Detection of Satellite Navigation Jamming in the Maritime Shipping

Currently, maritime shipping relies mainly on satellite navigation, specifically Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). The coordinates and exact time obtained from the shipboard GNSS receiver are necessary for the normal functioning of most marine navigation and radio communication systems. Reliable operation of the ship’s on-board positioning system is the basis for ensuring navigational safety. However, GNSS is vulnerable to deliberate radio-electronic interference, with jamming being the most common form of such cyber-attack. Nonetheless, the failure to obtain coordinates can result not only from jamming but also from technical issues in the ship’s installation. The article addresses the approach to determine jamming based on analysing broadcasted messages received from other ships through the maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) channels. Two methods of coordinate loss identification are proposed to determine jamming as the cause of coordinate loss, one based on Bayesian inference and another on assessing the correlation of coordinate states on the monitored ships. Both methods rely on using conventional maritime installation. A comparative analysis of the characteristics of both jamming determination methods is provided, along with recommendations regarding their use on board a ship or a coast station.