Baltic Sea GNSS interference reaches unprecedented levels

Monitoring conducted by the Institute of Communications-PIB in Gdańsk reveals an unprecedented surge in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal interference in the southern Baltic Sea region. Data indicates that during the summer months, significant multi-hour disruptions occurred on approximately 70 percent of days. In the first 19 days of August, total disruptions were recorded on 63 percent of days.

Professor Mariusz Figurski, Deputy Director for Science at the Institute, noted that the issue is regional, affecting the Tricity area, the Gulf of Gdańsk, and open areas of the southern Baltic. The disruptions appear in waves, lasting from several hours to entire days. Experts suggest the nature of these disturbances points toward radio system activity and electronic warfare in the Baltic Sea region.

These disruptions pose operational threats to professional aviation and maritime navigation, moving beyond mere inconvenience. Impacted technologies include smartphones, car navigation, vehicle trackers, and fleet systems. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL have recently updated safety bulletins and action plans to address jamming and spoofing risks. In response, the Institute of Communications-PIB is developing the Real-time GNSS Monitoring System for Poland (RTGMS) to monitor satellite navigation signals across the country.