Military Vessels

Kidnappers Attack Plant, Navy Ship

Militants holding nine foreign hostages in southern Nigeria attacked another oil facility today and blew up a military vessel in ongoing violence that has cut about 20 percent of crude production in Africa's oil giant. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta attacked a Shell-operated pipeline switching station and a navy vessel in the oil-rich southern region. Nigeria is reeling from weekend attacks in which militants blasted pipelines and sabotaged a key oil loading terminal belonging to Royal Dutch Shell, forcing the company to halt the flow of about 455,000 barrels a day. (Source: Scotsman)

N-DSQ to Construct Qatar Naval Patrol Boats

Nakilat – Damen Shipyards Qatar (N-DSQ) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement with the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) for the construction and delivery of six Naval Patrol Boats at Nakilat’s shipbuilding facilities in the Port of Ras Laffan, Qatar. The military vessels will be used by the QENF to support its existing operations in the monitoring and surveillance of Qatar’s Economic Exclusive Zone, for coastal and offshore patrolling

Argentine Tall Ship Released, Welcomed Home

Argentine naval training ship, 'ARA Libertad' which was detained in Ghana for more than two months has arrived back home. The Libertad had been seized following legal action by an investment company trying to recover money still owed after Argentina's 2002 debt default. Thousands of people lined the shore as it arrived in Mar del Plata, three weeks after a United Nations court ordered its release from Ghana reports BBC News.

This Day in Coast Guard History – Jan. 18

1953- A Coast Guard PBM seaplane crashed during takeoff after having rescued 11 survivors from a ditched U .S. Navy aircraft shot down off the coast of mainland China.  A total of nine servicemen lost their lives in this crash, including five Coast Guardsmen. 1974- Coast Guard units rescued 61 crewmembers from the 551-foot tanker Keytrader and the 657-foot Norwegian freighter Baune after the two vessels collided on the night of 18 January 1974 in dense fog

Scientists to Use Cruise Ships for Research

Hoping to collect decades of data, ocean scientist are enlisting cargo and cruise ships to measure water temperatures, ocean currents and even the height of clouds as the vessels ply their regular routes. To begin to address questions of large ocean patterns, such as the changing path of the Gulf Stream, scientists need more than the few years of data most scientific missions can provide, Malaysia Star reported. The long-term data that commercial ships can furnish is what has been

Navy Rolls Out New Mine Warfare Mission Package

The Navy rolled out its new Mine Warfare Mission Package for the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) in a ceremony on Sept. 14 at the ARINC Engineering Services facility near Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Panama City, Fla. Congressman F. Allen Boyd, Jr. (D-Fla.-2), leader of the Mine Warfare Caucus, Dr. Delores Etter, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, and James Thomsen, Program Executive Officer Littoral and Mine Warfare, all spoke at the event.

Intellian Introduces v60G Marine VSAT Systems

Intellian has announced a new addition to its range of VSAT communications antennas, the v60G. Designed for recreational, smaller commercial and oil and gas vessels, or for use in space-constrained installations, the v60G, a powerful redesign of the popular v60, provides exceptional performance, enhanced remote monitoring and control, reduced cabling, and unlimited azimuth. The new v60G provides seamless, uninterrupted broadband connectivity for worldwide on-demand communications

New Company to Support Gulf Navies

Gulf Logistics and Naval Support LLC (GLNS), a new Abu Dhabi-based company, was launched on July 27, offering a complete range of support services to maritime defense forces and other vessel operators in the GCC region. GLNS has been set up in a joint venture by Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) with a 70% shareholding and the UK’s BVT Surface Fleet which will hold 30%.  Together the companies provide a powerful combination of regional presence

Schottel Reports Successful Year

The propulsion specialist SCHOTTEL, with headquarters in Spay/Rhine, remains on course for success, rounding off the year 2004 with another sales record. The corporate goal of 100 million euro in group sales for the new building and service sectors was achieved (2003: 90 million euro). Exports accounted again for about 80 percent. Of particular significance are the latest worldwide sales successes in the areas of tug propulsion systems, offshore supply vessels and tankers, research vessels

Mitsubishi Makes Smith Maritime Tug Move

For over 20 years, the Elsbeth II, a 110-ft. Smith Maritime tugboat, has done extensive deep sea towing and delivered military vessels around the world. When it came time for Smith Maritime owner Captain Latham Smith to replace one of Elsbeth II's three engines, he relied on a Gulf Coast distributor for help. Laborde provided the perfect fit for Elsbeth II - a Mitsubishi heavy-duty marine engine. "My new Mitsubishi engine performance far exceeds my expectations," said Capt. Smith