Implement GNSS Radio Frequency Interference (Commenly known as GPS Jamming and GPS Spoofing)

[vossiniko]

Aircraft Version

Development

Description

Feature Request:

Implement GNSS Radio Frequency Interference (commonly referred to as GPS jamming and GPS spoofing) to simulate degraded or manipulated GPS-based navigation performance.

More and more Situations develop, especially in the Middle East. In those theaters GPS Jamming and GPS spoofing becomes more and more common, to the point that real life pilots have to deal with it on a regular basis. (e.g. https://x.com/Space_Baguette/status/1736684612288421947/photo/1)

It got so bad, that affects even food delivery services and find-my-iphone, so that it is even reported in News Outlets such as the New York Times.

Users are interested in this, as it adds realism to the simulation. (e.g.: https://www.reddit.com/r/flightsim/comments/1chuau9/addon_which_accurately_simulates_gps_jamming/?rdt=55340)

Implementation - especially of the jamming side - would be rather easy, as it would be location based, with a propability, adding a failure with rather reduced impact. Users could Opt in via the Settings in the EFB.

There is a ton of documentation available on the internet, including files from Airbus as to what happens, and where, e.g. for Airbus effects:

(from: Frard, J., Martin Sacristan, L., Rambach, D., Tranchet, F. and Warns, T., 2019. GNSS Interference. Safety First, Issue 29, September 2019. [online] Airbus S.A.S. Available at: https://mms-safetyfirst.s3.eu-west-3.amazonaws.com/pdf/safety+first/gnss-interference.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].)

As well as various sources as to where it happens, e.g.:

(from: Skai Data Services, 2024. GNSS Spoofing Detection. [online] Available at: https://spoofing.skai-data-services.com/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].)

References (optional)

International Air Transport Association (IATA), 2024. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Radio Frequency Interference Safety Risk Assessment. Version 4, September 2024. [online] Available at: https://www.iata.org/contentassets/c8e90fe690ce4047a8edfa97f4824890/iata_safety_risk_assessment_gnss_interference.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

Frard, J., Martin Sacristan, L., Rambach, D., Tranchet, F. and Warns, T., 2019. GNSS Interference. Safety First, Issue 29, September 2019. [online] Airbus S.A.S. Available at: https://mms-safetyfirst.s3.eu-west-3.amazonaws.com/pdf/safety+first/gnss-interference.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

SkAI Data Services, n.d. Live GPS Spoofing and Jamming Tracker Map. [online] Available at: https://spoofing.skai-data-services.com/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

Burgess, M., 2024. The Dangerous Rise of GPS Attacks. [online] WIRED. Available at: https://www.wired.com/story/the-dangerous-rise-of-gps-attacks/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

Airbus, 2019. GNSS Loss and GNSS Interferences on Airbus Aircraft. [online] Available at: https://www.airbus-win.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/gnss-loss-and-gnss-interferences-on-airbus-ac-1.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

Gebrekidan, S., Lai, K.K.R., Robles, P. and White, J., 2024. Why GPS Is Under Attack. The New York Times, 2 July. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/07/02/world/gps-threats.html [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

OPS Group, 2024. Where is the spoofing today? Two maps to help. [online] Available at: https://ops.group/blog/where-is-the-spoofing-today/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

OPS Group, 2024. GPS Spoofing: Final Report published by WorkGroup. [online] Available at: https://ops.group/blog/gps-spoofing-final-report/ [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), 2023. Safety Information Bulletin: GNSS Outage Leading to Navigation / Surveillance Degradation. SIB No.: 2022-02R1, 17 February. [online] Available at: https://ops.group/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/EASA_SIB_2022-02R1_1-1.pdf [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

Space_Baguette, 2024. [Picture]. [online] Available at: https://x.com/Space_Baguette/status/1736684612288421947/photo/1 [Accessed 16 Nov. 2024].

Additional info (optional)

Since GPS Jamming and Spoofing is diverse, a stepped approach to implementation would be fine without compromising realism. FBW would be one of the first addons to add this!

For Startes, it could be programmed that location based with a percentage the GPS Receiver gets jammed. This would resolve once the area is left.

For the A320 and A380 this would mean NAV GPS x FAULT ECAM Message + GPS PRIMARY LOST on ND, and deactivating the GPS receiver.

_Further down the line, implementing it for the A380 would mean adding SURV ROW/ROP LOST, SURV TERR SYS × FAULT, ADS-B POS RPG LOST and ARPT NAV POS LOST on ND - Since the areas that the jamming occours can be defined by you, for starters you can decide not to jam at a 25nm radius around airports, so that the deeper system failures dont need to be programmed right away.

As for the A320, it would mean to fail NAV GPWS and TERR DET FAULT, which basically is switching the GPWS and Terrain Radar Off from the Aircraft side, which is currently already available as a user click button.

For the A339 form HW, NAV ADS-B TRAF FAULT can be implemented, to show that the ADS-B IN failed. This would be similar to a switched off TCAS, also implementation at a later step can be possible.

Since GLS, FLS and SLS are currently not implemented, no consequences here._

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vossiniko