The US Maritime Administration alerted of GPS interference that has been reported from vessels operating in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean Sea, and Suez Canal resulting to lost GPS signals that seriously affect the vessel’s navigation and operations.
The last years, US MARAD has been frequently alerting the shipping industry on GPS interference issues, as again in August the Administration warned that vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman may also encounter GPS interference, bridge-to-bridge communications spoofing or other communications jamming with little to no warning
Now, the alert is about GPS interference that has been reported between Libya and Malta, specifically in areas offshore of Libya and to the east and the northwest of Malta.
Also, in the Eastern Mediterranean, these reports have been concentrated near Port Said, Egypt, the Suez Canal, and in the vicinity of the Republic of Cyprus.
Instances of similar interference were also reported between Hadera, Israel and Beirut, Lebanon.
This interference is resulting in lost GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing and communications equipment. Satellite communications equipment may also be impacted.
In light of the above incidents, US MARAD informs vessels:
- To exercise caution when transiting these areas.
- Visit the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (NAVCEN) and NATO Shipping Center websites, as they contain information regarding effective navigation practices for vessels experiencing GPS interference.
- To report such incidents in real time; noting critical information such as the location (latitude/longitude), date, time, and duration of the outage/disruption; and providing photographs or screen shots of equipment failures experienced to facilitate analysis.
