Splash247: Höegh Autoliners rolls out anti-spoofing tech fleetwide

Published by Splash247

Höegh Autoliners has signed a five-year deal with Norwegian technology company SGM Technology to install anti-jamming and spoofing equipment across its entire car carrier fleet.

The agreement covers the owner’s current 38 vessels as well as all newbuildings entering service during the contract period. Installation of SGM’s PntGuard system will start in September.

PntGuard provides an independent position when conventional GPS and other global navigation satellite system signals are disrupted, while alerting bridge teams when interference is detected. Höegh said the system will also retain an independently verified record of the vessel’s route for voyage verification and compliance purposes.

The standalone system combines an above-deck receiver with a bridge display showing both the vessel’s GNSS-derived track and an alternative authenticated position. It uses assured positioning, navigation and timing technology carried over Iridium’s low-earth-orbit satellite network.

SGM and technology partner NAL say the signal used by the system is around 1,000 times stronger than conventional GPS, making it considerably harder to disrupt.PntGuard was commercially launched in October 2025 by SGM, Tschudi Shipping and US-based NAL Research after sea trials with shipowners and testing in deliberately jammed environments in Norway.

The fleetwide order comes as spoofing and jamming have moved rapidly up shipping’s risk agenda. SplashTech reported in July that governments have started asking ship operators whether crews can continue navigating safely when GNSS becomes unreliable, including whether vessels carry independent alternatives and whether officers have practised GNSS-denial scenarios.

Norwegian war risk insurer DNK has also started offering incentives for owners adopting authenticated alternative positioning systems. Splash reported in May that the insurer had selected Iridium-based technology for an anti-spoofing programme covering its members.

The deal comes days after Höegh expanded its Aurora-class newbuilding programme with six more 9,100 ceu ships at China Merchants Heavy Industry, taking the firm series to 18 vessels with further options and reserved slots that could lift the programme to 26.