Danish Frigate Departs for the Red Sea
Denmark on Monday sent a frigate to the Red Sea, where it will participate in a U.S.-led coalition to safeguard commercial traffic against attacks by Yemen's Houthi militants.The Iran-aligned Houthi have launched waves of exploding drones and missiles at commercial and navy vessels since Nov. 19, in response to Israel's military operations in Gaza.In response, shipping firms have since December diverted hundreds of vessels around southern Africa's Cape of Good Hope, a journey that takes 10-14 days longer and is more costly than the passage via the Red Sea and Suez Canal.Denmark…
Trafigura Assesses Red Sea Risks after Tanker Attack by Houthis
Commodities trader Trafigura said on Saturday it was assessing the security risks of further Red Sea voyages after firefighters put out a blaze on a tanker attacked by Yemen's Houthi group a day earlier.The U.S. military said a U.S. Navy ship and other vessels provided assistance after the Marlin Luanda was hit by a Houthi anti-ship missile."No further vessels operating on behalf of Trafigura are currently transiting the Gulf of Aden and we continue to assess carefully the risks involved in any voyage…
US Navy Intercepts Missiles in Red Sea While Escorting Maersk Ships
Maersk said explosions nearby forced two ships operated by its U.S. subsidiary and carrying U.S. military supplies to turn around when they were transiting the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen, accompanied by the U.S. Navy."While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the U.S. Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles," Maersk said in a statement, adding it was suspending Red Sea transits by vessels of the U.S. subsidiary.A spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi military forces said they fired ballistic missiles at several U.S. warships that were protecting two U.S.
US Research Advances on Alternative to Bomb-grade Uranium in Navy Vessels
U.S. research is advancing on the potential to change fuel for nuclear reactors on Navy submarines and aircraft carriers from bomb-grade uranium to a safer option, documents showed Wednesday, even as the program's funding is at risk in Congress.In order to lower proliferation risks of keeping stockpiles of highly-enriched uranium, the U.S. government has been exploring since 2018 how to use low-enriched fuel that cannot be used as fissile material in weapons.The U.S. research…
RCP Finance Secures Funding for Fuel Distributer in Maldives
Independent finance and capital structuring partner RCP Finance has successfully secured a $15 million credit facility from a leading Asian lender for The Hawks Pvt Ltd., a distributor of high-quality fuel in the Maldives.The Hawks caters to a range of local businesses including resort hotels, super yachts and navy vessels, with a total portfolio of more than 452 clients.Part of the credit facility has been used to facilitate the acquisition of the Bro Developer, a 2007 oil and chemical tanker with a carrying capacity of 15,000dwt.
Photo of the Day: Submarine Surfacing
The ballistic missile submarine USS Maine surfaces to receive a vertical replenishment from Marines assigned to the III Marine Expeditionary Force in the Philippine Sea, May 9, 2023. Vertical replenishments enable Navy vessels to quickly receive critical resources without disrupting maritime security operations.
Kongsberg Maritime to Supply Propulsion Systems for Six Philippine Navy Vessels
Norway's Kongsberg Maritime has won an order for six sets of controllable pitch propeller systems from South Korea's Hyundai Heavy Industries for installation in six new 94-meter offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Navy.Each propulsion set will consist of twin Kongsberg Kamewa Controllable Pitch Propeller (CPP) 86 A/5 D-B systems, as well as shaft lines, hydraulic power units, local operating panels, and accessories. The first shipset will be delivered in August 2024.The six new offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) are part of a major upgrade to Philippine naval capacity.
US Blocks Vessels from Area Near Balloon Shoot Down
The U.S. Coast Guard said Monday it is imposing a temporary security zone in the waters off Surfside Beach, South Carolina in the area where the U.S. military on Saturday shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon.The 10 nautical mile area security zone blocks vessels from entering without permission of the Coast Guard and is intended to protect the public "from potential hazards associated with physical objects."The zone is to be enforced through Feb. 18.The Pentagon told reporters Saturday the U.S. Navy was leading a recovery mission but said the duration of the operation was unknown.
Stadt Naval inks Deal to Design and Deliver Naval Vessel Powertrain
Stadt Naval, headquartered in Gjerdsvika, Norway, signed a contract to design and supply complete electric propulsion solutions for series of new naval ships for an unnammed NATO country, the biggest contract in the company's history.Stadt's technology operates in STEALTH mode with guaranteed no electrical interference and no acoustic switching noise. This contributes to low underwater radiated noise (URN), and low signature for any vessel. In addition, the STADT technology has proven to have absolute minimum power loss…
Thai Navy Hunts for 33 Missing Marines After Warship Sinks
Thailand's military deployed warships and helicopters on Monday to try to locate 33 marines missing after a corvette sank overnight in choppy waters in the Gulf of Thailand, the navy said.Three navy vessels and two helicopters were sent to find the missing off Prachuap Khiri Khan province, south of Bangkok, after the HTMS Sukhothai warship suffered an engine malfunction and went down just before midnight about 20 nautical miles off the coast.An overnight rescue mission in bad weather secured 73 of the 106 people aboard…
US and Micronesia Expand Shiprider Agreement
The United States and the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) on Thursday signed a remote shiprider agreement enabling the U.S. to act on behalf of the country to combat illicit maritime activity when an FSM law enforcement officer is not present.FSM is a nation with over six hundred islands in the Pacific, and the agreement provides a coordinating mechanism and process for U.S. law enforcement personnel to work with the FSM National Police through command centers to receive approval from the FSM to act.
Australia, NZ Exempt from Solomon Islands' Navy Ship Moratorium
Navy vessels from Australia and New Zealand will be exempt from a temporary ban on foreign ships entering the ports of the Solomon Islands, the Pacific island nation's prime minister told parliament on Monday.Foreign military vessels responding to a request for assistance from the Solomon Islands government would also be exempt, Prime Minister Manesseh Sogavare said.The Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China in April, which a leaked draft said allows the Chinese navy to replenish in Honiara…
Where Failure is Not an Option
Naval vessels cannot afford to lose critical systems following an impact. Brian Stanton, North America Engineering Lead at Parker Hannifin's Gas Turbine Division, talks about the extensive testing required for inlet filtration systems used on these ships.Inlet filtration used for critical ship systems, such as on the propulsion gas turbines, must pass rigorous testing prior to installation. These tests include a range of vibration and shock tests that simulate ship operation and…
Tech Feature: Next-Generation Maritime Electrical Solutions Today
Asbjørn Halsebakke of Yaskawa Environmental Energy/The Switch discusses the application in maritime for the company’s new generation DC-Hub with its unique Electronic DC Breaker (EDCB) and Electronic Bus Link (EBL).Your company is starting to talk about its new generation DC-Hub. Can you give an overview of this product evolution with insight on what makes it unique?I think one of the key features with maritime products and with DC-Hub is that you need to think first about personal safety. You need to think about how to make sure that everything is in a safe mode.
Australia Says Chinese Spy Ship's Presence off West Coast 'Concerning'
A Chinese intelligence ship was tracked off Australia's west coast within 50 nautical miles of a sensitive defense facility, Australia said on Friday, raising concern amid an election campaign about China's behavior in the region.Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Chinese navy vessel was not in Australian territorial waters but its presence was "concerning"."It is clearly an intelligence ship and they are looking at us and we're keeping a close eye on them," he told reporters.Australia…
Fincantieri Delivers Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship to Italian Navy
Fincantieri’s shipyard in Muggiano on Friday delivered Paolo Thaon di Revel, the first of seven new Multipurpose Offshore Patrol ships (PPA – Pattugliatore Polivalente d’Altura) for the Italian Navy.The 143-meter-long PPAs are built at the Integrated Shipyard of Riva Trigoso and Muggiano, with deliveries expected until 2026. They are part of the renewal plan of the operational lines of the Italian Navy vessels, approved by the Government and Parliament and started in May 2015 (“Naval Act”) under the aegis of OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation sur l’Armement…
NATO Leaves Black Sea Exposed as Russia Invades Ukraine
When Russia attacked Ukraine, the nearest naval vessel of a major NATO ally was in the Mediterranean. The last such ship from a major naval member of the Western military alliance left the Black Sea – an area roughly the size of California bordering Russia, Ukraine and NATO members Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania – over a month ago.A French warship completed a tour in early January and no major NATO naval ally has patrolled its waters since, according to Turkish maritime website Turkishnavy.net, which tracks the movements of foreign warships.
Russian Navy Starts Baltic Sea Drills
Twenty Russian navy vessels set out into the Baltic Sea on Monday for drills, the RIA news agency reported, amid heightened tensions between Moscow and the West over Ukraine and reports that the United States might send extra troops to the region.The ships will perform exercises focused on naval and anti-aircraft defense, RIA quoted the Baltic Navy as saying.Russia has said it would “respond appropriately” if Washington boosts troop numbers in Eastern Europe, after the New York Times reported that the White House was considering such a move.(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Writing by Olzhas A
Thordon Bearings Bags 24-Seal Order
Canadian manufacturer Thordon Bearings confirmed it has secured contracts to supply 24 TG100 propeller shaft seals to Drydocks World-Dubai and Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding and Repair yards for installation to six UAE Navy vessels. Each quad screw ship will operate a quartet of TG100 shaft seals.Rafid Qureshi, managing director of Dubai-based Ocean Power International (OPI), Thordon’s authorized distributor in the region, explained the award win was “a direct result of the yards’ recommendations”…
Fincantieri Marine Systems Expands Florida Operations
Fincantieri Marine Systems North America (FMSNA) announced that it will expand its marine repair operations on the U.S. East Coast, a move that is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to Jacksonville, Fla., as they will provide extra marine repair capacity for both commercial and government vessels.FMSNA will make Commodores Point the focus of this effort, bringing business and investment to the downtown Jacksonville waterfront.“We are investing millions of dollars in waterfront improvements…
Katadyn Desalination Inks Three-year Contract with US Navy
Katadyn Desalination, LLC announced it has won a three-year contract to deliver lifesaving, hand-operated desalination devices for the U.S. Navy.Katadyn Desalination is part of the Katadyn Group, provider of reliable, sustainable and simple solutions for safe drinking water treatment. Whether outdoors, at sea, for emergency preparedness, humanitarian or tactical missions or industrial applications, clean water becomes a reality with Katadyn products. The brand’s product line ranges from mobile water filter systems and chemical disinfectants…
Indonesia Boosts Naval Patrols after Foreign Ships Detected near Natuna
Indonesian navy has increased patrols around its Natuna islands in the South China Sea after Chinese and U.S. vessels were detected nearby in international waters, despite saying there were no disturbance from the vessels, a navy official said on Thursday.Five navy vessels, assisted by an air patrol, have been deployed in North Natuna Sea to secure the area, Indonesian Navy western fleet commander Arsyad Abdullah told reporters.“The Navy’s position on the North Natuna Sea is very…
SCHOTTEL Inks Pacific Northwest Service Deals
SCHOTTEL Inc (USA) and SCHOTTEL Canada Inc have entered into a cooperative agreement with two Canadian West Coast marine industry companies to support the increasing local fleet of SCHOTTEL-propelled vessels. In the agreement, Seaspan Vancouver Drydock, based in North Vancouver, will act as a service and support center while McRae Electric, based in Burnaby, will be electric and controls service provider.Since the establishment of SCHOTTEL Canada Inc in 2016, the number of vessels equipped with SCHOTTEL propulsion systems in the Pacific Northwest area have increased enormously.