Government & Military News

First steel was cut Thursday for the first of the UK Royal Navy’s five new Type 31 frigates, HMS Venturer.The historic ceremony took place at Babcock's factory in Rosyth, Scotland, where the Type 31 Inspiration class ships are being constructed."The frigates will be at the heart of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, deterring aggression and maintaining the security of the UK’s interests as well as providing humanitarian relief when needed. The frigates will work alongside the UK’s Allies to deliver a warship presence across the globe and enable a forward naval presence…

Russia's navy practiced firing at targets in the Black Sea off the coast of annexed Crimea using its Bastion coastal missile defense system, Russia's Defense Ministry said on Thursday as Ukraine held joint military drills with the United States.The exercises in Ukraine involving U.S. and other NATO troops are set to run until Oct. 1. They follow huge war games staged by neighboring Russia and Belarus earlier this month that alarmed the West.Kyiv's relations with Moscow plummeted…

France should not have been surprised that Australia cancelled a submarine contract, as major concerns about delays, cost overruns and suitability had been aired officially and publicly for years, Australian politicians said.Paris has recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington, saying it was blindsided by Canberra's decision to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and Britain rather than stick with its contract for French diesel submarines.Yet as early as September 2018, an independent oversight board led by a former U.S.

An ailing crew member was medevaced  from a crude oil tanker 22 miles south of Sabine, Texas, Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Houston command center watchstanders received a call at 10:36 p.m. from the anchored Marshall Islands-flagged tanker Pacific Ruby stating that a 35-year-old mariner on board was exhibiting abnormal lethargic behavior and was in need of medical assistance. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac.A Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew launched to assist.

Katadyn Desalination, LLC announced it has won a three-year contract to deliver lifesaving, hand-operated desalination devices for the U.S. Navy.Katadyn Desalination is part of the Katadyn Group, provider of reliable, sustainable and simple solutions for safe drinking water treatment. Whether outdoors, at sea, for emergency preparedness, humanitarian or tactical missions or industrial applications, clean water becomes a reality with Katadyn products. The brand’s product line ranges from mobile water filter systems and chemical disinfectants…

Freehill Hogan & Mahar LLP Partner Daniel Fitzgerald retired from the U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in a ceremony at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington D.C., this summer.Rear Admiral Melissa Bert presided over the ceremony, which was attended by family, friends and Coast Guard colleagues who worked with Fitzgerald over the past 28 years. Fitzgerald retired from his last duty assignment in Washington D.C. where he served as the Senior Reserve Judge Advocate (RJAG) for the entire Coast Guard Reserve.

Several south Louisiana ports are requesting federal assistance to bolster recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Ida.On August 29, Ida made landfall in southeast Louisiana as a category 4 storm, heavily impacting local infrastructure, waterways and communities.The Lower Mississippi River opened three days later, and by September 2, the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) resumed limited operations and became fully operational September 7. Although operations resumed, there remains ongoing assessment of needs, and supply chain disruptions also continue.

Indonesia said on Friday it was worried about an arms race in the region after neighboring Australia announced plans to acquire nuclear-powered submarines as part of a new Indo-Pacific security alliance with the United States and Britain.Known as AUKUS, the alliance will see Australia get the technology to deploy nuclear-powered submarines as part of agreement intended to respond to growing Chinese power.In a statement on Friday, the Indonesian foreign ministry noted with caution…

Indonesian navy has increased patrols around its Natuna islands in the South China Sea after Chinese and U.S. vessels were detected nearby in international waters, despite saying there were no disturbance from the vessels, a navy official said on Thursday.Five navy vessels, assisted by an air patrol, have been deployed in North Natuna Sea to secure the area, Indonesian Navy western fleet commander Arsyad Abdullah told reporters.“The Navy’s position on the North Natuna Sea is very…

Aerospace, defense and security company Babcock said it has secured the first export contract for its Arrowhead 140 (AH140) frigate through a design license agreement with PT PAL Indonesia (Persero), a state-owned enterprise that builds and maintains ships for military and commercial use from its facilities in Surabaya, Indonesia. The deal comes two years since Babcock’s AH140 design was first announced as the preferred bidder for the UK Type 31 frigate program at DSEI 2019, with…

Initial appropriations discussions are underway for Fiscal Year 2022, with a continued focus on federal shipbuilding programs. It has been rough going for the Navy as Congress raised questions about the President’s commitment to the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding program. Meanwhile, House appropriators are seemingly focused on continuing shipbuilding successes at the Maritime Administration and Coast Guard. With billions of dollars in the balance, the U.S. shipbuilding industry…

The United States, Britain and Australia will establish a security partnership for the Indo-Pacific that will involve helping Australia acquire nuclear-powered submarines, senior U.S. officials said on Wednesday, as Chinese influence over the region grows.Under the partnership, to be announced on Wednesday by President Joe Biden, British Prime Minster Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the United States will provide Australia with the technology and capability to deploy nuclear-powered submarines…

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved $1 billion for U.S. Coast Guard shore side infrastructure nationwide and $350 million for a heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as part of its budget reconciliation bill, an action that the Great Lake Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) called “great news for the Great Lakes.”The GLMTF described the heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as desperately needed and expects that a portion of the infrastructure funds will go to good…

British aerospace, defense and security company Babcock has launched a new shipbuilding approach enabling international customers to build and support the company’s Arrowhead 140 frigate (AH140) in-country. Launched at DSEI 2021, Arrowyard enables the construction of the AH140 hull, superstructure and components, final assembly and outfitting and also supports the development of sovereign in-service fleet support capability.Babcock will share its experience in preparing and investing in facilities…

China has denied a German warship entry into a local harbor, a German foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.The ship involved is the "Bayern" frigate, the spokesperson told a news briefing, but did not identify the Chinese harbor. The vessel set sail from Germany last month for a six-month mission to the South China Sea."China has decided that it does not want a harbor visit, and we took notice of that," the spokesperson said.China's defense and foreign ministries did…

Inaccurate stability calculations caused the capsizing of vehicle carrier Golden Ray that resulted in $200 million worth of damages, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Tuesday.The Marine Accident Report details the NTSB’s investigation of the September 8, 2019, capsizing of the roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier Golden Ray as it transited outbound through St. Simons Sound near Brunswick, Ga. All 23 crewmembers and one pilot on board were rescued, including four engineering crew who were trapped in the vessel for nearly 40 hours. Two crewmembers sustained serious injuries.

United States Coast Guard Cutter Katmai Bay (WTGB-101), homeported in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., arrived at Great Lakes Shipyard for a drydock, inspection, maintenance and repair contract.The contract includes hull, propulsion and steering system inspections, as well as steel repairs, hull cleaning and painting. The 140-foot Bay-class icebreaking tug was hauled out on Friday, September 3 using the Shipyard’s new 900-ton Marine Travelift.The USCGC Katmai Bay serves throughout the entire Great Lakes system.

Brazil's port regulator targeted the local unit of global grains merchant Bunge and two port agents in an investigation announced on Tuesday, threatening the trader's dominant position at a key export hub in the south of the country.The probe, ordered by port regulator Antaq via regulatory decision in the official government gazette, centers on alleged irregularities in a contract to move grain cargos at public terminals in the port of São Francisco do Sul.A regional branch of Antaq in Santa Catarina state will conduct the probe…

The U.S. Navy has awarded a $500-million design contract for the modernization of two of its shipyards in Hawaii and Washington.The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architecture-engineering contract awarded to Honolulu, Hawaii-based WSM Pacific SIOP by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) on September 7 is for structural and waterfront-related projects at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) in Hawaii and Puget…

A recent marine casualty resulting in an injury of a crewmember on board a foreign freight vessel brought to light a potentially dangerous situation involving the turntable pin on accommodation ladders, the U.S. Coast Guard pointed out in a recent safety alert developed by the Investigators of Sector Delaware Bay and distributed by the Office of Investigations and Analysis. Currently, there are no established timelines or requirements to replace turntable pins. Without proper and periodic examination and replacement…

Japan's defense ministry said on Sunday that a submarine believed to be from China was spotted in waters near its southern islands, as maritime tensions persist in the Pacific.Japan's navy on Friday morning identified a submerged vessel sailing northwest just outside territorial waters near Amami Oshima island, part of Kagoshima prefecture, the ministry said in a statement. A Chinese destroyer was also spotted in the vicinity.Tokyo has complained of numerous intrusions by Chinese vessels into its territorial waters and near disputed islands in recent years.

ABS has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to VARD Marine for its 115-meter offshore patrol vessel (NGOPV) design.The VARD 7 115 NGOPV caters to a range of mission requirements, including air, surface, and sub-surface surveillance and engagement capabilities. The vessel arrangement offers a multi-mission bay and a set-down area for containerized mission payloads, with a configuration that can be tailored to meet a variety of mission objectives, ABS said.The vessel, which is to be unveiled at the Defence and Security Equipment International Show in London…

The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) on Thursday announced the membership of its newly formed National Shipper Advisory Committee.The committee is comprised of 24 members, evenly divided between those who export cargo from and those who import cargo to the United States, that will advise the commission on policies relating to the competitiveness, reliability, integrity and fairness of the international ocean freight delivery system.“The current freight transportation challenges…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced 18 individuals have been appointed to serve as members of the National Towing Safety Advisory Committee (N-TSAC).The National Towing Safety Advisory Committee was established in December 2018 to advise the Secretary of Homeland Security on matters relating to shallow-draft inland navigation, coastal waterway navigation and towing safety. This advice also assists the Coast Guard in formulating regulations and policies as well as the position of the U.S.

Two small children were among the dozens of migrants rescued from the English Channel on Tuesday after a summer that has seen record numbers attempt the dangerous journey from France.This year, hundreds of boats carrying migrants have attempted the dangerous crossing from France to England, often in small, inflatable dinghies that get into difficulties in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.On one day in August, at least 482 migrants crossed the Channel by boat, a record daily number.Reuters witnesses on Tuesday saw two boats arrive at the headland of Dungeness in Kent…

For many, the path to Subchapter M compliance has been anything but smooth sailing. And while progress has been made through the growing pains, some feel it’s time for the U.S. Coast Guard to pump the brakes.A funny thing happened on the way to compliance. We all learned that nobody was quite ready for Subchapter M.Sure, we had gone through the law with a fine-toothed combed and had self-inspected vessels and trained crews, but we were all surprised by interpretations.Third party organizations (TPO) have done their best to set up systems and satisfy paying customers and the U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating damage to a Noble Corp drillship hit by Hurricane Ida while operating in the Gulf of Mexico, a spokesperson said on Thursday.Nine crew members suffered minor injuries when the storm hit on Sunday, Noble said. Workers were treated onboard and four were taken to shore for evaluation, Noble's vice-president for Investor Relations Craig Muirhead said in a statement.The U.S.

Grain shippers on the U.S. Gulf Coast reported more damage from Hurricane Ida to their terminals on Wednesday as Cargill Inc confirmed damage to a second facility, while power outages across southern Louisiana kept all others shuttered.Global grains trader Cargill Inc said its Westwego, La., terminal was damaged by Ida, days after confirming more extensive damage at its only other Louisiana grain export facility, located in Reserve.Ida, which roared ashore on Sunday, has disrupted grain and soybean shipments from the Gulf Coast, which accounts for about 60% of U.S.

The U.S. Navy's future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002) recently conducted builder’s trials, consisting of in-port and at-sea demonstrations that allow the shipbuilder General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and the Navy to assess the ship’s systems.“Trials provide an opportunity for the Navy and industry team to test the capability and readiness of the ship,” Capt. Matthew Schroeder, DDG 1000 program manager, Program Executive (PEO) Ships. “DDG 1002 is a warship that is going to equip…

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it is responding to a drillship that reportedly sustained damage as Hurricane Ida ripped through the Gulf of Mexico and into Louisiana as a Category 4 storm.The agency said it was notified during the storm that the ultra-deepwater drillship Noble Globetrotter II had been damaged, and that it had been in touch with both the vessel's master and owner Noble Corporation since Sunday to gauge the extent of any damage and to ensure readiness of…

The damage to Louisiana’s power grid from Hurricane Ida is so extensive that the U.S. Coast Guard has joined the task of assessing the wreckage, a departure from its maritime security duties.More than 1 million homes and businesses along the U.S. Gulf Coast are without power following Ida’s landfall late Sunday. The storm destroyed transmission lines up and down the Mississippi River, including one large tower that collapsed near Avondale, Louisiana, leaving a conductor from an electrical line in the river itself.“Where and how the tower fell…

Babcock International Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd (HHI), to focus on the Republic of Korea’s CVX Aircraft Carrier Program opportunity.John Howie, Babcock Group’s Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, signed the MoU on behalf of the company with Mr. Sam-Hyun Ka, CEO, Korean Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (KSOE), the holding company of HHI at the Babcock Korea Limited facility in Busan. The agreement brings the two parties closer together…

Russia’s defense ministry said on Tuesday it would hold naval drills in the Caspian Sea with small missile and artillery ships from Iran, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in early September.(Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber; Editing by Alison Williams)

The White House and the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Friday that John D. Porcari will be the Port Envoy to the Biden-Harris Administration Supply Chain Disruptions Task Force.Porcari will work closely with Secretary Buttigieg and the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) as well as the National Economic Council to address congestion at U.S. ports. Disruptions in global shipping and rapid shifts in demand have led the cost of shipping containers between China and the West Coast to grow more than 90% compared to 2019. Containerized cargo volumes rose 40% in the first half of this year compared to the same time last year at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, which together handle the largest share of containerized cargo moving through U.S. ports.

A U.S. warship and a U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Friday, the latest in what Washington calls routine operations through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from China, which claims the self-ruled island.The passage comes amid a spike in military tensions in the past two years between Taiwan and China, and follows Chinese assault drills last week, with warships and fighter jets exercising off the island's southwest and southeast.USS Kidd…

The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned a new station, Coast Guard Station Paducah, during a ceremony held Thursday at the Carson Center in Paducah, Ky.Presiding over the ceremony was Capt. Amy Beach, commander of Sector Ohio River Valley. Station Paducah’s officer in charge is Chief Petty Officer Michael Sheahan.The station is responsible for search and rescue, recreational boating safety, ports, waterways, flood response, and coastal security. The station's area of responsibility ranges from mile marker 867 to mile marker 981 on the Ohio River…

The United States welcomes competition and does not seek conflict with Beijing, but will speak up on issues like maritime disputes in the South China Sea, Vice President Kamala Harris said on Thursday as she concluded a trip to Southeast Asia.In visits to Singapore and Vietnam, Harris charged China with bullying its neighbors in the region, triggering here sharp rebukes from Beijing, which accused the U.S. of meddling in regional affairs and disrupting peace.“We welcome stiff competition…

A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Miller’s keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.

All signals from Washington, D.C., indicate that Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 could be a record-breaking year for inland port and waterway investment. The successful opening of the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, a recording-breaking United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) budget request, positive improvements to the Port Infrastructure Development Program, and a possible bipartisan infrastructure deal, could result in billions of dollars in additional federal investment in inland ports and waterways.Opening the Harbor Maintenance Trust FundOn May 28…

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris met Vietnam’s top leaders on Wednesday, offering support in several key areas including the enhancement of its maritime security in an effort to counter Beijing’s increasing assertiveness in the South China Sea.Harris also offered more visits by U.S. warships during her talks with Vietnam’s President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to a White House official who did not wish to be named.Harris’s seven-day trip to Singapore and Vietnam is part of a broader U.S.

Plaintiffs seeking to recover from ship managers or the vessels they operate but lacking a direct claim against a particular vessel have developed a clever strategy under U.S. maritime law. They seize a managed vessel under Supplemental Admiralty Rule B and claim the vessel-owning company is an alter ego of the defendant with whom the dispute really exists. In this way, plaintiffs can take advantage of the relatively low evidentiary bar to delve into protracted discovery to develop…

Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the christening was livestreamed, and a small socially distanced event was held with limited in-person attendance.“Shipbuilding is about teamwork and bringing together the most intellectually and physically challenging efforts we can imagine for a common purpose,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We each leverage our essential and unique abilities to estimate…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Thursday announced the designation of six new Marine Highway Projects and a new Marine Highway Route as part of the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP). The AMHP encourages the use of America’s navigable waterways for the movement of freight and people as an alternative to land-based transportation. Since its inception, the AMHP has designated 46 Marine Highway Projects. A designation makes projects on Marine Highway Routes eligible for grants when AMHP funding is available.

The U.K. has sent one of its Royal Navy ships to support relief efforts in Haiti as the Caribbean country recovers from the recent devastating earthquake.The Wave-class fast fleet tanker RFA Wave Knight, deployed to the Caribbean as part of the Royal Navy’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), arrived off the west coast of Haiti in the early hours of Wednesday and will serve as a landing pad for U.S. military helicopters responding to the 7.2-magnitude quake that struck the impoverished country earlier this month, killing and injuring thousands. The U.K. vessel will allow U.S.

Fairbanks Morse Engine (FME), a division of Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), shipped two 16-cylinder Fairbanks Morse engines to Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis., for the USS Cleveland (LCS 31), the 16th ship of the U.S. Navy's Freedom-class LCS variant.FME was awarded a contract in 2019 to build and deliver Main Propulsion Diesel Engines (MPDE's) for the vessel.FME has provided power and propulsion services to the U.S. Navy for more than 70 years and powers more than 80% of the Navy's ships with medium-speed applications.

Babcock International has won a contract to deliver the installation of a variable speed drive system for the central cooling system onboard the Irish Navy’s P60 Samuel Beckett Class.The variable speed drive system was first installed on the central cooling system of the fourth Offshore Patrol Vessel, LÉ George Bernard Shaw (P64), at time of build, enabling the vessel to use a variety of power outputs depending on the conditions and requirements. According to Babcock, the system has proven to be very successful…

Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) awarded a $1.7-billion construction project, an effort toexpand and reconfigure a dry dock complex at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine, to increase the shipyard's capacity to maintain, modernize, and repair the Navy's attack submarines and return them to the fleet on time.The seven-year project, part of the Navy's comprehensive Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), will construct an addition to Dry Dock 1 within the existing flood basin area…

The U.S. Navy announced Friday, August 13, 2021 that Fincantieri Marine Systems North America has been awarded a multiple award contract (MAC I) to support sustainment efforts for Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) homeported in Mayport, Fla.“We are excited about the opportunity to service, repair, and modernize Freedom variant LCS”, said Shawn Johnston, FMSNA’s VP. “We have a tremendous team of professionals poised to help the Navy maintain and repair these ships both here in the U.S.

Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku said it has been chosen by the Finnish Border Guard to build its new multipurpose vessels.The parties signed a letter of intent for the construction of two new vessels to replace three decommissioned patrol vessels as part of the Finnish Border Guard's Vessel Ship 2025 project.In order to carry out the acquisition, the Finnish Border Guard organized a tender during the spring of 2021, which was won by Meyer Turku Oy. The goal is to conclude a final…

For those operating equipment on, under or near the water for commercial or recreational purposes, the corrosive effects of saltwater can be costly. For the U.S. Navy, the ramifications could be much more severe.As a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and applied mechanics at the University of Rhode Island, Irine Neba Mforsoh studied the long-term effects seawater and ultraviolet radiation have on the materials used to coat marine structures.After earning her doctorate in spring 2021…

The U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port San Juan has set Port Condition FOUR in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands reopening the area's maritime ports, following the passing of Tropical Storm Grace near the islands.Now a tropical depression, Grace continues its path just off the southern coast of the Dominican Republic. The ports of San Juan, Puerto Rico and the ports in the U.S. Virgin Islands were reopened Sunday afternoon, while all other remaining ports in Puerto Rico reopened at 5:45 a.m. Monday.

The U.S. Coast Guard and National Transportation Safety Board on Friday wrapped up the formal public hearing proceedings into the sinking of the liftboat Seacor Power and the death of 13 of its 19 crewmembers in the Gulf of Mexico.The Seacor Power capsized in heavy winds and seas on April 13, 2021, about seven miles south of Port Fourchon, La. Six crewmembers were initially rescued, and six were recovered unresponsive during the course of the response.Over the course of the nearly two-week-long hearing…

An ailing mariner was medevaced from a bulk carrier near Cold Bay, Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 1 p.m. on Wednesday, the 17th District Command Center watchstanders received a call from the Alaska Maritime Agency in Dutch Harbor reporting the 42-year-old crew member was suffering from a possible stroke aboard the bulk carrier Restinga, 140 miles south of Dutch Harbor.At 2:01 p.m., an aircrew aboard a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft launched from Air Station Kodiak to respond to the incident.

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on Thursday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has named Jack Norris as director of state and local government affairs.Norris will lead all state and local government relations efforts in support of the Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder’s strategic goals and will collaborate with community and economic development partners, HII said.“Jack has a strong government relations background that includes 20 years of experience managing public policy and supporting economic recovery and growth…

The U.S. Navy awarded Austal USA a sustainment execution contract (SEC) for repair, maintenance and modernization of all Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) homeported in San Diego. This includes all Austal-built Independence-variant LCS as well as the west-coast based Freedom-variant LCS.The SEC West award will enable the company to further expand its current San Diego service center while offering a greater range and depth of support available to the U.S. Navy. Austal USA is also expanding…

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries on Tuesday announced its Technical Solutions division has been awarded a five-year contract with a total value of $273 million to support the U.S. Navy’s carrier engineering maintenance assist team, surface engineering maintenance assist team for west coast surface ships, and other maintenance and material readiness programs.Work performed on the contract will support maintenance and planning for the overhaul and repair of equipment and systems including hull…

The U.S. Coast Guard has exercised a contract option to award Bollinger Shipyards four additional Sentinel-Class Fast Response Cutters (FRC). This announcement brings the total number of FRCs awarded to Bollinger up to 64 vessels since the program’s inception. To date, the U.S. Coast Guard has commissioned 43 FRCs into operational service.All four FRCs will be built at Bollinger’s Lockport, La. facility and are scheduled for delivery to the Coast Guard between Fall 2024 and Summer 2025.“We’re incredibly proud of the work we do at Bollinger…

A containership rescued 11 migrants from a capsized boat approximately 20 nautical miles northwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.The survivors are 10 adult men and a male minor, who were rescued by the 984-foot Panamanian flagged MSC Gisselle after their inflatable boat took on water and capsized in the Mona Passage between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.The box ship's crew informed watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan at 8:20 p.m.

Autonomous command and control systems developer Sea Machines Robotics announced it has advanced its multi-year Other Transaction (OT) agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD)’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). Phase 2 of the multiphase contract delegates $3.1 million to the deployment of a full-scale oceangoing replenishment platform.In October 2020, Boston-based Sea Machines was enlisted by the DoD to engineer, build and demonstrate ready-to-deploy system kits that transform existing commercial barges to platforms capable of landing and replenishing military aircraft.

The U.S. Navy's new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on Monday underwent its third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., rounding out the ship’s Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) and validating its shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distances…

Iran on Saturday rejected as psychological warfare accusations that it was behind a deadly attack on a tanker off Oman's coast, and said Tehran sought to enhance the security of the strategic Gulf waterway.Foreign ministers from the Group of Seven wealthy economies said on Friday Iran was threatening international peace and security and that all available evidence showed it was behind the attack on the Mercer Street tanker last week."If we were to confront enemies...we would declare it openly…

Fincantieri Marinette Marine launched LCS 27, the future USS Nantucket, for the U.S. Navy.The ship’s sponsor, Polly Spencer, broke the ceremonial champagne bottle on the bow of the ship declaring the vessel christened. As the bottle broke and champagne flowed, the vessel was launched into the Menominee River.The 378-foot Freedom-class littoral combat ship will be the third commissioned ship in U.S. naval service named after Nantucket.Marinette Marine was awarded the contract to build the vessel in October 2017.

An ailing mariner was medevaced from a Norwegian-flagged tanker approximately 18 miles offshore near the Corpus Christi Anchorage, Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a call at about 1 a.m. from the 908-foot liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier vessel Iberica Knutsen stating a 45-year-old crew member was having difficulty breathing and had collapsed. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended…

Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine announced on Thursday it has been awarded a $149 million contract for the detail design and construction of an oceanographic survey ship (T-AGS 67) for the U.S. Navy.“This contract continues the momentum and growth of Halter Marine by adding a third government program to its shipyard along with the Polar Security Cutter and Auxiliary Personnel Lighter-Small programs. With this contract award, Halter Marine will add approximately 250 highly skilled jobs allowing for the continued development and expansion of our workforce…

A 120-foot dredge barge capsized in the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Coast Guard Sector Charleston watchstanders received a call at 3:34 a.m. from the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina staff stating the dredge barge rolled over on its side in the marina. There were no persons aboard the Capt Leo II when it capsized, but the dredge barge has a reported maximum potential of 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board. Photos shared by the…

Brian Cuccias, the retired president of Huntington Ingalls Industries' (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, accepted the Navy League of the United States' Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Award today. The Navy League presented the award at the annual Sea-Air-Space exposition in National Harbor, Maryland.The Nimitz award honors an industry leader who has made a major contribution to the nation's maritime strength or enhanced national security. The award committee, appointed by the national president of the Navy League…

An ailing mariner was medically evacuated from an articulated tug and barge approximately 65 miles off Galveston, Texas, Monday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a call at about 4 p.m. from the 116-foot U.S.-flagged tugboat Leigh Ann Moran stating a 60-year-old crew member was ailing and disoriented. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac.An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston and HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew from Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi…

The United States is confident Iran attacked an Israeli-managed tanker last week, killing two, the top U.S. diplomat said on Monday, predicting a "collective response" but saying he did not think the incident necessarily signaled anything about Iran's incoming President Ebrahim Raisi."We have seen a series of actions taken by Iran over many months, including against shipping. So I am not sure that this particular action is anything new or augurs anything one way or another for the new government," Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters.

The U.S. Navy’s newest Virginia-class attack submarine, future USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 795), was christened during a ceremony at General Dynamics’ Electric Boat shipyard facility in Groton, Conn., July 31.“This submarine is a fitting tribute to Admiral Rickover, who truly transformed our Navy,” said Adm. James Caldwell, director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, during his remarks at the celebration.Caldwell credited Rickover – who served for 63 years in the Navy and is credited…

A U.S. Navy sailor was charged on Thursday with starting a fire last year that burned for four days on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard, injuring more than 60 people and destroying the vessel.The sailor, who was not identified by name, was charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice and could face court martial, Navy Commander Sean Robertson, a spokesman for the U.S. 3rd Fleet, said in a statement."The Sailor was a member of Bonhomme Richard's crew at the time and is accused of starting the fire…

Iran will respond promptly to any threat against its security, the foreign ministry said on Monday, after the United States, Israel and Britain blamed Tehran for an attack on an Israeli-managed tanker off the coast of Oman.Tehran has denied any involvement in the attack on Thursday in which two crew members—a Briton and a Romanian—were killed.The United States and Britain said on Sunday they would work with their allies to respond to the attack on the Mercer Street, a Liberian-flagged…

As reported earlier, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) concluded an agreement in March with Mitsui E&S Holdings Co., Ltd. under which MHI will take over the Naval and Governmental Ships business of Mitsui E&S Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. The decision has now been taken to name the new business entity Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Maritime Systems Co., Ltd., with the new company’s operational launch date to be announced after receipt of the results of the review currently underway by the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC).With inauguration of the new business company, MHI and MHI Maritime Systems will integrate in a concerted drive to expand their product lineups in naval vessels and governmental ships, enhance their product development capabilities, and improve production efficiency.

U.S.-based Halter Marine, an ST Engineering North America company, has been awarded a contract option for the U.S. Navy’s fifth Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL(S)) 67 Class berthing and messing barge. APLs are used by the Navy to house crewmembers when ships are in port for availabilities and Inter-Deployment Training Cycles. The barges are mobile and can be towed to new bases or shipyards to support changing fleet requirements and also offer potential use for humanitarian missions and other temporary assignments.The contract award announced Friday is $41 million for a firm…

The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday commissioned three new Fast Response Cutters at a ceremony presided over by Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guard’s commandant.The Coast Guard Cutters Myrtle Hazard (WPC 1139), Oliver Henry (WPC 1140)  and Frederick Hatch (WPC 1143) were commissioned during what the USCG said was a rare triple-commissioning ceremony at the new homeport at Coast Guard Forces Micronesia Sector Guam. Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States in the North Pacific Ocean.Named after Coast Guard enlisted heroes…

Crowley Maritime has secured a multi-year, $638 million contract for Vessel Acquisition Management (VAM) by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD)."Crowley’s strategic acquisition and vessel management service will assist MARAD in the enhancement of the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), helping reduce the overall age of the fleet and increase ship reliability. The fleet executes U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) sealifts," Crowley Maritime said."To carry out the contract, Crowley will use a new…

“The United States military flies, sails, and operates anywhere international law allows.”The 1982 Law of the Sea Convention recognizes the rights and freedoms of all nations to engage in traditional uses of the sea. According to the Department of Defense 2020 Annual Freedom of Navigation Report to Congress, “Unlawful and sweeping maritime claims—or incoherent legal theories of maritime entitlement—that are inconsistent with international law pose a threat to the legal foundation of the rules-based international order.”Not all nations adhere to this principle.

Sheffield Forgemasters’ shareholders have agreed to sell its entire share capital to the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support a substantial recapitalization of its defence-critical plant, equipment and infrastructure necessary to secure the delivery of components into future MoD programs.This is aimed to secure Sheffield Forgemasters’ role as a key supplier into the MoD for the long-term and is structured to invest substantial new capital into the modernization of defence-critical assets…

Officials from Japan and the Philippines on Monday virtually attended the launching ceremony of the 94-meter Multi-Role Response Vessel (MRRV) at the shipyard of the Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd. in Japan.The ceremony was attended by Koshikawa Kazuhiko, the Japanese ambassador in Manila, the Philippines' Transportation Secretary Arthur P. Tugade, and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commandant Admiral George Villareal Ursabia, Jr.Ambassador Koshikawa conveyed his wish that the MRRV will play a vital role in maritime law enforcement and marine environment in the Philippines…

The Russian navy can detect any enemy and launch an "unpreventable strike" if needed, President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday, weeks after a UK warship angered Moscow by passing the Crimea peninsula."We are capable of detecting any underwater, above-water, airborne enemy and, if required, carry out an unpreventable strike against it," Putin said speaking at a navy day parade in St Petersburg.Putin's words follow an incident in the Black Sea in June when Russia said it had fired…

Indian oil and gas explorer ONGC said Monday it had, together with Coast Guard, helped avert a possible disaster relating to an empty LPG Tanker ‘Gas Yodla’ which went adrift after engine failure in the Arabian Sea on  July 24, 2021. "At 6:35 PM on that day, the LPG tanker reported engine failure and started drifting in the Sea, around 20 nautical miles (nm) from ONGC’s D1 field," ONGC said.The vessel, owned by Dubai-based Shield Marine, was on its way to Fujairah, UAE from Mongla, Bangladesh.

Australia-based VEEM, a company designing and building marine propulsion and stabilization systems, will manufacture a pilot propeller blade for the Hunter Class Frigate Program (HCFP), under a contract awarded by BAE Systems Maritime Australia."The order enables VEEM to demonstrate it has the manufacturing capability to join the HCFP supply chain. As a world leader in premium commercial propellers that has delivered similar blades to defense clients globally, VEEM is very confident it can meet the requirements of the HCFP…

Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) and Hydronalix, Inc. of Green Valley, AZ, signed a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) entitled AISUM Prize Challenge Hardware Support. Agreement number: NCRADA-NSWCCD-21-419. NSWC Crane is hosting an Artificial Intelligence for Small Unit Maneuver (AISUM) Prize Challenge with contestants from industry and academia. With the strategic goals of developing software that can be supported by a variety of hardware, non-proprietary robotic autonomy baseline component architecture and software were required.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of Legend-class national security cutter Calhoun (WMSL 759) late last week.“This is a very special keel authentication ceremony for a multitude of reasons,” said George Nungesser, Ingalls’ vice president of program management. “While we were able to work steadily and safely though the pandemic, visitation to the shipyard made commemorating major shipbuilding milestones a challenge.

Thirty-seven people have been rescued from a migrant boat with 45 people on board that sank south of Turkey, and Turkish naval ships and an aircraft are continuing search and rescue operations, the defense ministry said on Friday.The ministry said in a statement that it had received information on Thursday evening that the boat was sinking, 161 miles (259 km) southwest of the Turkish resort town of Kas."Thirty-seven people were rescued from the migrant boat that sank. Search operations for eight people are continuing…

Greece was searching for migrants who went missing after their sailing boat sank off the island of Crete, its shipping ministry said on Thursday.A nearby vessel spotted the boat after it sent a distress signal and reported it started sinking some 60 nautical miles southeast off Crete, it said.Some 36 migrants have been rescued so far, while a helicopter, two coast guard vessels and other boats sailing in the area were part of an ongoing search and rescue operation in high winds.The migrants said that a total of 45 people were on board the sailboat…

Mexico will send two navy ships loaded with food and medical supplies to Cuba, the foreign ministry said on Thursday, after President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador blamed the U.S. embargo for fomenting the biggest unrest in Cuba in decades.The ships will leave the port of Veracruz in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, taking syringes, oxygen tanks, and masks along with powdered milk, cans of tuna, beans, flour, cooking oil, and gasoline.The shipments exemplify Mexico's policy of "international…

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a crew member from a tanker vessel approximately 11 miles off Galveston, Texas, Wednesday.Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a call at approximately 9 a.m. from Anthony Veder's Coral Furcata LNG carrier stating a 48-year-old male crew member was experiencing stroke-like symptoms. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac.A Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew…

South Korea's prime minister and defense minister apologized as hundreds of COVID-19-infected sailors were flown to Seoul on Tuesday after a navy destroyer patrolling the waters off Africa was found to be riddled with the coronavirus.Almost 250 of the 301 unvaccinated crew aboard the destroyer Munmu the Great were infected, sparking a public furor at the government's failure to protect those serving abroad. read moreThe whole crew arrived home on Tuesday after the government carried out an emergency air evacuation…

Britain said on Tuesday it would permanently deploy two warships in Asian waters after its Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier and escort ships sail to Japan in September through seas where China is vying for influence with the United States and Japan.Plans for the high-profile visit by the carrier strike group come as London deepens security ties with Tokyo, which has expressed growing alarm in recent months over China's territorial ambitions in the region, including Taiwan."Following on from the strike group's inaugural deployment…

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a man from the CL Yingdu tanker, around 223 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina on Saturday. Watchstanders from the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District command center received notification that a man aboard the CL Yingdu (Ex-Maersk Tianjin) was suffering from an eye injury and needed medical attention. The command center consulted with a U.S. Coast Guard flight surgeon who recommended medical evacuation. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and an HC-130 Hercules aircraft from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City were dispatched.

Russia said on Monday it had successfully tested a Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile, a weapon President Vladimir Putin has touted as part of a new generation of missile systems without equal in the world.The defense ministry said in a statement that the missile had been fired from the Admiral Gorshkov, a warship located in the White Sea, and traveled at around seven times the speed of sound before hitting a ground target on the coastline of the Barents Sea more than…

Waterways Council, Inc. (WCI) applauded approval by the House Appropriations Committee (by a vote of 33 to 24) of strong funding for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22). The Committee provided overall funding for the Corps’ Civil Works Mission for FY22 at $8.66 billion, an increase of $863 million above FY21’s appropriated level, and $1.9 billion above the President’s FY22 budget request.“WCI is pleased that the House Appropriations Committee has increased funding for the Corps of Engineers’ critical work…

South Korea's military has recorded in biggest cluster of COVID-19 infections to date, with more than 80% of personnel aboard a destroyer on anti-piracy patrol in the Gulf of Aden testing positive.While the 247 cases are not directly linked to new domestic infections, with the destroyer having left South Korea to start its mission in February, the surge comes as the country battles its worst-ever outbreak of COVID-19 cases at home, with another 1,252 new infections reported for…

In the United States, it is a frustrating time to be in the government shipbuilding business. Even though America depends upon maritime commerce and faces growing security risks at sea, shipbuilding is just not a major national focus.Up to now, shipbuilders have had it pretty good. For the past several years, big naval shipbuilders have enjoyed steady growth and strong performance. In 2020, Huntington Ingalls Industries enjoyed record revenue of $9.4 billion, an 8.5% margin and gave a quarter billion back to shareholders in dividends and stock buybacks.

U.S. Coast Guard said Thursday it had responded to a boat fire near Carlsbad, California in an incident in which the 50-foot boat eventually sank.Coast Guard Sector San  Diego watchstanders received several reports of a boat, on fire approximately seven miles off the Carlsbad coast around 9 a.m. local time.Coast Guard watchstanders dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutters Munro, Benjamin Bottoms, and the  Haddock."While Coast Guard assets were en route, the Oceanside Harbor Master confirmed that the boat's name was the Relentless.

President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed on Thursday to settle their dispute over Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline but said they agreed that Moscow must not be allowed to use energy as a weapon to coerce its neighbors."Good friends can disagree," Biden told reporters after two meetings with Merkel at the White House, adding that both leaders had asked their teams to look at practical measures they could take together if Russia's actions posed a…

Canada will allow cruise ships back into its waters starting in November as the COVID-19 pandemic fades, but they must fully comply with public health requirements that have yet to be finalized, Ottawa said on Thursday.Earlier this year, Canada extended a ban on cruise ships until February 2022, citing the need to protect public health. Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said in a statement that the restriction would now be lifted on Nov. 1, 2021."We will welcome cruise ships - an important part of our tourism sector - back in Canadian waters for the 2022 season…

The crew of the U. S. Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant conducted a formal change of command ceremony in Port Canaveral, Thursday.During the ceremony, Cmdr. Jay Guyer relieved Cmdr. Fred Bertsch of the duties of commanding officer of the vessel.Bertsch served as Vigilant’s commanding officer since 2019 and led the crew through six patrols.According to the U.S. Coast Guard, under Bertsch’s leadership, Vigilant interdicted 10 drug smuggling vessels seizing over 30,952 kilograms of cocaine and detaining 30 suspected smugglers.

South Korea is sending a medical team to the Middle East to tackle a coronavirus outbreak on one of its ships on anti-piracy patrol while at home, new daily infections are hovering around record levels with 1,600 reported on Thursday.South Korea was for months a coronavirus success story as it kept outbreaks under control with testing, tracing and social distancing but the Delta variant has been fueling a new wave of persistent infections in recent weeks.The outbreak on the South Korean destroyer with some 300 service members on board operating in the Gulf of Aden is another headache for the a

India will give financial support to local shippers to help them match the lowest bids offered by foreign carriers in global import tenders floated by Indian state agencies, an official statement said on Wednesday.The move to provide 16.24 billion rupees ($218.08 million) support over five years is aimed at increasing the number of Indian-flagged vessels and saving outgoing foreign exchange.The Indian fleet comprises a meagre 1.2% of the world fleet in terms of capacity, the statement said…

An ailing mariner was medevaced from a tanker vessel approximately 8 miles off Freeport, Texas, Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.At approximately 9:30 a.m., the tanker vessel Stolt Confidence told Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders that a crew member on board was suffering chest pains and having difficulty breathing. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon, who recommended a medevac.A Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew launched to assist.The boat crew arrived on scene…

The hydrographic survey vessel HNLMS Snellius was returned to the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) following its midlife upgrade at Damen Shipyards Den Helder, a nearly one year-long project with a diverse scope of work.The Defensie Materieel Organization (DMO, the Defense Materiel Organisation of the Dutch Ministry of Defence) and the Directie Materële Instandhouding (DMI – the Directorate for Materiel Conservation) were responsible for the major maintenance work on the ship, and…

Salvors have raised the bow section of the liftboat Seacor Power, which overturned in heavy seas in the Gulf of Mexico in April.The Donjon-SMIT salvage team lifted the bow section to the surface of the water and transported it by barge on Saturday to the Modern American Recycling Services, Inc. (M.A.R.S.) facility in Houma, La.Meanwhile, salvage work continues at the wreck site, where crews recently conducted more acoustic surveys of the stern and accommodation sections. The updated surveys will be used to complete the rigging configuration to prepare the stern section for removal.