Insider Brief
- UN agencies warn that increasing interference with satellite navigation signals threatens aviation, maritime safety, and telecom infrastructure.
- The ITU, ICAO, and IMO call on governments to prevent jamming and spoofing of GPS-like systems and report incidents to relevant authorities.
- The agencies urge countries to maintain backup navigation systems and strengthen coordination across civil, maritime, defense, and telecommunications sectors.
A surge in GPS signal interference is threatening civil aviation, maritime safety, and global telecom networks, prompting a joint warning from three UN agencies calling on governments to act. The agencies are also urging the development of news systems and infrastructures that could reduce this threat.
In a rare joint statement, the heads of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) said they were “gravely concerned” about the increasing number of incidents involving harmful interference with the Radio Navigation Satellite Service (RNSS), which includes global navigation satellite systems such as GPS.
These signals are critical for the navigation of civil aircraft, maritime vessels, humanitarian assistance vehicles, as well as for time synchronization of telecommunication networks, according to the statement.
The three agencies urged member states to crack down on jamming and spoofing — the deliberate interference or falsification of satellite navigation signals –and to bolster the resilience of essential navigation and timing infrastructure that depends on satellite signals. The officials warned that without immediate action, mounting interference could endanger lives, compromise international shipping routes, and impair digital infrastructure.
Member States were asked to take actions necessary to minimize interference coming from their territory, the leaders said.
Aviation and Maritime Systems at Risk
The joint warning underscores growing concern within the UN system that intentional disruption of satellite-based navigation systems is escalating, especially in conflict zones or near sensitive borders.
ICAO noted that global navigation satellite systems (GNSS), including GPS, Galileo, and others, are now central to civil aviation, from aircraft routing to landing procedures. Spoofing attacks—where false signals mislead navigation systems—could pose catastrophic risks. According to ICAO Assembly Resolution A41-8/C, member states are urged to “refrain from any form of jamming or spoofing affecting civil aviation.”
The statement also highlighted ICAO’s call for countries to notify air navigation service providers in advance of any military or security-related operations that could disrupt navigation signals.
The resolution urges urges “States and operators, when assessing the interference risks associated with conflict zones, to consider that the use of satellite-based CNS systems can potentially be impacted beyond those zones.”
The maritime sector faces similar risks. Under international maritime law, all ships—regardless of size—must carry satellite navigation receivers. The IMO warned that GNSS interference threatens systems used for position tracking, emergency communication, and overall navigation under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).
Ships and ports have come to rely on GNSS for a wide array of applications, the agencies said.
Spoofing Spreads Beyond War Zones
Though jamming and spoofing have traditionally been confined to military activity or disputed regions, interference is now being detected in wider areas, often with unclear origin. Experts say such disruptions can originate from low-cost, commercially available devices. Spoofers can mislead GPS receivers, creating phantom ships or planes on tracking systems or redirecting autonomous navigation.
In 2022, the ITU Radiocommunications Bureau issued a circular letter to member states encouraging them to implement its recommendations on protecting satellite services. The Radio Regulations Board reinforced those calls, citing Articles 45.1 and 15.28 of the ITU Constitution, which prohibit the operation of stations that cause harmful interference and mandate special protections for safety-of-life services.
Call for Backup Systems and Monitoring
Beyond cracking down on signal jamming, the UN agencies are pushing for backup infrastructure and improved monitoring.
Governments are encouraged to retain conventional terrestrial navigation infrastructure to provide support if satellite systems are disrupted.
States were also asked to boost coordination among civil, maritime, defense, spectrum enforcement, and telecommunication authorities. The agencies stressed the importance of reporting interference incidents to relevant authorities and to the ITU itself to help track global trends.
The joint statement follows the adoption of ITU-R Resolution 676 at the 2023 World Radiocommunication Conference, which calls attention to threats to the radionavigation-satellite service in key frequency bands used by GNSS, particularly 1,164–1,215 MHz and 1,559–1,610 MHz.
Civilian and Humanitarian Impact
The joint appeal emphasized that the damage is not just theoretical. Spoofed or jammed signals have already been observed in regions of military tension, disrupting humanitarian relief logistics and forcing detours for civilian aircraft.
The loss of reliable satellite navigation also undercuts critical timing functions used in financial trading, telecommunications, and power grids.
A Joint, Urgent Warning
The heads of all three UN agencies signed the statement—Doreen Bogdan-Martin for the ITU, Juan Carlos Salazar for ICAO, and Arsenio Dominguez for IMO—signaling the cross-sector urgency of the issue.
The statement concluded with a five-point call to action:
- Protect RNSS from transmissions that cause harmful interference;
- Reinforce resilience of systems relying on satellite navigation;
- Retain traditional backup infrastructure;
- Increase collaboration among relevant authorities;
- Report interference cases promptly to international and national authorities.
While the agencies did not name specific offenders, their call for states to consider enacting measures that prevent unauthorized transmissions makes clear that some countries are failing to meet their obligationss
