Latest news with #FrontTyne
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Oil tankers near Iran appear to be in Russia as signals jammed
LONDON: The Front Tyne oil tanker was sailing through the Gulf between Iran and the UAE on Sunday when just past 9.40 am shiptracking data appeared to show the massive vessel in Russia, in fields better known for barley and sugar beets. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now By 4.15pm, the ship's erratic signals indicated it was in southern Iran near the town of Bidkhun, before later placing it back and forth across the Gulf. Mass interference since the start of conflict has hit nearly 1,000 ships in the Gulf, said Windward, a shipping analysis firm. A collision involving tankers south of Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for world's oil, occurred on Tuesday with both vessels catching fire. One of them appeared to be onshore in Iran on June 15, data from commodity data platform Kpler showed. "There is usually no jamming in Strait of Hormuz and now there is a lot," Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward. reuters
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Oil tankers near Iran appear to be in rural Russia as signals jammed
By Anna Hirtenstein LONDON (Reuters) -The Front Tyne oil tanker was sailing through the Gulf between Iran and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday when just past 9:40 a.m. shiptracking data appeared to show the massive vessel in Russia, in fields better known for barley and sugar beets. By 4:15 p.m., the ship's erratic signals indicated it was in southern Iran near the town of Bidkhun, before later placing it back and forth across the Gulf. Mass interference since the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran has affected nearly 1,000 ships in the Gulf, according to Windward, a shipping analysis firm. A collision involving tankers south of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for the world's oil, occurred on Tuesday with both vessels catching fire. One of them, the Front Eagle, a sister ship of the Front Tyne, and like it, more than three football pitches long, appeared to be onshore in Iran on June 15, data from commodity data platform Kpler showed. "There is usually no jamming in the Strait of Hormuz and now there is a lot,' said Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward. "The culmination of all that is higher risk. It's a hot area... if you don't geolocate, there's a bigger chance you'll have an accident." Ships are required to indicate their location and are fitted with transmitters similar to GPS called an AIS, or Automatic Identification System, that send regular signals on location, speed and other data. Jamming disrupts these signals. "The problem these days is that most ships use digitised systems, so if your GPS is jammed, then you have no real form of navigating other than by the seat of your pants," said Jim Scorer, secretary general of International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations. If a ship's crew intentionally disrupts its signalling, it is called spoofing, and may indicate illegal conduct, such as an effort to conceal a cargo or destination. If a third party disrupts signals, as is happening in the Gulf, it is referred to as jamming, according to Dimitris Ampatzidis, an analyst at Kpler. The practice has become increasingly common in conflict areas, as some militaries seek to obscure the location of navy vessels or other potential targets. Jamming has been observed in the Black Sea during Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports, in the Taiwan Strait and in waters near Syria and Israel, analysts said. Several ships appeared to be on land at Port Sudan last month. "If you don't know where vessels are, you're unable to target them," said Ampatzidis. International Maritime Organization, along with other United Nations agencies, issued a statement in March expressing concern over rising cases of interference in global navigation. The oil tanker Xi Wang Mu, which was placed under U.S. sanctions, appeared to be at a Hindu temple in India earlier this year when it spoofed its location, according to analysis by maritime data platform Lloyd's List Intelligence.
Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
Oil tankers near Iran appear to be in rural Russia as signals jammed
Oil tankers near Iran appear to be in rural Russia as signals jammed LONDON - The Front Tyne oil tanker was sailing through the Gulf between Iran and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday when just past 9:40 a.m. shiptracking data appeared to show the massive vessel in Russia, in fields better known for barley and sugar beets. By 4:15 p.m., the ship's erratic signals indicated it was in southern Iran near the town of Bidkhun, before later placing it back and forth across the Gulf. Mass interference since the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran has affected nearly 1,000 ships in the Gulf, according to Windward, a shipping analysis firm. A collision involving tankers south of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for the world's oil, occurred on Tuesday with both vessels catching fire. One of them, the Front Eagle, a sister ship of the Front Tyne, and like it, more than three football pitches long, appeared to be onshore in Iran on June 15, data from commodity data platform Kpler showed. "There is usually no jamming in the Strait of Hormuz and now there is a lot,' said Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward. "The culmination of all that is higher risk. It's a hot area... if you don't geolocate, there's a bigger chance you'll have an accident." Ships are required to indicate their location and are fitted with transmitters similar to GPS called an AIS, or Automatic Identification System, that send regular signals on location, speed and other data. Jamming disrupts these signals. "The problem these days is that most ships use digitised systems, so if your GPS is jammed, then you have no real form of navigating other than by the seat of your pants," said Jim Scorer, secretary general of International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations. If a ship's crew intentionally disrupts its signalling, it is called spoofing, and may indicate illegal conduct, such as an effort to conceal a cargo or destination. If a third party disrupts signals, as is happening in the Gulf, it is referred to as jamming, according to Dimitris Ampatzidis, an analyst at Kpler. The practice has become increasingly common in conflict areas, as some militaries seek to obscure the location of navy vessels or other potential targets. Jamming has been observed in the Black Sea during Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports, in the Taiwan Strait and in waters near Syria and Israel, analysts said. Several ships appeared to be on land at Port Sudan last month. "If you don't know where vessels are, you're unable to target them," said Ampatzidis. International Maritime Organization, along with other United Nations agencies, issued a statement in March expressing concern over rising cases of interference in global navigation. The oil tanker Xi Wang Mu, which was placed under U.S. sanctions, appeared to be at a Hindu temple in India earlier this year when it spoofed its location, according to analysis by maritime data platform Lloyd's List Intelligence. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Reuters
14 hours ago
- General
- Reuters
Oil tankers near Iran appear to be in rural Russia as signals jammed
LONDON, June 17 (Reuters) - The Front Tyne oil tanker was sailing through the Gulf between Iran and the United Arab Emirates on Sunday when just past 9:40 a.m. shiptracking data appeared to show the massive vessel in Russia, in fields better known for barley and sugar beets. By 4:15 p.m., the ship's erratic signals indicated it was in southern Iran near the town of Bidkhun, before later placing it back and forth across the Gulf. Mass interference since the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran has affected nearly 1,000 ships in the Gulf, according to Windward, a shipping analysis firm. A collision involving tankers south of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for the world's oil, occurred on Tuesday with both vessels catching fire. One of them, the Front Eagle, a sister ship of the Front Tyne, and like it, more than three football pitches long, appeared to be onshore in Iran on June 15, data from commodity data platform Kpler showed. "There is usually no jamming in the Strait of Hormuz and now there is a lot,' said Ami Daniel, chief executive of Windward. "The culmination of all that is higher risk. It's a hot area... if you don't geolocate, there's a bigger chance you'll have an accident." Ships are required to indicate their location and are fitted with transmitters similar to GPS called an AIS, or Automatic Identification System, that send regular signals on location, speed and other data. Jamming disrupts these signals. "The problem these days is that most ships use digitised systems, so if your GPS is jammed, then you have no real form of navigating other than by the seat of your pants," said Jim Scorer, secretary general of International Federation of Shipmasters' Associations. If a ship's crew intentionally disrupts its signalling, it is called spoofing, and may indicate illegal conduct, such as an effort to conceal a cargo or destination. If a third party disrupts signals, as is happening in the Gulf, it is referred to as jamming, according to Dimitris Ampatzidis, an analyst at Kpler. The practice has become increasingly common in conflict areas, as some militaries seek to obscure the location of navy vessels or other potential targets. Jamming has been observed in the Black Sea during Russian attacks on Ukrainian ports, in the Taiwan Strait and in waters near Syria and Israel, analysts said. Several ships appeared to be on land at Port Sudan last month. "If you don't know where vessels are, you're unable to target them," said Ampatzidis. International Maritime Organization, along with other United Nations agencies, issued a statement in March expressing concern over rising cases of interference in global navigation. The oil tanker Xi Wang Mu, which was placed under U.S. sanctions, appeared to be at a Hindu temple in India earlier this year when it spoofed its location, according to analysis by maritime data platform Lloyd's List Intelligence.
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Ship signal jamming in Persian Gulf worsens as clashes widen
[SINGAPORE] Navigation signals from more than 900 vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf went awry over the weekend, creating confusion in the shipping chokepoint as the fighting between Iran and Israel intensified. Starboard Maritime Intelligence and Bloomberg data showed vessels sailing impossibly straight lines in the region, zig-zagging across the water, or appearing onshore. The glitches – which have affected oil tankers, cargo ships, tugs and fishing boats among others since Jun 13 – increase reliance on radars, compasses and eyesight, boosting the likelihood of collisions. The Joint Maritime Information Center, an international naval task force monitoring the area, warned on Jun 15 that there are instances of 'extreme jamming' of signals from the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. However, the JMIC said there were no indications of a potential blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which handles more than a quarter of the world's oil trade. The UK Maritime Trade Operations echoed the concerns on Monday (Jun 16), adding that the interference was intensifying across the Gulf and affecting how ships are reporting their positions on automated systems. 'This is not a good place and not a good time to have navigation systems that can't show exactly where you are,' said Mark Douglas, a maritime domain analyst at Starboard. 'While a closing of the Strait seems unlikely, this kind of widespread jamming does cause uncertainty for anyone operating in the area.' On Sunday, the Front Tyne, a very-large crude carrier that's operated by Frontline, entered the Strait of Hormuz. Shortly afterwards, its signal showed it sailing north towards Bandar Abbas, zig-zagging south into the gulf, hovering onshore, and finally heading towards Saudi Arabia. The Elandra Willow, a medium-range tanker owned by Vitol Group, also displayed erratic movements – nearing Bandar Abbas on her way out of the Gulf. The Pegasus, a Suezmax operated by Pantheon Tankers Management, has been displaying locations on the Iranian mainland since Monday morning. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Frontline, Vitol and Pantheon did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Strait of Hormuz is the gateway to the Persian Gulf, where major oil-producing nations including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait and Iran load up tankers with crude and send them out via Hormuz to their end buyers. After Israel launched airstrikes against Iran last week, concerns that the Islamic Republic would block the chokepoint intensified. Several tanker owners have suspended sending their ships into the Persian Gulf, according to shipbrokers. Forward freight agreements for a Middle East-to-Asia benchmark journey in July, essentially bets on the future cost of moving oil on that route, gained about 12 per cent on Friday. Analysts have expressed reservations on whether Iran would shut down Hormuz, given its reliance on income from oil shipments, especially to China. Blocking exports from other producers could also provoke a reaction from the US and its allies. Disruptions are therefore a likelier option, said Anoop Singh, global head of shipping research at Oil Brokerage Hormuz is 'Iran's ultimate bargaining chip. And such chips remain in the bag unless a worst-case scenario presents itself,' he said in a note on Sunday. BLOOMBERG
