Russian GPS jamming hits plane carrying UK defence secretary

A plane carrying Defence Secretary John Healey had its GPS disabled as it flew back to the United Kingdom from Estonia, forcing pilots to switch to an alternative navigation system. The disruption, near the Russian border, is believed to have been caused by Russian electronic warfare, turning a ministerial flight into the latest sign that GPS jamming is becoming part of the security landscape on NATO’s eastern flank.

Healey had been visiting British troops stationed in Estonia when the aircraft was affected. The incident matters far beyond one flight path: GPS interference can force military crews to fall back on backup methods, complicate routing and timing, and create uncertainty for aircraft operating in areas where Russian systems can reach across borders.

The episode recalled a similar case in March 2024, when an RAF Falcon 900LX carrying then-defence secretary Grant Shapps was hit by GPS jamming while flying near Kaliningrad, the Russian enclave between Poland and Lithuania. That disruption lasted about 30 minutes. The aircraft used alternative methods to determine its location, and officials said it was not in danger. The plane also carried officials and journalists, underscoring how close routine government travel can come to electronic interference in the Baltic region.

The pattern widened on 20 May 2026, when the UK Ministry of Defence said an RAF Rivet Joint over the Black Sea was repeatedly and dangerously intercepted by two Russian jets. According to the ministry, one Russian Su-35 triggered emergency systems and disabled autopilot. A Russian Su-27 later flew six passes in front of the aircraft, at one point coming as close as six metres to its nose. The government has also said UK fighter jets have intercepted Russian aircraft near NATO airspace as part of Britain’s contribution to enhanced Air Policing in the region.

Taken together, the incidents point to a broader warning: modern electronic warfare is no longer confined to a distant battlefield. It is reaching into the flight decks of government aircraft, into the navigation systems that military crews depend on, and into the assumptions NATO has long made about the stability of its own airspace. The question now is whether these disruptions are still being treated as isolated episodes, or whether they are becoming normal.