Why the shipping industry needs APNT in the face of global conflict in International Shipping News 23/03/2026 Global shipping has entered a precarious and unstable era. Rising geopolitical tensions in key maritime corridors, including threats from Iran to target vessels transiting strategic waterways and the disruption of energy and export routes, are reminding the industry that the seas carrying the world’s trade are not always predictable. Alongside these developments, operational and commercial decision making is becoming more sensitive to how risk is assessed and understood. It is not only the presence of threat that matters, but the level of confidence operators and stakeholders have in the data used to navigate and manage it. But despite the dangers, there are mitigations. Indeed, few technologies have reshaped maritime navigation as completely as satellite positioning. Over the past three decades Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) have moved from specialist navigation tools to the backbone of modern maritime operations. They now support everything from deep sea route planning to dynamic positioning and complex port approaches. That success has encouraged a widespread assumption across the sector that satellite signals will always be available and reliable. Recent events suggest that assumption is becoming harder to defend. And this is where APNT enters the equation, providing greater confidence in vessel positioning and supporting more informed risk planning. Disruption affecting GNSS is now being reported with increasing frequency in areas that matter most to international shipping and naval activity. Interference incidents across the Black Sea, the Baltic and parts of the Eastern Mediterranean have demonstrated that vessels can suddenly encounter unreliable or manipulated navigation signals. Ships operating in these regions have reported positions shifting unexpectedly or appearing many miles from their true location. For crews navigating congested waters or preparing to enter busy ports this creates real uncertainty. Alastair McLeod, CEO, Ground Control These incidents are often occurring along strategically sensitive shipping routes where commercial vessels, naval forces and energy exports converge. As maritime trade routes become more contested, the reliability of the navigation systems that guide vessels through them is coming under increasing scrutiny. The operational implications Reliable positioning and timing sit at the centre of modern maritime activity. Commercial vessels rely on accurate PNT data for electronic charts, automated safety systems, route optimisation and offshore operations. Defence platforms depend on the same signals to coordinate manoeuvre, maintain situational awareness and synchronise communications. As shipboard systems have become increasingly digital and interconnected, reliance on satellite positioning has expanded well beyond navigation itself. When disruption occurs along major trade routes the implications extend beyond navigation safety. Tanker movements, container traffic and energy supply chains all depend on predictable maritime operations. Uncertainty about a vessel’s position in contested waters can quickly ripple through global supply networks. It can also make it more difficult to assess exposure with confidence, leading to more cautious operational decisions and a greater reliance on assumption where verified data is limited. This growing dependence means that disruption to G