A large container vessel, MSC Antonia, has been stuck aground near Eliza Shoals, close to Jeddah Port, Saudi Arabia, since May 10, 2025. The 304-meter-long Liberian-flagged ship was travelling from Marsa Bashayer, Sudan, to Jeddah when the incident happened.

New analysis confirms the grounding was caused by GPS jamming, an act where fake signals confuse the vessel’s navigation system.

According to a review by Captain Steve Bomgardner, Vice President of Shipping and Offshore at Pole Star Global, the ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) was misled by spoofed GPS signals.

These fake signals made the ship’s system believe it was somewhere else, giving the crew false positioning data that likely led to the vessel going off course.

Pole Star’s findings match earlier insights from Windward, a maritime AI and intelligence company, which had already suggested that GPS interference was behind the grounding.

Bomgardner’s analysis confirmed that a threat actor had introduced false signals, and the GPS unit picked them up as if they were real, making the crew believe the vessel was navigating correctly when it wasn’t.

Just a day before the grounding, on May 9, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that several vessels in the Red Sea had experienced GPS disruptions that impacted their navigation systems for several hours. This interference affected multiple ships.

 

Windward’s Q1 2025 report revealed a sharp increase in GPS-related position errors. The average “jump” in a vessel’s reported location had risen drastically, from 600 kilometres in Q4 2024 to 6,300 kilometres in Q1 2025.

The Red Sea, especially areas near Sudan, has become a major hotspot, with over 180 vessels affected in the first three months of this year alone.

Although Bomgardner described the jamming that affected MSC Antonia as “unsophisticated” compared to other recent attacks, he emphasised that even basic electronic interference can put vessels and crews in danger. He pointed out that he has personally observed how GPS jamming, spoofing, and AIS tampering are making the seas riskier for seafarers worldwide.

He stated in the company’s review that such incidents were bound to happen sooner or later and expressed relief that all crew members on board the MSC Antonia were safe.

Bomgardner also discussed the importance of strong watchkeeping practices and increasing awareness about electronic threats in the maritime industry.

As of May 15, 2025, the MSC Antonia remains aground. Tugboats have been seen attempting to refloat the vessel, but no official update has been provided by MSC on the extent of the damage.

The vessel, operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), has a capacity of around 7,000 TEUs and was built in 2009. It had earlier made headlines in August 2024, after losing 46 containers during bad weather off the coast of South Africa.

GPS spoofing not only affects vessel safety but also threatens the reliability of global trade routes. As many procurement teams depend on real-time tracking for cargo delivery, such incidents can cause delays, miscommunication, and lost shipments.

Industry analysts are now urging supply chain departments to revisit their risk management strategies. Experts recommend adding backup navigation technologies and introducing clauses in procurement contracts that address what actions to take if such cyber disruptions happen again.

The Red Sea is not the only area facing this issue. The Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Persian Gulf have also seen growing GPS interference, making it essential for logistics and procurement professionals to work closely with maritime cybersecurity experts to protect supply chain operations.

Captain Bomgardner, known for his work in maritime risk, pointed out that recent events prove how electronic warfare, whether simple or advanced, poses real threats to the safety of global shipping.

He concluded that while the jamming attack in this case lacked technical complexity, the impact was still severe, reinforcing the need for improved electronic security measures and better preparedness across the maritime industry.

Reference: procurementmag