The Royal Navy’s maritime security reporting arm has received multiple reports of GPS jamming in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route known for periodic electronic interference. While such disruptions are more frequent in the Baltic region, similar incidents have previously been recorded in the Strait and have been linked to Iranian actors.
The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) office announced on Monday that several vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz reported experiencing GPS interference. These disruptions, lasting several hours, affected navigation systems and forced ships to rely on traditional navigation methods.
“Masters who experience disruption to electronic navigation systems (GPS, AIS, or other Positioning, Navigation, and Timing [PNT] systems) anywhere within the UKMTO Voluntary Reporting Area (VRA) are requested to contact UKMTO watchkeepers,” the office stated.
This latest wave of interference echoes past incidents. In August 2019, amid heightened regional tensions, the U.S. Maritime Administration warned that vessels in the area could face GPS jamming, bridge-to-bridge communication spoofing, and other electronic warfare tactics. At the time, the agency also cautioned that VHF communications could be manipulated by false transmissions impersonating U.S. or coalition warships.
A defense source
