Norwegian insurer DNK launches first-of-its-kind programme to protect vessels from electronic signal interference

Norway’s leading war risk mutual insurance provider DNK  (Den Norske Krigsforsikring for Skib) has launched a programme to offer members advanced systems to protect against the growing threat of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal interference. This industry-first programme allows members to select among vendors specialising in A-PNT services to lower premiums and provide secure, accurate and reliable positioning, navigation and timing data.  

According to DNK’s CEO Svein Ringbakken, the programme is consistent with DNK’s mission to utilise digital technologies to provide comprehensive war risk insurance services for Norwegian-owned or controlled vessels and mobile units, helping to safeguard assets from war, terror, piracy, and cyberattacks.

“Over the past five years, we have seen a sharp in increase in GNSS interference, especially in the Black Sea, the Baltic Sea and more recently, in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea,” he says. “GNSS signal interference can not only increase the risk of collision or grounding but also compromise critical safety systems. This programme offers our members the opportunity to lower premiums by investing in cost-effective A-PNT solutions to maintain situational awareness, safety, and positioning integrity.”

DNK Project Manager Alan Belardinelli explains that readily available signal jamming and spoofing equipment allows hostile state or non-state actors to disrupt a ship’s GNSS positioning signals. “GNSS jamming and spoofing not only compromise situational awareness, the intentional manipulation of positioning data can also lead vessels into sanctioned or restricted zones,” he says.  

Under the direction of the DNK Board, DNK evaluated A-PNT solutions based on Iridium’s global network of 66 Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites, the world’s only pole-to-pole positioning and communications service. This initiative led to the creation of a DNK project group that reviewed several PNT solutions providers, with Iridium’s satellite network emerging as the clear choice for commercial maritime deployment. 

“After extensive research, DNK found that the Iridium signal, which is 1,000 times more powerful than GNSS signals, is significantly more difficult to disrupt, adding a significant layer of enhanced positioning resilience,” says Belardinelli. “Signal attacks can also play havoc with onboard digital systems that rely on GNSS to provide a source of timing, necessary for safe navigation and efficient operations.”  

Iridium VP Rohit Braggs notes that Iridium’s LEO satellite network delivers precisely what today’s maritime environment demands: strength, reliability, and trust when it matters most. “PNT Iridium stands as a powerful and effective complement to GNSS, ensuring continuity for vessels when traditional signals are degraded or denied,” he says. “More importantly, it acts as a resilient ‘source of truth’ by providing assured timing and positioning that maritime systems can depend on, whether in open waters or bustling ports. With proven performance against jamming and spoofing, Iridium PNT empowers crews and operators to navigate confidently, knowing they have a secure foundation for their most critical operations.”

The DNK programme vendors offer subscription-based systems that are affordable, easy to install and require minimal crew training. Components include an Above Deck Unit that transmits jamming and spoofing data to DNK and an optional Below Deck Unit that provides situational awareness to the vessel crew.  

Ringbakken notes that in a constantly changing geopolitical landscape, future threats define DNK’s mission today. “By continuing to explore technologies and digital solutions like the new A-PNT programme, DNK can offer members effective, reliable and affordable solutions to manage emerging threats,” he says. “This programme will not only help members lower premiums and ensure the safety of their vessels but help us collect data we can share with owners, managers and other stakeholders operating in in known and emerging conflict zones.”