India Deploys GPS Jammers Near Indo-Pak Border; Pakistan Relocates F-16s Amid Escalating EW Warfare

The deployment of electronic warfare (EW) units for GPS jamming along the Indo-Pak border has severely disrupted satellite navigation signals critical for military operations, civil aviation, and communication systems, escalating ongoing tensions between the two nuclear nations.

Following the Pahalgam massacre, in which 26 tourists were killed by heavily armed terrorists from The Resistance Front—a shadow group of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba—India has scrapped the 2021 Line of Control (LoC) ceasefire and rapidly deployed high-frequency EW systems to disrupt Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, including GPS, GLONASS, and NavIC. This military tactic of electronic warfare aims to degrade Pakistan’s situational awareness, navigation, and precision-guided munitions, which rely on satellite signals for targeted attacks.

“The recent ceasefire violations along the LoC, clashes in Kupwara, and missile tests near Gujarat’s SEZ have led to a rapid escalation of tensions. Control over the electromagnetic spectrum will be more decisive than traditional firepower,” explained a senior defence official.

India has deployed the Samyukta EW system with a range of 200 km, the Himshakti EW system in the high-altitude J&K, Leh, and Ladakh regions, Spectra suites on Rafale jets, naval EW systems, the Kali-5000, and directed energy weapon systems. On the other hand, Pakistan is largely reliant on China for its Zarb Coastal EW system, airborne EW platforms on JF-17 fighter jets, and commercially available Chinese jammers to counter Indian drone operations.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) has relocated half of its 52-strong fleet of F-16 fighter jets to the Pasni airfield near Gwadar on the northern Arabian Sea coast to evade detection by India’s S-400 air defence radar coverage.

The Russian-origin S-400 system is considered the most advanced air defence platform, with extensive radar coverage and long-range interception capabilities that can monitor and engage hostile aircraft far beyond conventional airspace boundaries.

“The risk posed by India’s integrated surveillance and missile engagement systems has forced the PAF to move its most valuable assets out of detection range,” confirmed a senior South Block official.

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