The Finnish army is training its soldiers to navigate using paper maps and compasses, temporarily abandoning GPS to simulate real combat conditions where electronic systems are unusable.
The decision comes as a result of lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, where electronic warfare had a major impact on the orientation and guidance capabilities of the armed forces.
Colonel Matti Honko, commander of the Jaeger Guard Regiment in Finland, explained to Business Insider that one of the key conclusions from the Ukrainian conflict is the vulnerability of GPS.
Both Ukraine and Russia use jamming methods, signal manipulation, and electronic interference to confuse and disable enemy equipment, from cheap drones to sophisticated guided ammunition.
Training without satellites
To prepare for future conflicts where access to GPS is impossible, Finnish soldiers rely on classical orientation methods.
Printed road maps, once indispensable for drivers, are now vital tools in military training.
"I think everyone has understood that GPS can be fooled and is not a reliable source," Honko said during Exercise Lively Sabre 25, held in southern Finland.
Not giving up on GPS, but learning not to rely on it
The colonel emphasizes that Finland is not giving up on GPS but is seeking to avoid exclusive dependence on this system. Soldiers are trained to verify if the GPS references match the reality on the map, as manipulated data can create dangerous confusion in the field.
Such training takes place throughout the Finnish army and likely within the naval and air forces as well.
The Russian threat from proximity
Finland has serious reasons to prepare for a "GPS denial" scenario.
The proximity to Russia and, especially, to the air defense systems in the St. Petersburg area make signal jamming frequent.
"It's a reminder that the problem is real," says Honko. "You can see with your own eyes that GPS no longer works."
Electronic warfare is not specific only to the conflict in Ukraine. In the Middle East, GPS is often jammed in clashes between Israel and Iran-backed groups.
In the Red Sea, electronic interference affects the activities of Western naval forces defending transport corridors from Houthi rebel attacks in Yemen.
A global race for adaptation
Military personnel worldwide, as well as the defense industry, closely monitor developments in electronic warfare and adjust their strategies.
Technology needs to be more resilient, but soldiers also need to maintain their basic skills. These principles also apply to equipment produced by companies like Saildrone, which provides unmanned maritime vehicles for various naval forces, including the US Navy.
Drones navigate without GPS in jammed areas
Richard Jenkins, founder and CEO of Saildrone, stated that some of the company's drones can operate in environments where GPS and communications are completely compromised.
In the Middle East, some of these drones have operated for weeks in "falsified zones" where the real signal is distorted.
"I believe that in a real conflict, satellites will be the first to be eliminated," warns Jenkins.
Preparing for a future without satellites
Jenkins is convinced that the future of warfare involves the ability to survive without GPS, satellites, and communications.
This does not only mean new technologies but also retaining essential skills. Finland, like many other countries, is already taking concrete steps to train its soldiers in a world where technology is not always a certainty.