Astute News

HII and Babcock International Group announced they have signed a contract that expands their strategic partnership to further support Virginia-class submarine construction throughput at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division. Additionally, the contract will build resiliency within HII’s submarine supply base.This is the first Virginia-class outsourced contract to Babcock in support of NNS-specific submarine work, authorizing Babcock to build complex submarine assemblies…

Rolls-Royce has signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with both Western and South Australian governments that outline a commitment to collaborate on workforce development, skills training, and critical technologies to support the growing defence sectors in each state.This marks a significant step forward in Australian preparations for the AUKUS submarine program which will provide the nation with their first conventionally armed nuclear navy.Under the agreements, both governments…

As tariffs and trade wars continue to unsettle markets globally, some astute companies are moving to fill the void. One is South Korean shipbuilder Hanwha Ocean, which according to a report by Bloomberg is moving to build the LNG tankers in the United States, responding to new policy recommendations from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) aimed at curbing China’s dominance in global shipbuilding.The USTR proposal, unveiled Thursday, includes tariffs on Chinese-built vessels calling at U.S. ports following a six-month transition period. It also calls for LNG carriers that export U.S.

Emergency services suppressed a huge blaze that broke out in the early hours at a BAE Systems shipyard yesterday in north west England that builds Britain's nuclear submarines.Earlier in the day pictures online showed what looked like flames and black smoke emerging from the top of the vast Devonshire Dock Hall building. Police said there was no nuclear risk.BAE Systems, Britain's biggest defence company, later said that while the affected area was only accessible for essential personnel…

A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine will undergo maintenance in Australia for the first time on Friday, a key step by AUKUS partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the defense ministers of Australia, Britain and the United States said.Australian personnel trained with the United States and Britain over the past year ahead of the submarine maintenance at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, involving personnel from the three nations."Our navies are committed to reinforcing…

A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine will undergo maintenance in Australia for the first time on Friday, a key step by AUKUS partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the defence ministers of Australia, Britain and the United States said.Australian personnel trained with the United States and Britain over the past year ahead of the submarine maintenance at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia, involving personnel from the three nations."Our navies are committed to reinforcing…

Venezuela's loss of a key U.S. license that allowed it to freely export and increase investment in its oil sector will hit the volume and quality of its crude and fuel sales while prompting a flurry of requests for individual U.S deal authorizations.U.S. officials had warned that absent progress by President Nicolas Maduro on implementing an electoral roadmap agreed last year, the U.S. would not renew license 44, which since October had eased oil sanctions in place for the last five years.On Wednesday…

Senator Wesley Livsey Jones gave his name to the famous “Jones Act” governing U.S. domestic maritime trade. But what do really know about him? It turns out that he was much more than a leading merchant marine policy maker. (i)Jones had a long career in the U.S. House of Representatives before he was a Senator, was an effective legislator, an astute politician, one of the hardest working legislators of his era, and always viewed as honest and forthright. His many maritime legislative successes included the Merchant Marine Act…

Babcock has been awarded two further contracts for work on the UK’s new Dreadnought Class submarine worth a combined £121 million.The contracts include a 4.5-year £66 million contract with the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide input into the development of the support solution for the UK’s new Dreadnought Class submarines. The new Class of submarine will replace the Vanguard Class in the early 2030s to maintain a Continuous At Sea Deterrent.Babcock will also provide the MOD with technical and management support…

The UK Ministry of Defense has awarded £3.95 billion (currently ~$4,81 billion) of funding to BAE Systems for the next phase of the UK's next-generation nuclear-powered attack submarine program, known as SSN-AUKUS.According to BAE Systems, SSN-AUKUS will be the largest, most powerful, and most advanced attack submarine the Royal Navy has ever operated and will eventually replace the Astute class, which BAE Systems builds at its site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.The funding follows the AUKUS announcement in March by the leaders of Australia, the UK and the United States.

Canadian safety officials on Friday opened an investigation into the undersea implosion of a tourist submersible that killed all five people aboard while diving to the century-old wreck of the Titanic, raising questions about the unregulated nature of such expeditions.A debris field from the submersible Titan was found at the bottom of the North Atlantic on Thursday by a robotic diving vehicle deployed from a Canadian search vessel, ending an intense five-day international rescue effort.Fragments of Titan…

HMS Anson, the fifth Astute class submarine, which BAE Systems has designed and built for the Royal Navy, has departed the company's shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, and headed out to open sea for the first time.After being guided through the shipyard's dock system and rounding the tip of Walney Island, HMS Anson began her maiden journey to His Majesty's Naval Base Clyde, home of the UK's Submarine Service. She will undertake sea trials before joining HMS Astute, HMS Ambush…

The UK Royal Navy has awarded a £15.4 million (currently around $18,8 million) contract for a crewless submarine to the Plymouth-based company MSubs. The submarine is expected to be delivered to the Navy in two years. The Navy expects the submarine to further advance the UK’s ability to protect our critical national infrastructure and monitor sub-sea activity."Project Cetus – named after a mythological sea monster – enhances the Royal Navy’s experimentation with autonomous underwater systems.

Following the Worldwide Ferry Safety Association’s (WFSA) Professional Program (held virtually on May 18, 2022), Awards were presented to finalist teams in the WFSA’s Ferry Design Competition, now in its ninth year.Dr. Roberta Weisbrod, WFSA’s Executive Director, said the specifications for the design ferry were crafted to be ever more challenging from year to year, but that this year’s objective creating a safe and affordable ferry for transiting India’s Brahmaputra River, “that…

iXblue said it has been selected by Naval Group to supply navigation systems for two Gowind corvettes intended for the international market. These two future combat corvettes will be fitted with Marins navigation systems and Netans data distribution and processing units.Based on fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) technology, iXblue navigation solutions already equip more than 650 surface ships and underwater platforms in 40 navies and coast guards, including major programs such as the French Navy's future FDI…

U.S.-based marine services contractor Phoenix International Holdings, Inc. announced that Matthew Long has been promoted to Corporate Vice President. Long will retain his current duties as General Manager of Phoenix’s Largo, Md. operations, and in his additional role as Corporate VP will assume responsibilities for company-wide financial forecasting, reporting and budgeting.A retired U.S. Navy Engineering Duty Officer and diver, Long has decades of experience managing technically challenging marine engineering projects worldwide.

The floating production systems market worldwide is projected to grow by US$85.1 Billion, driven by a compounded growth of 19.5%.Floating production storage offloading (FPSO), one of the segments analyzed and sized in this study, displays the potential to grow at over 19.9%, said a report by ResearchAndMarkets.The shifting dynamics supporting this growth makes it critical for businesses in this space to keep abreast of the changing pulse of the market.Poised to reach over US$77 Billion by the year 2025, Floating Production Storage offloading (FPSO) will bring in healthy gains adding significant momentum to global growth.Representing the developed world, the United States will maintain a 21% growth momentum.

A shipyard in northern England that builds Britain's new generation of nuclear submarines was evacuated on Wednesday after what a local news website said was a bomb warning.Ambulances and police were on the scene in Barrow-in-Furness in northwestern England. The defense ministry declined to comment."As a precaution, the Devonshire Dock Complex has been closed," a spokeswoman for BAE Systems said.

PSA International, one of the world's largest port operators, announced that  Peter Voser, currently Deputy Chairman, is taking on the role of Group Chairman of the PSA Board.Fock Siew Wah stepped down as Group Chairman on 1 April 2019, and will assume the role of Special Advisor to PSA until his retirement on 31 July 2019.As one of PSA’s longest serving Chairmen, Fock has steered PSA with visionary leadership and strategic foresight since August 2005. With his astute guidance, the PSA Group’s global footprint has grown to its current day span of over 50 coastal, inland and rail terminals in 17 countries, and volumes have doubled to…

Evergreen Group celebrated its 50th Anniversary at the Chang Yung-Fa Foundation, home of the charity set-up by Evergreen Group Founder and Chairman Dr. Y.F. Chang, said a press release from the company.In addition to senior executives and employees of the Group’s businesses, the event was also attended by public officials, customers and business agents from both the shipping and airline industries as well as representatives of supply chain partners from more than fifty countries.The celebration commenced with a performance by the choir of the Yihsing branch of Jiahsing Elementary School from Hsinchu County. The choir was a gold medal…

Britain on Monday awarded defence firm BAE Systems 2.4 billion pounds ($3.26 billion) to work on two submarine programmes, the company said in a statement.The Ministry of Defence gave BAE a 1.5 billion pound contract for delivery of the seventh Astute class submarine, and a further 900 million pounds for the next phase of the Dreadnought submarine program, the company said.($1 = 0.7364 pounds)(Reporting by Alistair Smout; editing by Kate Holton)

The U.K. Royal Navy’s fourth Astute class submarine, Audacious, has completed its first ever dive, marking a milestone on the path toward full sea trials later in 2018. The trim and basin dive took place over two days in early January in Devonshire Dock, at builder BAE Systems's site in Barrow-in-Furness. The operation, which saw Audacious submerge fully underwater for the first time, allowed a team from Royal Navy, Ministry of Defense and BAE Systems to test many of the sub’s onboard systems, and proved the safety and stability of the 7,400-metric-ton, 97-meter-long attack submarine.

The U.K.’s newest aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was commissioned into the Royal Navy fleet this morning by Her Majesty The Queen. Serving as the ship's Lady Sponsor, The Queen addressed guests before the ship's Commanding Officer, Captain Jerry Kyd, and read the commissioning warrant at a ceremony in Portsmouth Naval Base. The ceremony, attended by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson and military chiefs, marked the first time the Queen has visited the new warship since the formal naming ceremony in Rosyth in July 2014.