Tuesday 28th July, at the Experimental Flight Department at Pratica di Mare, ground tests were carried out on an MB-339 aircraft to study the resilience of the systems of radio navigation aid for air traffic in the presence of signals of jamming e spoofing.
The experimental activity was carried out by a mixed team composed of RSV personnel and professors and researchers from Centre for Higher Defence Studies / University Higher School (CASD/SSU), through the use of the aircraft and specific laboratory instrumentation.
The sensors undergoing testing are part of the instruments used in aeronautical radio navigation and provide the crew with directional and distance indications relative to ground-based radio aids. The availability and reliability of such information are of particular importance, even in the presence of potential signal interference.
It jamming consists of the transmission of jamming signals capable of degrading or preventing the correct reception of information, whereas spoofing it involves the generation of artefact signals that can lead to readings that do not correspond to those expected.
During the tests, the receivers on board the aircraft were subjected, under controlled conditions, to the two different phenomena, observing and recording the variations in the indications provided by the equipment. The activity made it possible to collect data useful for characterising the behaviour of the systems and for studying their response in the presence of intentional interference in greater depth. The results obtained are of particular relevance in the context of the studies currently underway at the CASD/SSU regarding Security of cyber-physical systems.
The trial marks an important moment of collaboration between the RSV and the CASD/SSU, making it possible to make available data that is difficult to collect and to pool technical, experimental and academic expertise for the study of a topic of growing interest for the aeronautical sector.
It Experimental Flight Department, an employee of the Air and Space Warfare Testing Division (D.A.S.A.S.), supports the Operational Units of the Italian Air Force through the development, integration and validation of new or modified weapon systems. In response to the changing geopolitical and technological context, the Unit has given strong impetus to operational support activities, leveraging the operational technical certification tool for the rapid implementation of solutions in hostile theatres.
The D.A.S.A.S. brings together under a single command the research, consultancy and experimentation bodies of the Armed Force for flight testing, chemical-physical analysis of materials, aerospace medicine and operational software management. The Division also provides technical-logistical support to other Armed Forces and State Corps, manages through an’Air Terminal Operations Centre (A.T.O.C.) flights for out-of-area operations and supervises Pratica di Mare airport, the primary Italian military air base for traffic and the sole national military health entry point.
It Centre for Higher Defence Studies / Advanced University School, in its dual role as a university institution and a body for advanced military training, promotes frontier, basic and applied scientific research activities on issues relevant to national defence and security, fostering integration between the military, academic and industrial worlds.
