Oil Tanker Collision off Iran's Coast..."Increase in GPS Malfunctions Since the War"

Surge in Signal Jamming in the Strait of Hormuz

Amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, an oil tanker collision occurred in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran. Iran is suspected of jamming ship signals in this area.

According to Reuters and Bloomberg on the 17th (local time), at around 12:15 a.m. that day, the large oil tanker Front Eagle, owned by Norway-based Frontline, and the smaller tanker Adaline, collided near the waters of the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Although the collision caused fires on two decks, they were quickly extinguished. The UAE maritime rescue team announced that all 24 crew members aboard the Adaline were rescued. All crew members of the Front Eagle were also reported to be safe. There were no reports of oil spills. Frontline stated, "Currently, no signs of external involvement have been found."

Since recent clashes between Israel and Iran, incidents of ships experiencing GPS disruptions due to electronic jamming have increased dramatically near Iran. Some analyses suggest that this accident may have been caused by such interference.

According to the British daily Financial Times (FT), the Front Eagle exhibited unusual movements on its maritime GPS system, with its location appearing to jump dozens of kilometers instantaneously before the accident. Sal Mercogliano, a U.S. maritime historian from Campbell University, noted, "Considering that the Front Eagle veered toward the Adaline right before the crash, GPS interference could be a cause of the accident."

The Front Eagle was not the only vessel experiencing strange GPS signals near Iran. The FT reported, citing recent tracking data of ships and aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz, that hundreds of ships displayed abnormal signs—such as spinning in circles or registering as if they were on land.

Reporter: Ju-wan Kim kjwan@hankyung.com