Plane with UK Defense Minister Grant Shapps on board, whose signal interference was blamed on Russia, was not equipped with the required protection due to the military leadership’s decision to cut costs amid a lack of defense funding. This was reported by the ITV channel.
On March 14, the British newspaper The Times reported that Russian electronic warfare (EW) means allegedly jammed the satellite signal of the UK RAF plane, on which Shapps, along with a group of journalists, was flying back from Poland to the United Kingdom.
According to ITV, the plane carrying Shapps was not equipped with special systems such as communication jamming protection, due to the decision of the minister’s predecessor, Ben Wallace, to save hundreds of millions of pounds.
According to The Times, British ministers previously flew on BAe 146 aircraft, which had all the necessary protective equipment. However, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to discontinue their use as part of cost-saving measures. Wallace had hoped to buy more budget-friendly used planes, but the only option available was two new business jets purchased without protective systems.
Later, the British government announced that new planes would be equipped with protective systems, but these plans were postponed until 2026, the publication writes.
Earlier, it was reported that Russian military allegedly suppressed the GPS signal in half of the territory of Poland and in the Suwalki Corridor.
