Explosive Devices News

A Panama-flagged bulk carrier that was headed to a River Danube port to load grain has hit a mine in the Black Sea, the Ukrainian military said on Thursday.It was the latest incident of a civilian vessel hitting an explosive in the Black Sea in what Kyiv says is stepped-up Russian attacks on shipping and port infrastructure."A Panama-flagged civilian vessel was blown up on an enemy sea mine in the Black Sea...The vessel lost its course and control, and a fire broke out on the upper deck…

Ukraine said on Wednesday Russian warplanes had dropped "explosive objects" into the likely paths of civilian vessels in the Black Sea three times in the last 24 hours, but that its fledgling shipping corridor was still operating.Ukraine is trying to build up a new shipping lane without Russian approval to revive its vital seaborne exports. Russia said it would consider any vessel a potential military target after it quit a U.N.-brokered deal in July that allowed some food exports…

An Ohio man has been arrested on federal charges after suspected explosive devices were found on Ohio River towboats, authorities said.Nathaniel Blayn Becker, of Marietta, Ohio, was charged on October 28 in a federal criminal complaint with possession of one or more unregistered destructive devices.Forty-two-year-old Becker is accused of purchasing pipes and other components that formed suspected destructive devices recovered by law enforcement officers from two different tugboats on the Ohio River on October 21 and October 25, 2021.

Insurers are set to raise the cost of providing cover for merchant ships through the Red Sea after a series of incidents that have hit vessels around Saudi Arabian waters, industry sources said.The possibility of more attacks on commercial shipping carrying oil and commodities through these waterways is growing after the outgoing U.S. administration’s move to designate Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement as a foreign terrorist organization.“We are seeing increased rates for vessels making port calls in the Red Sea due to concerns over risk of attack by militia groups…

Geophysical seismic surveys and port security may appear to have little in-common. However, it turns out that managing complex marine seismic operations, where 10km-long seismic streamers have to be deployed harmoniously alongside other offshore marine assets, isn’t that dissimilar to managing – and protecting – port facilities.It's an area that ION Geophysical, more known for seismic data acquisition technology, has recently been proving its expertise in, using its Marlin system for marine operations management.

2019-007-Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Indian Ocean-Violence Due to Regional Conflict and PiracyDescription:This revised advisory cancels U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-0151. References: (a) U.S. Maritime Alerts 2018-001A, 2018-002A, 2018-002B, 2018-005A, and 2018-007A2. Issues: Regional conflict and piracy threats continue to pose potential risks to commercial vessels operating in the above listed geographic areas.3. Conflict in Yemen continues to pose potential risk to U.S.

Saudi Arabia announced last week it was suspending oil shipments through the Red Sea's Bab al-Mandeb strait after Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis attacked two ships in the waterway.To date, no other exporters have followed suit. A full blockage of the strategic waterway would virtually halt shipment to Europe and the United States of about 4.8 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined petroleum products.Western allies backing a Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis in Yemen expressed concern about the attacks, but have not indicated they would take action to secure the strait.

In response to the threats arising from the conflict in Yemen, BIMCO, ICS and INTERTANKO have published interim guidance on maritime security in the southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb. Shipowners and operators should be aware of new threat patterns in the area. The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) have advised that a range of threats other than piracy, such as sea mines and water-borne improvised explosive devices (WBIEDs), are potential risks in the area. “We’ve been advised that these threats are real, and therefore decided to provide guidance for ships operating in the area. We have seen two incidents in January…

In response to the threats arising from the conflict in Yemen, BIMCO, ICS and INTERTANKO have published interim guidance on maritime security in the southern Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb. Shipowners and operators should be aware of new threat patterns in the area. The European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) have advised that a range of threats other than piracy, such as sea mines and water-borne improvised explosive devices (WBIEDs), are potential risks in the area. “We’ve been advised that these threats are real, and therefore decided to provide guidance for ships operating in the area. We have seen two incidents in January…

Thales, BAE Systems and their partner SAAB, ECA Group and ASV Global welcome the confirmation by the Organization for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR) that the UK Ministry of Defense (MOD) and French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) will continue its collaboration for the combined United Kingdom and France MMCM (maritime mine counter measures) program. Initiated in 2010 under a cooperation agreement between France and the United Kingdom, the MMCM program develops a prototype autonomous system for detection and neutralisation of sea mines and underwater improvized explosive devices (UWIEDs). The agreement signed at Euronaval today between Harriet Baldwin…

The conflict in Yemen is reportedly escalating and maritime authorities continue to urge vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region to operate in a heightened state of alert. The conflict in Yemen is escalating and two missile attacks on vessels operating off the coast of Yemen have now been reported. The first attack occurred on 1 October 2016 and targeted a vessel operated by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) military; the second occurred on 9 October 2016 and targeted a US Navy vessel. The most likely targets in the region are still considered to be military vessels, however, commercial vessels transiting the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait may face increased risk of collateral damage and must continue to operate in a heightened state of alert.

Designed to combat below-the-surface terrorism, Sea Wasp is the latest generation remotely operated vehicle (ROV) from defense and security company Saab. Presented at the Navy League’s Sea-Air-Space Exposition in National Harbor, Md., Sea Wasp has been engineered to relocate, identify and neutralize underwater improvised explosive devices (IEDs). While most underwater IED threats are disposed of manually by trained explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) divers, Sea Wasp is operated remotely by two-person teams from the surface, allowing operators to keep a safe distance from the explosives.

Bluefin Robotics has delivered new vehicles to the U.S. Navy that aim to increase the Navy's capability to remotely search and investigate ship hulls, harbor sea floors and other underwater infrastructure for limpet mines, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and other objects of interest. The Navy accepted delivery of Bluefin Robotics’ ship hull inspection systems 4 and 5 under the “Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Hull Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Localization System” (EOD HULS) Program of Record, in February.

The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation subsidiary Remotec Inc. an $8.8 million contract to repair and upgrade 103 MK3 Series Remote Ordnance Neutralizations Systems (RONS), increasing the capabilities and availability of the explosive ordnance disposal robots. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, awarded Remotec a sole-source, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract (IDIQ), which has a potential value of more than $12 million if contract options are exercised.

The looming threat of small boats to national security calls into play some innovative options. Since the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 revealed a series of national security vulnerabilities, the U.S. Departments of Defense and Homeland Security have been exploring options to reduce these risks. One vulnerability that has proven difficult to address is that of an attack on U.S. assets and interests by small boats. The U.S. Air Force has recently conducted a successful test of its ability to neutralize and eliminate such a threat.

Many government agencies and public safety dive teams are adding underwater search equipment to help make their operations easier, safer, and faster. Maricopa Sheriffs Department in Arizona, Downe Township Fire Rescue in New Jersey, the Fairhaven Massachusetts Harbor Master and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are a few of the diverse group of agencies using metal detectors, video cameras and sonars in their underwater search operations. Deputy Jeff Hanson, leader of the Maricopa County Sheriffs Department dive team…

The Department of Homeland Security released its final allocations for the FY 2013 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) awarding $904,035 to the Port of Hueneme and its Port Security Stakeholders. Project stakeholders include our customers, City of Oxnard Police Department, Oxnard Firefighters, City of Port Hueneme Police Department, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Ventura County Fire Department. “This funding is a product of hard work and leveraging partnerships with government and industry leaders.

Police departments & sheriff’s offices around the country are adding underwater metal detectors (UMD) to their crime-fighting armory. An essential tool for locating evidence disposed of in a waterway, metal detectors routinely assist police divers in finding weapons, shell casings, stolen objects, and explosive devices, inform JW Fishers. One group having great success with the underwater metal detector is Houston County Rescue in Webb, Alabama. Team members are highly trained public safety divers that provide assistance to law enforcement…

The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) announced in its newsletter that for the first time, funds awarded under the Port Security Grant Program will be available for certain “maintenance and sustainment” costs, including warranties, costs of repairing or replacing equipment, and user fees. In the past, grants were generally restricted to capital costs only. This limitation had come under increasing criticism, as vessel operators completed capital improvements to increase security but increasingly contended with recurring operational costs of security measures. PVA successfully urged Homeland Security officials, including Secretary Janet Napolitano, to loosen past restrictions.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the release of fiscal year 2010 grant application guidance kits for 13 DHS grant programs totaling more than $2.7b—funds for state, local, tribal and territorial governments and private sector entities to strengthen our nation’s ability to prevent, protect, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks, major disasters and other emergencies. “These grants play a major role in our efforts to work with our state, local, tribal and territorial and private sector partners to build a national culture of readiness and resilience,” said Secretary Napolitano. The grant program guidance kits announced also incorporate the input of DHS’ state…

L-3 Klein Associates, Inc. received an order from the Los Angeles Harbor Department for multiple L-3 Klein System 5500 dynamically focused Multi-Beam Side Scan Sonar Systems. Harbor and Port Security professionals with the use of dual L-3 Klein Side Scan Sonar Systems are able to identify potential underwater threats, such as Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), to commercial shipping. Captain Michael Graychik of the Los Angeles Port Police said, “We are excited to be one of the first civilian Law Enforcement agencies to use this technology.

By Lt. Cmdr. John T. The Acting Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, John S. Thackrah, today honored 46 of the Department of the Navy's top scientists and engineers at the second annual Top Navy Scientists and Engineers of the Year award ceremony at the Pentagon, May 29. The Department of the Navy has over 35,000 scientists and engineers pursuing research, development, acquisition and sustainment. The award was established to honor those who reached superior technical achievements and to promote continued scientific and engineering excellence. "This award ceremony recognizes the top scientists and engineers in the Department of the Navy," Thackrah said.

By John J. After a wide-ranging tour of Naval District Washington (NDW) West in Dahlgren, Va., Senator John W. Warner, R-Va., told reporters at a news conference last week that the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) is transforming itself to face the present and future on many fronts by producing advanced technological products that have a crucial impact in the support and protection of deployed warfighters fighting the Global War on Terrorism. “I have seen some absolutely fascinating technology in the minds of the core of civilians and military that operate here…