Finland to Counter Russian GPS Interference in North Karelia

In April, the National Land Survey of Finland will initiate the development and testing of measures to counter Russian GPS interference in North Karelia.

The Helsingin Sanomat newspaper reports that the two-year project, funded by the EU, aims to improve the detection of GPS disruption sources and mitigate the potential harm caused by their effects.

The media notes that since 2022, incidents of GPS signal jamming from Russia have sharply increased in Finland. This poses security risks and causes damage, particularly to air and maritime traffic.

“Currently, we are developing a prototype device that will detect interference in real-time and alert the user. The idea is also to store positioning data. The project is also developing methods for processing aerial imagery in situations involving GNSS interference,” Mika Saajasto, senior researcher at the National Land Survey of Finland, reported.

For example, last summer, a plane heading to Joensuu had to turn back two days in a row.

Additionally, last year, aerial photography and laser scanning flights conducted by the National Land Survey of Finland in the southeastern part of the country were partially disrupted due to GPS interference.

Aerial photography and laser scanning are performed to create and maintain important mapping data and topographic databases.

For example, laser scanning creates an accurate three-dimensional model of the Earth’s surface. This, in turn, requires very precise satellite positioning.

These data are used by various organizations, including the Finnish Defence Forces and the Border Guard.

In January, Yle reported that almost all airports in Finland had to resort to alternative systems for aircraft positioning due to constant GPS interference from Russia.

According to their data, in 2024, a total of 2,800 cases of GPS interference were registered in Finland’s airspace, compared to just over 200 the previous year.