When you read the letters “GPS,” chances are you think of that little device in your car, whose computerized female voice helps you get from point A to point B.

Do $30 GPS Jammers Pose Threat to National Security?

But if our GPS systems go down today, absolute chaos would ensue, according to this fascinating article in the New Scientist. Why? Because GPS technology permeates almost every aspect of our plugged-in lives. Consider what happened in San Diego a few years ago when the GPS signals were disrupted:


Or what happened at Newark’s International Liberty Airport last year when GPS signals were jammed-up:


The culprit was a “GPS jammer,” a small plastic device which can be bought for as little as $30 online. This device can knock out GPS signals from miles away. As it turns out, a trucker on the New Jersey turnpike had installed a GPS jammer in his car to avoid paying a GPS-operated toll. He drove past the Newark airport twice a day, causing the havoc described above.

Do $30 GPS Jammers Pose Threat to National Security?

These devices, above, are illegal in the United States, the UK, and elsewhere, and for good reason: such a small device, it can cause such a large amount of damage. The main reason for this is that GPS signals are incredibly weak:



Do $30 GPS Jammers Pose Threat to National Security?


Beyond being a nuisance, GPS jammers pose a serious national security threat. After all, car thieves and criminals have already used jammers to evade the law. And from the examples above, we know that GPS jammers can interfere disastrously with air-traffic control, hospital emergencies, and our major methods of communication. With that in mind, it’s frightening to imagine a terrorist getting his hands on one of these.

Watch a GPS jammer at work below. You’ll see that the once the jammer is plugged in, the six satellite fixes on the screen go dead.

While we all rely on technology, this story reminds us how vulnerable we are when technology fails. Let’s hope that some innovative engineer will create a device sometime soon that will jam-up the jammers.