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Mk News

20 Feb 2024

Fueltrax Wins Contracts with Southeast Asian Vessel Operators

(Photo: Fueltrax)

Fueltrax reports it has won a series of contracts from a group of deep sea and offshore support vessel operators working with a global oil company in Southeast Asia.Of 30 ships that implemented a fuel management system at the urging of their oil company customer to ensure accurate fuel usage transparency and emissions tracking, 28 of them chose the Fueltrax Electronic Fuel Management System (EFMS), the Texas-based company said.The patented Fueltrax EFMS measures direct fuel consumption and transfers on board, enabling vessel operators to reduce operational and fuel costs.

09 Jan 2024

NYK Orders Man Energy Engines for Four LNG Carriers

MAN B&W ME-GA engine (Credit: Man Energy Solutions)

Japanese shipping giant NYK has ordered eight ME-GA engines from Man Energy Solutions for four liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers.The order is for eight 5G70ME-GA Mk. 10.5 engines related to the construction of four 174,000 cbm. LNG carriers by NYK.All eight engines will feature MAN Energy Solutions’ proprietary EGRBP (Exhaust Gas Recirculation ByPass) emissions-reduction technology.“We developed this engine for easy application to most contemporary LNG carrier designs and, indeed, all ME-GA orders to date have been exclusively for this segment.

28 Dec 2023

USCG's New Cutters Can’t Arrive Soon Enough

(Photo: Brandon Giles / U.S. Coast Guard)

The much-needed replacement for the U.S. Coast Guard’s long-serving medium endurance cutters (WMEC) took a giant step closer to joining the fleet as the first Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) was launched and christened at Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City, Fla. on October 27, 2023.The future USCGC Argus (WMSM 915) was christened by the ship’s sponsor, Captain (Ret.) Beverly Kelley, the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel, the 95-foot patrol boat, USCGC Cape Newagen (WPB 95318).

22 Nov 2023

MAN Engine Ordered for World's First Methanol-fueled VLCC

(Image: MAN Energy Solutions)

China Merchants Energy Shipping (CMES), the Shanghai-listed shipping giant and daughter company of China Merchants Heavy Industry (CMHI), has ordered an MAN B&W 7G80ME-LGIM (-Liquid Gas Injection Methanol) main engine in connection with the construction of a very large crude carrier (VLCC). The first such dual-fuel methanol order for the ship type, Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co (DSIC) will construct the vessel with delivery due by April 2026.CSE (China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Diesel Engine Co.…

25 Sep 2023

Taiwan Expects to Deploy Two New Submarines by 2027

© Norman Chan / Adobe Stock

Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two new, domestically developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models with missiles, to strengthen deterrence against the Chinese navy and protect key supply lines, the head of the program said.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has made the indigenous sub program a key part of an ambitious project to modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily military exercises to assert its sovereignty.President Tsai Ing-wen…

25 Apr 2023

World’s Largest VLGC Ready for Delivery

gas carrier courtesy of Petredec Global

The world's largest very large gas carrier (VLGC) has been unveiled in Shanghai ahead of its delivery to Singapore-based owner Petredec Global.The dual-fuel LPG vessel Harzand was designed and built by Jiangnan Shipyard and has a capacity of 93,000cbm. It is 230 meters long and 36.6 meters wide.Harzand is the first of six underway for Petredec. The order was signed in November 2020 and calls for the vessels to be fitted with MAN ES LGIP engines and a shaft generator to utilise…

28 Mar 2023

In the Navy:The Role of Advanced Sea Mines in Future Conflicts

Sailors assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) load a MK 67 submarine launched mobile mine (SLMM) onto Annapolis, May 4. Annapolis will be conducting maritime operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations to maintain a safe and open Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zachary Grooman).

When it comes to war, the old adage that the best defense is a good offense rings true. Nowhere is this more the case than naval warfare, where initiative can make the difference between victory and defeat. As an integral part of naval warfare, mine warfare – both mine countermeasures and mine laying, or “offensive” mine warfare - will continue to influence naval operations. Yet the latter of these sub disciplines - the “other” mine warfare, as Admiral James Winnefeld, Jr. calls it - has often been missing from mine warfare discussions.

21 Dec 2022

Great Ships '22: USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125)

The guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) fires a Standard Missile 2 missile from the ship's forward and aft missile decks during a missile exercise. Mustin is one of seven guided missile destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15 and is forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Devon Dow/Released)

The Arleigh Burke-class Guided Missile Destroyer - The world’s most successful post-war surface combatantsThe USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) class of guided missile destroyers can rightfully be called the most successful class of surface combatants in the post-World War II era. The lead ship was commissioned in 1991, and the Navy is still building them at Huntington Ingalls Industries Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Miss., and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine. A total of 89 have been procured through FY2022…

07 Nov 2022

Navy: Swedish Combat Boat 90, Both a Warrior and a Workhorse

A riverine command boat operates alongside the amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Zane Ecklund)

The Swedish-built Combat Boat 90 (CB 90) has established itself with military forces around the world as both a warrior and a workhorse. The 52-foot boats first entered service in 1991 as troop carriers with the Swedish Marines, which is still procuring them. There are more than 250 operating worldwide today.These rugged boats are optimized for high-speed / shallow-draft operations in and around Sweden’s many coastal islands, but they have also proven to be ideal for a variety of other applications and operating environments.The CB 90 is 52 feet long, with a draft of just 2 feet 7 inches.

22 Oct 2022

Anglo-Eastern Opens New Maritime Training Center Site

(Photo: Anglo-Eastern)

Anglo-Eastern’s flagship maritime training center in Mumbai recently celebrated the inauguration of its new premises at Leela Business Park in Andheri East. The new training space is home to Anglo-Eastern Maritime Training Centre (AEMTC) Mumbai and the associated partner facilities of MAN PrimeServ, WinGD and Wӓrtsilӓ.After 21 years at its former site, AEMTC Mumbai had outgrown the premises and was due for a refresh. The relocation to Leela Business Park, conveniently located on a single level above Anglo-Eastern’s crewing division…

08 Sep 2022

Chevron Supplies First Stem of 40 BN Category II Lube Oil

Pat McCloud, General Manager, Chevron Global Marine Lubricants (Photo: Chevron Global Marine Lubricants)

Chevron Marine Lubricants said it made its first delivery of a 40 BN Category II lube oil on August 30, in a breakthrough moment for operators of MAN ES Mk9 and above two-stroke engines, when it supplied a stem of its new Taro Ultra Advanced 40 to SIEM Car Carriers.“We are very pleased that Taro Ultra Advanced 40 is now available to our customers and that we have successfully made the first delivery,” said Pat McCloud, General Manager, Chevron Global Marine Lubricants. “From September, it will be available at major ports across Europe and Asia Pacific, including Singapore and Rotterdam.

07 Jul 2022

SAFE Boats: Keeping ’Em Coming

(Photo: SAFE Boats International)

Despite all of the challenges that COVID-19 has wrought upon the marine industry, SAFE Boats International has managed to keep building and delivering boats to its customers. A snapshot of the last six months has seen the Bremerton, Wash. boatbuilder deliver more 30 boats, and it has a healthy backlog to keep busy for the next year and beyond. Its range of boats and customers runs from small to large, and deliveries stretch across the globe.Below are highlights of vessels SAFE…

28 Jun 2022

US Supplying Ukraine with Over 20 Metal Shark Military Vessels

(Photo: Metal Shark)

The United States is providing Ukraine with a range of defense articles, including 23 welded-aluminum military vessels built by Louisiana-based Metal Shark, to help Ukraine to better protect its coastline, waterways and ports.Last week it was announced that six of the U.S. Navy’s new 40 PB maritime combat vessels would be sent to Ukraine as part of a $450 million security assistance package. Built by Metal Shark and delivered to the Navy in 2021 as part of a currently active defense contract for 50 vessels…

16 Jun 2022

Updates, Developments and Advances in Combat and Patrol Craft

SBI completed an order last December for 52 Coastal Interceptor Vessels for U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Photo: SAFE Boats)

My first visit in 2007 to the American Society of Naval Engineers’ (ASNE) Multi-Agency Craft Conference (MACC) was an eye-opener. Having built a naval architecture career with frigates, destroyers and other large naval and commercial ships, I was eager to learn of the smaller craft used by the U.S. Navy and other government and military bodies. As my flight into Norfolk, Va. descended over Chesapeake Bay, I gazed in amazement as a Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) raced toward Virginia Beach, slowed, glided up the beach and into its shore base.

14 Jun 2022

USCG Report: Small Cutters Prove They Can Patrol a Big Ocean

The Coast Guard Cutters Joseph Gerczak and Juniper refuel in Papeete, Tahiti, while underway during Operation Aiga, February 6, 2022. The two cutters are in the region combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing and other maritime threats on the high seas throughout the Pacific. (U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of the CGC Juniper)

The Coast Guard’s 353-ton, 154-foot fast response cutter (WPC) is capable of deploying independently to conduct missions that include port, waterways and coastal security; fishery patrols; search and rescue; and national defense. The service plans to build 64 of them to replace the 110-foot Island class patrol boats. The FRC has a range of 2,500 miles, but the endurance of the 24 crewmembers is normally limited to about five days based on the quantity of provisions carried. Both the 110s and 154s have about the same speed and range…

01 Jun 2022

Windcat CTV is World's First Powered by Dual-fuel Hydrogen Engines

(Photo: Windcat Workboats)

The world's first dual-fuel hydrogen- and diesel-powered crew transfer vessel (CTV) is ready for service, outfitted to run the cleaner fuel that reduces up to 80% of its traditional fuel usage and associated emissions.The 25-meter vessel, Hydrocat 48—owned by Windcat Workboats, part of Compagnie Maritime Belge (CMB)—is based on the Windcat MK 3.5 design but lengthened to integrate adequate hydrogen storage on board. The vessel, which has been certified by Lloyd’s Register and U.K. Maritime and Coastguard Agency, recently completed bunkering and sea trials in May.

26 Apr 2022

Chevron Completes Testing of New Marine Cylinder Oil meeting MAN ES’ Category II Spec

Image caption: Taro Ultra Advanced 40 was tested extensively on vessels with MAN 8G80ME-C9.2 in conjunction with shipowners including Greece’s Cape Shipping SA. Photo courtesy Chevron Marine Lubricants

Chevron Marine Lubricants’ new Taro Ultra Advanced 40 has passed the Main NOL (No Objection Letter) Service and Confirmation field tests by MAN Energy Solutions, which allows the oil’s uninterrupted use in its Mk 9 and later engines.Since the International Maritime organization (IMO) 0.5% sulphur cap came into effect on 1 January 2020, the engine designer has defined two performance standards for lube oils intended for use in their two-stroke engines. To deal with changing fuel variants and engine designs…

16 Feb 2022

Shipbuilding: Fincantieri Marine Group Invests Mightily to Deliver for the US Navy

Fincantieri Marinette Marine rendering with completed construction and FFG-62 on shiplift. Photo courtesy FMG

When he served as the commander of NWSC Carderock, Mark Vandroff woke every morning knowing that his counterpart in China had just gone to bed and had spent that day trying to make China’s Navy superior. His job, he figured, was to “get cracking and work to make our Navy even better.” Now the CEO at Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), Vandroff brings that passion for navy shipbuilding – and delivering on the new USN Constellation-class frigates contract – to work every day.Introducing a new class of warship usually comes with a heaping helping of pain, from cost overruns to technical glitches.

11 Nov 2021

U.S. Navy: Constellation-class Brings Frigates Back to the U.S. Fleet

Artist’s concept of the new Constellation class of guided missile frigates.  (Fincantieri Marinette Marine)

Introducing a new class of warship can be fraught with pain, and the first ship is always the hardest – almost always behind schedule and over budget. And trying something new and transformational is even harder.The U.S. Navy knows this from experience. That’s one reason why the Navy is opting for a lower risk design for its next class of guided missile frigates (FFGs).Just about every new class has experienced a rough start. Although the USS Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) today represent the largest and most successful class of warships…

21 Oct 2021

SAFE Boats Wins $90 Million Patrol Boat Contract

(Photo: SAFE Boats International)

Bremerton, Wash. boat builder SAFE Boats International has been awarded an $89,717,984 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for design, construction, outfitting, reactivation and training for six Mk VI Patrol Boats with an option for two additional vessels.This contract will provide Mk VI Patrol Boats to Ukraine via a U.S. State Department-approved agreement utilizing Building Partner Capacity (BPC) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) funds. Work will…

28 Sep 2021

BW Offshore Orders VIKING Lifeboats for Australia-bound FPSO

Credit; VIKING

Offshore safety equipment provider VIKING has said it has won a contract with FPSO supplier BW Offshore to deliver has selected VIKING Norsafe free-fall lifeboats, daughter craft, and davits for a large FPSO project which will operate off northern Australia.While VIKING did not share the exact name of the FPSO project, this is most likely the Barossa FPSO BW Offshore is building for deployment at Santos' Barossa project.The safety equipment provider said that the primary means of evacuation from the FPSO will be three VIKING Norsafe GES-50 Mk.

20 Aug 2021

Solstad Offshore Sells Platform Supply Vessel

Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Offshore has sold another vessel. This time the platform supply vessel Far Spirit.The company said Tuesday the vessel had been sold by its subsidiary Farstad Marine to an undisclosed buyer."Delivery of the vessel to the new owner took place today June 22nd, 2021. The sale of the vessel will result in an immaterial accounting effect for Q2-2021," Solstad Offshore said, without revealing the sale price. The Far Spirit vessel, of the VS 470 Mk II design, was built in 2007 by Westcon Olen yard in Norway.Solstad Offshore last year said that, as part of its restructuring agreement, it was to "right-size" its fleet to make it more competitive…

09 Jun 2021

The Navy’s Big Fleet of Small Boats

The U.S. Navy’s Mark VI class patrol boat is designed to patrol riverine and littoral waters around the globe. (Photo: Nelson Doromal Jr / U.S. Navy)

The Navy is known for its big ships. It has a lot of smaller boats and craft, too—3,200 of them.The three primary stakeholders for these craft are the Surface Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. Other stakeholders include Submarine Forces; Air Forces (which own the aircraft carriers); Naval Special Warfare; the Coast Guard; Naval Facilities Command and the Naval Warfare Centers.Boats and craft are procured and managed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office for Ships (PEO Ships)…