A RAF Dassault Falcon 900LX carrying Defence Secretary John Healey experienced GPS signal jamming during a flight near the Russian border, forcing pilots to switch to an alternative navigation system for a three-hour journey from Estonia back to the UK.

The incident follows a history of GPS interference patterns tied to Russia, including a March 2024 episode involving a former defence secretary, underscoring ongoing concerns about Russian activity near UK airspace and sea lanes in the North Atlantic.

The episode occurred on Healey’s return from Estonia, where he had visited British troops, with Moscow suspected of being behind the electronic interference.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence did not comment on the specific incident.

Healey commended the RAF crew for maintaining the mission under dangerous conditions and pledged that the incident would not deter the UK’s commitment to NATO and defending allies against Russian aggression.

UK officials and military leaders described the event as dangerous and unacceptable, praising the RAF crew for sustaining mission continuity despite interference.

The MoD outlined broader security measures in response to Russian pressure, including boosting Arctic presence with more Marines in Norway, deploying HMS Prince of Wales to the North, expanding joint NATO exercises, and allocating 100 million to enhance P-8 submarine hunter capabilities while launching the Atlantic Bastion programme to integrate autonomous tech with naval and air assets.

Healey also highlighted that the UK has been tracking three Russian submarines loitering near critical North Atlantic undersea infrastructure, illustrating heightened tensions.

The GPS jam follows a pattern of aggressive Russian actions against UK assets, including recent interceptions of an RAF spy plane over the Black Sea and near-misses with a Rivet Joint aircraft, described as among the most dangerous since a 2022 incident.

The RAF Rivet Joint’s sophisticated sensors to support NATO situational awareness were involved in this sequence, marking a significant flare-up in Russian actions against such aircraft since the 2022 Black Sea incident.

The incident is believed linked to Russia, with Moscow suspected of electronic interference after Russia–UK tensions escalated with jet interceptions near the Black Sea.

Flight tracking sites showed Healey’s path, raising questions about whether the defence secretary was the target, though it remains unclear if the flight was targeted specifically.