QANTAS PILOTS SUBJECT TO GPS JAMMING FROM
‘CHINESE WARSHIPS’
written by Adam Thorn | March 19, 2023
Qantas A380 VH-OQH as shot in 2015 by Seth Jaworski
Qantas pilots are
receiving radio interference and GPS jamming from what the airline believes are
Chinese warships in the Asia Pacific.
The revelation came
in a note to pilots issued by the business on Thursday,
which advised crew members to fly onwards but report the matter to air traffic
control.
However, the Flying
Kangaroo insisted there had been “no safety events” reported related to the
problems.
It follows the
International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) issuing a statement earlier this month confirming
the interference, which it said was prevalent over the South China Sea, the
Philippine Sea and east of the Indian Ocean.
It told members it
was working with IATA and the Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) to
tackle the issue and even revealed that, in some cases, airlines adjusted their
flight path to mitigate the matter.
“If a warship
attempts to call your flight, utilize the following procedures,” read the
advice. “Do not respond to the warship. Immediately report the contact to the
controlling ATC agency.
“Notify your
company’s dispatcher of the attempted contact. Complete an ASAP report, or
other company safety report for either non-ATC communication or GNSS
interference.”
Qantas captain Tony
Lucas, who is also the president of the Australian and International Pilots
Association, downplayed any safety concerns in an interview with The Guardian.
“Our members are
aware of recent reported communication and electronic interference,” he said.
“Qantas Group pilots
are well trained and remain ready to manage these sorts of issues safely in
accordance with defined procedures.”
It follows a more
serious military incident over the South China Sea last year when a Chinese
J-16 cut across the nose of a RAAF P-8 Poseidon.
The conflict saw the
fighter jet accelerate so close to the Australian aircraft that a “bundle of
chaff” was ingested into its engine.
Defence Minister
Richard Marles said the P-8 returned back to base safely but added the incident
would not deter the RAAF from continuing to fly over the disputed area.
The RAAF P-8
Poseidon is a maritime patrol aircraft used for a variety of roles, including
reconnaissance and search and rescue.
Best known as a
military variant of the Boeing 737, it’s equipped with advanced sensors and
mission systems, including a multi-role radar, high-definition cameras and a
high-processing acoustic system and an extensive communications suite.
Australia’s Poseidon fleet is based at
RAAF Base Edinburgh and was introduced to partially replace the RAAF’s fleet of
AP-3C Orions, together with the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system.
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