During an aid mission, Indian Air Force aircraft encountered severe cyberattacks in Myanmar airspace: report.
During their humanitarian mission under Operation Brahma, which was initiated in response to the devastating 7.7 magnitude earthquake that rocked Myanmar on March 28, 2025, Indian Air Force (IAF) planes encountered substantial intrusions in Myanmar’s airspace.
India sent relief supplies, rescue teams, and field hospitals to help its eastern neighbor after theWhile delivering relief to Myanmar on March 29, an IAF C-130J Super Hercules aircraft came under assault from GPS spoofing. False signals are used in GPS spoofing, a hack that modifies real-time coordinates to trick navigation systems.
. earthquake left over 3,600 people dead, thousands injured, and caused extensive damage.The aircraft’s and its crew’s safety was seriously threatened by this. In order to safely navigate through the interference, the pilots promptly shifted to the backup inertial navigation system (INS). Other pilots were alerted to possible cyberthreats after this occurrence and adopted safety precautions on their next flights.The operation involved the deployment of six military transport aircraft, including heavy-lift C-17 Globemasters and C-130Js. According to reports, the majority of these aircraft encountered such GPS spoofing assaults throughout their time in Myanmar’s airspace.
Despite the challenges, the IAF successfully delivered humanitarian aid, including essential medicines, food supplies, tents, blankets, and rescue equipment.
Although military officials have highlighted the difficulty of looking into such instances in international airspace, they have alluded to “regional adversaries” as possible cyberattack culprits.
Usually found in war areas, GPS spoofing has also been detected close to India’s Pakistani borders since November 2023; more than 465 occurrences have been recorded in the vicinity of Amritsar and Jammu.
India’s swift response under Operation Brahma highlights its commitment to regional disaster relief despite facing significant cybersecurity challenges. However, the growing frequency of GPS spoofing incidents raises serious concerns about aviation security and regional stability.
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