Laser News

In October, a German navy ship completed sensor accuracy testing at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) for the first time, marking a milestone for both Germany and NATO’s long-running Fleet Operational Readiness Accuracy Check Sites (FORACS) program.The combat oiler Federal German Ship (FGS) Berlin (A 1411) arrived in the U.S. as part of the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary celebrations, but the visit also…

Researchers from Australia’s University of Queensland have made a microscopic “ocean” on a silicon chip to miniaturise the study of wave dynamics.The device, made at UQ’s School of Mathematics and Physics, uses a layer of superfluid helium only a few millionths of a millimetre thick on a chip smaller than a grain of rice.Dr Christopher Baker said it was the world’s smallest wave tank, with the quantum properties of superfluid helium allowing it to flow without resistance, unlike classical fluids such as water…

Provaris Energy has received approval from its development partner Yinson Production to commence the front end engineering design (FEED) development for its proprietary large-scale low-pressure liquid CO2 (LCO2) tanks for integration with Yinson’s floating storage injection unit (FSIU).Yinson will fund 100% of the FEED phase, and first deliverables are scheduled for December 2025.Provaris and Yinson are progressing the formation of a new joint venture company (NewCo) to hold exclusive…

The Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) has awarded a contract to SFL Missions Inc. to develop the AISSat-4 maritime ship tracking microsatellite for launch in less than one year. AISSat-4 is needed to expand operational capacity in Norway’s maritime situational awareness network.AISSat-4 is being developed on SFL’s SPARTAN 6U nanosatellite platform and will carry a single payload—a miniaturized Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver built by Kongsberg Seatex of Trondheim, Norway.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) has awarded $8.75 million in grants to revitalize U.S. shipyards and advance America’s maritime dominance.The funding is part of the Small Shipyard Grant program, which supports advanced training, workforce development and new technologies that strengthen U.S. shipbuilding and repair capabilities. Duffy said the program will help America counter Chinese competition and maintain freedom…

The Falklands Maritime Heritage Trust (FMHT) is proud to bring an extraordinary deep-sea discovery to the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed. As part of the Future Labs installation, FMHT will showcase the technology behind the historic mission that located Sir Ernest Shackleton’s legendary ship, Endurance, beneath Antarctica’s frozen Weddell Sea.Organized and funded by FMHT, the Endurance22 mission not only discovered the wreck in 2022, but also scanned, filmed and digitally preserved it.

North Star’s £400 million ($550 million) ongoing commitment as part of its ESG strategy, combined with a £1.8 million ($2.47 million) investment in crew training last year, has delivered significant progress in its transition to operating a net zero fleet by 2045.The UK’s largest integrated ship owner-operator has a current fleet of 48 vessels. Findings from its 2024 ESG report include an 18% reduction in fleet-wide carbon intensity compared to 2022, alongside a 15% year-on-year…

Royal Caribbean has launched a video showing the newly amplified Allure of the Seas, which is setting sail in the Mediterranean in April 2025 after a $100 million transformation. New features include the Pesky Parrot tiki bar, resort-style pools and a 10-story dry slide.Pool Days – Resort-style pools are at the center of the action on the reimagined Caribbean pool deck, along with a wide variety of shaded seating and lounging options, such as swim-up lounge chairs and more. For a relaxing adults-only getaway…

The Fascinated by Shipwrecks Podcast, hosted by Kathy A. Smith,  is dedicated to the People & the Science of Maritime Archaeology.EPISODE 8 – Guest: Vince Capone – Hunting Shipwrecks with Side Scan Sonar“The robot is navigating underwater and runs a search pattern, collecting the data. We are not at the point where we can transmit that data in real time back to the vessel because of the volume of data. We can transmit snippets to make sure it's working. When I say snippets, those are just small images of the sonar waterfall. But that time is coming.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), MOL Drybulk, Furukawa Electric, and Tsuneishi Shipbuilding, have tested the InfraLaser system on the outer hull of an actual vessel, successfully stripping down rust and coatings with industrial laser technology.Furukawa Electric, with the cooperation of MOL and MOL Drybulk, has been developing a rust and coating removal system for onboard maintenance since 2021, utilizing the surface treatment solution InfraLaser based on technology cultivated in industrial lasers.Since 2022…

Vessels in the northern Gulf have received multiple VHF radio challenges, including demands to alter course, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Friday, adding they could be part of an Iranian military exercise.The UKMTO, which monitors marine security in the region, advised seafarers that vessels near Iranian waters may experience such VHF hailing during the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' exercise.Naval units from the Revolutionary Guards were conducting operations in the Gulf's Strait of Hormuz on Friday as part of the exercise…

Canada’s Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) has launched Norway’s NorSat-4 maritime monitoring microsatellite.The seventh spacecraft developed for the Norwegian Space Agency (NOSA) by SFL, NorSat-4 carries a fifth-generation Automatic Identification System (AIS) ship tracking receiver and a first-of-its-kind low-light imaging camera.Built on SFL’s 35-kg DEFIANT microsatellite bus, NorSat-4 launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard the SpaceX Transporter-12 rideshare…

The Executive Control Board of the National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP) selected 13 panel projects for award as part of the program's mission to reduce costs and expand capability for U.S. shipbuilding and ship repair. These new projects, valued at over $2.55M in government funding, were among those proposed in response to the Panel Project Solicitation issued in June 2024. Abbreviated descriptions follow; prime contractors are listed first and noted in bold text:Laser…

Crane specialist Liebherr has delivered two ship-to-shore container (STS) cranes to Port Newark Container Terminal (PNCT), boosting its capability to handle the next generation of ultra large container vessels.Designed and manufactured at Liebherr’s Irish facility, the cranes are built to meet the specific demands of PNCT’s operations.The delivery is part of PNCT's ongoing $500 million expansion, aimed at bolstering capacity at one of the busiest ports on the US East Coast.These STS cranes feature an outreach of 226 ft (69 m) and a lift height over rail of 175 ft (53 m)…

As the Military Sealift Command (MSC) celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is looking to the future through the eyes of a forward-thinking “innovation cell” named for a ship from its storied past. USNS Taluga (T-AO-62) was the first Navy replenishment ship that was operated by civil service mariners.The Taluga Group is a three-person team of Director John Bruening, Dean Vesely and Jerit VanAuker who are focused on capability development and adoption of innovative practices.The Tulaga Group team have diverse backgrounds to help them look at problems in different ways.

Lane Richards has worked in the maritime industry for 22 years. He began his career in the trades prior to a successful transition to project management and various sales management roles.After a short but successful stint at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders, Richards transitioned to head up the commercial sales effort at Puglia Engineering’s Fairhaven Shipyard prior to returning to Nichols Brothers in 2019. There he began work with their team in planning and subsequently standing up a dedicated repair yard on the Everett waterfront.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) led the 16th Joint Oil Spill Exercise (JOSE) on October 11 and tested new oil spill response technologies.Over 100 personnel from 18 agencies and companies participated in JOSE 2024, which included a table-top exercise and a seaward deployment exercise at the Western Anchorage, off Pasir Panjang Terminal.Terminal operators on Jurong Island and Pulau Bukom activated their emergency protocols and deployed craft to spray dispersants. Protective booms were also deployed.MPA also tested new technologies which could support oil spill response.

Recent incidents of naval and commercial vessels running aground have underscored the inherent risks of operating in shallow and poorly charted coastal waters. A solution from Denver-based TCarta Marine utilizes Earth observation satellites to deliver precise water depth measurements in near-shore areas.“While the exact causes of recent ship groundings off the coasts of Oman, Greenland, and Fiji are under investigation and often complex, the risk of such accidents can be significantly reduced with up-to-date bathymetric data produced from satellite imagery…

Provaris Energy and Yinson Production Offshore have agreed to develop storage tank solutions for the bulk storage and marine transportation of CO2.Yinson Production and Provaris will jointly evaluate the technical and economic viability of adapting Provaris’ proprietary tank design for compressed hydrogen to the bulk-scale storage and transport of compressed and liquid CO2.Provaris says that, currently, there is no ship transport of CO2 in a low pressure and temperature range suitable for long sailing distances and large cargo volumes.

Concordia Damen has secured a contract with an undisclosed Swiss luxury river cruise operator to deliver its River Cruise 135 vessel.The new ship will have hybrid propulsion for reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions, high insulation, laser-controlled ventilation, and environmentally friendly materials are used for the outfitting, to name but a few features. “We are excited to partner with this leading Swiss operator to deliver our innovative River Cruise 135. One of the features I personally like best is the fact that we’ve integrated solar panels in the railing…

The Philippines filed a claim with the U.N. on Saturday to an extended continental shelf (ECS) in the South China Sea, a waterway where it has had increasingly confrontational maritime disputes with China."Today we secure our future by making a manifestation of our exclusive right to explore and exploit natural resources in our ECS entitlement," Marshall Louis Alferez, foreign ministry assistant secretary for maritime and ocean affairs, said in a statement.China claims almost the entire South China Sea, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Saturday the country will "vigorously defend what is ours", in a thinly veiled reference to mounting tensions with China over maritime disputes.The conduct against intruders disrespecting Philippine territorial integrity will be guided by law and the responsibility as a rules-abiding member of the international community, Marcos said in a speech to graduating military cadets."Against intruders who have been disrespecting our territorial integrity…

The U.S. Navy's efforts to build a fleet of unmanned vessels are faltering because the Pentagon remains wedded to big shipbuilding projects, according to some officials and company executives, exposing a weakness as sea drones reshape naval warfare.The lethal effectiveness of sea drones has been demonstrated in the Black Sea where Ukraine has deployed remote-controlled speed boats packed with explosives to sink Russian frigates and minesweepers since late 2022.Yemeni-backed Houthi rebels have employed similar vessels against commercial shipping in the Red Sea in recent months…