Safety Security News

Maersk, one of the world's biggest container shipping groups, said on Friday it has temporarily suspended two services linking the Middle East to Asia and Europe as the Iran conflict continues to disrupt global supply chains.The Danish group said in a statement it would halt its FM1 service connecting the Far East to the Middle East and its ME11 service linking the Middle East to Europe"This decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of our personnel and vessels while minimizing operational disruption across our wider network," Maersk said in an advisory to custome

Euro zone government bonds edged higher on Wednesday as investors paused after a sharp selloff earlier this week driven by fears the Middle East war would fuel inflation.President Donald Trump had ordered the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide political risk insurance and financial guarantees for maritime trade in the Gulf."A U.S. insurance for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz could be a game changer, if successfully implemented," said Mohit Kumar…

Chinese shipping and logistics conglomerate COSCO Shipping's container liner unit said on Wednesday it had suspended all new bookings for routes to and from ports in the Middle East region, including those in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.The move was due to escalating conflict in the region and traffic restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, COSCO Shipping Lines said in a statement.Bookings for routes to and from Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait have also been suspended, it added.The company said it was evaluating follow-up disposal plans, including possible alternative unloading ports, for

A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, killing dozens of sailors and dramatically widening Washington's pursuit of the Iranian navy.Sri Lanka's deputy foreign minister identified the warship as the frigate IRIS Dena, and said it was heading back to Iran from an eastern Indian port.The attack happened hundreds of miles across the Indian Ocean from the Gulf, where U.S. and Israeli forces are striking Iran and Tehran is retaliating with missile and drone attacks."An American submarine sank an Iranian warship that thought it was safe in international waters…

Fincantieri said its subsidiary WASS Submarine Systems has secured a contract worth more than $237 million euros to supply MU90 lightweight torpedoes to the Royal Saudi Naval Force.The agreement, awarded by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Defense, represents the largest contract in WASS’s 150-year history and includes the supply of torpedoes and associated logistics support services.Deliveries are scheduled between 2029 and 2030 and will be managed from WASS’s facility in Livorno, Italy.The MU90 torpedo…

Finland’s Border Guard is setting up a maritime surveillance centre together with other Baltic Sea states and the European Commission for the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Gulf of Finland, it said on Monday."Competent authorities must have the capability and the authority to intervene in situations occurring in the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone," it said in a statement.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and NATO has increased its Baltic Sea pr

The Port Authority of New South Wales (NSW) has assisted Fire and Rescue NSW in containing and extinguishing a fire that destroyed and sank three vessels and caused significant damage to a fourth at Spit Bridge Marina in Mosman, Australia.The authority deployed four vessels to the site, including its dedicated firefighting vessel Girawaa, which was used to pump up to 16,000 litres of seawater per minute onto the blaze to help contain the fire and protect nearby private vessels…

A vessel located 15 nautical miles west of Yemen reported an exchange of fire after sighting about 15 small craft at a range of 1–2 cables, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency said on Friday.The vessel said the craft later left the area and that it remains on high alert.The ship's master reported the crew was safe and that it is continuing to its next port of call.(Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Christopher Cushing, Alexandra Hudson)

Consilium Safety Group and Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed an agreement to explore the use of AI-powered cameras in certified fire alarm systems on ships.The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the companies centers on Hyundai’s HiCAMS technology, which uses cameras to identify smoke and flames.While camera-based detection is emerging in other industries, this initiative is among the first to target marine applications directly.A pilot test is already underway on the test vessel Sawasdee Sunrise in Korea…

Saipem has launched the LiSa Hyper Harness, a smart safety harness equipped with sensors and artificial intelligence designed to enhance worker safety during operations at height.The device monitors how workers connect to fall protection systems and alerts both the operator and a supervisor if the connection is missing or incorrect. The harness emits an acoustic signal, similar to a car seatbelt warning, and automatically sends a notification to a central platform for immediate…

A collaboration to develop inspection technologies for Persona AI’s humanoid robot platform that enhances productivity and safety in shipyards was formalized with the signing of an MOU between ABS and Persona AI.The initiative will focus on adapting Persona AI’s humanoid robots, based in part on NASA’s robotic hand technology, for a range of shipyard tasks. Unlike traditional industrial robots, humanoid robots are uniquely suited to operate in shipyards designed for human workers…

Johnson Controls International (JCI) and Denmark-based VIKING Life-Saving Equipment have signed a global agreement to provide coordinated fire safety service solutions for the maritime and offshore industries.As part of the partnership, VIKING has been appointed as the globally approved, trained, and certified service provider for all marine and navy firefighting systems and equipment supplied by JCI.JCI’s Marine and Navy division is a major global manufacturer of firefighting systems…

Israeli forces stopped 14 boats carrying foreign activists and aid bound for Gaza, flotilla organisers said on Thursday, but 23 boats are continuing to sail towards the war-ravaged Palestinian enclave, according to the flotilla's tracking system.A video from the Israeli foreign ministry verified by Reuters showed the most prominent of the flotilla's passengers, Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers."Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port…

The Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht was ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, a day after being hit by an explosive device, its operator and the EU maritime mission Aspides said.Yemen's Houthi militants claimed responsibility on Wednesday for the attack, saying it was carried out by a cruise missile.The strike injured two sailors and forced a helicopter evacuation of the ship's 19 crew members, according to the EU maritime mission Aspides and the vessel's operator.Amsterdam…

Israeli forces boarded boats with foreign activists carrying aid to Gaza and took them to an Israeli port, disrupting a protest that had become one of most high-profile symbols of opposition to Israel's blockade of the enclave.A video from the Israeli foreign ministry verified by Reuters showed the most prominent of the flotilla's passengers, Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, sitting on a deck surrounded by soldiers."Several vessels of the Hamas-Sumud flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port…

Genetec Inc., a leader in enterprise physical security software, announced that the Port of Barcelona has successfully implemented Genetec Security Center, improving the port’s safety, efficiency, and operational capabilities.As one of the Mediterranean’s major logistics hubs, the Port of Barcelona has experienced continuous growth in recent years, leading to new operational and security challenges. In response, the Port Authority launched a modernization initiative focused on transforming the port into a safer…

Survival technology specialist Survitec has launched its next-generation high-expansion foam fire suppression system, designed to deliver higher foam output at lower operating pressures while reducing both installation and through-life costs for shipyards and shipowners.The key breakthrough lies in a redesigned generator that produces greater volumes of foam at significantly lower feed pressures. Traditionally, high pressure has been a limiting factor in foam system performance…

At least 10 people were killed and 18 injured after an oil tanker caught fire early on Wednesday as it was being repaired in Indonesia's Riau Islands province, according to local police.Fire broke out on the vessel, the MT Federal II, at around 4 a.m. on Wednesday (2100 GMT Tuesday) at a shipyard in the city of Batam, local police chief Zaenal Arifin said. Batam is around 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) away from Singapore by sea.MT Federal II was docked and undergoing repairs when it caught fire…

People in a wooden boat opened fire on a Comoros-flagged livestock carrier in the Red Sea near Yemen on Thursday, and the vessel was detained by the Yemeni Coast Guard, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).A maritime security official in the Yemeni government told Reuters the vessel was released after being held on suspicion, with naval forces concerned because its AIS tracking system was turned off and it was sailing north from the Horn of Africa.British security firm Ambrey said the vessel…

The Israeli military intercepted the last boat in an aid flotilla attempting to reach blockaded Gaza on Friday, a day after stopping most of the vessels and detaining some 450 activists including Swedish campaigner Greta Thunberg.The organisers of the Global Sumud Flotilla said the Marinette was intercepted some 42.5 nautical miles (79 km) from Gaza. Israeli army radio said the navy had taken control of the last ship in the flotilla, detained those aboard and that the vessel was being led to Ashdod port in Israel.In a statement…

Singapore-registered tanker Marine Dynamo and a Malta-registered bulk carrier Flag Gangos have collided south of Tanah Merah in Malaysia.Both vessels are stable, following the incident that occurred in the early hours of September 1, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) informed.Light oil sheens have been sighted in the vicinity of Marine Dynamo. The Master of Marine Dynamo reported that Marine Gas Oil (MGO) used for vessel’s propulsion stored in the service tank above the waterline…

Aker Solutions and Kongsberg Discovery have teamed up to deploy a drone detection system aimed at protecting offshore infrastructure, beginning with a demonstrator at Aker Solutions’ site in Stavanger.The system uses Kongsberg’s Drone Detection Radar and is part of a broader plan to roll out surveillance technologies across the North Sea to bolster situational awareness around energy assets and transit lanes.Kongsberg Discovery develops navigation, acoustic and marine robotics systems…

Shipping and logistics firm Wilson Sons has opened new facilities at its Training Centre and Towage Operations Centre in Santos, São Paulo, including a tugboat manoeuvre simulator designed to improve operating safety, efficiency and sustainability.This simulator will train the company's captains and maritime workers on safety procedures and cutting-edge technology for its fleet of over 80 tugboats, which operate in more than 25 ports along the Brazilian coast, supporting domestic and international trade…