{"id":31557,"date":"2026-03-17T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T09:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.engineernewsnetwork.com\/blog\/?p=31557"},"modified":"2026-03-13T11:35:35","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T11:35:35","slug":"what-do-you-do-when-your-ship-and-crew-ends-up-in-a-conflict-zone-with-no-reliable-position","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.engineernewsnetwork.com\/blog\/what-do-you-do-when-your-ship-and-crew-ends-up-in-a-conflict-zone-with-no-reliable-position\/","title":{"rendered":"What do you do when your ship and crew ends up in a conflict zone with no reliable position?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When GNSS and AIS signals become unreliable in a high-tension region, the immediate priority is to retain safe navigational control of the vessel, according to\u00a0Steffen Grefsg\u00e5rd and\u00a0Rob Gillette<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bridge team must quickly determine whether they are experiencing signal degradation, deliberate jamming or active spoofing. Autopilot settings may need to be disengaged. Positions must be cross-checked using radar, visual bearings and any available independent references. Shore management and insurers may need to be notified. Most critically, the crew must establish whether the vessel’s reported position can still be trusted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interference incidents have been documented repeatedly in the region over the past year. However, the present conflict – including the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz – has left hundreds of vessels stranded in the Gulf and intensified the operational risk environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Electronic interference becomes operational reality<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since mid-2025, the maritime industry has documented repeated episodes of AIS and GNSS disruption in the region. In recent days, these incidents have coincided with direct attacks on tankers and formal warnings advising operators to expect jamming and spoofing during ongoing military activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hundreds – sometimes thousands – of vessels have appeared in incorrect locations, in some cases plotted inland or at airports. The consequences include rerouting, port suspensions and sharp increases in war-risk insurance premiums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the problem extends far beyond the Gulf. Electronic interference is already widespread across global shipping routes. A recent survey by the Royal Institute of Navigation (RIN) found that 79% of maritime respondents had personally experienced GNSS interference, highlighting how disruption has moved from isolated incidents to a normalised operating condition across several maritime regions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What breaks when GNSS cannot be trusted<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern ships rely on Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) data – typically derived from GNSS such as GPS. On many vessels, GNSS has effectively become the positional and timing reference spine for multiple bridge and safety systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ECDIS, AIS transmissions, GMDSS, radar overlays and autopilot functions all depend on this reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, when GNSS integrity is compromised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n