RAF Jet's GPS Jammed Near Russian Border

An RAF jet transporting UK Defence Secretary John Healey experienced GPS jamming for three hours on Thursday while returning to the United Kingdom from Tallinn, Estonia. The incident occurred as the aircraft flew near Russian airspace, prompting suspicions of Russian involvement.

The jamming event disabled the aircraft's GPS navigation, necessitating the use of alternative navigation systems by the pilots. Passengers, including media personnel, were informed that the Dassault Falcon 900LX aircraft maintained safe operational capability despite the signal interference. This incident follows a similar occurrence in March 2024, when an RAF plane carrying then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps also had its GPS signal jammed near Russian territory for approximately 30 minutes.

Healey had been in Estonia to meet with Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur to discuss bilateral defense cooperation. The jamming incident occurred weeks after the UK Ministry of Defence reported that two Russian jets had "repeatedly and dangerously" intercepted an RAF spy plane over the Black Sea, with one Russian Su-35 jet flying close enough to trigger the British aircraft's emergency systems.