U.S. Revives Cold War Submarine Spy Program to Counter China
On a windswept island 50 miles north of Seattle sits a U.S. Navy monitoring station. For years, it was kept busy tracking whale movements and measuring rising sea temperatures. Last October, the Navy gave the unit a new name that better reflects its current mission: Theater Undersea Surveillance Command.The renaming of the spy station at the Whidbey Island naval base is a nod to a much larger U.S. military project, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans:…
Arctic Sea Ice is Youngest and Thinnest Now
The Arctic Ocean's blanket of sea ice has changed since 1958 from predominantly older, thicker ice to mostly younger, thinner ice, according to new research published by NASA scientist Ron Kwok of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California.With so little thick, old ice left, the rate of decrease in ice thickness has slowed. New ice grows faster but is more vulnerable to weather and wind, so ice thickness is now more variable, rather than dominated by the effect of global warming, according to NASA's Earth Science News Team.Working from a combination of satellite records and declassified submarine sonar data, NASA scientists have constructed a 60-year record of Arctic sea ice thickness.
Kara-Summer 2014 Arctic Field Expedition Started
The research and development expedition to investigate ice and metocean conditions in the Russian arctic organized by The Arctic Research and Design Center (the Rosneft and ExxonMobil JV) with the support of Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute experts has started in the White sea. Scientific research vessel Akademik Tryoshnikov departed the Arkhangelsk port to move along the route from the Kara Sea to the Chukchee Sea, virtually along the whole of the Russian Arctic coast. The comprehensive research expedition will last for 57 days. It will involve experts of Roshydromet, All-Russian Research Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources of the World Ocean named after academician Igor Gramberg and Institute of Geography of the Russsian Academy of Sciences.
Spying Oil Spills from Space
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is trialing the use of satellites to detect oil spills in Australian waters. Satellite-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SSAR) can identify potential oil spills directly from orbit. These satellite sensors can monitor day and night, can see through cloud, rain, fog and other weather. It is one of the most effective and reliable ways of spotting oil spills and the ships that cause them. AMSA’s Acting Marine Environment Division General Manager Jamie Storrie said AMSA currently relies on other vessels, airlines or the public to report any oil spill or marine pollution. “By the time a spill is reported, the oil may have already spread to sensitive areas and the chances of catching the polluter are poor,” Mr. Storrie said.
ST Engineering Showcases Product Range at IMDEX Asia 2013
ST Engineering unveiled a suite of total naval solutions offered by its Electronics and Marine arms at IMDEX Asia 2013, designed to provide users with comprehensive maritime awareness, command, control and advanced communications systems. From May 14-16, 2013, at the ST Engineering Booth in the Changi Exhibition Center, ST Electronics and ST Marine will showcase their capabilities covering Maritime Safety, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, Maritime Communications Systems and Electrooptic solutions. One of the highlights this year is the Damage Control Trainer, a multi-storied, shore-based trainer that has been constructed to resemble a ship.
