Launch And Recovery Systems News

Ocean Infinity's Armada 7801 has reached Norway after a long journey from Vietnam, where its hull was built last year at the Vard Vung Tau shipyard."Our first new ship has arrived in Norway, having set sail on its maiden voyage from Vietnam in November. Installation of the payload equipment and remote systems will now commence ahead of the ship entering service on offshore data acquisition tasks in the coming months," Ocean Infinity, a seabed survey and ocean research company based in the United States…

Subsea service provider Reach Subsea has chartered Volstad Maritime's offshore construction vessel Deep Cygnus for four years, with an option to extend for one year.The vessel will be equipped with launch and recovery systems (LARS) and ROVs before the delivery to Reach Subsea.Reach will mobilize the 122-meter vessel during February/March 2023 and use the vessel on its own projects within IMR (inspection maintenance and repair) and light construction within the oil & gas and renewables sectors. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed."This subsea spread is well suited for our core focus markets and has a good fit with the tenders we currently have outstanding…

General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) said on Friday it has been awarded a task order from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD) to conduct a manufacturing assessment of several new propulsor bearing concept designs for U.S. Navy submarines. The task order is under the Propulsor Demonstration Hardware (PDH) Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract previously awarded to GA-EMS.“Manufacturing feasibility evaluations such as this are crucial steps in determining whether a new concept design will deliver greater performance…

Marine minerals are coming under sharp focus offshore Norway. Analysts suggest it could be a $20 billion annual revenue industry by 2050, which is why many are taking an interest and developing the technology to make it happen. Marine mineral mining has been something of a slow burner in the wider marine world. It has some clear challenges, not least location and depth of these potential resources, but also concerns around its environmental impact.Yet it now appears to be coming into a distinctly sharp focus…

The U.S. Navy uses unmanned and robotic underwater vehicles for a multitude of functions, including environmental sensing, mine hunting, and salvage. The Navy plans to evolve an unmanned systems operating concept that is platform agnostic and capable of operating in highly complex contested environments with minimal operator interaction.The most recent edition of the Navy’s Unmanned Systems (UxS) Roadmap was issued in 2018, and a new version is expected in the near future. The 2018 document states that UxS will operate in every domain…

Davit supplier Vestdavit said its U.S. operation has won a contract to deliver boat launch-and-recovery systems to two U.S. Navy Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessels currently being built by global shipbuilder Austal at its yard in Mobile, Ala.Vestdavit Inc. will supply a 2TDB-7000 davit system to each of EPF 13 and EPF 14, the latest vessels to be commissioned as part of the U.S. Navy’s EPF program. With EPF 13 due for delivery in late 2021, both ships will be deployed in the high-speed…

Boat launch and recovery systems supplier Vestdavit said it will deliver motion-compensated davits to the US Navy, following orders placed by shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO to equip two Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ships.The US shipbuilder’s San Diego yard will deliver ESB 6 and ESB 7, the latest in a series of ships which act as mobile sea bases to support mine countermeasure, counter-piracy, disaster-relief, crisis-response and other operations. Bergen-based Vestdavit in 2017 established Vestdavit Inc.

Vestdavit won a tender from Chantiers de l’Atlantique to supply davit systems for four new logistic support ships due delivery to the French Navy under the FLOTLOG (Flotte Logistique) program. The double-hulled vessels will replace the Navy’s current, single-hulled LSSs and will be deployed to support France’s blue-sea combat fleet commitment to OCCAR (Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation).Vestdavit will supply two PLD-6000 A-frame davits for interception craft and a single…

Oceaneering International announced Monday that it has taken delivery of a newbuild subsea construction support vessel, Ocean Evolution, built by BAE Systems in the US.The US-flagged, Jones Act-compliant multi-service vessel (MSV) has completed sea trials and received all necessary ABS and U.S. Coast Guard certifications and is currently in Port Fourchon, La., completing final outfitting and preparing for project work scheduled to begin in June.Oceaneering said the vessel is designed…

JFD, the world leading underwater capability provider serving the commercial and defence markets, and part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has successfully completed the sea trials of the deep search and rescue vehicle (DSRV) for the first of two 3rd Generation Submarine Rescue Systems being delivered to the Indian Navy, the company has announced.The DSRV carried out underwater mating with a bottomed submarine at a depth of over 300 feet, followed by a target mating and hatch opening at 45 degrees.On successful mating with the bottomed submarine, JFD and the Indian Navy then carried out a safe transfer of personnel from the submarine to the DSRV.The sea trials have proven the newly inducted DSRV’s ability to undertake rescue operations from a disabled submarine at sea…

Ending 2016, TBV Marine Systems, part of High-Tech Solutions & Design B.V., has finished the commissioning for eight FRC/RHIB Launch and Recovery systems (LARS) that have been delivered for four new vessels ordered by the Kuwait Coast Guard.  For this project, the LARS was designed to carry a craft with a length of nearly nine meters, with a maximum weight of six tons. For each vessel, the stern ramp was designed to carry two systems, which were both powered by one hydraulic power unit.

MacGregor has won davit orders for two low-emission 81m service operation vessels (SOVs) designed to act as 'mother-ships' for wind turbine technicians. The contracts have been placed by Spanish shipyard GONDAN, responsible for the construction of the SOVs. The order was booked in Cargotec's 2016 third quarter order intake. The SOVs have been ordered by Norwegian operator Østensjø Rederi. They will serve UK-headquartered DONG Energy's Race Bank and Project One offshore wind farms in the North Sea. Each vessel will be fitted with a MacGregor HMD G110 davit designed for launching and recovery of personnel-carrying 'daughter' craft and a MacGregor HMD A34 davit designed for launching and recovery of rescue boats.

Poland based Protea, supplier of offshore and marine lifting and mechanical handling equipment including cranes, winches and launch and recovery systems, is expanding its offering to also deliver heavy lift cargo cranes. Protea engineers are currently developing an all new, all electric cargo crane constructed from ultra high strength steel and will be available in a range of sizes from 60t to 500t (or even higher upon client request). “The combination of high strength steel and the electric drive system allows our customers to benefit from significant improvements in operational efficiency…

JFD, part of James Fisher and Sons plc, announced that it has won a contract with Singaporean company Flash Tekk Engineering for the design and manufacture of up to eight Self-Propelled Hyperbaric Lifeboats (SPHL). A development to improve operational safety standards, SPHLs are to be installed as part of the saturation diving systems on the new Red-Class fleet of Diving Support Vessels (DSV). The SPHLs are currently under construction for Flash Tekk’s parent company Ultra Deep Solutions, the builder and operator of ultra-deep diving heavy construction vessels.

Subsea operation specialist, Swire Seabed, has placed an order for the acquisition of two Kystdesign Supporter Work-Class Remotely Operated Vehicles (WROVs) with Lidan Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS), for delivery in February 2016. Swire Seabed has the option to purchase two more WROVs. Swire Seabed prides itself on its strong track record of undertaking a wide range of subsea operations and its team of highly experienced onshore and offshore specialists. Swire Seabed’s other mobile subsea assets include a 6,000 metres depth rated Argus Bathysaurus XL WROV, a Sperre Subfighter 15k observation ROV and the Seabed Excavator, a cutting-edge multi-purpose subsea tool carrier and dredging vehicle.

Vard Holdings Limited (VARD) has announced that through its subsidiary Seaonics, it has acquired ICD Software, a leading provider of automation and control system software for the offshore and marine sectors. Established in 2011 and 51% controlled by VARD, Seaonics delivers winches, cranes and handling equipment to the offshore and maritime sector. The company has developed cranes for critical offshore lifting operations up to 250t, and is one of the market leaders for Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS). Prior to the transaction, Seaonics employed 50 employees in Norway and a subsidiary in Poland. ICD Software is specialized in the development of automation software and control systems, and employs 63, half of which in Norway and the remainder in two subsidiaries in Poland and Estonia.

The first lifejacket custom-designed specifically for offshore personnel carrying out rope access or work at height has been developed by Survitec Group, the leading provider of survival and safety equipment to the offshore industry. The jacket, which has been designed in conjunction with leading offshore operators, incorporates a number of safety features which include minimising the risk of accidental deployment. Trialled successfully both on and offshore to work in conjunction with a fall arrest harness, it has already been recognised as an industry-leading product by companies which specialise in operating at height. Survitec Group supplies and maintains around 85% of lifejackets and liferafts to the offshore industry in the northern, central and southern North Sea.

PALFINGER MARINE has sold a package of three travelling cranes and two foldable knuckle boom cranes to Aker Solutions for the use at the Mariner platform. The Mariner platform will be established at the Mariner field, which is located on the East Shetland Platform of the U.K. North Sea. The main operator of the field is Statoil. Production is expected to commence in 2017. The platform will convey an average of 55,000 barrels of oil per day. PALFINGER DREGGEN is delivering two TKU25 underslung travelling cranes with a safe working load (SWL) of 25 t and a span of 14 m and one TKU75 underslung travelling crane with SWL of 75 t and a 14 m span as well. Both cranes are DNV certified. The TKU75 is designed to transfer the blowout preventer (BOP) and its subassemblies.

Sound Ocean Systems, Inc. (SOSI) announced the delivery of two unique mooring winches, both tested on its newly constructed test pad at its primary manufacturing facility in Sultan, Wash. SOSI recently delivered two all-electric, custom designed, VFD controlled large mooring winches developed for Oregon State University and the University of Washington. Although configured differently, both the 175 HP OSU Heavy Lift winch and the 75 HP UW Medium Lift winch contained SOSI’s continuous position sensing level wind system. The Heavy Lift Winch is capable of deploying or recovering 25,000 lbs.

Incat Crowther’s first-of-type Catamaran Dive Support Vessel, Bhagwan Dryden, was launched and delivered earlier this year. According to the designer, operational feedback has been positive for the vessel, which has already received praise for initial operations, including mooring inspection carried out by ROV and operations under four point mooring and DP in shallow, rough seas. Developed in conjunction with Bhagwan Marine, and built by Keppel, Bhagwan Dryden has been designed from the keel up to perform six key roles…

Vard Holdings Limited, through its specialized subsidiary Seaonics, has secured a large equipment contract for a vessel under construction at Fincantieri S.p.A. Based in Ålesund, Norway, Seaonics designs and manufactures offshore handling equipment to improve all critical lift and handling operations. Its products are used in subsea construction, module handling, well intervention, reservoir exploration, ocean trawling and other specialized applications in the offshore and marine industries.

Palfinger Marine has expanded its product portfolio with the acquisition of Norwegian Deck Machinery AS (NDM), stating NDM’s position within the design and development of deck winches and handling equipment for the oil and gas as well as the marine market will be an important factor for the company’s future strategy. NDM will be integrated into Palfinger Marine as a winches business unit, joining the company’s existing business units for marine cranes, offshore cranes, launch and recovery systems, as well as boats and wind cranes.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) was awarded a $224 million modification to an existing contract for advanced planning of the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). The work will be performed at the company's Newport News Shipbuilding division. The contract funds continued planning work for the RCOH as well as the procurement of long-lead materials, including items such as pumps, breakers, valves and steel to support fabrication of structural units.