MSC Container Ship Stranded In Red Sea After Suspected GPS Spoofing

A container ship, named MSC Antonia, has been stranded in the Red Sea for several days after running aground on May 10, 2025, near Eliza Shoals, approximately 20 nautical miles northwest of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

There is strong speculation that GPS spoofing or jamming may have caused the vessel to deviate from its intended course.

The Liberia-flagged containership, built in 2009 and operated by Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) since 2018, was en route from Marsa Bashayer, Sudan, to Jeddah, as per recent tracking data.

It is a 304-meter-long boxship with a capacity of around 7,000 TEU. The vessel operates on MSC’s West Mediterranean-Red Sea service, connecting Jeddah, Port Said and Valencia.

According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), multiple vessels in the Red Sea experienced electronic interference and GPS disruptions on May 9, a day before the grounding.

These disruptions affected navigation systems for hours, prompting vessels to use backup methods. UKMTO issued a warning describing the interference zone as stretching from Jeddah to Port Sudan, covering a wide area in the region.

Well-known maritime analyst Lars Jensen, CEO of Vespucci Maritime, commented on the incident, suggesting that the vessel’s erratic AIS track could be a result of recent GPS interference in the area.

He pointed out that the tracking patterns show abnormal movement likely due to navigation manipulation.

Maritime AI company Windward said the grounding is part of a larger pattern of GPS spoofing in the Red Sea. Their Q1 2025 report revealed that GPS jamming has intensified globally, with vessels now experiencing position “jumps” averaging 6,300 km, compared to just 600 km in Q4 2024.

Windward stated that more than 180 ships were affected in the Red Sea region alone during the first quarter of 2025, including areas near Sudan’s coastline.

The firm warned that spoofing capabilities have become more advanced and now affect not only the Red Sea but also the Baltic, Eastern Mediterranean, Black Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden, and China’s coastal waters.

Windward called the situation a “significant escalation” in navigational threats to global shipping.

As of May 13, the MSC Antonia remains aground, and tugs have been seen attempting to assist the vessel, which appears to be tilted to one side.

There has been no official statement from MSC about the incident or the vessel’s current condition. No damage has been confirmed yet.

WK Webster, a shipping claims specialist, acknowledged the grounding and pointed out the possibility of general average, salvage, or recovery issues arising due to the situation.

The firm advised concerned cargo owners to contact them for support in safeguarding their interests.

On August 29, 2024, the ship lost 46 containers overboard in rough weather conditions off the coast of South Africa, near Port St Johns. Another 305 containers were damaged, forcing the vessel to divert to Cape Town for cargo recovery.

A few weeks before the recent grounding, the vessel also cleared a Port State inspection in Spain in mid-April with no reported deficiencies.

As GPS interference continues to rise in sensitive areas, particularly in the Red Sea, ship captains and maritime authorities are becoming increasingly concerned.

The UKMTO continues to request that vessel masters report any electronic navigation disruptions in the region.

Reference: mykn.kuehne-nagel

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