Image: from AeroTime X @AviationNews
By Open Chronicle with agencies
A Royal Air Force aircraft carrying British Defence Secretary John Healey reportedly experienced severe GPS jamming after flying near Russian territory during a return journey from Estonia, raising fresh concerns about escalating electronic warfare activities around NATO borders.
According to reports published by The Times, the incident occurred last week while Healey was returning to the United Kingdom after visiting British troops stationed in southeastern Estonia, close to the Russian border.
The aircraft was carrying several senior military and political figures alongside the defence secretary, including advisers, a lieutenant-general, journalists, and photographers.
GPS systems reportedly disabled mid-flight
The report states that the aircraft’s GPS was disrupted for nearly the entire three-hour flight back to Britain after the interference began.
Pilots reportedly lost satellite navigation capabilities and were forced to rely on backup inertial navigation systems to determine the aircraft’s position. Some cockpit instruments were also said to have malfunctioned during the disruption.
One pilot described the incident as highly unusual, telling The Times that he had not experienced anything similar “in a long time.”
Because rebooting the aircraft’s systems mid-air was not considered possible, the crew had to continue the flight using alternative navigation procedures.
British defence sources described the incident as “reckless,” warning that such interference could potentially endanger civilian aircraft operating in nearby airspace.
The UK Ministry of Defence has not publicly accused Russia of deliberately targeting the aircraft, though the timing and location of the interference have intensified suspicions within British security circles.
Growing tensions near NATO borders
The episode comes amid rising military tensions between Russia and NATO across the Baltic and Black Sea regions.
Only days earlier, British defence officials revealed that Russian fighter jets had carried out multiple dangerous interceptions of RAF reconnaissance aircraft operating in international airspace over the Black Sea.
According to British authorities, one Russian Su-35 fighter approached close enough to trigger the RAF aircraft’s emergency warning systems and temporarily disable its autopilot.
In another encounter, a Russian Su-27 reportedly performed six close passes directly in front of a British aircraft at an estimated distance of only six meters.
British officials described those manoeuvres as “dangerous and unacceptable,” calling them the most serious confrontations between Russian and British aircraft since 2022, when a Russian fighter released a missile near an RAF surveillance plane over the Black Sea.
Electronic warfare concerns intensify
The latest incident highlights growing concerns within NATO regarding Russia’s expanding electronic warfare capabilities.
GPS jamming and signal interference have increasingly affected aircraft and maritime traffic in regions bordering Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine. Several European airlines and military operators have previously reported navigation disruptions in the Baltic Sea area.
Military analysts warn that electronic interference is becoming an increasingly important component of modern hybrid warfare, allowing states to disrupt operations without directly engaging in open combat.
Despite the incident, British defence officials stressed that RAF crews are trained to operate under such conditions and remain prepared to respond safely to electronic disruption attempts.