Russia suspected of jamming GPS on RAF plane carrying UK defense secretary near its border
John Healey, UK Secretary of Defense (Photo: REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki)
A Royal Air Force aircraft carrying British Defense Secretary John Healey had its GPS signal jammed during a flight near the Russian border on May 21, the BBC reported.
The incident occurred as Healey was returning to the United Kingdom after visiting British troops stationed in Estonia.
During the three-hour flight, the aircraft's navigation system was disrupted, forcing pilots to switch to alternative navigation methods. Russia is believed to be responsible for the attack, though no official confirmation has been issued, BBC reported.
It remains unclear whether the plane was a deliberate target. The flight's route was publicly visible on aviation tracking websites, BBC noted.
The incident follows a separate episode reported by BBC on May 20, in which two Russian fighter jets — a Su-27 and a Su-35 — "repeatedly and dangerously" intercepted an unarmed British RAF reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea in April, according to Britain's Defense Ministry.
"A Russian Su-35 fighter approached the Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft, getting close enough to trigger its emergency systems, disabling its autopilot," the ministry said. “And a Su-27 jet also carried out six passes in front of the RAF plane, getting as close as six metres (19ft) from its nose.”
The Defense Ministry added that the Rivet Joint aircraft had been conducting a routine international flight over the Black Sea in support of NATO's eastern flank security.
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