## 1 Introduction
This underscores the importance of developing advanced countermeasures against cybersecurity threats, namely GPS spoofing, to enable the safe operation of UAVs in various domains from the military to agriculture, healthcare, and logistics. Henceforth, GPS spoofing is seen as the key challenge to their operation and large-scale deployment. GPS spoofing involves the intentional transmission of fake GPS signals to trick UAV receivers, resulting in impaired operations, inaccurate location detection, and navigational problems, as illustrated in Figure 2. GPS spoofing attacks can be either synchronous or asynchronous, with severe consequences such as operational issues and security breaches. GPS spoofing attacks pose a significant cybersecurity threat to UAV operations, as evidenced by several real-world incidents. One of the most notable cases occurred in 2011, when a U.S. RQ-170 Sentinel drone was allegedly intercepted by Iranian forces through GPS spoofing techniques [17]. By transmitting counterfeit GPS signals, the attackers manipulated the UAV's navigation system, causing it to deviate from its intended flight path and land in a controlled area. This incident underscored the vulnerability of UAV navigation systems to spoofing attacks and highlighted the necessity of advanced countermeasures to prevent unauthorized takeovers. Another significant example occurred in 2017, when multiple vessels operating in the Black Sea reported anomalies in their GPS navigation systems, with some indicating locations at an airport situated dozens of miles inland [18]. Although this event did not specifically target UAVs, it demonstrated the feasibility of large-scale GPS spoofing attacks, raising concerns about the potential impact on UAV operations, particularly in maritime environments where drones are frequently deployed for surveillance, cargo transport, and search-and-rescue missions. Similarly, in 2019, a commercial UAV operating in the Middle East was reportedly hijacked using GPS spoofing, with attackers transmitting falsified signals to force the drone off course and land in an unauthorized location [19]. This incident heightened security concerns regarding commercial UAVs, particularly those used for logistical support, aerial monitoring, and critical infrastructure inspections. These real-world cases illustrate the growing risk posed by GPS spoofing and reinforce the urgency of developing robust detection and mitigation mechanisms. As UAVs continue to be integrated into critical applications, ranging from military reconnaissance to civilian infrastructure monitoring, safeguarding them against spoofing attacks becomes  
Figure 2: Demonstration of typical GPS spoofing attack. imperative. Machine learning-based detection methods, such as the LSTM-GA approach proposed in this study, offer a promising solution by enhancing UAV resilience against GPS spoofing, thereby ensuring mission continuity and operational security. The effects of GPS spoofing on UAVs are profound. First, it may lead to impaired navigation, making it impossible for the UAV to locate itself precisely and follow predefined paths. This increases the danger of collision with objects or other aircraft. Secondly, GPS spoofing [20] can enable unauthorized access and control over UAVs. By manipulating the aircraft's GPS system, a malicious actor can steer it towards a predetermined spot or change its planned destination, allowing the unauthorized usage of the UAV, the improper handling of its payloads, or even the collection of private information. Given these circumstances, the advent of GPS spoofing as a threat to UAV systems necessitates research and development efforts to put effective countermeasures in place [21; 22]. The aim of this paper is to address the pressing challenge of the real-time detection and prevention of GPS spoofing, which poses significant risks to the operational reliability and security of UAVs [23].