RAF jet carrying UK defence secretary had GPS signal jammed near Russian border

An RAF aircraft carrying UK Defence Secretary John Healey had its GPS signal jammed while flying near the Russian border earlier this week, according to the information supplied. The flight was returning to the UK on Thursday after Healey visited British soldiers in Estonia. Pilots were forced to use a different navigation system after the plane's GPS was disabled during the three-hour journey.

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The incident is believed to have involved Russian interference, although it is not known whether Healey was specifically targeted. The flight path was visible on aircraft tracking websites, according to the report. The Ministry of Defence has been contacted for comment, and no public response was included in the supplied material.

The timing places the episode within days of a separate confrontation involving Russian military aircraft and an RAF surveillance plane over the Black Sea. The reported jamming is significant because it affected a flight carrying a senior UK minister on a route close to Russian territory. GPS interference can create operational risk for military and government aircraft, even when crews are able to switch to alternative systems.

The incident also comes against a backdrop of heightened concern about Russian activity around Nato airspace and military movements near the alliance's eastern flank. Healey's visit to Estonia included a meeting with UK service members taking part in a Nato military exercise near the Russian border. That detail underlines why the route and timing of the return flight matter, as Estonia is one of the Nato states closest to Russia.

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The episode therefore sits within a wider pattern of military signalling and electronic interference in the region, rather than being an isolated technical problem. The supplied material also refers to a separate incident last month in which two Russian warplanes were said to have repeatedly and dangerously intercepted an RAF Rivet Joint aircraft over the Black Sea. In that case, a Russian Su-35 approached closely enough to trigger emergency systems and disable autopilot, while a Su-27 carried out multiple passes in front of the aircraft.

The Ministry of Defence described that earlier episode as the most dangerous Russian action since 2022, when a missile was reportedly fired at a Rivet Joint over the Black Sea. There is also a precedent for GPS jamming affecting a UK defence secretary's aircraft. In 2024, an RAF plane carrying then-Defence Secretary Grant Shapps had its GPS signal jammed while flying close to Russian territory.

What remains unclear in the latest case is the exact method used, whether the aircraft was deliberately singled out, and what internal assessment the UK government will make of the risk. The key points to watch are any official attribution, any change in UK military flight procedures, and whether the incident prompts a wider response from Nato members.

#RAF #GPSjamming #JohnHealey #Russia #Estonia

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