GNSS jamming is deliberate interference with signals from satellite navigation systems, such as GPS, to prevent or degrade a receiver’s ability to calculate its position and time. Because these signals are weak when they reach the ground, nearby radio-frequency noise can overwhelm them.
In cyber security and electronic warfare, jamming can disrupt navigation for drones, vehicles, ships, and other systems that depend on satellite positioning. A drone may lose reliable position data even if its command link remains available; conversely, navigation may continue while the operator’s communications link is disrupted. Defenses can include inertial sensors, cameras, alternative navigation sources, and predefined safe responses, but these approaches have limits and do not make a system immune to interference. Monitoring for signal loss or abnormal navigation readings helps operators recognize jamming and respond safely.