SOURCE: AFI
Recent reports of GPS jamming along the Indo-Pak border, particularly in the Jammu and Kashmir region, indicate that both India and Pakistan have deployed electronic warfare (EW) units, marking a significant escalation in their ongoing tensions. The jamming, affecting areas near the Line of Control (LoC) as depicted in a map shared on X, disrupts satellite navigation signals critical for military operations, civilian aviation, and communication systems.
With India possessing more sophisticated and numerous EW units compared to Pakistan, this development underscores the growing seriousness of the situation, especially following the Pahalgam attack on April 22, 2025, and India’s consideration of scrapping the 2021 LoC ceasefire. This article examines the implications of GPS jamming, the comparative EW capabilities of both nations, and the broader strategic context.
The map shared on X highlights three distinct areas of GPS interference along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, near the border with Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). GPS jamming involves the deliberate transmission of radio frequency signals to overpower or disrupt Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals, such as those from GPS, GLONASS, or India’s NavIC. This tactic is a hallmark of electronic warfare, aimed at degrading an adversary’s situational awareness, navigation, and precision-guided munitions, which rely on satellite navigation for accuracy.
For India and Pakistan, GPS jamming serves multiple purposes:
- Disrupting Military Operations: Both nations rely on GNSS for navigation of drones, precision-guided munitions (e.g., India’s BrahMos, Pakistan’s Babur), and troop movements. Jamming can blind these systems, reducing operational effectiveness.
- Countering ISR: Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, such as India’s recently spotted A-321 intelligence jet over Jammu (April 25, 2025) or Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied drones, depend on GNSS for positioning. Jamming disrupts their ability to gather real-time data.
- Psychological Warfare: By demonstrating EW capabilities, both sides signal their readiness for conflict, aiming to deter or intimidate the other.
The timing of this jamming is critical. India’s potential decision to end the LoC ceasefire, following the Pahalgam attack that killed 26 civilians, has heightened military alertness. Pakistan’s recent ceasefire violations, including the April 24, 2025, clash in Kupwara, and its planned missile test near India’s Gujarat SEZ, further exacerbate tensions. The deployment of EW units suggests both sides are preparing for a potential escalation, where control of the electromagnetic spectrum could be as decisive as traditional firepower.
India has invested heavily in EW systems, leveraging indigenous development and international partnerships to build a robust capability. The Indian Army, Air Force, and Navy all maintain dedicated EW units, with a focus on countering Pakistan and China.
Key systems include:
- Samyukta EW System: Developed by DRDO, the Samyukta is a mobile, integrated EW system capable of intercepting, jamming, and direction-finding across a wide frequency range (1.5 MHz to 40 GHz). It can disrupt communications, radar, and GNSS signals, with a range of 150–200 km. Deployed along the LoC, Samyukta units are likely responsible for the GPS jamming observed.
- Himshakti EW System: An advanced version for the Indian Army, Himshakti enhances spectrum dominance with improved jamming and ELINT capabilities, tailored for high-altitude regions like Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
- SPECTRA Suite on Rafale Jets: The IAF’s Rafale jets, equipped with the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite, can jam enemy radars and GNSS signals, providing airborne EW support. This capability was likely used during Exercise Aakraman, simulating strikes against Pakistani targets.
- Naval EW Systems: The Indian Navy’s warships, such as INS Surat, are equipped with advanced EW suites like the Shakti system, capable of jamming missile guidance systems and GNSS signals in maritime domains.
- Kali-5000 and Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs): India is developing DEWs like the Kali-5000, which can emit high-energy pulses to disable enemy electronics, including GNSS receivers, though its operational status remains classified.
India’s EW units are numerically superior, with over 50 dedicated systems deployed across its three services, as per 2024 estimates from the Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS). The IAF’s recent RFI for High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS) on April 25, 2025, further emphasizes EW, with HAPS intended for ELINT and COMINT roles, potentially enhancing India’s spectrum dominance.
Pakistan’s EW capabilities, while growing, lag behind India’s in sophistication and scale. The Pakistani military has focused on acquiring Chinese and Western systems to counter India’s conventional advantage. Key systems include:
- Chinese EW Systems: Pakistan operates Chinese-supplied EW systems, such as the DWL-002 passive detection system, which can detect and jam radar and GNSS signals. These are deployed along the LoC and near key airbases like Rawalpindi.
- Zarb Coastal EW System: Used by the Pakistani Navy, the Zarb system provides maritime EW support, capable of jamming GNSS signals to disrupt Indian naval operations, as potentially seen in the planned missile test near Gujarat.
- Airborne EW on JF-17: Pakistan’s JF-17 Thunder jets are equipped with basic EW suites, including the KLJ-7 radar’s jamming capabilities, but these are less advanced than India’s SPECTRA suite.
- Commercial Jammers: Pakistan has reportedly used commercial-grade GNSS jammers, often sourced from China, to disrupt Indian drone operations along the LoC. These systems are less sophisticated but effective for localized jamming.
Pakistan’s EW units are estimated at 20–25 systems, primarily concentrated near strategic locations like Karachi and the LoC. While Pakistan has improved its capabilities through Chinese assistance, its systems lack the integration, range, and multi-domain functionality of India’s Samyukta or Himshakti.
However, Pakistan’s use of low-cost, commercial jammers can still disrupt Indian operations, as seen in past drone incursions in Jammu and Kashmir. Its focus on asymmetric warfare, including GNSS jamming to support terrorist infiltrations, poses a persistent challenge.
The GPS jamming along the Indo-Pak border, concentrated in Jammu and Kashmir, confirms the deployment of electronic warfare units by both India and Pakistan, marking a serious escalation amid already strained relations. India’s more sophisticated and numerous EW systems, such as Samyukta and SPECTRA, give it a clear advantage over Pakistan’s Chinese-supplied jammers and limited capabilities. However, Pakistan’s asymmetric tactics, including low-cost jamming to support terrorism, remain a challenge. As both sides flex their EW muscles, the risk of miscalculation grows, potentially triggering a broader conflict with devastating consequences. With India considering scrapping the LoC ceasefire and Pakistan testing missiles near Gujarat, the electromagnetic spectrum has become a new battleground, signaling that things are indeed getting serious.
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