Russia Jams RAF Jet Carrying Healey on Three-Hour Flight — Russian Gps Interference European Flights
An RAF jet carrying John Healey had its signal jammed for the entire three-hour flight near the Russian border on Thursday, disrupting russian gps interference european flights on a government aircraft returning from Estonia. The defence secretary had been visiting British soldiers in Estonia and was flying back to the UK when smartphones and laptops lost internet access.
Pilots switched to a different navigation system after the plane’s GPS was disabled. The aircraft, a Dassault Falcon 900LX, remained safe in flight, according to passengers on board.
Healey’s Estonia trip
Healey met Hanno Pevkur, the Estonian minister of defence, in Tallinn to discuss long-term bilateral defence cooperation and its strategic expansion. Photographers and a reporter were also on the aircraft.
It is thought Russia was behind the incident on Thursday, although it is unclear if Healey was deliberately targeted. The flight path was visible on aircraft tracking websites as the jamming continued across the full journey.
March 2024 RAF jamming
The flight follows a similar case in March 2024, when an RAF plane carrying then-defence secretary Grant Shapps had its GPS signal jammed while flying near Russian territory. In that case, the satellite signal was interfered with for about 30 minutes on the return flight to the UK from Poland.
The new episode also came after the Ministry of Defence revealed on Wednesday that two Russian jets repeatedly and dangerously intercepted an RAF spy plane above the Black Sea last month. One Russian Su-35 got close enough to trigger emergency systems, including disabling the autopilot, while a Russian Su-27 flew six metres from the Rivet Joint’s nose and carried out six passes in front.
Black Sea intercepts
The Ministry of Defence said that was the most dangerous Russian action against a British Rivet Joint aircraft since a plane fired a missile over the Black Sea in 2022. A Rivet Joint can carry a crew of up to 30 and has a range of about 150 miles for electronic surveillance.
Healey later said, “I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding professionalism and bravery of the RAF crew who continued with their mission despite these dangerous actions,” and added, “Let me be very clear: this incident will not deter the UK’s commitment to defend Nato, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.” The aircraft returned without further incident after the signal interference, and the flight adds a fresh case to the pattern of alleged Russian interference involving British military aircraft.
Healey’s next public diplomatic step in the sequence was his meeting with Hanno Pevkur in Tallinn, where the two defence ministers discussed long-term cooperation. The latest flight now sits alongside the March 2024 jamming incident and the Black Sea intercepts as the clearest recent examples of pressure on British military aviation.
