Ocean Infinity’s Hunt for the Submarine San Juan
The search for the Argentinian submarine was like hunting for the proverbial needle in a hay stack, except that it was a piece of straw. Elaine Maslin reports. At 7.19am, local time, on November 15, 2017, the last message was received from the San Juan submarine. She belonged to the Argentinian navy and was on a routine mission from Ushuaia in the Patagonia region to Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires province when she lost contact with the military. Fifteen days later, neither the submarine nor any debris had been found and the crew of 44 sailors were presumed dead.
ACCSEAS Places North Sea E-Navigation on the Radar
ACCSEAS, an EU-funded project to support improved maritime access to the North Sea Region through minimizing navigational risk, welcomed over 80 regional and international shipping experts to Edinburgh for its second annual conference, held last week. The ACCSEAS Conference presented an array of e-Navigation test-bed solutions, all of which are aimed at increasing accessibility and improving navigational safety in the increasingly busy shipping waters of the North Sea Region.
Inaugural IMarEst Marine Electrical and Control Systems Saftey Conference
Ships are becoming increasingly dependent on complex electronic equipment and electrical power systems, with incidence of engine failure and blackouts increasing. Safety and reliability are paramount, as will be discussed and debated at a new conference taking place in early October. With just over a week before the inaugural Marine Electrical and Control Systems Safety Conference (MECSS 2013) organized by the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST) opens in Amsterdam, speakers from Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, U.K. and U.S.
Glimpse of Robotic Maritime Future at IMarEST Lecture
A former National Hydrographer of the UK addressed marine engineers at the recent IMarEST Gordon Hodge Memorial lecture. ‘Radical new technologies are approaching the maritime industry on a steady bearing and it is time to respond.' This was the key message former National Hydrographer of the UK, Rear Admiral Nick Lambert expounded. Today remote controlled drones are routinely deployed in Afghanistan and theatres of war elsewhere in the Middle East. Autonomous drones - normally taking the form of lightweight quadcopters - are becoming ever more sophisticated and intelligent, escaping the confines of lab environments and increasingly capable of exploring the real-world.
UKHO Updates Digital Navigation
The UKHO today announced another simple way to view the most accurate and up-to-date navigational charts, with the release of SevenCs ORCA Master Electronic Chart System (ECS) compatible with the Admiralty Information Overlay. The Overlay, brings the latest navigational updates from Admiralty to an ECDIS or ECS to help make digital navigation safer, more efficient and fully compliant. Available from Admiralty, the Overlay is now compatible with both Transas and SevenCs systems. Transas was the first to announce availability via the Transas Admiralty Data Service (TADS), and the UKHO is also working with other major ECDIS manufacturers to ensure the Admiralty Information Overlay can be displayed on their systems. Further availability will be announced in the next few months.
Royal Navy Hands Over Combined Task Force 158 to U.S. Forces
Rear Adm. Garry E. Hall relieved Royal Navy Commodore Nick Lambert as commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 158 and Capt. Paul Severs relieved Royal Navy Capt. Bob Sanguinetti as commander of Combined Task Group (CTG) 158.1 on July 17 aboard Ocean 6, an afloat forward operating barge in the north Persian Gulf. Command of CTF 158 typically rotates among coalition partners Australia, United Kingdom, and the United States. CTF 158 is comprised of coalition ships and its primary mission in the Gulf is maintaining security in and around both the Al Basrah and Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminals -- ABOT and KAAOT, respectively -- in support of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1723.
Strike Group Commanders Visit Oil Terminals
As the sun-sets over the Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal (KAAOT), another day passes safely under the watchful eye of masters-at-arms assigned to Mobile Security Detachment Two Five (MSD-25). MSD-25 members are currently training the Iraqi military on proper watch standing and security procedures during their six-month deployment to the Iraqi oil terminals. Mobile Security Detachment Two Five is combining efforts with coalition forces under the flag of Commander Task Force Five Eight (CTF-58) in support of maritime security operations (MSO) by standing security watches on KAAOT and Al Basrah Oil Terminal (ABOT). U.S. From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Two U.S.
Antarctic Cruise Hits Rocks
The MS Nordkapp hit rocks near Deception Island, an ice-capped caldera off the Antarctic peninsula that is a popular stop for cruise ships. It sustained an 80-ft. gash in her bows. As the ship dropped anchor, the Royal Navy ice-patrol ship HMS Endurance responded to a call for assistance, dispatching a helicopter and diving teams to assess damage and supervising the transfer of passengers to the Nordkapp’s sister ship, MS Nordnorge. Speaking from the bridge of HMS Endurance, Captain Nick Lambert said that once passenger safety had been secured, his priority was to contain pollution. While nobody was hurt, the accident highlights the vulnerability of unspecialized ships sailing in remote and often uncharted Antarctic waters.
