Rapunzel, can I climb the tower to meat you?
Just spifballing here, but there is another possibility. POTUS briefs them on a planned strike. The target is not defined as of yet - just the category. So Pisslousy and Screwmer don't know what's going to be hit. They think everything's hunky-dory, they got their way.
All along, POTUS intended to really smack the crap out of a C_A/Cabal target that might fight into the amorphous parameters of what he briefed, simultaneously freeing the Iranians to get right. Even better if he does the hit with a new and really-can't-be-beat weapon system. Iran doesn't have to lose face, we lift 'em up, the hawks "get" what they wanted and get screwed at the same time.
And Iran is next. Per the related Q drop.
Not saying it's happening - just noting it as a possibility.
GPS "comms"? There aren't any GPS comms. GPS is one-way. The satellites send a timing signal, and the receiver calculates its position based on the signals from 2 or more satellites.
They aren't encrypted, either, in peacetime. Otherwise, privately owned GPS (like your phone) wouldn't work.
The sat signals CAN BE encrypted in wartime, however. That almost NEVER happens because too many people rely on it.
I've seen it. Here's how spoofing GPS works - you send a timing signal towards the target that is very similar (but out of phase by some degree). Your signal needs to be stronger than the incoming signal. The GPS receiver either defaults to your signal, or it "blends" the two by bouncing back and forth between one and the other. The target goes off course and voila!
Won't work when encrypted. And no one but the US Mil will be able to use GPS.
As for everyone else….navigate much?
Drone's position is calculated onboard and its relative position is broadcast back as part of its telemetry data.
As far as what got humped - the telemetry to/from the drone is what got fucked. You don't steer and land a UAV without telling it what to do. GPS doesn't tell it where to go, the pilot on the ground at the ops center does that.
Not trying to give you a ration of shit, anon, just want to be more precise so that you can refine your conclusion.