Our Way 1
VINJETT TEXT ANNA-LENA AHLBERG PHOTO ADOBE STOCK
LARGE PARTS OF THE BALTIC SEA ARE CONTINUOUSLY AFFECTED BY GPS DISRUPTIONS. WHILE THESE Fredrik Hjertberg Marine Superintendent Wallenius Marine ATTACKS ARE UNLIKELY TO BE TARGETED AT US, OUR SIGNAL COVERAGE CAN STILL BE COMPROMISED. Fredrik Hjertberg “Furuno developed this warning system as a direct response to the increasing number of incidents in the Nordic region and their negative impact on navigation safety,” says Nic Nordqvist, Sales Director at Furuno Sverige. I n times of geopolitical turmoil, uncertainty at sea is increasing, bringing heightened security risks and unpredictable threats to navigation. Cyberattacks on navigation systems and disruptions to GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) signals can result in incorrect positioning, an increased risk of accidents, and difficulty in planning safe routes. According to Fredrik Hjertberg, Marine Superintendent at Wallenius Marine, the Baltic Sea has become a hotspot for GPS interference—something the RoRo vessel Lakeway Express recently experienced en route to Gdansk. “Large parts of the Baltic Sea are continuously affected by GPS disruptions. While these attacks are unlikely to be targeted at us, our signal coverage can still be compromised. However, we have a range of tools at our disposal to counteract these interferences,” he says. ONE OF WALLENIUS MARINE’S key objectives is to raise awareness, both on board and within the shore organization, about hotspot areas and the heightened probability of GPS interference. Continuous crew training ensures they are prepared for potential threats and provides clear procedures to follow. Wallenius Marine also collaborates closely with Furuno Finland, a subsidiary to Furuno Electric in Japan and a global leader in advanced maritime electronics. In December 2024, Wallenius Marine was one of the first shipping companies worldwide to install an advanced warning system against jamming and spoofing on Lakeway Express. This system not only detects deliberate signal disruptions, known as jamming, but also identifies spoofing—where false signals are transmitted to gradually divert a ship from its intended course. Johannes Ahlström CEO Furuno Sverige FURUNO FINLAND HAS recently released a GPS receiver with enhanced resistance to interference. The antenna is shielded on the sides as interference signals typically originate horizontally from ground level. The GPS is designed as a redundant system, requiring the bridge to actively switch to the backup unit in order to access more reliable data. The GPS receiver will be certified to IEC 60945, a standard for marine electronic equipment. Experts in the field suspect that vessels in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” are equipped with GNSS jamming transmitters, according to a recent investigation by GPSPATRON and Gdynia Maritime University. As a result, the threat of jamming and spoofing could potentially spread wherever these vessels operate. “The most pressing issues we face are the chalNic Nordqvist Sales Director Furuno Sverige lenges posed by jamming and spoofing. We have identified a strong need for this product in the shipping industry, and we are eager to bring it to market as soon as possible. These types of threats are something we must learn to manage and live with in the foreseeable future,” says Johannes Ahlström, CEO at Furuno Sverige. ECDIS Electronic Chart Display and Information System. It’s a computer-based navigation system used on ships that complies with IMO (International Maritime Organization) regulations as an alternative to paper nautical charts. FREDRIK HJERTBERG RECOGNIZES the necessity for ships operating in the Baltic Sea to be equipped with new anti-interference systems—and a rollout is already under way. “We are pioneers in this field. At the moment, this system is only available to a select few, but we strongly recommend that shipowners install it. We actively train on board to manually plot positions in ECDIS* using traditional navigation methods such as bearing and distance taken from radar, in case we cannot rely on GNSS signals. But now, we also have a system specifically designed for this purpose, providing us with greater security.” OUR WAY 1/2025 15