IAF says its pilots are trained to tackle 'GPS spoofing'; claims every mission achieved as planned

Amid reports that the Indian Air Force's transport aircraft carrying relief materials to earthquake-hit Myanmar under 'Operation Brahma' late last month faced "GPS spoofing", the IAF said its crew is efficient in handling such situations and "every mission was achieved as planned".

GPS (global positioning system) spoofing is a form of cyber attack that includes generating false GPS signals to mislead an aircraft, vehicle or vessel. The false signals result in misleading the navigation equipment, posing a significant risk.

"The possibility of degraded GPS availability was published by the Mandalay International Airport as NOTAM and all due precautions were put in place to cater for such conditions," the IAF said in a post on X on Monday.

NOTAM or 'Notice to Airmen' is a notice filed with an aviation authority that seeks to alert pilots of an aircraft of potential hazards.

"IAF crew are well capable to handle such unavailability, while ensuring safety of flight and achievement of the designated task or mission. Accordingly, every mission was achieved as planned," the tweet further read.

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India sent the first consignment of relief materials to Myanmar on March 29 in a C-130J aircraft and its pilots reported that the plane's GPS signal was tampered with when it was in Myanmar's airspace, sources told PTI on Sunday.

IAF transport aircraft carrying relief materials to Myanmar late last month faced "GPS spoofing", triggering security concerns as pilots were forced to rely on the backup systems, sources in the military establishment had said.

Besides the C-130J Super Hercules, the Indian Air Force also operated C-17 Globemaster heavy-lift transport aircraft to carry relief materials and rescue teams to Myanmar.

Defence