According to the MarineTraffic platform, at least 10 vessels over the past week have changed their transponder signals to indicate Chinese Owner, All Chinese Crew, or Chinese Crew Onboard. This data is used to identify vessels and avoid collisions, but the destination field can be easily changed.
In total, according to the Lloyd's Market Association, about 1 thousand ships with a total value of approximately $25 billion now remain in and near the bay, effectively blocked due to hostilities. Iranian forces are reported to be targeting ships not only in the Strait of Hormuz, but also as far north as Kuwait, where a drone struck an empty fuel tanker on Wednesday.
In addition to changing identification, crews use other methods of protection. According to analysts at TankerTrackers.com, some vessels manipulate GPS signals, causing them to appear on maps as being in the same location, which can confuse weapon targeting systems.
Kpler analyst Matthew Wright noted that crews are ready to use any means of camouflage, hiding communications with certain countries or ports to reduce the risk of attack. According to him, a similar practice was already used in the Red Sea in 2023 during attacks by the Yemeni Houthis on merchant ships.
