Following its week of demonstration flights with a 35 percent blend of sustainable aviation fuel during the air show, Airbus’s A350-1000 will become a testbed to check the accuracy of GPS signals as it flies back to Toulouse, France.
On its return flight, the testbed will cross regions where GPS spoofing has become an issue. “We want to be sure that the GPS signal that we receive inside the aircraft is a correct one,” said Airbus test flight engineer Gérard Maisonneuve.
The trial comes as GPS spoofing has become a global concern, with dozens of reports of such events shining a light on vulnerabilities in navigation. Security and operational specialist OpsGroup has detailed numerous reports of aircraft receiving false GPS signals that have caused them to fly miles off course and to lose anywhere from partial to full navigation capabilities. Most of the events have occurred over or near conflict regions.
International regulators have begun collaborating on possible safeguards, and numerous agencies and manufacturers have begun to issue warnings and procedures on what to do in case a flight crew should encounter such an event. EASA and the International Air Transport Association held a workshop last month to share information and concluded that such events pose a significant challenge to aviation safety.
As part of its trial, Maisonneuve told AIN that the A350-1000 testbed will be equipped with a sensor to check the integrity of signal throughout the flight path as it passes near locations where spoofing has occurred on its return to Toulouse. “We want to be sure that according to the flight plan, we receive the right signal.”
Equipped with data collection mechanisms on board, the sensor will be able to monitor the effects of potential attempts to either jam or send false signals independently of the aircraft systems.
Airbus monitors GPS spoofing daily and continues to work with its customers to alert them of instances and areas where the GPS signal can deteriorate. “There have been plenty of reports” involving these events, Maisonneuve said. Additionally, Airbus has issued special procedures to operators on how to handle such situations.