Government & Military News

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.

China's military said it "drove away" a U.S. warship that illegally entered Chinese waters near the Paracel Islands on Monday, the anniversary of an international court ruling that held Beijing had no claim over the South China Sea.The USS Benfold entered the waters without China's approval, seriously violating its sovereignty and undermining the stability of the South China Sea, the southern theatre command of the People's Liberation Army said."We urge the United States to immediately stop such provocative actions…

Aerospace, defense and security company Babcock said it is gearing up to showcase its frigate design, build and support credentials as it continues its engagement in Greece around its bid to deliver the Hellenic Navy’s new frigate modernization program.Supported by the U.K. government, Babcock has been fine-tuning its program to provide the Hellenic Navy with a Hydra Class upgrade program, an interim frigate capability and four Babcock Arrowhead 140 frigates.Babcock said its industrial strategy would see it support the modernization of Greek shipyard facilities…

Russia is tracking a Spanish naval ship in the Black Sea, the Interfax news agency cited Russia's defense ministry as saying on Wednesday, as Ukraine and NATO countries both held military drills in the area.The ministry said the Spanish ship had entered the Black Sea on Wednesday to take part in the Sea Breeze 2021 military drills, which started late last month in the Black Sea and southern Ukraine and involve more than 30 countries.Two Russian Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets also escorted a foreign reconnaissance aircraft…

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi inaugurated a large naval base on Saturday 135 km from the border with Libya, flanked by close ally Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan and Libya's unity president,Egypt says the July 3 base will help it protect strategic and economic interests as well as helping guard against irregular migration as it boosts its naval presence on the Mediterranean and the Red Sea.At the inauguration, two Mistral helicopter carriers…

French medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres said on Monday an MSF vessel that rescued hundreds of migrants and refugees in the Mediterranean last month has been detained in Italy, suggesting the seizure was politically motivated.Thousands of migrants embark each year on the crossing, often departing in small, inflatable boats from Libya with hopes of reaching Europe.So far this year, 866 migrant deaths have been recorded in the Mediterranean, according to the U.N. migration agency.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Alion Science and Technology --  technology-driven solutions provider for the global defense marketplace -- for $1.65 billion in cash from Veritas Capital, subject to customary adjustments. Alion provides advanced engineering and R&D services in the areas of ISR, military training and simulation, cyber, data analytics and other next-generation technology based solutions to the DOD and intelligence community customers, with the U.S. Navy representing about one third of current annual revenues.

The UK National Oceanography Centre (NOC) has secured funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which will take robot submarine ‘Boaty McBoatface’ around end-of-life oil and gas fields. The Autonomous Techniques for infraStructure Ecological Assessment (AT-SEA) project, led by the NOC will trial the concept of using submarines like Boaty for high-tech, low-impact monitoring to pick up any potential environmental impacts at these sites, NOC said.The NOC has received £670…

In 1985, Chris Deegan was hired out of Penn State as a nuclear submarine cost estimator by the Naval Sea Systems Command and retired nearly 28 years later as the Executive Director of PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, with the last 10 as a member of the Senior Executive Service. He’s been with Gibbs & Cox since 2013, first as the Vice President of Engineering, and as President and Chief Executive since 2016.Please give a “by the numbers” look at Gibbs & Cox today.Since our founding in 1929…

Bollinger Shipyards delivered the USCGC Emlen Tunnell to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. It is the 168th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the USCG in 35 years and the 45th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under the current program.Named to honor Coast Guard hero and NFL great Emlen Tunnell, the cutter is the fourth of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace an aging 110-ft. Island Class Patrol Boats. The USCG ships are stationed in Bahrain…

A fire broke out on board a refrigerated cargo ship at the Port of Wilmington, in Delaware, late Monday evening.The crew aboard the Dole containerized fruit carrier contacted U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay at approximately midnight, reporting that an engine fire erupted shortly after leaving port.The vessel quickly activated its firefighting system, energizing a carbon dioxide system to flood the engine room and rob the fire of oxygen, and safely moored back to the pier.

The Netherlands' defense minister said on Tuesday that Russian fighter jets armed with air-to-surface missiles had harassed a Dutch navy frigate in the Black Sea earlier this month, conducting mock attacks and jamming communication systems.The Russian defense ministry said it had scrambled fighter jets and bombers to prevent the frigate from entering Russian waters, according to news agencies.The Russian military said the warplanes flew at a safe distance from the vessel and in…

An ailing crewmember was medevaced from a 400-foot accommodation barge Monday, approximately 140 nautical miles south of Ponce, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a call from the DB Superior Performance barge reporting a medical emergency for a 46-year-old crewmember who was experiencing possible cardiac distress and required specialized medical care ashore. At the time of the emergency, the tugboat Crosby Leader was towing…

A steel cutting ceremony was held for the U.K. Royal Navy's third Type 26 frigate, HMS Belfast, with all three of the first batch of City Class frigates now under construction.Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, set the plasma cutting machine to work on the first plate of steel at BAE Systems’ shipyard in Glasgow. The U.K.-sourced steel plate will form part of a unit which will contain the machinery space for the gearbox and stabilizers of HMS Belfast.Minister of State for Defense Baroness Goldie…

Austal USA delivered the future USS Savannah, the 14th Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), to the U.S. Navy June 25. Savannah (LCS 28) is the seventh ship Austal has delivered to the Navy in less than two years.LCS is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed for operation in near-shore environments yet capable of open-ocean operation. It is designed to defeat asymmetric “anti-access” threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. The…

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) signed an updated memorandum of Uunderstanding (MOU) to institutionalize best practices developed during recent joint investigations including El Faro, Stretch Duck 7, Golden Ray and Conception.The NTSB and the Coast Guard entered into this MOU to facilitate timely cooperation between the agencies as they carry out their respective statutory missions. The MOU is intended to assist in determining which agency will lead certain major marine casualties and accidents involving public and non-public vessels.

A contract for a new RAmparts 3200-SD tug was recently signed by Robert Allan Ltd. and Asian Marine Services Public Company Limited (ASIMAR) of Thailand for the design for the Royal Thai Navy. ASIMAR signed the construction contract with the Royal Thai Navy on May 25th, 2021, with Admiral Chatchai Sriworakan, Commander in Chief presiding over the signing ceremony.The Royal Thai Navy currently operates two RAmparts 3200 tugs, and this third RAmparts 3200 tugboat will, similar to the previous two tugs…

Russia warned Britain on Thursday that it would bomb British naval vessels in the Black Sea if there were any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea.Russia summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding after the warship breached what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine.Britain said Russia was giving an inaccurate account of the incident.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) said it has signed an exclusive partnership agreement with Louisiana’s Bayou Metal Supply to provide material and labor in support of the production of the U.S. Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Program. ESG is the prime contractor of the OPC program and landed this exclusive materials and labor relationship to strengthen its bid for Stage II of the program which will be awarded in early 2022.“As the prime contractor for the Offshore Patrol Cutter Program…

The British Royal Navy said it has taken delivery of its third and final autonomous minehunting boat.RNMB Hebe, named after the ancient Greek goddess of youth, joins sister vessels Harrier and Hazard as part of the Royal Navy’s crewless minehunting program Project Wilton. Together, the three vessels are key components in the future of minehunting operations for the navy. The boats are capable of working in different configurations – manually, remotely or autonomously – to detect…

Russia said on Wednesday it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship to chase it out of waters Moscow claims in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimea peninsula.Britain rejected Russia’s account of the incident, saying it believed any shots fired were a pre-announced Russian “gunnery exercise”, and that no bombs had been dropped. But it confirmed that its destroyer, HMS Defender, had sailed through what it described as waters belonging to Ukraine.The…

China condemned the United States on Wednesday as the region's greatest security "risk creator" after a U.S. warship again sailed through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from China.The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on Tuesday in accordance with international law."The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open…

Shipbuilder Austal USA has won concept studies and a preliminary design contract by the United States Navy for the Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) program.The USN’s new Light Amphibious Warship (LAW) program envisions procuring a class of 28 to 30 new amphibious ships to support the Marine Corps, particularly in implementing a new Marine Corps operational concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). The Navy envisions the first LAW being procured in FY2023.LAW…

Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, announced that its Fairbanks Morse Engine (FME) division was awarded a contract by Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) to build and deliver the two main propulsion diesel engines (MPDE) for the U.S. Coast Guard’s fourth Offshore Patrol Cutter the RUSH (WMSM-918). FME will build the engines at its Beloit, Wis. manufacturing facility.“Fairbanks Morse engines will help the OPCs perform the mission-critical task of preserving the country’s maritime security.

Adm. Linda L. Fagan has taken over as vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, relieving  Adm. Charles W. Ray during a military change-of-command ceremony held Friday at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters.Adm. Fagan most recently served as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, overseeing all Coast Guard operations in the Pacific, covering more than 74 million square miles of ocean, from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica.“Adm. Fagan, it is an honor to welcome you as the first woman to serve as a four-star admiral in the U.S.

Fincantieri Marinette Marine held a keel laying ceremony for the final Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) to be built in Marinette, Wis., the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31).The Freedom-variant LCS will be the fourth commissioned ship in naval service, since World War I, named after Cleveland. It will be the nation’s 31st LCS.“Our team at Fincantieri Marinette Marine is proud to celebrate the keel laying of the LCS 31 with the gracious citizens of Cleveland. This milestone is a testament to the power of cooperation and forward thinking by the entire Freedom Team and our customer, the United States Navy.

After more than 30 years of active service, U.S. Coast Guard Island-class patrol boats USCGC Aquidneck (WPB 1309) and USCGC Adak (WPB 1333) were decommissioned in a ceremony aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Tuesday.Vice Adm. Steven Poulin, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, was in attendance to honor the years of service Aquidneck, Adak, and their crews, provided to the Coast Guard.“Thank you to every single crew member who has ever served aboard Aquidneck and Adak, from the plank owners to the final crew and all the crews in between,” Poulin said.

Australian shipbuilding group Austal announced on Friday it has delivered the 11th Guardian-class Patrol Boat (GCPB) to the Australian Department of Defense. The vessel, the RKS Teanoai II, was then gifted by the Australian government to the government of the Republic of Kiribati during a ceremony at Austal Australia’s Henderson shipyard.The vessel is the first Guardian-class Patrol Boat to be delivered to Kiribati under the Pacific Patrol Boat Replacement Project (SEA3036-1)…

Bollinger Shipyards announced on Wednesday that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command to conduct a concept study and the preliminary design of the U.S. Navy’s Light Amphibious Warship (LAW).The LAW program envisions procuring a class of 28 to 30 new amphibious ships to support the Marine Corps, particularly in implementing a new Marine Corps operational concept called Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations (EABO). The Navy envisions the first LAW being procured in FY2023.“Bollinger Shipyards is honored and excited to continue participating in the LAW program,” said Bollinger president and CEO Ben Bordelon.

Moduteh Marine, of Tacoma, Wash., has gained recognition on meeting the stringent conditions of military contracts. In 2020 they completed a contract to build a fleet of five small tugs. These carry the military designation Work Boat Docking.“The mission of the CNIC Work Boat Docking (WB Docking) is to provide waterborne support at U.S. Navy Installations,” said Modutech’s Brian Swindahl. “The boats are required to have the ability to safely assist vessels including submarines for mooring and dry-docking…

The development and construction of multimission vessels (MMVs) remains active across the maritime market.The ability to perform multiple tasks when those different duties are needed is central to an MMV’s value. Multimission capabilities mean that an expensive asset doesn’t sit idle when it isn’t being used for a singular purpose, such as firefighting. This is particularly important for public sector officials who have to weigh costs and benefits across a wide range of demands…

Salvage crews have once again paused operations to remove the Golden Ray wreck outside Georgia's Port of Brunswick, this time for "routine maintenance" on the equipment being used to cut and separate sections of the hulking overturned car carrier. Considered one of the most complex wreck removals in U.S. history, the project has been plagued by a number of setbacks since salvage operations commenced in 2019. Teams have already encountered delays relating to difficult environmental conditions…

U.S. President Joe Biden intends to nominate Carlos del Toro for secretary of the Navy, the White House announced on Friday.Del Toro is a retired U.S. Navy commander with nearly 40 years’ experience in national security and naval operations, budgeting and acquisition.Over the course of a 22-year career in the U.S. Navy, Del Toro held a series of critical appointments, including Senior Executive Assistant to the Director for Program Analysis and Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense…

Louisiana shipbuilding group Bollinger Shipyards has placed its bid to build the second round of vessels as part of the U.S. Coast Guard's Heritage-class Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program.If selected, Bollinger would construct and deliver a total of 11 ships to the U.S. Coast Guard over the next decade, helping to sustain the Bollinger workforce through 2031, the company said.Bollinger has been actively involved in every step of the U.S. Coast Guard’s OPC acquisition process…

An ailing tugboat crewmember was medically evacuated approximately 10 miles north of Manasquan Inlet, N.J. on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center in Philadelphia received an alert that the individual was suffering from abdominal pain while aboard the 33.5-meter tugboat Saint Emilion.A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Station Manasquan Inlet launched to meet the tugboat after the Delaware Bay Command…

Fincantieri signed a contract with Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) to support the Conceptual Design of the new class of aircraft carriers “CVX” for the Navy of the Republic of Korea (South Korea).The program relating to the first-in-class unit envisages the tender for the Basic Design starting from the second half of 2021, whereas the detail design and construction will begin in the following years.The signing took place between Jung Woo Sung, Vice President Naval & Special Ship Marketing Division of DSME…

In my May 2020 MREN USS Enterprise column I made a reference to the benefits of titanium as a hull structural material.It related to the life of the USCG cutter Bear and I concluded the column with a suggestion that titanium would be a particularly useful and cost-effective structural material for sail training vessels, aircraft carriers, research vessels, cruise vessels, tugs and Staten Island ferries. I made this suggestion assuming that the hull design (shape) would have to be mature…

Surveyors from the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency are to carry out unannounced inspections of fishing vessels across the UK with the aim of increasing safety in the industry after a growing number of fatalities."The inspections are being carried out as part of ongoing work around fishing vessel safety in an industry-recognized to be one of the dangers in the world," the MCA said.According to the Agency, since November 2020, there have been eight deaths – more than ten percent of the total for the previous ten years.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has signed a contract with the Ministry of Defense of Indonesia, for the supply of 6 FREMM class frigates, the modernization and sale of 2 Maestrale class frigates, and the related logistical support. Fincantieri will be the prime contractor for the entire program. The company did not share financial details."The construction of the frigates will ensure significant employment benefits not only for several Italian shipyards of the Group in the next years…

The U.S. Navy has awarded shipbuilder Austal USA a $44 million contract to establish the expeditionary fast transport USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) as an autonomous prototype.Austal USA, builder of the Spearhead-class EPF, will design, procure, implement and demonstrate EPF 13 as an autonomous platform. This award builds on Austal USA’s previous autonomous work for the U.S. Department of Defense.The enhancements will allow EPF 13 to operate autonomously while retaining the capability for manned operation.

Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Supervisory Air Interdiction Officer Ali Baig recognized for promoting regional maritime securityThe National  Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) Executive Steering Committee annual national level “MDA ESC Excellence Award for 2021 for law enforcement was presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Supervisory Air Interdiction Officer Ali Baig of the Jacksonville Air and Marine Branch. The recognition…

Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) operates hundreds of boats all the way from a 7-meter Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to a 78-foot patrol boat, as well as construction equipment such as cranes, bulldozers, pumps, cranes, vehicles and chain saws and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) equipment.Maintaining all of it comes under the watchful eye of Force Maintenance Director Dave Noel.“I’m the guy that fixes the equipment we buy,” Noel said. “Once it’s fielded, it’s our job to keep it operational…

The Navy is known for its big ships. It has a lot of smaller boats and craft, too—3,200 of them.The three primary stakeholders for these craft are the Surface Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. Other stakeholders include Submarine Forces; Air Forces (which own the aircraft carriers); Naval Special Warfare; the Coast Guard; Naval Facilities Command and the Naval Warfare Centers.Boats and craft are procured and managed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office for Ships (PEO Ships)…

America’s largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on Tuesday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has been awarded a contract with a potential total value of $724 million for planning yard services in support of in-service amphibious ships.Planning yard services provided will be in support of amphibious transport dock (LPD 17), assault (LHD 1 and LHA 6), command (LCC 19), and dock landing (LSD 41/49) classes of ships, HII said. The contract includes options over a seven-year period and covers fleet modernization availability planning…

Russia is building its first naval ship that will be fully equipped with stealth technology to make it hard to detect, the RIA state news agency reported on Tuesday.The hull of the Mercury naval corvette dubbed project 20386 has already been built and the vessel is expected to be delivered to the navy next year, RIA reported, citing two unnamed sources in the shipbuilding industry.The warship will be armed with cruise missiles, anti-aircraft missiles and artillery, as well as being capable of searching for and destroying submarines…

Pascagoula, Miss. shipbuilder Halter Marine has been awarded a $149,053,160 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) modification to definitize contract number N00024-19-C-2208 for the detail design and construction of one oceanographic survey ship (T-AGS 67), the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday.The shipyard has delivered the seven previous survey ships in the Pathfinder-class, the first of which, USNS Pathfinder (T-AGS-60), entered service in 1994. Today, six of the ships are still operational, including the newest ship, USNS Maury (T-AGS-66), commissioned in 2016.Owned by the U.S.

Austal USA said it has been awarded a $3.6 million functional design contract to prepare for construction of the new Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) for the U.S. Navy.The Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder will prepare a functional design for the T-ATS, an 80-meter steel monohull vessel with multimission capability to support a variety of towing, salvage, search and rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance and surveillance activities. The T-ATS can also embark containerized systems including cyber…

AdvanTec Marine said its USA Sliding Doors division has been awarded a contract from Seaspan Shipyards to supply Fire-Rated, Class II and III Watertight doors for both Joint Support Ships (JSS) that Seaspan is building for the Royal Canadian Navy under Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.The order includes USA-1005 Cargo Doors and the USA-1003 Personnel Doors. Both models have remote (wheelhouse) and local controls, both electric, while the drive system is electro-hydraulic. In the event vessel power is lost, a local manual handpump is also provided as a failsafe feature.

The U.K. Royal Navy recently trialed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies at sea to counter supersonic missile threats.The operational experiment was carried out on the Type 45 Destroyer (HMS Dragon) and Type 23 Frigate (HMS Lancaster), using the AI applications Startle and Sycoiea as part of Exercise Formidable Shield, which wrapped up on Thursday off the coast of Scotland.As part of the Above Water Systems program, led by Defense Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) scientists…

Indonesia ended salvage efforts on Wednesday to retrieve a disaster-stricken submarine that cost 53 lives and prompted questions over the maintenance of military equipment in the world's fourth most populous nation.The 44-year-old submarine lost contact with the Indonesian navy on April 21 while preparing for a torpedo drill in the Bali Sea, triggering a desperate international search and rescue effort to find it before oxygen supplies ran out.When the vessel was discovered days later in three parts…

Damen Shipyards Galati performed the traditional keel-laying ceremony on June 2, 2021 for the Combat Support Ship (CSS) Den Helderf for the Royal Netherlands Navy.The yard carried out the steel cutting for this new vessel in December last year, and following the keel-laying, all the building blocks for the actual construction of the ship in Romania are now ready. The next ceremonial milestone is the naming of the vessel, but not before the building of the ship is completed in 2023.

A cargo ship carrying tonnes of chemicals sank off Sri Lanka's west coast, its navy said on Wednesday, and tonnes of plastic pellets have fouled the country's rich fishing waters in one of its worst-ever marine disasters.The government on Wednesday suspended fishing along an 80-km (50-mile) stretch of the island's coastline, affecting 5,600 fishing boats, and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed to clean affected beaches.The Singapore-registered MV X-Press Pearl, carrying 1…

Iran's largest navy ship the Kharg sank on Wednesday after catching fire in the Gulf of Oman, but the crew was safely rescued, Iranian media reported.No further explanation was given for the latest incident in a region of sensitive waterways, where there have been accusations of attacks on ships owned by arch-enemies Iran and Israel.State TV said the fire on Iran's highest-tonnage naval vessel started around 2:25 a.m.on Wednesday (21:55 GMT) near the Iranian port of Jask, where…

In the last week of April, with little fanfare, the U.S. Coast Guard released a much-anticipated opportunity to build up to 27 Waterways Commerce Cutters. After the detailed design and construction contract is awarded in Spring of 2022, a lucky shipbuilder will begin replacing the Coast Guard’s eclectic fleet of 18 venerable river buoy tenders (WLR) and 13 inland construction tenders (WLIC).The Coast Guard’s inland waterways maintenance fleet has been ignored for far too long.

Search and rescue teams are looking for a person still missing after hundreds were rescued from a passenger ferry that caught fire in Indonesia's Molucca Sea, local officials said on Sunday.Passenger ferry KM Karya Indah was travelling in a remote part of the Indonesian archipelago, from Ternate in the province of North Maluku towards Sanana on the island of Sulabes, when the fire broke out early on Saturday morning.Dramatic footage from Indonesia’s search and rescue agency showed…

Britain is planning to build a new flagship to promote its business and trade interests around the world, the government said on Saturday, in a move it said would also reinvigorate the nation's shipbuilding industry.Britain said the ship, once built, would host high level trade negotiations and trade shows, and the cost of the shipbuilding project would be confirmed once manufacturing contracts were tendered.Construction of the ship is expected to begin at a U.K. shipyard as soon as next year, and the ship will enter service within the next four years.

The U.S. Coast Guard said it has suspended the search for 10 Cuban migrants believed missing from a boat that capsized off Key West, Florida.Two people were killed and 10 were believed missing in the incident, the U.S. Coast Guard had reported on Thursday.Coast Guard, Navy, Air Force, Customs and Border Protection, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission air and surface asset personnel conducted multiple search patterns for more than 123 hours, covering about 8,864 square miles…

The maiden voyage of a new British aircraft carrier will seek to show allies that post-Brexit Britain is ready to defend Western interests and eager to see China respect international rules, the vessel’s commander said.HMS Queen Elizabeth took part in NATO exercises in the Mediterranean this week, ahead of the eight-month voyage that will cross through the South China Sea in a signal to Beijing that sea lanes must remain open.The carrier is “a hugely powerful statement,” Commodore Steve Moorhouse…

The U.S. Navy's future USS Savannah (LCS 28) has completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico. LCS 28 is the 14th Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.Paddy Gregg, CEO of Austal USA parent company Austal, noted the milestone follows the recent commissioning of the USS Mobile (LCS 26).“The Austal USA team are quite rightly filled with pride and a collective sense of achievement following the recent commissioning of USS Mobile in their home city, following the vessels delivery in December 2020,” Gregg said.

Japanese coast guard ships and aircraft were searching on Friday for three missing crew of a cargo ship that capsized and sank after a collision with a Marshall Islands-registered tanker in the Seto Inland Sea, authorities said.The Byakko sank at about 2:40 a.m.

The Danish Coastal Authority has ordered a new survey ship from Tuco Marine – ProZero Workboats to replace the 34-year-old vessel Ekko from 2022.The new vessel, which will be used for surveying Danish waters and collecting coastal development data, is expected to cost approximately DKK 10 million ($1.6 million), including advanced measuring equipment.The vessel will be equipped with an A-frame for towed sensors as well as a multi-beam echo sounder that can measure the seabed with…

A senior Russian security official said on Thursday that Moscow had used its navy and air force to expel a British warship, HMS Dragon, from what he described as Russian territorial waters near Russian-annexed Crimea last October.Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, drawing sanctions and condemnation from the West. Kyiv wants the territory back.Vladimir Kulishov, first deputy head of the FSB security service, said Russia had told the vessel not to enter its waters, but that it had crossed what he said was the border on Oct.

A woman officer will be appointed to the rank of admiral for the first time in the centuries-long history of the British Royal Navy.Commodore Jude Terry, who has served for nearly a quarter of a century, has been selected for promotion to rear admiral, making her the most senior woman in the Royal Navy, past or present. The 47-year-old will be promoted to rear admiral next year and take over as the Royal Navy’s Director of People and Training and Naval Secretary.Of making history she says “someone has to be first”.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth visited the country's new aircraft carrier on Saturday, named in honor of Elizabeth I, before it leads a flotilla of Royal Navy ships to Asian waters on its maiden operational voyage.The queen, aged 95, stepped aboard the HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth, seven years after she named the vessel alongside her late husband Prince Philip who died last month.The 65,000-tonne Queen Elizabeth will carry eight British F-35B fighter jets and 10 U.S. F-35s as well as 250 U.S.

Danish Parliament on Tuesday approved plans to send a naval warship to boost maritime security in one of the world's top piracy hot spots. In the fall of 2021 the European country will deploy its frigate Esbern Snare to the Gulf of Guinea off Africa's west coast where it will contribute to international efforts to curb rampant piracy.As the world’s fifth largest marine nation Denmark said on average 30-40 Danish operated ships sail through the Gulf of Guinea daily, carrying some $1.6 billion in goods annually.In March…

“Fill her up, son; unleaded. I need a full tank of gas where I'm headed,” former Police-front man, Sting, sang back in 1999 on his solo album Brand New Day. This country-inspired song could be the anthem for what is coming around next week, as Monday. May 31  is Memorial Day in the U.S., the day that kicks off “the U.S. driving season”. The season runs for about three months from Memorial Day to Labor Day on September 6, during which the Americans take to the road, and demand for motor gasoline reaches a seasonal peak.On 26 May, the U.S.

Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc. (ESG) on Monday held a keel authentication ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard’s future Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), USCGC Chase (WMSM-916), at its Nelson Street facility in Panama City, Fla.The 360-foot vessel is the second of the Heritage-class OPC being built by Eastern to replace the Coast Guard's 210-foot and 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutters. The series' first vessel, USCGC Argus, is scheduled to be delivered in 2022.“Here at Eastern we start…

On May 21, shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO started construction of the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208), the fourth of six vessels for the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet oiler program.Designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea, the 742-feet vessels have a full load displacement of 49,850 tons, with the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and up to a speed of 20 knots.Due to current COVID-19 restrictions, representatives from NASSCO and the U.S.

The White House said on Friday it had pared down its infrastructure bill to $1.7 trillion from $2.25 trillion, with cuts to investments in broadband as well as roads and bridges, in an effort to find common ground with Republican lawmakers.The effort represented a desire by President Joe Biden's team to engage with the opposition party on an issue that the Democratic president has made a priority in his early days in office.But the two sides still remained far apart, and one person…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Friday announced the availability of $10,819,000 in grant funding for the America’s Marine Highway Program (AMHP), which aims to encourage the use of America’s 25,000 miles of navigable waterways."The America’s Marine Highway Program increases the use of environmentally sustainable practices to move freight across our transportation system.” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “These investments…

Japan's new Aegis missile-defense ships are expected to cost at least 900 billion yen ($8.27 billion), more than double the cost of two planned ground-based sites that the country canceled last year, the Asahi newspaper reported.Government ministers, who have yet to provide a cost estimate for the Aegis ships, may face questions in parliament about the expense, the newspaper said, without saying where it obtained the information.A source with knowledge of the ship proposal told Reuters in October that Japan may have to spend twice as much and wait up to three years longer to deploy new Aegis s

The Department of Defense announced Thursday that the Navy is exercising a $553.8 million option to have Fincantieri Marinette Marine build the second Constellation-class frigate.The Wisconsin shipyard is currently working with the Navy on the detailed design phase of building the first-in-class USS Constellation (FFG-62), a modern guided-missile frigate based partially on the Italian FREMM. Fabrication is planned to start at the end of this year, and the ship is expected to deliver…

The U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduated 240 new officers along with seven international students with keynote speaker President Joseph R, Biden Jr. in attendance, Wednesday.The Class of 2021 consists of 34% women and 34% from underrepresented minority groups. The class includes 22 African Americans who walked the stage, which marks the largest number of African American graduates to do so in Academy history. This year also marked the second highest number of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in a single graduating class.Next month…

India's army and navy deployed ships and aircraft as they searched for 26 people still missing more than three days after a powerful cyclone sank a barge off the country's west coast, killing 49 people on board.Cyclone Tauktae, the most powerful storm to barrel into the west coast in two decades, has killed at least 46 others after wreaking havoc in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala."Ships and aircraft continue to search for the remaining crew," Navy…

“I hold no branch in higher esteem, than the Merchant Marine…”That is a quote from General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Allied Commander of the Pacific in WWII. That one sentence sums up National Maritime Day. Inasmuch if it were not for our glorious Merchant Marine and maritime industry, we may not even have been a nation at all.National Maritime Day is the day we honor our American Merchant Mariners for protecting our freedom and for their dedication to promoting American commerce together with the accomplishments of the U.S. maritime industry.

The names of the British Royal Navy's five next-generation Type-31 frigates have been announced by the First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin. Approved by HM The Queen, the vessels will be named HMS Active, HMS Bulldog, HMS Campbeltown, HMS Formidable and HMS Venturer.Grouped together as the Inspiration Class, the names of the new vessels are drawn from former warships and submarines whose missions and history will inspire Royal Navy operations. The names also represent the Royal Navy’s future vision: HMS Active signifies the forward deployment of Royal Navy ships to protect U.K.

China accused the United States on Wednesday of threatening the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait after a U.S. warship again sailed through the sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from its giant neighbor.The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur conducted a "routine Taiwan Strait transit" on Tuesday in accordance with international law."The ship's transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the U.S. commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Salvage crews have removed all diesel fuel from the tanks of capsized liftboat Seacor Power in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.Salvors removed approximately 20,363 gallons of diesel fuel from the overturned vessel using the hot tapping method, which involves drilling into the fuel tanks, making a hose connection, and transferring the fuel to portable tanks, the Coast Guard said.Approximately 4,500 gallons of hydraulic fluid still on board will need to be removed after the vessel is raised as the tanks are currently inaccessible…

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) on Wednesday announced the designation of 27 Centers of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education (CoE), recognizing community colleges and training institutions that prepare students for careers in the U.S. maritime industry.“Our collaboration with these institutions represents an important expansion of MARAD’s role in supporting maritime education and will help form pathways to good-paying American jobs in our nation’s maritime industry,” said U.S.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday criticized Russia's activities in the Arctic region, describing them as 'unlawful maritime claims' and repeated calls to avoid the militarization of the region, days before a gathering of Arctic nations.Blinken made the warning ahead of a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, the first such high-level in-person talks between Washington and Moscow since President Joe Biden took office in January.The United…

In reference to the article Remotely Operated Locks: Progress, But Still Under Study, from the May 2020 edition of Marine News magazine.One can only wonder after the Colonial Pipeline cybersecurity disaster why the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is still doggedly working to put every navigational lock and dam—our "critical infrastructure"—under a computer-operated, remote-controlled, open cybersecurity risk system.Does the term “cybersecurity risk” have meaning to the Army Corps?

This will be my last monthly article for Maritime Reporter & Engineering News. I started writing these articles in early 2002, just over 19 years ago and during that time I have written over 228 articles, missing only one month when my grandson was hospitalized. (I have also written about 6,200 of my (almost) daily newsletters.) Early articles were focused on maritime security, which was still in evolution following the horrific terrorist incidents in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC.

The United Arab Emirates has signed a 3.5 billion dirham ($950 million) contract with Abu Dhabi Ship Building (ADSB) to manufacture four new patrol vessels for the Gulf Arab state's navy, ADSB said on Tuesday.The Falaj 3-class Offshore Patrol Vessel contract was ADSB's largest ever order, which Chief Executive David Massey said gave it a sustainable and profitable future for the next five years.ADSB will build all four hulls in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital, and is responsible for integrating systems, he said.Massey told Reuters ADSB first entered into talks with the UAE for the vessel contract s

The Indian Navy mounted a massive air and sea rescue mission on Tuesday for 81 missing oil workers and crew whose barge sank in heavy seas following a powerful cyclone that tore up the west coast of the country.Around 180 of those on board the barge were rescued from the water as it sank off Mumbai. Efforts had started to move crew stuck on a second barge that was driven aground by the storm, the navy said."There are waves of 20 to 25 feet, the winds are high and the visibility is low," said navy spokesman Vivek Madhwal.