Flight information of Japan government jets leaked out through Swedish app
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Flight information of government aircraft had been leaking out through a commercially available app and displayed online for some time, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.
Government jets, also known as Japanese Air Force One, are used to carry prime minister and senior government officials when they visit overseas, and their flight routes are not disclosed due to counterterrorism measures.
However, the Swedish app “Flightrader 24” could detect latitude, longitude, route and speed of government jets and display their present location on the map by using “ADS-B,” the signal sent to avoid midair collision.
In response to the notification by The Yomiuri Shimbun, the Defense Agency requested the Swedish company not to display any flight information of Japanese government aircraft.
The app in question became available in 2006 and its smartphone version is 300 yen (US$2.86).
The Yomiuri Shimbun
