Detection Systems News

The U.S. Coast Guard published an interim rule on December 27, 2021, to implement Congressionally-mandated requirements for fire safety on “covered small passenger vessels” (CSPVs), as defined by 46 U.S.C. 3306(n). Congress adopted the statutory mandate in response to the fire and loss of 34 lives onboard the dive boat CONCEPTION off the California coast on 02 September 2019.The USCG has identified a need to clarify the reference in 46 CFR 175.110(c) with respect to fire detection…

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…

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended Tuesday that engine-room fire detection and fixed fire extinguishing systems be installed in small passenger vessels previously exempted from U.S. Coast Guard regulations in Subchapter K.The NTSB issued the recommendations after investigating an engine room fire aboard the Spirit of Norfolk during a sightseeing cruise near Naval Station Norfolk, Viriginia, on June 7, 2022, with 108 people on board. The fire was too large for the crew to fight, and the passengers and crew were evacuated to other vessels.

If you think the human element is the only cause of enclosed space deaths, think again.Enclosed space incidents are cited as the largest cause of on-duty fatalities in commercial shipping. The risks can’t simply be engineered out, but there’s a powerful coalition wanting action nonetheless.There’s a tendency to blame failure to follow procedures, they say. Investigations seldom focus on the practicality of those procedures or the influence of the operating environment and vessel design, they say.

Corvus Energy announced its newly developed containerized battery room solution has received Type Approval from DNV, confirming suitability for a range of marine applications.The Corvus BOB (Battery-On-Board) is a standardized, plug-and-play battery room solution available in 10-foot and 20-foot ISO high-cube container sizes designed for easy integration with existing ship systems. The A60 battery room container comes with batteries, a battery management system (BMS), HVAC, Thermal Runaway Exhaust…

French and British authorities have ordered infrared panoramic detection systems from French company HGH to help reduce illegal immigration across the English Channel.The two countries have previously signed a “smart border” agreement worth 72.2 million euros for the period 2022-2023. The aim is to use advanced technologies to secure the coastline and prevent people drowning onboard makeshift boats.HGH will provide its SPYNEL solutions which allow for permanent and continuous surveillance.

A valve failure that caused a flame to flare up briefly on the world's first liquid hydrogen carrier before its first trip from Australia to Japan highlighted the need for strong fault detection systems, an Australian safety report found.The cause of the incident on the Suiso Frontier on Jan. 25 last year has been fixed, the Australian Transportation Safety Board said in a report released last week. The ship had loaded liquid hydrogen for the trip the day before. "Safety has always been our highest priority.

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) is expanding its naval defense capabilities by offering the nForcer FM 175D engine, the defense contractor's first engine designed for high-speed applications. With more power density than competing high-speed engines in the maritime defense marketplace, the nForcer FM 175D is best suited to support the substantial power and propulsion needs of the Navy's unmanned programs."The Navy's future fleet will be electric, and the power requirements for each…

In the early morning hours of September 26, 2022, seismologists located throughout northern Europe detected two disturbances originating in the Baltic Sea that were consistent with underwater explosions. Within hours, an aerial image captured by a passing Danish F-16 showed an expanse of frothy seawater, suggesting that the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines had experienced a catastrophic event. Within days, an investigation by the Swedish Security Service concluded that both pipelines had sustained extensive damage due to an act of gross sabotage.

Norway said on Thursday it would impose limits on Russian fishing vessels using its ports, in a further tightening of security following last week's suspected sabotage on the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the nearby Baltic Sea.Russian trawlers will now only be allowed to visit three of several dozen ports along the Norwegian coast and must undergo security checks when they do, foreign minister Anniken Huitfeldt told a news conference.She stopped short of imposing a total ban on Russian vessels demanded by some security experts and opposition politicians…

About the Author: Captain Rahul Khanna is Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting at Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty. A marine professional with 26 years of experience within the Shipping and Maritime industry, Captain Khanna served more than 14 years on board merchant ships in all ranks, including Master of large oil tankers trading worldwide. Although shipping losses have more than halved over the past decade fires on board vessels remain among the biggest safety issues for the maritime industry.

An incorrectly installed section of main engine fuel oil return tubing led to an engine room fire aboard a containership off the coast of Santa Barbara, Calif., the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.Marine Investigation Report 22/15 details the NTSB’s investigation of the April 28, 2021, fire aboard the containership President Eisenhower while transiting through the Santa Barbara Channel. The vessel was transiting to Oakland, California with a crew of 22. The crew extinguished the fire using the engine room’s fixed carbon dioxide fire-extinguishing system. As a result of the fire, the vessel lost propulsion and drifted for several hours before being towed to the Port of Los Angeles. No pollution or injuries were reported.

To find the mine warfare challenge with the highest degree of difficulty, start at the bottom.Lurking unseen below the surface, naval mines pose a serious problem. They’re cheap, relatively easy to deploy and can inflict heavy damage against even the most sophisticated warships. They can be hard to detect and difficult to counter. What you can’t see can hurt you. And the most difficult mines to find and eliminate are bottom and buried mines. Navies have developed ships to hunt for mines in the water column so they can be avoided or destroyed…

An electrical fault from an improperly disconnected battery in a used vehicle led to the fire aboard vehicle carrier Höegh Xiamen that resulted in $40 million worth of damages, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Thursday.As a result of the investigation, NTSB issued eight safety recommendations to federal regulators and the companies involved in the accident.On June 4, 2020, while the Höegh Xiamen was in Jacksonville, Fla., the ship's crew noticed smoke coming from the ventilation housing while preparing to depart port for Baltimore, Md.

Catastrophic engine damage led to the fire aboard the U.S. -flagged offshore supply vessel Ocean Intervention near Honolulu, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.No pollution or injuries to the 16 crewmembers were reported in connection with the mechanical failure, which resulted in a fire in the engine room on December 19, 2020. The crew isolated the fire before it could spread throughout the vessel.The Ocean Intervention, a 243-foot-long, steel-hulled vessel, was built in 1998 and operated by Oceaneering International, Inc.

The proliferation of serious fires onboard container ships in recent years has shocked the shipping industry. Here we examine the causes and impact of such fires and the urgent efforts being made by a wide variety of stakeholders to solve this seemingly intractable problem.Over the last decade there has been a 70% fall in ship total losses[1]. This has been widely credited to long term improvements in ship safety management and loss prevention programs. Counter to this trend, there has been a substantial increase in the number of fires in containers carried onboard container and RoRo ships.

MetalCraft Marine has delivered a new patrol boat to the Port of Los Angeles. The new vessel is one of a new breed of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detection patrol boats.According to the builder, the bow entry is the critical design feature of all Interceptor models. Its high-speed rough water performance allows the operators to go offshore to inspect incoming ships before they enter the port for nuclear and chemical hazardous contaminants.The boat is designed for rough water with structure design to ISO 12215 and stability to ISO 12217 Category B…

MAN Energy Solutions’ marine liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel-gas-system manufacturer MAN Cryo has inked a deal to supply the LNG fuel-gas supply systems for two icebreaking roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) newbuilds being built at Yantai Raffles shipyard in China for Swedish shipping line Wallenius SOL. MAN Energy Solutions will also supply a pair of 9L28/32DF dual-fuel auxiliary engines to each vessel.Upon construction, the 242-meter vessels will be the largest to ever to meet Finnish/Swedish ice class 1A Super standard…

Insufficient Maintenance Program, Lack of Guidance Led to Passenger Vessel Fire. The National Transportation Safety Board determined during a public meeting held Tuesday that an insufficient preventative maintenance program and lack of guidance for responding to engine high-temperature conditions, led to the Jan. 14, 2018, fire aboard the small passenger vessel Island Lady, in the waters of the Pithlachascotee River, near Port Ritchey, Florida.The Island Lady was a 72-foot-long passenger vessel operated by Tropical Breeze Casino Cruz…

Pair of privately owned Spanish yards ready to assist Owners with IMO regulationsNew rules are always a driver for ship refit, and this truly is a transcendent time in maritime history, as rules regarding Ballast Water Management Systems and new emissions regulations are conspiring to create a lot of work for shipyards.As IMO has set a global limit for Sulfur in fuel oil used on board ships of 0.50% m/m (mass by mass) from 1 January 2020, Astander and Astican, the two busiest privately owned ship repair & conversion shipyards in Spain…

Lake Assault Boats said it has delivered a 28-foot rescue vessel to the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Water Patrol Unit located in Minneapolis, Minn. Purchased from the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule, the vessel will assist in rescue and recovery operations along the Mississippi River. The vessel is powered by a pair of Mercury Verado 300 hp engines with digital throttle, shift and power steering, as well as the Mercury Joystick Piloting and Skyhook Digital Anchoring systems.

Abu Dhabi celebrated the official commencement of operations of Fujairah Terminals in the East coast of the United Arab Emirates. The announcement came following an official event held at Novotel Fujairah, attended by Sheikh Saleh bin Mohammed Al Sharqi, Chairman of the Board of Port of Fujairah, Captain Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports, along with a delegation of Senior Managers, Key Stakeholders and Customers. Earlier this year, Abu Dhabi Ports signed a 35-year concession agreement with the Port of Fujairah, under which "Fujairah Terminals", a new operational arm wholly owned by Abu Dhabi Ports, was established with over AED 1 billion ear-marked for investment in in equipment, and infra and super structure.

On Thursday, August 17, the Secretary of the Mexican Navy, Admiral Vidal Francisco Soberón Sanz, took part in a symbolic coin ceremony at Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) at Vlissingen in the Netherlands. He was accompanied by the Secretary of National Defense, General Salvador Cienfuegos. The ceremony is a part of the shipbuilding process, traditionally aimed at attracting good fortune for a vessel under construction. On this occasion, the vessel is a Damen Sigma 10514 Long Range Patrol Vessel. The Mexican Navy is a long-standing client of Damen and currently operates no fewer than ten Damen vessels in its fleet. The project for a Sigma 10514 was signed earlier this year.