Container Vessel MSC Antonia Grounded in Red Sea; GPS spoofing Suspected
The container vessel MSC Antonia ran aground in the Red Sea off Jeddah and has remained stationary since 10th May. Although MSC has not made any statement regarding the damage to the vessel or how it deviated from its charted path, GPS spoofing is suspected to be the cause of the incident.
The vessel made a port call in Port Sudan and was bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at the time of the incident. As of now, the vessel remains grounded approximately 100 nautical miles off the coast of Jeddah.
GPS spoofing is a cyberattack technique in which false GPS signals are sent to receivers, leading them to misinterpret their location. Such manipulation can disrupt navigation and mislead vessels off their course. It is being speculated that the vessel was a victim of GPS spoofing, which caused it to lose its charted path and run aground.
Further cementing the possibility of a GPS spoofing attack is the fact that the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) posted a warning on May 9th regarding incidents of multiple vessels experiencing electronic interference and disruptions while traveling in the Red Sea around the areas of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Port Sudan.
Malta-Flagged Containership Damages Quay and Crane in Hamburg
The containership CMA CGM Ermitage collided with the quay wall while traversing the Elbe River in Hamburg, Germany, on 11th May. No pollution or injuries were reported.
The incident occurred at around midday when the CMA CGM Ermitage was en route from Bremerhaven to Hamburg. The vessel had to steer hard to avoid a collision with a small motor yacht and ended up colliding with the quay wall.
The vessel damaged the quay wall and a gantry crane in the collision.
The CMA CGM Ermitage is a Malta-flagged container ship built in 2024. The vessel has a length of 204.2 metres, a beam of 29.6 metres, and a gross tonnage of 32,245.
Inland Vessel Suffers Fire Damage During Welding Works
On 12th May, a fire broke out aboard the Inland vessel Gulf Stream moored at the Kalkhaven in Dordrecht, Netherlands. The incident occurred at around 7:30 AM local time when the welding operation was being carried out on the vessel.
Emergency services promptly responded, with the fire brigade arriving at the scene with two fire engines. The fire was extinguished, and no injuries were reported. However, the vessel did sustain damage as a result of the fire.
Gulf Stream is a Belgium-flagged vessel with an overall length of 85 metres and a width of 8 metres.
