George Zambellas News

GoM shipyards are meeting the demand for right-sized, multi-mission boats. In the last decade, Gulf Coast shipyards have watched demand for multi-mission vessels grow from foreign governments and U.S. authorities. In particular, local counties and municipalities – pinched by shrinking budgets and expanding mission sets – began the march to leverage a single hull for more than one task. And, since these boats can serve military or civilian needs, the need for boatbuilders to quickly adapt a standard hull form to a particular requirement became a highly desired skill set.

Leaders of the U.S. and British navies agreed on a shared vision for closer cooperation Dec. 11, the culmination of a yearlong effort that will build on a long-standing maritime partnership over the next 15 years. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert and his counterpart in the United Kingdom, First Sea Lord Sir George Zambellas, signed a combined strategic narrative that articulates a shared vision for deeper cooperation between the U.S. Navy (USN) and the Royal Navy (RN). "The United States and the United Kingdom rely on our navies to project power in critical regions and to protect the freedom of navigation that underpins the global economy," said Greenert.

The 21st edition of the International Seapower Symposium (ISS) began Sept. 16 at the U.S. Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, R.I., with more than 170 representatives from 113 nations attending. Throughout the three-day symposium, naval leaders from around the world will attend presentations and take part in panel discussions relating to current, vital maritime topics such as enhancing coalition operations, future trends in maritime security, and implications of climate change on maritime security. There are also sessions scheduled to address specific geographic challenges navies face. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus addressed the group with opening remarks and stressed the importance of the conference's theme: Global Solutions to Common Maritime Challenges.

Her Majesty The Queen has officially named the HMS Queen Elizabeth in front of a crowd that included shipbuilders, the Prime Minister and the Defence Secretary, informs the UK Ministry of Defence. The naming ceremony concluded with the smashing of a bottle of whisky over the bow of the ship. Whilst traditionally a bottle of champagne is used to smash against the bow, given the carrier’s Scottish roots, it seemed most fitting for a bottle of Islay whisky to be used instead. UK MOD explains that towering at 56 metres and weighing in at [displacement] 65,000 tonnes, HMS Queen Elizabeth is the largest ship ever built for the Royal Navy. She will be used in a full range of military tasks, from war-fighting to providing humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) informs that serving sailors, veterans, cadets and supporters turned out in force to witness the unveiling of the memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire. The memorial, a bold design of glass and stone, was created as a gift to the wider naval family by the Royal Naval Association (RNA) to mark 60 years since the organisation gained its charter. The memorial is not specifically to remember those who have died, but honours and celebrates all who joined the naval service, or will do so in the future. His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent represented Her Majesty The Queen, the RNA’s patron, at the event  attended by some 2,000 veterans, serving sailors and guests.

The 'Successor' submarines, which will carry the UK’s strategic nuclear deterrent, will be the largest and most advanced boats operated by the Royal Navy, & two  contracts worth £47 million and £32 million have been awarded to BAE Systems Maritime-Submarines who are leading on the design of the vessels. The investment will allow BAE Systems, who currently have more than a thousand people working on the Successor programme, to begin work on some initial items for the submarines that are due to replace the Vanguard Class from 2028.

The 3 new ships will be built by BAE Systems at their shipyards on the Clyde in a deal that will sustain jobs in the UK’s warship-building industry, and will play a key role in counter-terrorism, counter-piracy and anti-smuggling operations, according to a UK MOD announcement. The agreement with BAE Systems provides work for the company between the completion of the Queen Elizabeth-Class aircraft carriers and the Type 26 Global Combat Ship, securing the vital skills needed to build the UK’s future warships.

'HMS Duncan', the sixth and last of the Royal Navy's new-generation Type 45 destroyers, has been formally commissioned into the fleet. Hundreds of guests, including families of the 190-strong ship’s company, attended the ceremony marking the ship’s transition into front line service. Principal guests at the commissioning ceremony included Lady Marie Ibbotson – the ship’s sponsor who launched the vessel at BAE Systems ’ Govan shipyard on the River Clyde in October 2010 – and First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas.

The new submarine was named 'Artful' in a traditional ceremony at the BAE Systems shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness. Marking this milestone in the vessel’s construction, Lady Amanda Zambellas, the wife of First Sea Lord Admiral Sir George Zambellas, named the submarine in the classic tradition of breaking a bottle on her bow; in this instance a bottle of beer from a local Cumbrian brewery. The naming ceremony comes just 2 months after MOD announced that the first 2 of the 7 Astute Class submarines…

Tributes have been paid to SirJohn 'Sandy' Woodward, who has died aged 81. "He served his country with distinction throughout his career, but he will be best remembered by many as the Navy’s 'Fighting Admiral' after he led the Royal Navy task force, sent by Margaret Thatcher [her government], to re-take the Falkland Islands in 1982" – Secretary of State for Defence, Philip Hammond. "Admiral Sir ‘Sandy’ Woodward will always be remembered for his powerful and clear command of the Royal Navy task force that re-took the Falkland Islands in 1982.

The U.K. Government has put its support firmly behind the inaugural London International Shipping Week (LISW) by confirming two of its Ministers as main speakers at the LISW Conference to be held at the Lloyd’s Building on Thursday, September 12. Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint, Minister for Trade and Investment will address delegates on the key issue of London’s role in propelling world trade while the Rt Hon Stephen Hammond, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport and the Shipping Minister, will give a keynote address emphasizing London’s position at the center of world trade, shipping and maritime services. Confirmed speakers include The Lord Mayor of the City of London…

Shipping industry heavyweights as well as City of London financial services luminaries dominate the line-up so far confirmed. Speakers so far confirmed include The Lord Mayor of the City of London, Alderman Roger Gifford; Koji Sekimizu, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization; Masamichi Marooka, Chairman of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) as well as John Denholm, President of BIMCO. Peter Hinchliffe, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Shipping Federation, will also speak. Other notable speakers who have so far confirmed their attendance include Grantley Berkeley…

Daring, Britain's most advanced warship, is on her maiden deployment. She was joined by minehunter HMS Quorn in Qatar recently at the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX). DIMDEX is the only exhibition focused on naval forces and coastguards in the Middle East and North African region. It attracts warships not only from those regions, but also from across the world; joining Daring and Quorn alongside were vessels from Australia, France, India, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the USA.

Portsmouth, United Kingdom: Production on HMS PRINCE OF WALES, the second Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carrier, has started today at BAE Systems in Portsmouth Naval Base – the future home of the Queen Elizabeth Class. Work on the forward section of the hull, known as Lower Block 02, commenced as Commander-in-Chief Fleet Admiral George Zambellas cut the first steel in a ceremony at the company’s production facility. The huge section, which will weigh around 6,000 tonnes upon completion…

Piracy remains a major issue, especially for Greek owners, says the Club. The Hellenic War Risks Club is celebrating its 50th year of operation in 2011. The Association’s founding Directors, which included J C Carras,  J E G Kulukundis, C M Lemos, D J Chandris and F P Lykiardopulo, recognised a need for Greek shipowners to come together on a mutual basis to provide the most competitive war risk insurance premiums, which, at the time, were difficult and expensive to obtain. The…