Frontline tanker Front Eagle collides with Adalynn tanker off Khorfakkan

Frontline's VLCC Front Eagle and the "shadow" tanker Suezmax Adalynn collided off the Gulf of Oman, causing a fire, raising concerns about maritime safety amid increased GPS interference in the region.

Frontline-VLCC-collides-with-suezmax-tanker-Adalynn-off-Khorfakkan

Frontline's Front Eagle collides with Adalynn off Khorfakkan (Photo: Splash/X.com)

A collision occurred at 1:14 a.m. Dubai time on June 17 between two oil tankers: the Antigua Barbuda-flagged suezmax Adalynn, part of the “shadow” fleet, and the Liberian-flagged VLCC Front Eagle, near the Khorfakkan anchorage in the Gulf of Oman. The collision caused a fire on board the Adalynn and forced the emergency evacuation of all crew.

The incident highlights the challenges facing navigation in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes, with GPS signals apparently spoofed in the hours leading up to the accident. The incident comes at a time when ship operators are under increased pressure in the region due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The five-year-old Front Eagle was carrying a full load of crude oil and en route to Zhoushan, China, at the time of the incident, according to MarineTraffic data. The 23-year-old Adalynn had just left its anchorage empty when the collision occurred about 22 nautical miles east of Khorfakkan. While initial reports from social media and some maritime security firms suggested a third vessel may have been involved, playback data showed the collision was limited to the two vessels.

Following the collision, the Front Eagle reported its status as Not Under Command.

A Frontline spokesperson said that immediate action was taken to extinguish a fire on board the Front Eagle following the incident.

“A full investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the maritime incident. This is a navigational incident and not related to the current regional conflict,” the spokesperson told Splash.

Witnesses confirmed that the Adalynn suffered damage to its fuel tanks, which led to the fire on board.

The UAE National Guard responded quickly to the distress call. In the early hours of June 17, the National Guard Coast Guard successfully evacuated all 24 crew members from the Adalynn. The crew were safely transported from the incident site to the port of Khorfakkan by search and rescue boats. Authorities have confirmed that all crew members from both vessels are safe and no casualties have been reported.

Officials said that at this time, there was no suspicion of sabotage and the fires were contained. An investigation into the cause of the collision is underway.

The incident comes amid recent warnings from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the US-led Combined Maritime Force's Joint Maritime Information Centre (JMIC) about increased electronic interference in the region, particularly near the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, which has affected the ability of vessels to transmit accurate AIS position data. Replay data showed that the Front Eagle's voyage was apparently affected by GPS spoofing.

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