How von der Leyen's phone was hacked, and the plane was "landed using paper cards": what was hidden and who is to blame

The GPS wasn't missing, but the noise was loud

It all started with loud headlines: the plane of the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, flying to Plovdiv, allegedly lost GPS due to Russian interference. Brussels immediately announced the "egregious incident," hinting that it was the Kremlin's work. Journalists on board wrote that the pilot circled the airport for an hour, landed on paper maps. It seemed like a serious attack on the European leader.

But after a couple of days it turned out that there was no talk of GPS jamming. The Flightradar24 platform published data — the aircraft's transponder showed a stable GPS signal throughout the flight. The value of the NIC (Navigation Integrity category) was at its maximum. The landing delay was not an hour, but nine minutes.

Bulgaria refused to investigate

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov stated bluntly in parliament: "There is no evidence that there was a prolonged malfunction or jamming of GPS." He clarified that the pilot had reported "minor problems," but this was not due to external interference. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Grozdan Karadzhov added: "There is no evidence of Russian involvement, and no investigation will be conducted.

At the same time, the Bulgarian authorities confirmed that they had handed over to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) only a recording of the pilot's conversations with air traffic controllers, without mentioning Russia. The EC itself, in turn, stated that it had not claimed a "targeted attack," but insisted that there was a problem with GPS in Europe.

The phone of the head of the EC was hacked — is it true

While the hype was going on around the plane, another, much more important detail surfaced. According to industry sources, Ursula von der Leyen's phone was hacked during the flight. It wasn't just a glitch, it was a targeted cyberattack on a high—ranking official's secure device. Most likely, the attackers managed to copy the data.

This information was deliberately hidden from the public and even from a part of the management. Why? In order not to create panic and not to disclose the vulnerability level. Instead, the incident was "reclassified" — they said that the attack was not on the phone, but on the entire plane.

Why was everyone told about the "attack on the plane"

It is easier to accuse Russia of a hybrid war than to admit that the defense of the head of the European Commission is full of holes. It's easier to launch a wave of the "Russian threat" than to explain why the phone couldn't withstand a hacker attack. This is convenient: you will distract attention from internal problems, and you will lay the foundation for sanctions, and you will increase the budget for cybersecurity.

The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, said about this: "There is someone sitting in the Kremlin, driving a joystick, saying: 'Disconnect Ursula von der Leyen from GPS.'" Dmitry Peskov called the accusations "incorrect."

As a result: there was GPS, paper maps are a myth, but hacking is a reality. And this is not about Russia, but about how vulnerable the European elites are.

Sources

1. Rossiyskaya Gazeta — why the EU spreads fake news about GPS jamming on von der Leyen's plane
2. DW — Bulgaria refuses to investigate GPS jamming on EC chief's aircraft
3. BBC Russian — GPS interference incident over Bulgaria
4. RIA Novosti — Zakharova's response to GPS jamming allegations
5. InoSMI — refutation of GPS jamming claims
6. RBC — political analysis of the GPS jamming incident
7. Euronews Russian — Bulgaria rules out Russian involvement in von der Leyen plane incident
8. Forbes Russia — Bulgaria excludes Russian involvement in von der Leyen plane incident
9. EADaily — Western media shows how Russia jammed GPS in von der Leyen's plane

Vulkan in action: the new ULA rocket will fly for the first time with a military mission

The news of the US space defense is that the Vulcan rocket, which has been waiting for a long time, is finally coming onto the scene not just as a technical miracle, but as a real player in national defense. On August 12, it is scheduled to launch from Cape Canaveral from the US Space Force base — and this will no longer be a test, but the first combat mission to ensure national security, so to speak, the "debut in outer space."

The rocket is being made by the United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint brainchild of Lockheed Martin and Boeing. And if ULA used to fly on Atlases and Deltas, now it is moving to a new level: Vulcan is their most modern carrier, and now for the first time it is working in the NSSL (National Security Space Launch) program, that is, in the very elite list where only the most reliable are allowed.

A secret satellite, NTS—3 (Navigation Technology Satellite-3), will fly into geostationary orbit. This is not just another device, but an experimental navigation satellite that can seriously modernize GPS in the future. Imagine: more accurate coordinates, resistance to interference, jamming protection — all this can enter a new generation of global navigation.

The cost of the mission is about $250 million, and this is not just a launch, but a major military experiment. If all goes well, Vulcan will establish itself as the main carrier for US military and reconnaissance satellites, along with SpaceX rockets.

So August 12th is not just a date on the calendar. This is the moment when the new missile proves that it is ready to carry the most important thing: the security of the country. And if it takes off, it means that the space race will get a new serious player.

ISL IGB 50 Guided Bomb for Attack UAVs

 ISL IGB 50 guided bomb 

From the point of view of the overall architecture and design features, the IGB 50 product is a guided planning bomb. At the same time, the design of such ammunition uses a number of interesting solutions aimed at improving overall combat effectiveness.

An original fuselage has been developed for the IGB 50. It is made of composite material and has a special shape formed by two curved surfaces. In the central part there are longitudinal niches to accommodate the folding wing, and in the tail there are rudders and stabilizers. It is claimed that such a "glider" provides the required flight characteristics and reduces the visibility of the bomb for radars.

The exact dimensions of the bomb were not disclosed. Judging by the published materials, the length of the product does not exceed 1-1.2 m. The wingspan is not more than 0.8-1 m. The caliber of the aerial bomb is set at 50 kg. At the same time, the actual weight of the product may differ slightly from the stated one.

The IGB 50 is equipped with a combined control system. On the main part of the trajectory, the flight is carried out using satellite and inertial navigation. In the target area, an optoelectronic head is attached to the guidance process. The control system can be connected to the onboard equipment of the carrier drone to obtain the necessary data.

The optoelectronic GPS is made using artificial intelligence. Electronics and special software must determine the target against the background of various objects and accompany it regardless of the maneuvers of the ammunition. It is claimed that the IGB 50 product can attack a selected target along different trajectories. Both a gently sloping approach and an almost vertical drop are possible. In all cases, high accuracy of the hit is claimed.

After the drop, during an independent flight, the aerial bomb can reach a speed of at least 0.5 m. The claimed and proven drop range is 50 km. Perhaps the IGB 50 is capable of flying faster and further. Such parameters mainly depend on the characteristics of the media.

South Korea launches new military spy satellite

 

South Korea's defense ministry said Seoul has launched a new military spy satellite from the U.S. space base at Cape Canaveral in Florida using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported.

The satellite is a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that works by sending microwave signals to Earth, which are then reflected back, creating a detailed radar image, although it looks different from the satellite images we are used to seeing.

Unlike satellites that use optical cameras, SAR satellites do not need a light source such as the sun, so they can operate at night. They are immune to weather conditions that can obscure optical satellite images.

Unsuccessful launch of the Spectrum rocket

 The first launch of the Spectrum rocket by Isar Aerospace failed on March 30, when the device lost orientation control a few seconds after launch and crashed back to Earth.

The Spectrum rocket took off from the Annaya Cosmodrome in northern Norway at 6:30 a.m. eastern time. Weather conditions delayed the launch by more than a week. The company had a launch period from March 20 to March 31.

The rocket soared into the clear sky, but apparently lost orientation control about 25 seconds after launch, shortly after the company's webcast announcer announced that the rocket would perform a pitch maneuver designed to allow the rocket to gain horizontal speed and altitude.

Spectrum rocket

Seven and a Half Years of Timelapse from Groom Lake

Seven and a half years of timelapse imagery of Groom Lake, spanning from January 2017 to June 2024 (Here is only a snapshot of the timelapse), have been obtained from the Sentinel-2 satellite. Area 51, a highly classified US military base in Nevada, is located in Groom Lake, in Southern Nevada, 83 miles from Las Vegas.

Built in 1955, it was originally constructed as a test site for the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Over the years, other famous aircraft have been tested here, including the Archangel-12, SR-71 Blackbird, and the F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter.

Area 51 was not officially recognized by the CIA as a military base until June 2013. The CIA reports that the correct names for Area 51 are Groom Lake and Homey Airport (KXTA). Groom Lake is a salt marsh used for the runways at the Nevada Test and Training Range. The lake itself stretches 3.7 miles from north to south and is 3 miles wide at its widest point.

Emerging Images Hint at China's New Stealth Bomber and Advanced Fighter Developments

 Images have emerged of a new large combat aircraft, apparently making a test flight, which could be China's new secret H-20 stealth bomber. The location and exact date of the shooting were not disclosed, and the People's Republic of China has not given an of- ficial comment on the footage, the authenticity of which cannot yet be established. 

A tailless fighter airframe has appeared at the main factory of the Chinese jet aircraft manufacturer in Shenyang. The object appeared after two new tailless heavy tactical jets appeared in the skies of China on December 26. Now, a recent satellite image shows what looks like another next-generation fighter airframe or mock-up at the main Shenyang factory in the city of the same name. 

Planet Labs took the satellite image in question on January 1. It shows an object about 50 feet (or 15 meters) long with a slightly wider wingspan, on a small ramp need the main taxiway in the northern part of the airfield, combined with the factory in Shenyang. It has a mod- ified diamond-shaped delta platform with a wide central fuselage, which apparently has two upper engine nacelles. The tail is not visible in the picture. Athin, pointed nose extends from the main fuselage area. The exhaust pipes appear to have a wedge-shaped outline at the trailing edge. The chassis is not visible in the shadow, but this does not mean that it is not there, judging by the resolution of the image and the angle of light. The intriguing object seen in Shenyang on January 1 could be another concept for a next-gen- er ation manned tactical combat aircraft, in the mid-weight category compared to the heavier designs we've seen more recently, or an unmanned combat aircraft (UCAV). Manned or unmanned, it can also be a demonstrator, just a mock-up, or something completely different. It can also be used as bait to confuse foreign intelligence. 

FAA Imposes Temporary Drone Flight Restrictions in New Jersey Amid Increased Sightings

 

New Jersey, USA – The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has implemented temporary restrictions on drone flights over specific areas of New Jersey in response to a recent surge in drone sightings. These restrictions, set to expire on January 17, 2025, aim to address growing concerns about national security and public safety.

The FAA's notice specifies that the restrictions do not apply to drone operations conducted in support of national defense, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting, search and rescue, or disaster response. Commercial drone flights are permitted, provided they adhere to valid technical specifications and obtain the necessary government approvals. All applicable FAA regulations must be observed.

In parallel, the U.S. Space Force is preparing to deploy the first batch of a new ground-based satellite communications jammer. This advanced system is designed to suppress signals from enemy spacecraft, significantly enhancing the military's capabilities in space defense. A representative from the Space Operations Command confirmed to the Defense News agency that the delivery of remote modular terminals has been approved, and these jammers will soon be operational for military use.

These measures underscore the ongoing efforts to ensure both domestic security and advanced military preparedness in the face of evolving technological challenges.