Air traffic control radar interference event in the Galileo E6 band: Detection and localization

Abstract

The Galileo E6 band operates at a nonprimary frequency band within the L-band. This presents challenging situations in the vicinity of other, legitimate, radiolocation services. This is the case for Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar, which is seen as an in-band-pulsed interference by a GNSS receiver. This paper provides a detailed study of the impact of such interference, as well as localization approaches. Particularly, the paper describes the ATC jamming event captured on a GNSS permanent station, its effects on a real receiver, and how it was tracked to localize the source of interference. An ultra low-cost array-based solution is prototyped, based on commercial off-the-shelf devices, that implements a two-element array. Experimental results are shown and discussed using real data, validating the localization performance of the prototype.

Radio-Frequency Interference Considerations for Utility of the Galileo E6 Signal Based on Long-Term Monitoring by ARFIDAAS

“…It is well understood that the E6 band is neither dedicated to GNSS alone nor to aeronautical radio-navigation service (ARNS) systems exclusively, and that the rights of pre-existing users in various jurisdictions can allow the presence of high-pulsed or continuous power signals in bands overlapping the main lobe of the E6 signal. In de Bakker ( 2007) and Arribas et al (2019), the authors present a partial listing of signal types known to be potential sources of interference to the E6 band, including but not limited to radar, while Van Hees (2016) expands the list with specific examples of other harmful sources including security cameras from China and amateur TV in Germany. While the camera example given is believed to be illegal in most jurisdictions, the German amateur TV signal is legal yet fits the criteria of a jammer of E6 due to the signal having substantial bandwidth (multiple MHz) overlapping the main lobe of the E6 signal and continuous transmission at a relatively high-power level.…”

RFI Considerations for Utility of the Galileo E6 Signal

“…It is well understood that the E6 band is neither dedicated to GNSS alone nor to Aeronautical Radio Navigation Service (ARNS) systems exclusively, and that the rights of pre-existing users in various jurisdictions can allow the presence of high pulsed or continuous power signals in bands overlapping the main lobe of the E6 signal. In [1] and [2] the authors present a partial listing of signal types known to be potential sources of interference to the E6 band, including but not limited to RADAR, while [3] expands the list with specific examples of other harmful sources including security cameras from China and amateur TV in Germany. While the camera example given is believed to be illegal in most jurisdictions, the German amateur TV signal is legal yet fits the criteria of a jammer of E6 due to the signal having substantial bandwidth (multiple MHz) overlapping the main lobe of the E6 signal, and continuous transmission at a relatively high-power level.…”

Robust signal processing with applications to positioning and imaging

“…In addition, unintentional interferences can also be a problem in GNSS positioning. For example, the DME signal, which is essential in aircraft navigation, or other technologies are known to interfere GNSS signals [81,94,95]. Therefore, the research of interference mitigation techniques have been triggered recently.…”