Evolving Threats of GNSS Interference in Aviation – Jamming, Spoofing and TCAS Anomalies

Michael Felux, Okuary Osechas, Valentin Fischer, Sophie Fischer, Michael Nietlispach

Peer Reviewed

Abstract:	The aviation industry has been witnessing a significant transition in Global Navigation Satellite System interference. The threat landscape is shifting from jamming to sophisticated spoofing attacks and becoming victim of electronic warfare. These disruptions compromise not only navigation systems but also dependent safety systems, which risks eroding pilot trust in onboard avionics. This paper characterizes the operational signal environment using opportunistic in-flight recordings collected with a portable commercial-off-the-shelf receiver during a flight from Istanbul to Hong Kong. First, we quantify the baseline signal degradation introduced by the airframe. The results show a mean attenuation of 10 to 12 dB. This reduced link margin implies that portable Electronic Flight Bags will likely lose lock before certified avionics and therefore serve as a viable early warning indicator for jamming. Second, we analyze a complex interference event over the Caucasus region. The data reveals a specific non-coherent spoofing signature characterized by tracking instability and a systematic clock lag of approximately 123 milliseconds. Crucially, a hand-held multi-constellation receiver tracked these anomalous signals. However, cross-validation with the Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast data indicates that the certified onboard avionics successfully rejected the spoofing attack.
Published in:	Proceedings of the 2026 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation January 26 - 29, 2026 Hyatt Regency Orange County Anaheim, California
Pages:	854 - 863
Cite this article:	Felux, Michael, Osechas, Okuary, Fischer, Valentin, Fischer, Sophie, Nietlispach, Michael, "Evolving Threats of GNSS Interference in Aviation – Jamming, Spoofing and TCAS Anomalies," Proceedings of the 2026 International Technical Meeting of The Institute of Navigation, Anaheim, California, January 2026, pp. 854-863. https://doi.org/10.33012/2026.20513
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