Chinese military researchers use civil flight data to estimate two suspected Israeli GPS-spoofing zones and examine possible drone threats

Researchers at China’s People’s Liberation Army Information Engineering University say they developed an algorithm to estimate the locations of suspected Israeli GPS-spoofing sources using publicly available civil aviation tracking data. A study published this month in the Journal of Geomatics Science and Technology analyzed 43 days of aircraft-tracking data, from February 27 to April 10, and identified two suspected interference zones in the Mediterranean: one about 80 kilometers northwest of Haifa and another about 30 kilometers northwest of Gaza.

The researchers suggested the interference patterns may have been intended to counter different drone threats, including Iran’s Shahed-136 drones and smaller drones used by Palestinian groups in Gaza and Yemen’s Armed Forces.

The team said the method could help locate electronic warfare sources without additional monitoring equipment. Future research could also incorporate ship-navigation data.