Attacked: Navy Official Signals Grave Possibility As Disgusting Details Of Naval Collision Go Public

Attacked: Navy Official Signals Grave Possibility As Disgusting Details Of Naval Collision Go Public

A former information warfare specialist in the Navy, Jeff Stutzman finds it extremely hard to believe that the incident was accidental. As chief intelligence officer at Wapack Labs, a cyber intelligence service in New Hampshire, Stutzman said, “There’s something more than just human error going on because there would have been a lot of humans to be checks and balances.” 

Apparently, Pentagon officials agree. During the Monday briefing, Admiral Richardson did not rule out cyber intrusion or internal sabotage. He also tweeted “No indications right now … but review will consider all possibilities.” 

On January 31, the U.S.S. Antietam was relieved from service after running aground near the Yokosuka base. The guided-missile cruiser was returning to the 7th Fleet base in Japan. The damage was blamed on a series of incorrect judgments and other errors, and its captain was removed from command. 

On May 9, the U.S.S. Lake Champlain, another guided-missile cruiser collided with a fishing boat near the Korean Peninsula. Although the damage to that ship was not severe and no one was harmed, the crash was suspicious. 

The U.S.S. Fitzgerald lost the lives of seven crewman when it was struck off the coast of Japan in June. A merchant vessel carrying electronics (ACX Crystal) collided with the guided-missile cruiser 56 nautical miles southwest of the Yokosuka base. Questions remain about why it took so long to report the incident, and global shipping was disrupted by the event. 

Now, yet another guided-missile ship, this time a destroyer has suffered the same fate. Too many coincidences usually add up to deliberate actions. Defense Secretary Mattis has ordered a “broader inquiry” that includes both incidents. 

In another incident on June 22, GPS signals in the Black Sea were manipulated. The spoofing went undetected because all remained normal. Plus, that type of hacking is relatively easy for anyone to accomplish. 

Naval vessels and most ships use an Automatic Identification System (AIS) and GPS. However, AIS is easy to infiltrate. “Passenger shipping organizations and cruise lines … can be easily impacted,” said Eduardo E. Cabrera, the chief cyber security officer at Trend Micro, a Tokyo-based firm.