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GPS jamming and spoofing: what drone pilots should do
Satellite navigation interference around the Baltic Sea has grown sharply in recent years. For a drone it means more than a wrong position on the map: without satellites it can no longer hold its position and may not return home on its own.
How common it is
According to Lithuania's air navigation service, as reported by the Baltic News Service, pilots in Lithuania reported 1,022 GPS disruptions in June 2025, compared with 46 in June 2024. Interference is also reported in Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Finland and Sweden.
Jamming and spoofing
- Jamming drowns the satellite signals in noise. The drone sees fewer and fewer satellites until none are left.
- Spoofing feeds the receiver fake signals, so it "believes" it is somewhere else. This is more dangerous: the drone may suddenly change direction or "return home" to the wrong place.
How to recognise it
- The satellite count drops suddenly and the flight app warns of a weak GPS signal.
- The drone switches to a mode without GPS (ATTI): it no longer holds its position and drifts with the wind.
- The position on the map jumps, and the distance to the home point changes while the drone is hovering.
- Return to home does not engage, or the drone heads off in an odd direction.
Before you fly
- Check whether interference has been reported nearby recently.
- Make sure you can fly your drone without GPS. Practise in an open area with no obstacles.
- Choose a day with light wind: without GPS the wind carries the drone, and holding it is up to you.
- Keep the drone within sight and leave a bigger battery reserve.
- Avoid flying over water or near people until you are sure the signal is stable.
If the signal is lost in the air
- Stay calm and do not press return to home if the position looks wrong.
- Take over: the drone still follows the controller, it just no longer holds its position itself.
- Fly back watching the drone, allowing for where the wind pushes it.
- Land somewhere safe and review the flight log.
How Drone Wind helps
The app shows known GPS interference zones and pilot reports of interference from the last 24–72 hours, together with the wind, clouds and the Kp index. In Pro you can report interference yourself and help other pilots.
The app also helps you check drone zones anywhere in the world: in Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden, Norway and Austria the official drone zone map opens right at the place you choose, in 26 more European countries the official country map or information, and elsewhere a worldwide map. More about drone zones
Frequently asked questions
Is GPS interference dangerous for a drone?
Yes, spoofing especially. Without satellites a drone cannot hold its position and may not return on its own, while the wind carries it. The risk is lower if you fly close, keep the drone in sight and can fly it without GPS.
Where is interference most common?
Around the Baltic Sea it is reported most often near the Kaliningrad region and over the sea, but it can occur across the region. Check the latest reports for the place you are flying from.
Can I fly without GPS?
Technically most drones fly without GPS, they just no longer hold their position by themselves. It takes skill, so without GPS fly only close, within sight and in light wind.