GPS Jamming as War Tactic Frazzles Gulf Shipping

Within 24 hours of the first US-Israeli strikes on Iran, ships in regional waters found their navigation systems going haywire, erroneously indicating that vessels were at airports, a nuclear power plant, or even on Iranian land, Katie Hunt reported for CNN.

Used by all sides in conflict zones to disrupt drones and missiles, the tactic involves broadcasting high-intensity radio signals on the same frequency bands used by navigation tools. (Photo: U.S. Navy) 

The location confusion was caused by widespread jamming and spoofing of signals from global positioning satellite systems (GPS).

Used by all sides in conflict zones to disrupt drones and missiles, the tactic involves broadcasting high-intensity radio signals on the same frequency bands used by navigation tools.

Jamming disrupts a vehicle’s satellite-based positioning, while spoofing causes navigation systems to report false locations.

Though commercial vessels were not the intended targets, the electronic interference disrupted the navigation systems of more than 1,100 commercial ships in UAE, Qatari, Omani, and Iranian waters, according to shipping intelligence firm Windward.

The disruptions also slowed marine traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a congested shipping lane that handles roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas exports and where precise navigation is essential.

Traffic through the critical waterway has since slowed to a near halt, with vessels coming under attack and insurers dropping maritime coverage.

“What we’re seeing in the Middle East Gulf at the moment is extremely dangerous for maritime navigation,” said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward.

The interference has forced some tankers to reverse course or go “dark,” meaning signals from a vessel’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) — which transmits key information such as position, speed, and rate of turn — are no longer broadcast or detected.