Höegh Autoliners Fits GPS Interference Backup Across Its 38-Ship Fleet

Höegh Autoliners has signed a five-year contract with the Norwegian technology company SGM Technology to fit its PntGuard system across the whole of its fleet, covering the 38 vessels in service today and any newbuildings entering service during the contract period.

The system addresses navigation satellite interference, which has moved from a regional irregularity to a routine operating condition on several main trade routes. Jamming and spoofing incidents distort or deny position data, creating risks for navigation and for the operational planning and situational awareness that depend on an accurate position being available on the bridge.

PntGuard provides an independent positioning source when satellite signals are disrupted, and alerts bridge teams when interference is detected so that the crew know they are being affected rather than discovering it later. It also produces an independently verified record of a vessel's route, which supports voyage verification and compliance requirements: on a route where positions can be falsified, being able to demonstrate where a ship actually was has a commercial value of its own.

Sebjørn Dahl, chief operating officer at Höegh Autoliners, described the rollout as a proactive step to strengthen operational resilience and support safe, reliable global operations. Christian Hall, who leads global cargo operations and digital projects at the operator, framed the timing as deliberate. "We didn't want to wait for an incident to act and make a decision to build resilience," he said, adding that deploying the technology across the entire fleet strengthens the company's ability to operate safely regardless of the environment its vessels encounter.

Installation begins in September 2026, with future deliveries equipped from entry into service. For SGM Technology, based outside Oslo, the agreement represents one of the largest fleet-wide deployments of its technology in the global shipping industry.

Steffen Grefsgård, chief executive of SGM Technology, said the decision followed an assessment carried out in a highly contested electronic environment, and pointed to it as a statement about the operator's approach to mitigating risk and preventing losses caused by interference. For the car carrier trades, which run high-value rolling cargo on fixed schedules through several of the worst-affected regions, the exposure is both navigational and contractual.