In a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, Israel recently used a clever trick to protect itself from a massive missile attack by Iran. This tactic, known as GPS spoofing, played a crucial role in keeping the country safe. Here’s a simple explanation of what happened and how it worked.
How GPS Works
Similar to an invisible map in the sky is the Global Positioning System (GPS). It helps people and machines know exactly where they are on Earth by using signals from satellites. Many of the devices we use every day, like smartphones and cars, rely on GPS to navigate. Similarly, military forces use GPS to guide missiles and drones to their targets accurately.
However, GPS signals can be tampered with, and that’s exactly what Israel did to protect itself from Iran’s attack.
The Attack and the Confusion
Last Saturday night, Iran launched a massive attack on Israel. They sent over 300 drones and missiles towards the country, aiming to cause significant damage. But Israel had a smart defense plan. They used GPS spoofing to confuse the guidance systems of these attacking drones and missiles.
Israeli intelligence began jamming and scrambling GPS signals within their borders in the days preceding the attack. This means they sent out fake GPS signals to make the Iranian missiles think they were in the wrong place. As a result, many of these missiles and drones were confused and couldn’t find their intended targets.
For example, people in Israel found their GPS devices showing they were in cities like Cairo or Beirut, even though they were still in Israel. This tricked the Iranian missiles into thinking they were somewhere they weren’t, causing them to miss their targets.
The Results of the Attack
Thanks to this clever use of GPS spoofing, almost all of the more than 300 drones and missiles Iran launched at Israel failed to hit their targets. In fact, 99 percent of these projectiles were intercepted before they even got close. The US, the United Kingdom, and Jordan helped Israel intercept these attacks using advanced technology and combat aircraft.
Of the small number of missiles that did manage to reach Israel, none caused any loss of life. This successful defense was a combination of GPS spoofing and the strong missile defense systems of Israel and its allies.
A Look Back at GPS and Military Operations
This isn’t the first time GPS signals have played a crucial role in military operations. About 25 years ago, during the Kargil War in 1999, the Indian military faced a similar situation. The Indian military requested GPS data for the area from the US when Pakistani forces entered India. However, the US denied this request, which hindered India’s operations. This was because the US used a technology called “selective availability” to intentionally degrade GPS accuracy for civilian and non-allied military use, keeping the best accuracy for themselves.
These actions led countries like India to develop their own navigation systems. India created NavIC, a standalone satellite navigation system, which provides precise positioning and timing services independently of the US GPS.
Iran’s Countermeasures
Iran tried to counter Israel’s GPS jamming by using an alternative navigation system called GLONASS, which is developed by Russia. GLONASS works similarly to GPS but is generally less accurate. Despite this, some of Iran’s missiles and drones were equipped with GLONASS to try to bypass Israel’s jamming efforts.
However, the combination of Israel’s GPS spoofing and the strong interception capabilities of Israel and its allies meant that Iran’s attack was largely unsuccessful. Few missiles made it to Israel, and the ones that did were unable to inflict serious harm.
In summary, Israel’s use of GPS spoofing played a key role in protecting the country from a major missile attack. By confusing the guidance systems of the attacking drones and missiles, Israel was able to prevent a potential disaster and keep its people safe.
