Electronic attack targets RAF plane transporting UK Defence Secretary from Estonia
An RAF jet carrying the Defence Secretary experienced signal interference as it flew near the Russian border.
John Healey had been visiting British soldiers in Estonia and was en route back to the UK when the electronic attack occurred.
It is believed that Russia was responsible for the incident on Thursday.
Smartphones and laptops were unable to connect to the internet, and pilots had to use an alternative navigation system since the plane’s GPS was disabled for the three-hour duration of the flight.
It is unclear whether Mr. Healey was deliberately targeted, but the flight path was visible on aircraft tracking websites, according to the Times.
Passengers, including photographers and a reporter, were informed that the Dassault Falcon 900LX aircraft could still operate safely.
A defence source stated: “This is reckless Russian interference, but the RAF is well-prepared to handle this activity."
The incident follows just days after the Ministry of Defence (MoD) disclosed that two Russian jets had “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted an RAF spy plane above the Black Sea.
A Russian Su-35 jet flew so close to the British reconnaissance aircraft that it activated its emergency systems, including disabling the autopilot.
One of the nation’s Su-27s also flew six metres from the unarmed Rivet Joint’s nose and performed six passes in front.
The MoD said it was the most dangerous Russian action against a British Rivet Joint aircraft since a plane fired a missile over the Black Sea in 2022.
In March 2024, an RAF plane carrying the then-defence secretary Grant Shapps had its GPS signal jammed while flying near Russian territory.
The satellite signal was disrupted for about 30 minutes while the flight was returning to the UK from Poland.
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