Maritime agency warns of AIS jamming in Red Sea region, ICAO condemns Russia and North Korea

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued an advisory following a surge in reports of interference affecting GNSS and Automatic Identification System (AIS) displays. The disruptions, which began Oct. 3, are concentrated around Bandar-e-Pars (Iran), the Strait of Hormuz and Port Sudan.

“UKMTO has received numerous reports of GNSS interference from vessels in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, between October 3 and 7,” the operations centre said in the alert. “This is a significant increase of reports compared with the same period in the previous week.”

UKMTO urged vessels to exercise heightened caution. Ships in the Gulf, Port Sudan, and Suez Canal areas are experiencing consistent AIS speed anomalies, further complicating navigation.

Russia and North Korea named as culprits

Also this week, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Assembly issued two resolutions condeming Russia and North Korea for recurring incidents of GNSS interference, citing the intentional interference as infractions of the 1944 Convention on International Civil Aviation. The agency urgently called upon both countries to comply strictly with their obligations under the convention.

The assembly also deplored the fact that incidents of GNSS interference originating from the two countries have continued despite concerns repeatedly expressed by the ICAO Council about the harmful impact of GNSS interference on the safety and security of international civil aviation. 

The assembly reiterated the paramount importance of preserving the safety and security of international civil aviation through strict compliance with the principles enshrined in the Chicago Convention and its Annexes. It also recalled Assembly Resolution A41-8, which recognized that the spectrum used by GNSS should be free from harmful interference and urged countries to refrain from any form of jamming or spoofing affecting civil aviation.

The resolutions were issued as the ICAO triennial assembly in Montreal concluded on Oct. 5.