Seven MSC Ships Cross Suez Canal with AIS Off to Dodge Houthi Targeting

Seven MSC container ships crossed the Bab el-Mandeb and the Suez Canal with their AIS transponders switched off, The Loadstar reported. The ships include MSC Amelia, MSC Vega, MSC Giulia, MSC Irina, MSC Annabella, MSC Oliver and MSC Napoli. The crossings took place in late July and early August.

None broadcast their position. Switching AIS off hides a ship's name, position and heading from targeting systems, and all seven Bab el-Mandeb transits were dark, the ships going through without any AIS signal in waters where Houthi forces have been attacking ships.

MSC is not alone. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd are also moving services back to the Suez and Red Sea corridor, while CMA CGM has been growing its volumes there since January, the Maritime Executive reported. The canal authority says 199 CMA CGM-affiliated ships have carried 5.2 million tonnes through so far this year.

Congestion at some Chinese ports has pushed waiting times past twelve days, The Loadstar said.

MarineRadar recorded 107 unique devices tracking the Suez Canal area in the past 48 hours. In the same waters, satellite imagery off Qeshm in mid-August found around 30 AIS-dark contacts.