Us Military Sealift Command News

Concordia Maritime on Friday announced it has entered into an agreement to sell two of its product tankers. The vessels are the 65,200 dwt Stena Progress and the 65,200 dwt Stena Premium, built in 2009 and 2011 respectively.After repayment of loans and liabilities to related parties, the transaction generates a liquidity supplement of approx. SEK 100 million (approximately US$9.5 million), Concordia Maritime said. The remaining debts are current operating liabilities.“With the sale, we continue to take advantage of the strong market and the high prices for older vessels.

Concordia Maritime announced Wednesday it has entered into an agreement to sell its 13-year-old product tanker Stena Penguin to an unnamed European buyer.The 65,200 dwt Stena Penguin is scheduled to be delivered to its new owner during the second quarter of 2023.Overall, the sale is expected to have a positive liquidity effect of approximately SEK 215 million (about $20.9 million) after repayment of the remaining bank debt to Svenska Skeppshypotek, Concordia said.Concordia Maritime CEO, Erik Lewenhaupt, said, “We are now divesting another vessel with a good margin.

Shipbuilder Austal has informed that the U.S. Navy's fast-transport ship USNS Newport (EPF 12) has completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico. USNS Newport is the 12th Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport ship built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, for the United States Navy (USN) in less than 8 years.Austal Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said: "Austal’s EPF high-speed catamaran is a true success story, proving to be an invaluable addition to the US Navy’s…

Gulf Island Shipyards was awarded a $63.5 million contract for the detail design and construction of the new Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship which will be based on existing commercial towing offshore vessel designs and will replace the current T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class ships in service with the US Military Sealift Command.Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced the new class of Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship will be named Navajo.The new class of vessels will…

America’s aging, sole remaining heavy icebreaker suffered several engineering challenges, including flooding and engine failure, on its way to completing a recent mission in the Antarctic, highlighting the U.S.’ need for new polar icebreakers. The 1970s-era U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is called upon each year to aid the delivery of fuel and supplies for National Science Foundation research stations in Antarctica, carving a navigable path through the Ross Sea where seasonal and multi-year ice is sometimes as much as 10 feet thick.

Part II in a two-part series, continued from the January 2017 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. Read Part I here. If reliance on the foreign commercial market is risky because of uncertain reliability, then what of U.S. Government ownership of a fleet of vessels? That has also been on the menu since the early 20th century. President Woodrow Wilson proposed in September 1914 that the U.S. Government acquire commercial cargo vessels. Congress disagreed, which delayed enactment of the President’s proposal until the Shipping Act, 1916. A compromise was struck to permit U.S. Government ownership as a war time measure – but all vessels so acquired had to be sold to private owners within five years of the end of the war.

Choice Ballast Solutions (Choice), a provider of ballast water treatment planning, installation and compliance, has hired Debra DiCianna as Senior Compliance Engineer. DiCianna’s career in the maritime industry spans over 25 years with extensive experience in the compliance and operational issues of shipowners and the design/performance of ballast water management systems. In her role at Choice, DiCianna will be responsible for assisting clients, both shipowners and ballast water treatment manufacturers, in all matters concerning BWMS planning, installation and compliance.

Austal Limited announced that Expeditionary Fast Transport 7 (EPF 7), USNS Carson City has completed U.S. Navy acceptance trials. The trials were undertaken in the Gulf of Mexico and involved comprehensive testing of the vessel’s major systems and equipment by the U.S. Navy. “This is further evidence of the level of maturity that the EPF program has reached,” David Singleton, CEO of Austal, said. “The U.S. Navy’s acceptance of our seventh EPF is a significant milestone for Austal, as the innovative platform continues to gain attention and praise from forward deployment around the world.

Austal has welcomed the Commander of the Royal Navy of Oman (CRNO), Rear-Admiral (RADM) Abdullah bin Khamis bin Abdullah Al Raisi to the company’s Australian shipyard in Henderson, Western Australia, to officially name two 72 meter High Speed Support Vessels (HSSVs) designed and built by Austal for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO). In a formal ceremony, RADM Abdullah bin Khamis bin Abdullah Al Raisi named the ships RNOV AL MUBSHIR (S11) and RNOV AL NAASIR (S12). The first vessel – RNOV AL MUBSHIR (S11) – is on schedule for delivery in the first half of 2016…

The US Military Sealift Command ship 'MV Cape Ray' has left Portsmouth, Va., to conduct final sea trials in preparation for its upcoming mission to destroy Syrian chemical weapons. During the sea trials, the crew and the Field-Deployable Hydrolysis System operators are evaluating the ship and the system at various sea states. The ship is expected to return shortly for final outfitting before deploying to an as-yet undisclosed location in the Mediterranean Sea sometime late this week or early next week, according to Army Col. Steve Warren , a Pentagon spokesman.

Maersk-Rickmers U.S. flag heavy-lift project carrier recently lifted and moved two 100+ ton range support craft for the U.S. Navy. The largest craft weighed in at 220 metric tons; both watercraft were lifted by Maersk Texas’ powerful onboard cranes (photo). The vessels were loaded on the U.S. West Coast and traveled across the Pacific to their destinations. Maersk Texas will soon transport U.S.-manufactured power plant equipment destined for Turkey. The equipment was financed by the U.S.

Willard Marine, a 56-year-old builder of composite and aluminum boats, has recently taken orders to build rescue boats for the Alaska Marine Highway System (AMHS), U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) and Maersk Lines Ltd. The Willard Marine rescue boats meet all U.S. Coast Guard requirements under the international Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) treaty. AMHS has ordered two 670 rescue boats for the M/V Columbia, which is being refitted with new safety equipment. The boats are being supplied through Vigor Industrial Shipyard in Portland, Ore.

Accompanied by azure blue skies and a stiff breeze, the Navy christened and launched its newest oceanographic survey ship, USNS Maury (T-AGS 66), the last of its class at VT Halter Marine’s shipyard in Moss Point, Miss., in a traditional Navy ceremony on March 27. The 350-foot ship is named for Cmdr. Matthew F. Maury, considered to be the father of oceanography, nicknamed the “Pathfinder of the Seas” and the first superintendent of the U.S. Naval Observatory. Maury is 24 feet…

Seafarers International Union (SIU) affiliated Ocean Ships to operate 3 new mobile landing platform vessels (MLP) for US Navy. The vessels are being built at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego; they are the USNS Montford Point, USNS John Glenn, and USNS Lewis B. Puller. Including options, the Ocean Ships contract is for five years. According to the U.S. Military Sealift Command, the new ships “will be the centerpiece of the Navy’s ‘Sea Base’ concept, and will serve as a transfer point for Marine Corps amphibious landing forces between large ships and small landing craft.

Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) announced the pending delivery of a third tanker to its U.S. flag fleet. Samho Moonstone will become Bro Hawaii when the reflagging process completes in mid-April. Bro Hawaii will operate in Asia spot markets targeting U.S. preference cargoes. Yesterday, MLL won a nine-month time charter of Bro Hawaii to support U.S. Department of Defense requirements in the region. MLL will supplement U.S. preference cargoes by leveraging its affiliated companies, Maersk Tankers and Broström, to serve commercial customers in Asia. MLL extends its thanks to the U.S. Military Sealift Command, U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Transportation Command for their continued support. This vessel will create new jobs for U.S.

The Containerization & Intermodal Institute (CII) will present the 2009 Connie Awards this year to James E. Butcher, Chairman of Höegh Autoliners Inc., and to Evergreen's Vice Group Chairman Captain Shiuan Y. Kuo. Each recipient will be honored for his significant influence in containerization in worldwide trade and transportation, according to Allen Clifford, CII President. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, in 1970 Jim Butcher served as Third Mate with the U.S. Military Sealift Command for one year before joining the Luckenbach Steamship Company in New York. He moved to Höegh Autoliners as Operations Manager when the Oslo, Norway, carrier opened its U.S. subsidiary in 1973 and was a founding member.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Howard (DDG 83) trained with the navies of , , , and the Republic of the Aug. 17-20 during the Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise. The seventh-annual exercise focused on improving the interoperability between regional navies and their ability to collectively intercept vessels using the seas to transport criminals, contraband or terrorists. During the first day of the exercise, while Howard acted as an opposing force vessel, a commando team from the Brunei Special Forces boarded her.

The seventh annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise began in , Aug. 18. Designed to focus information sharing, cooperation and coordination, SEACAT brings six countries together for simultaneous bilateral exercises with the . The multifaceted exercises present participants with realistic situations involving criminal and terrorist threats requiring international coordination, communication and decision-making. SEACAT also provides participants with practical maritime interception training opportunities to enhance the maritime security and interoperability of the participating forces. USS Tortuga (LSD 46) is serving as an information fusion center for the various liaison officers from , , , and . Indonesian observers are also on board. Capt. Michael W.

Minister for Defense, Senator the Hon Robert Hill, announced that Austal Ships, in conjunction with joint tender partner, Defense Maritime Services (DMS), has been short-listed to design, construct and provide through-life service for the Royal Australian Navy’s new patrol boats, due to replace the existing Fremantle class patrol boats. If ultimately successful, Austal’s role in the SEA 1444 project will be the design and construction of the patrol boats, while DMS will provide logistic and maintenance support through the operational life of the vessels, in addition to training of naval crews. Austal Ships’ managing director, Bob McKinnon, said Austal’s inclusion on the short-list was a reflection of the company’s worldwide success with both commercial and military vessels.

In considering activities in the U.S. maritime industry for the short and long term, it is unwise to start the conversation without a mention of the patrol and defense needs of the country in the mounting effort to secure nearly 95,000 miles of coastline. As plans emerge during the coming weeks, months and years, the only certainty is increased funding for a variety of ships, boats and marine-borne electronic surveillance systems geared toward meeting and defeating enemy attacks, both large and small. An embodiment of the push for new technology is embodied in the activities of companies such as Larry Wieber's Aluminum Chambered Boats Inc. (ACB) in Bellingham, Wash.

By Jeffrey S. The maritime law community is awaiting the next pronouncement by the U.S. Supreme Court pertaining to the definition of a Jones Act seaman. In February, the high court announced that it would review the decision of the First Circuit Court of Appeals in Stewart v. Dutra Construction Co., Inc. The definition of seaman has proven to be a nagging problem; this will be the fifth time since 1991 that the Justices have tackled some aspect of the question. Most injured maritime workers would prefer to pursue recovery as a "seaman". There are several reasons for this. First and foremost, the damages recoverable under the Jones Act are not limited to lost wages and benefits, but also include an important component for "pain and suffering".

Dockwise Ltd., has been awarded a contract by U.S. Military Sealift Command for the use of one of its specialized open stern vessels for offshore operational design tests. The contract is due to be executed late 2008 and has a gross value in excess of $25m, including the costs of modification of the vessel. This is the fourth time Dockwise will provide one of its large heavy transport vessels to the U.S. Navy for offshore operational tests. These tests are meant to provide data and design criteria for a new navy vessel called MLP (Mobile Logistics Platform). These new MLP vessels are aimed to be part of the navy's sea-basing effort to facilitate the transfer of material from large cargo ships to an intermediate platform for ultimate transfer to shore on various types of landing crafts.

MARITIME SECURITY AUDITOR (ISPS): Maritime security training for ship managers, port facilities, shipboard personnel, and yachts. This module provides trainees with detailed knowledge and understanding of the ISPS Code, thus allowing them to conduct the annually mandated internal security audits. This interactive, classroom training course will provide an overview of the ISPS Code and the most prominent interpretations being enforced that affect all ship types; explain the ISPS Code’s functional requirements and their implications for a company, also contrasting them to the US Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA); list and explain the ISPS Code’s detailed security requirements…