Communications News

The FBI said on Monday it opened a criminal probe into the collapse of a Baltimore bridge in March when a ship crashed into a bridge support, while local officials confirmed the recovery of a fourth body from the incident.FBI agents boarded the cargo ship Dali to conduct court-authorized law enforcement activity regarding the crash, an FBI spokesperson said. The spokesperson said there was no other public information available and the bureau will have no further comment.The body…

Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has unveiled Prowler, its new autonomous, amphibious, and semi-submersible military craft engineered to meet the current and near future warfighting requirements of the U.S. military and its allies. The company is also debuting Frenzy, a high-performance, low-cost, amphibious micro-USV (uncrewed surface vehicle) with a payload carrying capacity of up to 14 pounds.“Prowler represents the sum total of everything we’ve learned while building 400-plus autonomous and remote operated vessels for our military customers over the past decade…

U.S.-based Chance Maritime Technologies, a startup and service provider of uncrewed vessel technology, reports it has completed long-endurance commissioning trials of its MC-29: a 29-foot-long, mission-capable USV that operates at high power with long endurance. The vehicle completed over 40 total operational days, which included 24 operational days of 24-hour operation in Vermilion Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.This new class of utility vessel offers kilowatts of continuously available payload power…

A maritime industry recruiter has agreed to work with plaintiffs and share worker compensation data in a lawsuit accusing major U.S. shipbuilders of limiting employee mobility, marking the first settlement in the case.Attorneys for a proposed class of engineers and architects suing General Dynamics, Huntington Ingalls Industries and other companies disclosed the settlement with Faststream Recruitment on Tuesday in Alexandria, Virginia federal court.The October lawsuit said the shipbuilders violated U.S.

The 1.6-mile (2.57 km) long Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday after a container ship hit it, and as many as seven people may be in the water, officials said.A live video posted on YouTube showed a ship hitting the bridge, after which several of its spans collapsed into the Patapsco River. Unverified videos posted on social media X also showed the impact and collapse. Reuters could not immediately verify the videos.The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a mass-casualty incident…

Bollinger Shipyards recently delivered the USCGC David Duren to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. This is the 182nd vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 56th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.“We’re incredibly proud to deliver the USCGC David Duren, the first of three Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Astoria, Oregon,” said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. “We’re confident that pound for pound…

Royal Caribbean Group has suspended cruise visits to Labadee, a secluded peninsula in Haiti, for the next seven days following months of escalating gang violence in the country, a senior company executive said in a Facebook post on Thursday.The company will continue the suspension as required with three days advance notice to guests sailing on impacted itineraries, Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley said.Violence by powerful armed gangs had gripped Haiti, causing thousands to flee their homes, after anti-government protests broke out early in February.The violent cl

Wärtsilä has supplied its latest simulator technology to the prestigious Sharjah Maritime Academy located in Khorfakkan, United Arab Emirates.The comprehensive suite of navigation, engineering, communications and Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) simulators includes full mission, part task and classroom trainers for all levels of training and research, as well as modelling and content creation tools to enable the highly skilled maritime faculty team to offer a complete range of services…

Iridium Communications has announced Cosco Shipping (CSSC), the world's largest fleet of commercial vessels with 1,417 ships, has begun installation of Iridium® Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) terminals.The recent installation of the Lars Thrane LT-3100S terminal on the Cosco Tengfei is a testament to CSSC always prioritizing the safety of its crew, ships, and cargo, says Iridium.The Cosco Tengfei is a modern pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) vessel capable of transporting up to 5,000 vehicles.

Nord Stream is seeking more than 400 million euros ($436 million) from its insurers over explosions in 2022 which ruptured pipelines designed to transport Russian gas to Germany, court filings show.Nord Stream AG names Lloyd's Insurance Company and Arch Insurance (EU) DAC as defendants in its lawsuit, which was filed at London's High Court last month.Switzerland-based Nord Stream confirmed in an email there is a contractual dispute in London commercial courts between itself and insurers of the pipeline system."However…

Ships will have to obtain a permit from Yemen's Houthi-controlled Maritime Affairs Authority before entering Yemeni waters, Houthi Telecommunications Minister Misfer Al-Numair said on Monday.Houthi militants have repeatedly launched drones and missiles against international commercial shipping in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November, saying they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians against Israel's offensive in Gaza.The near-daily attacks have forced firms into long and costly diversions around southern Africa…

Iridium Communications has entered into an agreement to acquire Satelles, Inc., a leader in secure satellite-based time and location services that complement and protect GPS and other GNSS-reliant systems. The service, named Satellite Time and Location (STL), is designed as an easy-to-adopt, secure solution that increases the efficiency and reliability of timing systems for digital infrastructure like 5G base stations, data centers, and other critical infrastructure and protects…

The Houthi Transport Ministry in Yemen said on Saturday there had been a "glitch" in undersea communication cables in the Red Sea as a result of actions by U.S. and British naval vessels.The actions "endangered the security and safety of the international communications and the flow of information," the ministry said in a statement, reported by the Houthi-run Saba news agency, without giving details."Any glitch in these cables as a result of the militarization of the Red Sea by U.S.

Norway's Havila Voyages announced it has appointed Mette Øyen as its new chief marketing officer and Aleksander Røynesdal has started in the role of new chief financial officer.Røynesdal was hired in December but officially entered his new role March 1. He comes from the position of COO at Norgas Carriers and has extensive experience in the finance and capital markets within the shipping and maritime transport industry.Øyen is scheduled to start in her new role on September 1, 2024.

American shipping companies are spending more than $120 million to repair and maintain their fleets of Great Lakes bulk carriers this winter.The fleet of U.S.-flagged ships, known as "lakers", can move more than 90 million tons of cargos annually, including iron ore, stone, coal, grain, salt and sand. Each year after the shipping season draws to a close, these vessels enter shipyards and repair facilities around the Great Lakes for a period of winter maintenance and repair. This…

The Australian Alliance for Animals has written an open letter to animal exporters imploring them to voluntarily suspend all live animal exports to or through the Red Sea while the risk of attack remains and to suspend any extended journeys to the Middle East via the Cape of Good Hope.The move follows the recently aborted voyage of the Bahijah. The livestock carrier sailed from Australia for Israel on January 5 but was recalled over a week into the voyage after diverting towards…

The competitive landscape in shipbuilding has changed dramatically, as ‘Industry 4.0’ capabilities driven by the digital revolution have given the edge to those that scout and adopt solutions that deliver on the promise of increasing efficiency while cutting costs. Juan Prieto discusses the CADMATIC suite of solutions for North American shipyards seeking to capture the competitive edge.Digital technologies are evolving at breakneck speed, unlocking tremendous efficiency gains for shipbuilders.

Rovco, a UK-based subsea robotics and survey firm, has added a second hull mounted survey vessel to its fleet with the long-term charter of the DP2 vessel Glomar Worker. The four-year charter with Glomar comes in response to client demand for innovative geophysical and geotechnical survey solutions, according to the company.Rovco has started the conversion of the sister vessel to the already contracted Glomar Supporter, already under long-term charter.After completion of these role specific upgrades…

The U.S. military on Monday denied claims made by the Yemeni Houthi movement that it had attacked American cargo ship Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden."The Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists' report of an alleged successful attack on M/V Ocean Jazz is patently false," the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command said in a statement. "NAVCENT has maintained constant communications with M/V Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit."The Houthi movement earlier in the day said its forces had launched a missile attack on Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden.

Houthi rebel drone attacks on vessels traversing the Red Sea and Suez Canal route, accounting for 10% of global trade, have exposed the shortcomings of current ship alert systems.The unpredictability and increased frequency of these attacks have created a challenging security environment for ships passing the area via the Bab el Mandeb strait, posing a substantial risk to seafarers and maritime trade by endangering the safety of the crew and cargo.Initially focused on Israel-related ships in solidarity with Hamas…

Applied Satellite Technology Ltd (AST) has officially been awarded the Intellian OneWeb Certification, authorizing the company to carry out installations of Intellian parabolic antennas.The certification, issued by Intellian, a provider of satellite communication and antenna systems, makes AST authorized to install and maintain Intellian's parabolic antennas. In addition, AST will offer certified training for Intellian OneWeb solutions, covering all modules including installation…

The Borders, Trade, and Immigration Institute, a Department of Homeland Security Center of Excellence, led by the University of Houston, announced the creation of the annual Port of the Future Award for “Excellence in Port Communications and Community Relations.”  Each year, this award will be presented at the annual Port of the Future Conference, held the first week of April, in Houston, Texas. Finalists may be invited to participate on the Conference panel “Port Communications and Community Relations.”  This year’s Port of the Future Conference will be held April 2-4…

China has called for an end to attacks on civilian vessels in the Red Sea that have dramatically widened the Hamas-Israel conflict and placed Beijing's commercial interests along the Suez Canal at risk.The Iran-backed Houthi militia from Yemen that seeks "Death to Israel" is challenging the ability of the world's biggest trading nation to defend billions in strategic investments in Egypt.Since President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi came to power in 2014, China has stepped up its investment and commercial activities along Egypt's Suez Canal…