Practicing for a war against NATO

Suddenly, satellite navigation was switched out for air traffic over Sweden and a number of other countries.

The tracks point to Russia.

– They are preparing for a possible war with NATO, now warns Estonia’s commander-in-chief Martin Herem.

It started in mid-December and escalated over the Christmas holiday.

Then Sweden and several other countries around the Baltic Sea were hit by the most extensive disruption of GPS systems recorded in the area.

Parts of the satellite navigation for air and sea traffic in southern Sweden were phased out.

Pointing out Russia

The aircraft in the affected areas had to rely on ground-based navigation, wrote SVT at the beginning of the year.

And the suspected attacks continued.

During January, new disturbances were reported by pilots in commercial air traffic.

Russia has been singled out as responsible. The disturbances began at the same time as the Russian Navy stated that it had started an exercise aimed at combating “enemy navigation and telecommunications”.

Among the other countries affected by the disturbances are Finland, Denmark, Poland, Germany and the Baltic countries.

“Practice for possible war”

The Civil Aviation Authority has stated to SVT that the disturbances did not pose any danger to passengers and cabin crew.

– This affects the aircraft’s ability to navigate precisely, but there are a number of different backup systems that they can use perfectly well, says Petter Eklund at the Civil Aviation Authority to SVT.

But now Estonia’s commander-in-chief Martin Herem states that the attacks may be a practice for something worse.

– Someone is behind it and we think it is Russia, he says in an interview with Bloomberg writes Newsweek.

The top commander of the Estonian forces believes that the Russians are “testing and learning” how to disrupt the Western world’s GPS system before a possible future military conflict with NATO.

“New and big”

Herem tells Bloomberg that the Russian military has previously demonstrated its capacity in so-called telewarfare and that it is “strong in the field”.

Joakim Paasikivi, lieutenant colonel at the Norwegian Defense Academy, believes that the extent of the disruption means an escalation of Russian attacks – if they are behind it.

– That the Russian side disrupted communications up in the north during the protection of Murmansk, or to disrupt NATO exercises – that is old. This is new – and big, he says to SVT.

He sees the disturbances as part of Russian influence attacks against the West.

– I think that this is part of the Russian method of trying to influence us in so-called hybrid warfare, that is, that you constantly stay at a level lower than conflict. I think it can be a way for Russia to create uncertainty and show strength, says Joakim Paasikivi to SVT.