GPS signal lost by a passenger plane in Finnmark – the error is related to Russian military exercises

"We have reason to believe that this could be related to military exercises outside the borders of Norway," says the Norwegian Aviation Authority at The Barents Observer.

The Civil Aviation Authority informed the two airlines performing scheduled flights in these areas, as well as Avinor, signal disturbances. The Norwegian airlines and SAS serve daily Kirkenes and Alta, while Widerøe has a number of smaller aircraft serving the smaller airports on the Finnmark coast.

Press officer Lina Lindegaard in Widerøe confirmed that one of their planes had lost GPS signals earlier this week, but she pointed out that pilots resorted to alternative procedures in such cases. .

– There is no security risk associated with this. We have good practice, and this is not the first time we have signal losses, "said Lindegaard, who does not want to ask the cause of the signal losses.

Four bombers

Along with the ongoing exercise of NATO, Trident Juncture, Russia has launched four bombs along the Norwegian coast in recent days, the latest until Friday in Stavanger, according to Aldrimer.no . NOVA's leader, Iver Neumann, describes Dagbladet's Russian "Sandblast Ramp" exercises. However, the Russian Embassy points out that marksmanship tests are a normal practice.

– The activities planned by the Russian defense forces in the near future, as the Russian side has warned them in similar ways, constitute a normal practice and are conducted in accordance with international law, writes the Embassy.

Next week, the Russian Navy will carry out new missile tests outside Finnmark.

– Destroys trust

The Russian Embassy writes in an email to Dagbladet that the ongoing exercise of NATO, Trident Juncture, is devastating.

"These maneuvers are detrimental to the confidence and stability of the region, and it is unfortunate that the official views of these people have not been taken into account by the Oslo official," he said. in the response of the Embassy, ​​referring to the various protests that have occurred recently in the country against the ongoing exercise of NATO.

– With regard to the Norwegian protests against the exercise "Trident Juncture" of NATO, which is taking place these days, the concerns of these people are ready for us; they understand our reaction to open provocation and that NATO's offensive campaign potential is demonstrated near our borders, writes the Embassy.