, with as many as 8,000 being civilians.
Key Moments in Recent History
Reports of GPS jamming (and possibly GPS spoofing) have been on the rise since the beginning of the conflict.
June 2023: A signed, classified, top-secret order found on the body of a terminated military official stated that the Myanmar military was to instruct ground troops on how to use six types of electronic jammers to defend themselves against remote-detonated explosives in the field. A report from one guerrilla group said they attempted to detonate an explosive device inside of a motorcycle, but that the attempt was unsuccessful due to military jammers in the area. The report also stated that the jammers were effectively disrupting radio communications.
September 2023: Anti-military forces claim to have “figured out” the military’s GPS jammers, stating, “Our drones can now carry heavier payloads, fly higher and further, and penetrate the junta’s jammers. We now can use our drones widely in many military columns across Myanmar.” Resistance fighters have since been relying on drone warfare to carry out attacks, stating that the ability to attack from a distance offers a much higher advantage than outgunned attacks against military forces.
GPS Jamming Hotspots in Myanmar (June 2024)
Source: gpsjam.org
Throughout the month of June, two areas with consistent GPS jamming were observed.
Dawei Airport/Moscos Islands
Situated along the Andaman Coast in the south of Myanmar, this area has remained active with GPS interference for months. The Dawei Airport is among the most significant landmarks in the area, making it a likely source of GPS interference.
Since drone warfare is a primary target of the military’s use of jamming, it is not unusual that we might see a fair amount of interference near the airport. Further, given that the airport is a coastal asset, jamming in this location could be an attempt to mask operations at seaports or activity in the nearby Moscos Islands.
Coastal Border of Bangladesh
The coastal region of Myanmar, bordering Bangladesh, has shown a small amount of consistent GPS interference, although more information is needed to understand why. Since it is a coastal area, it is possible that the jamming could be an attempt to mask port operations - either to pass cargo or transport military assets to and from the south.
India/Pakistan Border
The India/Pakistan border has been plagued with geopolitical conflict for some time and is now recognized as a hotspot for arms and drug trafficking. Chinese-made drones are being used by Pakistani criminal and terrorist organizations to smuggle weapons, heroin, and hashish across the border into India.
The mountainous regions of Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq have long been production hubs for certain drugs, and their distribution networks are intertwined with the networks used by terrorist groups to transport arms and explosives.
Due to the rugged terrain along the border between India and Pakistan, border surveillance and enforcement are an ongoing challenge.
With the onset and advancement of drone technologies, traffickers have turned to UAVs to help smuggle contraband across the border. UAVs are now the primary mode of transport for drugs, leaving border patrols exploring new methods for surveillance and enforcement.
Key Moments in Recent History
The following statistics show the annual increase in drone activity since the first reported drone capture involving drugs and weapons in 2019.
2020: More than 75 drone sightings were reported along the western border.
2021: More than 100 drone sightings were reported along the western border.
2022: More than 300 drone sightings were reported along the western border.
GPS Jamming Hotspots in India/Pakistan (June 2024)
Source: gpsjam.org
Of the nearly 500 reported drone sightings between 2020 and 2022, around 370 were near Punjab, with the rest sighted either south or north of Punjab territory. This is significant because a large majority of the drone activity was detected along the international border rather than the Line of Control (LoC) in the north.
The drone infiltrations along the Punjab state border with Pakistan are advantageous for several reasons. First, the drones can fly below the radar or at high altitudes to avoid radar detection or even GPS jamming signals. They can also fly at low speed and are almost undetectable by sound, making them difficult to detect or intercept.
* The most common drones used are those readily available to the consumer market. Chinese-made DJI drones are the most common type of drone intercepted or shot down. At least one drone was captured that had a flying payload capacity of 9kg and a flight time of more than 30 minutes.
One drone shot down and captured was analyzed for its flight history. The data revealed that the drone had been operational within Pakistan and had also traveled a flight path over coordinates in Shanghai, China. The data suggests the possibility of Chinese military efforts or espionage within Indian territory.
Ongoing Efforts to Combat Drone Trafficking
The Border Security Forces and the military police forces in Punjab are actively testing and applying countermeasures to combat drone trafficking at the border.
A Drone Emergency Response System (DERS) has been installed along the border to alert authorities of aerial activity.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has established an Anti-Rogue Drone Technology Committee (ARDTC) to evaluate ongoing threats and certify available technologies for combating them.
Awareness programs are in place to educate communities in identifying and reporting suspicious drone activity. The army is training communities in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is working to develop technologies to combat the ongoing drone trafficking threats, including GPS jamming.
Military efforts are underway to deploy UAV technologies with laser and GPS jamming capabilities. The fleet of GPS-jamming drones can disable GPS signals within a range of 400+ meters and is being deployed across the western border in areas with the highest likelihood of drone trafficking.
North Korea/South Korea
The long history of conflict between North and South Korea is anything but breaking, but new reports suggests North Korea has deployed GPS jammers in two areas of interest - the Yellow Sea and the DMZ.
News of interference coincides with the growing relationship between North Korea and Russia. The political relationship has strengthened since the start of the conflict in Ukraine, with reports of the Kim regime supplying Russia with arms and ammunition.
Key Moments in Recent History
Source: gpsjam.org
Below are a few of the key moments that sparked the concern over GPS jamming near the Korean DMZ.
May/June 2024: In late May and early June 2024, North Korea sent numerous "trash-filled balloons" across the DMZ into South Korea - resulting in widespread panic and property damage. The balloons came after Kim Jong Un declared South Korea as enemy #1 of North Korea in December, and after live-fire drills and ballistic missile tests in the Yellow Sea.
May/June 2024: In addition to the trash-filled balloons sent south over the DMZ, there are reports of GPS jamming and spoofing near the border. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) stated that this is the first instance since 2016 where North Korea has been accused of GPS jamming, but that it was a clear effort by the Kim regime to jam South Korean GPS. The GPS interference occurred in the Yellow Sea (a disputed territory) for several days at the end of May, where South Korea's biggest airport is located. The jamming from May 29th to June 2nd affected more than 500 civilian aircraft from 20 countries.
The GPS interference caused damage on land and at sea, with significant fishing losses and boat damage being reported. The direct shift toward aggression is a cause for concern, as it could mark the start of further aggression toward the South.
Ongoing Efforts to Combat North Korea’s GPS Interference
On June 19, South Korea began testing an anti-GPS-jamming device to ensure safe fishing operations, prevent economic losses, and enhance national security. The “radio interference prevention device” was manufactured to respond to the horizontal radio waves that disrupt legitimate GPS signals.
The device being tested is being installed on fishing fleets and uses technology that covers GPS antennas with a protective shield yet still allows it to operate efficiently. The horizontally configured shields block potential horizontal GPS jamming signals but still capture vertical GPS signals like those coming from satellites.
Since almost all small fishing vessels in South Korea rely solely on GPS for navigation, the device allows quick deployment and security for fishermen affected by North Korea's GPS jamming.