Maritime collision and GNSS spoofing: waiting for the facts before drawing conclusions

18/06/2025 236 words 2 minutes

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Only a few hours after the collision between two vessels off the coast of Oman, the first claims attributing the accident to GNSS spoofing (GPS spoofing) began to circulate.

It is likely that we will soon see many screenshots and analyses claiming that GPS spoofing is responsible… or that it is not.

As is often the case with this type of event, it is better to wait for the results of the investigation before drawing conclusions.

In this particular case, several elements deserve to be examined before any definitive assumptions are made:

the watch situation on the bridge at the time of the event;
the configuration of alarms on the RADAR and ECDIS systems;
the consistency of the positions displayed (assuming that no GNSS interference affected the positioning data);
crew training and procedures;
local navigation conditions;
possible actions by the VTS (Vessel Traffic Service).

Another element deserves attention: the large anchorage area located close to the navigation routes, combined with north-south traffic lanes where vessels often travel at more than 12 knots in the vicinity of this anchorage.

In this context, the investigation report will probably be particularly interesting to read.

My thoughts go to the crews involved, the salvage teams and the investigators working on this event.

The latest images available also raise concerns about a potential environmental impact, which will need to be assessed.