Ships trapped by enemy fire in the Gulf are using an effective tactic to avoid attacks: reporting their identity as Chinese ships through transponders. According to an analysis of MarineTraffic data by the Financial Times, at least 10 ships changed their destination signals in the past week, displaying as "Chinese owner", "all Chinese crew members" or "Chinese crew on board". According to the Lloyd's Market Association, approximately 1,000 ships are currently stranded in the Gulf and surrounding waters, with a total value of about $2.5 billion. Iran has not only fired at vessels attempting to pass through the narrow Strait of Hormuz at the entrance to the Gulf, but also launched missiles as far north as Kuwait. On Wednesday, a cargo ship carrying no load was attacked by a drone. To avoid being locked on, some ships also manipulate GPS signals manually to mislead guided weapons. Research firm TankerTrackers.com pointed out that these ships appear overlapping on shipping data platforms. The types of ships changing their transponder signals vary, from container ships to oil tankers, some loaded, some empty, most still remaining within the Gulf. On Wednesday, a ship named Iron Maiden crossed the Strait of Hormuz and briefly changed its signal to "Chinese owner" before reaching the waters of Oman. A few ships chose other identities, such as "Turkish Muslim ship", and restored their original names once they left the dangerous area. The transponder signals of the ships are managed by the captain, mainly used for communication with nearby ships to prevent collisions, but the destination field can be easily changed.
Image source: Internet
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1858984611347466/
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