British General Paul Tedman told the BBC that their military satellites are being followed by Russian satellites equipped with devices that "see our satellites and are trying to collect information from them."
Jamming has become a part of modern warfare and conflicts between countries. It involves disrupting radio signals that are essential to both civilian and military operations.
This can affect phones, drones, or other electronic equipment.
And, of course, satellites. Satellites are vital to how our modern society functions. You probably rely on them to navigate every time you get into your car. Ordinary people, emergency services, and the military all use GPS.
"Widespread loss of GPS signals or communication would be negative for a modern society like ours," Richard Olsen writes in an email to Science Norway.
Annonse
He is the research director for Space Activities at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment.
Major General Paul Tedman in UK Space Command.(Photo: Dominic Lipinski)
Growing rivalry in space
"This is a development that will likely continue," Olsen writes. "There's a growing rivalry in space right now, both commercially and militarily."
He explains that this development has been underway for some time, and it’s only expected to accelerate.
"If we look far enough ahead, nations will begin to assert power in space to protect their freedom of action and economic interests," he writes.
"If we look far enough ahead, nations will begin to assert power in space to protect their freedom of action and economic interests," says Richard Olsen at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment.(Photo: Norwegian Defence Research Establishment)
Jamming itself involves disrupting a satellite's normal function. It's done by transmitting radio signals on the same frequencies as the target satellite, to drown out or interfere with its normal signals, writes researcher Jessie Hamill-Stewart in The Conversation. She is a PhD candidate in cybersecurity at the University of Bath.
Suspicions towards China
"The purpose of jamming is mainly to prevent a satellite system from functioning as intended, or to block operators from controlling their own satellites," Olsen writes.
Jamming does not damage satellites, it simply disrupts their signals.
Olsen believes such interference may become more common in the future.
"From both research literature and media reports, I see suspicions that China has satellites that move very close to others," he writes. "I’m not sure why they do this, but it’s likely quite unsettling for the owners of those satellites."
An old illustration of a British Skynet military satellite.(Photo: UK Ministry of Defence)
Ground-based jamming
Annonse
The British military reports that their satellite signals are being disrupted on a weekly basis by ground-based antennas.
GPS systems are particularly vulnerable and heavily relied upon in countries like Norway.
"It's probably the most widely used satellite system in Norway. Navigation signals from GPS and Galileo are without a doubt the easiest to jam. The signals are weak, and most GPS receivers are designed to pick up signals from all directions and at all angles above the horizon," writes Olsen.
This design makes them susceptible to interference from any direction.
Olsen explains that there are ways to counter this. Simple measures, such as using buildings or terrain to shield against jamming, can help.
"There are also sepcialised antenna solutions and radio designs that improve resistance to jamming to varying degrees. But this equipment is typically highly specialised and very expensive," he says.
