Initial Deployment News

Dutch dredging specialist Van Oord said LNG-powered crane vessel, Werkendam started work on its first project this week.The world’s first LNG-powered crane vessel is carrying out maintenance work in the port of Rotterdam, Van Oord said in a press release.Port of Rotterdam Authority, is pleased with this initial deployment: "We are encouraging the transition from fuel oil to LNG as a fuel for shipping. It is good that operational ships are taking the lead," says Ronald Paul, COO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority.The Werkendam is also the first Van Oord vessel to run entirely on LNG. With a storage tank on the aft deck, the Werkendam can store enough LNG to sail and operate for fourteen days without refuelling.

Port security has too often lagged behind the demands of ever more vulnerable facilities with new technology often being deployed as an after-market add-on, rather than a homogenous part of the port’s day to day working. With new ports being developed on green or brown-field sites across the globe, it is now possible to design-in security from the planning stage. Dr. Mark Yong, Business Development Director for BMT, outlines the scale of the challenge and explains how port planners can help operational security. With the threat of international terrorism looming, port security remains of paramount importance, not only due to the direct threats to life and property, but for the potential economic damage that can arise from effects on supply chains.

The Philippines is pushing for a meeting among four Southeast Asian nations with conflicting claims to waters in the South China Sea so that they can hammer out a common stand in dealings with China, Manila's foreign minister said on Friday. Manila is waging a territorial dispute with China over the Spratlys and the Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, an area believed to be rich in oil and natural gas deposits as well as fisheries resources. Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims in the sea, which is traversed each year by ship-borne trade worth about $5 trillion. Albert del Rosario said the Philippines wanted to hold talks with Brunei…

Citing consumer interests, U.S.-flag international fleet, small businesses, suppliers and third parties such as terminals, vendors and bunker operators, Doyle submits additional questions to the G6 parties. Federal Maritime Commissioner William P. Doyle voted to approve a request for additional information from the filing parties to the G6 Alliance Agreement. Now approved by a vote of the Commission, this request has stopped the 45-day regulatory waiting period. A new 45-day period will begin after the parties have submitted responses to the request for additional information.

Raytheon awarded US Navy contract to extend open architecture combat system deployment and fleet support. Raytheon Company has been awarded a $22.5 million U.S. Navy contract for the Ship Self-Defense System. With this award, Raytheon will continue system development, test and integration, as well as Platform Systems Engineering Agent (PSEA) services and support for fleet-deployed systems. SSDS is an open, distributed combat management system in service on carriers and amphibious ships, including CVN, LSD dock landing ship, LPD, LHA and LHD classes. The LHA variant is nearing initial deployment, a technical refresh of the LSD-class is almost complete, and system development is underway for the new CVN 78-class of aircraft carriers.

TIE Technologies, Inc. and Geocomp Corporation announced that the British Petroleum PLC Houston Command Team and the U.S. Coast Guard approved initial deployment of the OilDam(TM) as a solution to keep leaking crude oil from away from the Gulf Coast shore. Separately, BP announced that it will give $75m worth of grants to Alabama, Florida and Mississippi to protect the environmentally sensitive coastline as the states respond to the worst oil spill in America's history. The OilDam(TM) solution is designed to keep oil away from the shore, contain it and pump it into storage containers for recycling. At the same time, this fixed barrier blocks oil, and is ecosystem friendly by allowing water to pass back and forth through its base, maintaining tidal flows to support critical shoreline life.

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Scott Dagendesh, , Det. USS Michigan (SSGN 727) (Blue) crew Sailors underwent topside line-handling training outside Trident Training Facility at Naval Base Kitsap, on May 7. Members of the submarine's crew used the training to keep abreast of the important aspects of Navy life and seamanship, such as line-handling. (Blue) Chief of the Boat (COB), Master Chief Electronics Technician (SS) Thomas Metcalf said that training like this instills pride and professionalism. "The reason for this training is to get myself, as the COB, and my crew onto the same sheet of music," said Metcalf. Prior to any deployment…

OOCL announced the christening of its second in line of the sixteen 4,578-TEU vessels, ordered with Samsung Heavy Industries since 2004. The newbuilding was named the m.v. OOCL Yokohama, by sponsor Dr. Jane C K Chan, the wife of Prof. Yue-Chim Richard Wong, Provost of the University of Hong Kong at the Geoje Shipyard of Samsung Heavy Industries in Korea. The m.v. OOCL Yokohama will be deployed under the AEA1 service, after its initial deployment in KTX1 service in the Intra-Asia region, providing a vital link between Asia and Australia. The OOCL Yokohama’s port rotation is : Kaohsiung / Hong Kong/ Shanghai / Chiwan / Hong Kong / Sydney / Melbourne / Brisbane and back to Kaohsiung in a 35-day round trip.

The U.S. Coast Guard announced today it received formal approval from the Department of Homeland Security to issue solicitations and award contracts to establish initial operating capability for the two-way, maritime data communications system known as the nationwide automatic identification system. "The nationwide automatic identification system will greatly aid the essential process of identifying, tracking, and communicating with vessels approaching our maritime borders and is a centerpiece in establishing effective maritime domain awareness," said Rear Adm. John P. Currier, the Coast Guard's assistant commandant for acquisitions.

After three years of little movement, the plan to furnish transportation workers with biometric ID cards is suddenly on the fast track, Washington Technology reported. The Homeland Security Department in May will solicit proposals for widespread deployment and make an award in July. But concerns remain about how the program, known as the Transportation Workers Identification Credential, will be funded and structured. Several large federal contractors, including BearingPoint of McLean, Va. and Lockheed Martin Corp., have confirmed they are interested in bidding for the fourth phase of the contract, which is production and deployment of cards for 850,000 port workers nationwide.

The Coast Guard officially announced its initial deployment of Homeport, an internet portal. Homeport (version 1.0) is the official Coast Guard information technology system for maritime security created to provide information and services to the maritime community and the public over the Internet. Coast Guard Federal Maritime Security Coordinators will use Homeport as a primary means for the day-to-day management and communication of port security matters with Area Maritime Security Committee members, commercial vessel and facility owners and operators, government partners, and the public. Homeport will afford instant access to information necessary to support increased information sharing requirements amongst Federal…