GNSS interference in the Baltic Sea region

Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), including GPS, Galileo, GLONASS, and BeiDou, are experiencing a significant rise in jamming and spoofing threats. In the second quarter of 2025, intentional interference affected more than 10,000 vessels, marking an eightfold increase from the previous quarter.

In the Baltic Sea region, the situation has intensified. Monitoring by the Institute of Communications (PIB) in Gdańsk reveals that during the summer of 2026, significant multi-hour disruptions occurred on approximately 70 percent of days. In the first 19 days of August, total signal disruptions were recorded on 63 percent of days. Professor Mariusz Figurski, Deputy Director for Science at the Institute, noted the issue is regional, affecting the Tricity area, the Gulf of Gdańsk, and open areas of the southern Baltic. These disturbances, which appear in waves lasting from several hours to entire days, may be linked to radio system activity and electronic warfare.

These disruptions pose operational threats to professional aviation and maritime navigation, as well as consumer technologies like smartphones, car navigation, and vehicle trackers. In response, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and EUROCONTROL have updated safety bulletins and action plans. To manage risks, users in the Baltic region are advised to rely on physical infrastructure, such as road signs, and to use Wi-Fi or mobile network positioning in urban areas.

To bolster resilience, the European Space Agency is researching multi-layered approaches. In Poland, the PIB is developing a Real-time GNSS Monitoring System (RTGMS), while experts are also working on R-Mode, a terrestrial navigation system designed to serve as a “spare tire” by utilizing coastal radio infrastructure.