“GPS skies: precision at risk, safety on paper.”

When signals weaken, vulnerabilities emerge.                                                                                                                                                                                               

Von der Leyen’s Flight Scare Exposes GPS Vulnerabilities. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s plane was forced to land in Bulgaria using paper maps after GPS signals were jammed mid-flight, highlighting growing concerns over satellite navigation sabotage. Bulgarian officials blamed Russia, which denied involvement. The incident is part of nearly 80 GPS interference cases reported across Europe since 2022, with NATO warning of “potentially catastrophic consequences.” GPS disruption takes two forms: jamming, which blocks signals, and spoofing, which feeds false positions—sometimes tricking aircraft safety systems into issuing fake terrain alerts. Such risks could erode pilot trust in real warnings. India has also reported over 465 spoofing incidents near sensitive border zones, prompting advisories from the DGCA. While commercial aviation remains safe due to redundancy in navigation systems, von der Leyen’s detour underscores how digital reliance can be weaponised in hybrid warfare.