Armour News

Two Russian warships transited the Bosphorus en route to the Black Sea on Saturday and 15 smaller vessels completed a transfer to the sea as Moscow beefs up its naval presence at a time of tense relations with the West and Ukraine.The reinforcement coincides with a huge build-up of Russian troops near Ukraine, something Moscow calls a temporary defensive exercise, and follows an escalation in fighting in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian government forces.Russia's relations with Washington…

William P. Doyle is the incoming Executive Director of the Maryland Port Administration. A former U.S. Federal Maritime Commissioner, Doyle currently serves as CEO & Executive Director of the Dredging Contractors of America – and the group's member companies have recently made a series of announcements to build new dredges of several types and sizes. We caught up with the incoming Port of Baltimore head to discuss his initial goals for the new role. How do you feel about being selected the head of MPA and Executive Director of the Port of Baltimore?I feel terrific.

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has welcomed the publication of the UK government’s ‘Maritime 2050’ strategy paper, which sets out the vision for the future of the UK maritime sector.The strategy, which has been developed in consultation with agencies including the UKHO and the wider public and private sectors, sets out a series of detailed recommendations to help the UK maintain its position as a leading global maritime nation. These recommendations span themes including the environment, international trade, security and resilience, infrastructure, people and technology.A focus on the positive impact that smart shipping and use of autonomous vessels could have on the environment…

Brussels-headquartered contracting giant Besix has completed the design and construction of Bahrain Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminal in Muharraq Island.The Bahrain LNG Import Terminal forms a vital part of the energy infrastructure of Bahrain as it provides the country with a secure supply of liquified natural gas to meet the country’s growth in demand for natural gas in order to fuel large industrial projects, to generate power and water, and for enhanced oil recovery.The scope of work included the design and construction of an LNG jetty constructed on drilled and grouted pin piles with a maximum length of 55 metres, located approximately 5km offshore and with a seabed level at -18 metres.

The UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) has announced the appointment of Cathrine Armour as the new Director of its Customer Division.Armour brings experience in leading data, science and technology-centric organizations, and will be instrumental in developing the UKHO as a leading marine geospatial information agency and hydrographic office.Armour joins the UKHO from Catapult’s South West Center of Excellence in Satellite Applications, a partnership led by the University of Exeter to stimulate the data economy; helping UK businesses develop new products and solutions using satellite technology.

Sailors at the Australian International Airshow at Avalon have had a very small but very important piece of kit to show the public. The item officially known in Royal Australian Navy parlance as the 'Boarding Life Jacket Load Bearing', is a new capability that turns three items of Navy equipment in one. Sailors from the Seamanship School at HMAS Cerberus were kept busy answering questions about the new jacket which will be used by members of Australian Navy boarding parties. Leading Seaman Boatswains Mate Kerin Young and Able Seaman Boatswains Mate Jarryd Parsons took turns modelling the jacket in the stifling heat and dust at Avalon. “The new integrated boarding life jacket brings together webbing, a life jacket and body armour, in one tailor-made solution,” Leading Seaman Young said.

A £350m ($431m) development plan to expand Aberdeen Harbour was approved on December 19, 2016. HR Wallingford has been involved in the project from its initial concept stages in 2010, and will be working with Aberdeen Harbour Board right through to construction, and undertaking modelling work for the approved contractor, Dragados UK Ltd. The new facilities will include 1,400 meters of new quay, with a water depth of up to 10.5 meters. Construction will begin in early 2017, with the project due to be completed in 2020.

Aberdeen-based subsea cable and connector specialist Hydro Group, has expanded its premises by investing £2 million in a new 13,700 sq ft bespoke facility, set to open in spring 2016. The company currently occupies a 45,500 sq ft facility at the Aberdeen Energy Park, purchasing the additional 0.63 acres of development land from Buccleuch Property and Moorfield Group (Buccmoor LP) to enable it to expand operations and develop a brand new workshop with mezzanine deck. Doug Whyte, Hydro Group Managing Director, said: “The new facility and additional space was required in order to diversify and develop our business. Hydro Group, an Energy Park occupier since 2008, designs and manufactures underwater cables and connectors for subsea, underwater, topside and onshore applications.

Braemar (incorporating The Salvage Association) has appointed Brian Armour as Senior Maritime Civil Engineer within its Ports & Harbours division. Brian will be based in the Singapore office and has many years’ experience in the design, analysis and construction of jetties and port structures in Australia and Asia. He will focus on providing advice on dock damage cases, and on berth safety disputes, on behalf of P&I Clubs, insurers and marine solicitors. He will, in addition, assist in the further development of Braemar SA’s Ports and Harbours consultancy services.

The General Ship Repair Corporation, a fixture on the Baltimore water front for nearly a century, continues to build a strong business while preparing for fourth generation ownership. General Ship Repair Corporation is as ubiquitous of a presence on the Baltimore waterfront as Under Armour, Domino Sugar and “Natty Boh.” General Ship Repair has stood strong for nearly a century since its founding by Charles “Buck” Lynch in 1924, evolving today into the de facto ‘go to’ for workboat repair in the Baltimore area.

Following an extensive evaluation protocol, the Kuwaiti Ministry of the interior has placed an order with Tampa Yacht Manufacturing LLC based in Florida – U.S.A, parent company of Tampa Defence UK and Tampa Defense USA, for 29 Fast Coastal Interceptor craft for the Kuwaiti Coast Guard. The 14.42M craft are powered by Man R6-800 diesels rated at 1600hp. The Tampa Yacht 44 FCI has a top speed of 55+ knots at full load and a range of over 300 nautical miles at 38 knots. With a crew capacity of up to six Coast Guard personnel the craft is equipped with NIJ111A ballistic armour, Areneson Surface Drives, crew served weapon mounts and a comprehensive electronic suite. The first craft will be delivered in September 2015.

Moscow stocks fall 10 pct, rouble down 2.5 pct over war jitters. Ukraine border guards say build-up of Russian armoured vehicles near Crimea. EU ministers meet but no immediate sanctions expected. Russia took a financial hit over its military intervention in neighbouring Ukraine, with its markets and currency plunging on Monday as President Vladimir Putin's forces tightened their grip on the Russian-speaking Crimea region. The Moscow stock market fell by 10 percent and the central bank spent $10 billion of its reserves to prop up the rouble as investors took fright at escalating tensions with the West over the former Soviet republic.

THOR is the brain-child of CTruk’s Military and Security team, who between them have amassed approximately 200 years of military experience, skills and knowledge. Realizing that new designs must be right the first time, the company has established a Military Design Advisory Panel (MDAP), which acts as an advisory body, steering design to ensure that vessels are fit for task. The result of all this expertise, not to mention CTruk’s proven offshore support vessel designs, is THOR…

Equally important, he said, is the need to safeguard the company’s Omani and multinational crew, some 600 of whom are at sea at any given time. “We spend a lot of money training our people. We use external consultants and have them sail on our vessels. We run through mock drills and mock attacks, provide citadels (safe rooms) on our ships, bulletproof film on the windows, body armour, razor wire, communications, and so on. This involves a big expense, but there is no alternative,” Capt Boyce told delegates on the second day of the TransOman Conference at the Grand Hyatt Muscat. In addition, the company spends significant sums on the deployment of private armed security guards on its vessels during sailings through piracy-prone waters.

Inchcape Shipping Services launches state-of-the-art anti-piracy solution. Cost effective armour protection provides unrivalled countermeasures to safeguard vessel and crew welfare. Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS), a maritime services provider, and Vessel Protection Solutions (VPS)  announced the launch of a new anti-piracy partnership that will provide the ultimate protection for vessels and their crews while operating in known piracy regions. The solutions will provide customers…

Lookouts scan the horizon, searching for any boat or vessel that looks out of place, careful eyes watch the radar screen. The entire crew is on edge; radio chatter between ships is nearly constant. Fishing vessels, normally a routine part of ocean travel, get extra scrutiny and wide passage. Any small boat approaching the ship sets off alarm bells. Anyone who makes their living on the sea knows these waters, one of the corridors of global commerce for as long man has been writing things down, are a dangerous place to travel.

Jo-Kell Inc., an electrical distribution and engineering company, has earned a position on the 2010 Inc. 5000 annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America. As an Inc. 5000 honoree, Jo-Kell shares a prestigious pedigree with such notable alumni as Inuit, Zappos, Under Armour, Microsoft, Visa and scores of other powerhouses. “We are honored to be named by Inc. Magazine as one of the nation’s top entrepreneurial companies,” said Suzy Kelly, CEO of Jo-Kell Inc. “I would like to thank Inc. Magazine for selecting Jo-Kell to be on this esteemed list, and mostly, I thank all of our Jo-Kell teammates and customers who are the key to our success.”

Fifteen talented Erie area high school students in the Minority College Experience / Women in Science and Engineering (MCE/WISE) program through Penn State Erie, participated in the Bayfront Center for Maritime Studies' (BCMS) first expedition of the Shipwreck Science Program on June 12, 2009. BCMS is an eleven year old non-profit community based organization in Erie, Pennsylvania that uses hands-on projects including sailing, boatbuilding, navigation and environmental science to teach and reinforce traditional subjects.

In very challenging weather conditions Danish contractor Per Aarsleff is installing its largest profile and one of its longest combination steel pile retaining walls for the extension to the container terminal in the Port of Muuga on the Gulf of Finland south coast, 17km east of the Estonian capital Tallinn. The site team, with its fleet of specialist marine plant, has been coping with freezing temperatures, strong winds and rough seas at the exposed site to accurately drive over 420 tubular steel piles up to 1.67m diameter and 45m long into the seabed.