Spanish Police Seize Eight Tonnes of Cocaine
Spanish police seized eight tonnes of cocaine from Suriname hidden in a container disguised as a power generator in the southern port of Algeciras, tax authorities said on Monday.The haul of cocaine, one of the largest ever intercepted in Spain, was inside a metal structure designed to escape detection from scanners.But customs agents detected a large quantity of stacked goods that practically filled the container, so they forced it open.The drug smugglers had planned a route designed to make the discovery of the cargo's true contents as difficult as possible.
Archaeologists Plan Rescue of 2,500-year-old Phoenician Shipwreck
A group of Spanish archaeologists have made detailed diagrams of a 2,500-year-old Phoenician shipwreck to help work out how best to recover it from the sea before a storm destroys it forever.The eight-metre-long Mazarron II, named after the municipality in the southeastern Spanish region of Murcia where it was found off the coast, is a unique piece of ancient maritime engineering.Nine technicians from the University of Valencia underwent 560 hours of scuba diving over more than two weeks in June to record all the cracks and fissures in the shipâŚ
Saddam's Rusting Yacht Serves as Picnic Spot for Iraqi Fishermen
Capsized in a river in southern Iraq, the rusting wreck of a yacht that belonged to Saddam Hussein serves as a stark reminder of his iron-fisted rule that ended with the U.S.-led invasion two decades ago.The 121-metre (396 ft) "al-Mansur", a symbol of Saddam's wealth and power when it was built in the 1980s, is today a destination for sightseers and fisherman who clamber aboard the wreck to picnic and drink tea."When it was owned by the former president, no one could come close to itâŚ
Ship Repair: Inside the $60m Refit of RV Roger Revelle
This month MR dives inside the $60 million refit of RV Roger Revelle, a project which leverages a treasure trove of âlessons learnedâ from recent refits in the academic research vessel fleet and highlights the value of slimming the vendor list.Research vessel (R/V) Roger Revelle is back at work after a midlife refit involving upgrades from top to bottom, bow to stern. The ship is owned by the Office of Naval Research and has been operated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego since 1996. It is one of the largest ships in the U.S.
DNV GL Alliance for Offshore Wind Energy Development in Vietnam
Singapore-based Enterprize Energy and partner Renewable Energy Global Solutions (REGS), together with PetroVietnam consortium comprising Petroleum Equipment Assembly & Metal Structure (PVC-MS) and VietSovPetro (VSP), MHI-Vestas Offshore Wind (MVOW), and DNV GL signed a series of exclusive Agreements forming an alliance for multi-phased, utility-scale wind developments, offshore Southern Vietnam, including feasibility, environmental, development, financing planning through implementation. Ian Hatton, Enterprize Energyâs Chairman and Founder Director commented, âVietnamâs impressive economic growth is driving a need for new energy resources. Government has a very clear determination to meet rising energy demand with substantive growth in the supply of low-carbon, renewable energyâ.
Cape Africa Repairs Commence
A quayside in the Dockyard in Simon's Town has been the scene of much activity over the past week following the arrival of the bulk carrier 'Cape Africa' in False Bay last Tuesday, where she is presently at anchor some 6.9 kilometers off Simon's Town with the salvage tug 'Smit Amandla' in attendance. Salvors SMIT Salvage have announced that the second phase of the salvage operation - the repair process - will begin with the fitment of a habitat over the area of structural damage on the bulk carrier on Wednesday of this week and personnel have been hard at work in Simon's Town finalising preparatory work on the habitat, which is a massive steel structure measuring some 26m x 11m x 1,5m in size.
Lockheed Martin Receives $67M Contract for VLS
Lockheed Martin has been awarded an initial $67 million contract to continue production, delivery and installation of the MK 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) for the U.S. Navy. The contract includes production of launchers for two Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Aegis-equipped destroyers, as well as a major upgrade of five other destroyers already equipped with MK 41 VLS. An additional contract option of $129 million for U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales requirements in support of Koreaâs KDX-III shipbuilding program could raise the contract's total value to $196 million. United Defense, L.P. of Aberdeen, SD, will be issued a major subcontract to produce major subassemblies for the MK 41 VLS, as will Metric Systems in Fort Walton Beach, FL.
