Multiple cases of significant GPS interference have been reported by vessels and aircraft operating in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea since 18 March 2018. These reports have been concentrated in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt and the Suez Canal, and south of the Republic of Cyprus, the USCG informed.
This interference is resulting in lost or otherwise altered GPS signals affecting bridge navigation, GPS-based timing and communications equipment.
The USCG Navigation Center has earlier advised on effective navigation practices for vessels experiencing GPS interference. Indicators of positioning systems interference include an intermittent signal, no signal, or an incorrect signal. If a GPS disruption or outage occurs, mariners should take the following actions:
- Immediately report GPS disruptions or anomalies to the NAVCEN through NAVCEN’s website or via phone at 703-313-5900, 24 hours a day.
- Take note of critical information such as the actual location (latitude/longitude), date/time, and the duration of the outage or disruption.
- When possible, provide photos or screen shots of equipment failures during a disruption to assist analysts identify a potential cause.
Situational awareness, to include verified position and velocity, is vital for safe and effective commercial operations. Although GPS has proven to be extremely reliable, NAVCEN stresses that it is important to ensure alternative methods and systems are available, understood and used. Since few mariners experience a sustained loss of GPS, it is easy to become complacent.
Therefore, manual checks and other back-up systems must be exercised on a regular basis. Some interference sources include multipath propagation, atmospheric conditions and GNSS segment errors (e.g. erroneous upload data).
