FAA Revises GPS/GNSS Interference, Spoofing Guidance

The FAA has updated its guidance surrounding GPS/GNSS interference, jamming, and spoofing to incorporate changes recommended by a government/industry rulemaking committee. According to NBAA, the GPS and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Interference Resource Guide Version 1.1. was heavily revised from the release in December and reflects comments from the Performance Based Operations Rulemaking Committee’s (PARC’s) GPS/GNSS Disruption Action Team, in addition to the agency’s own updates.

In the document, the FAA discusses jamming and spoofing trends and their impacts on aircraft systems, and suggests pilot procedures and outlines training recommendations.

Included in the guide is data on key areas where spoofing has occurred, such as over the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Russia and Baltic region, India/Pakistan border, Iraq/Iran, North and South Korea, and around Beijing, China.

But the association cautioned that jamming and spoofing extend beyond those regions, with instances of unintentional widespread GPS interference found in the U.S. Such interference can be caused by faulty commercial equipment blocking GNSS signal reception at a specific location, NBAA explained, citing as an example multiple reports of unreliable GNSS near Denver International Airport (KDEN) in 2022 that was caused by an unauthorized transmitter broadcasting on the GNSS frequency.

“NBAA recognizes the problems with GPS interference and potential for interference around the world and is taking action to ensure users of the National Airspace System are informed,” Richard Boll, chair of NBAA’s airspace and flight technologies subcommittee, said in an association article. NBAA is a member of the action team.

Boll added that the guide is not only for pilots but also for avionics manufacturers and operators. “Because this version is so significantly revised, stakeholders familiar with the previous version should review the new guide and implement recommendations appropriate to their operation,” he advised.