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Friday, April 24, 2026

Other Academy News

23 Apr 2026

Senator Todd Young Receives Legislator of the Year Award for Great Lakes Advocacy

© Great Lakes Maritime Task Force

On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, the Great Lakes Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) recognized Indiana Senator Todd Young for his commitment to the Great Lakes Navigation System and the nation’s maritime revitalization.“Senator Young understands the importance of U.S. shipping on the Great Lakes with interconnected harbors that depend on each other and a healthy maritime highway. He has advocated for another heavy U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker on the Lakes fully comprehending the importance…

16 Apr 2026

ABS, UNITED WATERWAYS Collaborate on Coastal, Inland Maritime Training

L to R: Dr. Sascha Gill, CEO of UNITED WATERWAYS, and Joshua Divin, ABS Senior Vice President, Marine Business Development. © ABS

ABS and UNITED WATERWAYS (UW) have signed a letter of intent to establish a joint venture with River Academy, UW’s training and education subsidiary, to support crew competence and qualification across the European inland barge, river cruise and coastal vessel sectors.The collaboration will enhance workforce readiness as European operators navigate evolving safety and decarbonization requirements in cruise, freight, and ferry shipping. Training programs align with recognized regional and national standards and continue to support consistent…

09 Apr 2026

Born into Maritime: John McDonald, Chairman & CEO, ABS

John McDonald, Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). Image courtesy ABS

Many claim to have ‘saltwater in their veins,’ but all you have to do is walk into the corner office of John McDonald, the new Chairman and CEO of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), to see that him saying “I was born into maritime” is not hyperbole. The first thing that greets you is a Dusan Kadlec nighttime painting of the Brooklyn Bridge, a painting that has special meaning to him as he fondly remembers being on a boat in New York harbor in 1983, his father USCG Captain of the Port of New York at that time, watching the fireworks over the bridge for the celebration.

24 Mar 2026

China Mapping Ocean Floor Ready for Submarine Warfare

© Grispb / Adobe Stock

China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

24 Mar 2026

China Maps Ocean Floor as It Builds Submarine Warfare Capability

© Sono Creative / Adobe Stock

China is conducting a vast undersea mapping and monitoring operation across the Pacific, Indian and Arctic oceans, building detailed knowledge of marine conditions that naval experts say would be crucial for waging submarine warfare against the United States and its allies.In one example, the Dong Fang Hong 3, a research vessel operated by Ocean University of China, spent 2024 and 2025 sailing back and forth in the seas near Taiwan and the U.S. stronghold of Guam, and around strategic stretches of the Indian Ocean, ship-tracking data reviewed by Reuters shows.

19 Mar 2026

HII Promotes Veteran-to-Shipbuilding Workforce Pipeline

Source: HII

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division recently welcomed senior enlisted leaders from the U.S. Marine Corps for a visit focused on strengthening pathways between Marines completing active service and long-term careers in the shipbuilding industry.The visit underscored the longtime partnership between Ingalls and the Marine Corps, particularly through Ingalls’ role as the nation’s primary builder of amphibious warships.“Marines bring discipline, technical aptitude and a service mindset…

18 Mar 2026

From the Lakes, on the Lakes & for the Lakes: Captain Paul C. LaMarre III

Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, Director Port of Monroe and President of the American Great Lakes Ports Association (AGLPA). Image courtesy AGPLA

For Capt. Paul C. LaMarre III, the maritime industry isn’t a career choice as much as it is a family inheritance — and, in his words, “all I’ve known my entire life.” In a recent interview with Maritime Reporter TV, Captain LaMarre gives unique insights on the operating efficiently, effectively and safely on the Great Lakes system – the United States’ ‘Fourth Sea’ – and with passion, intellect and purpose advocates for a strong U.S. maritime industry.A third-generation Great Lakes mariner…

26 Feb 2026

IMO Secretary-General Visits NYK Training Center

Source: NYK

On February 18, as part of the official engagements with maritime stakeholders in the Philippines, Arsenio Antonio Domínguez Velasco, secretary-general of the IMO, visited NYK-Fil Maritime E-Training Inc. (NETI) and NYK-TDG Maritime Academy (NTMA), the NYK Group’s training center and maritime academy in the Philippines.The visit included a tour of NETI’s advanced simulator facilities, showcasing cutting-edge maritime education and training technologies that support global shipping operations.

17 Feb 2026

Op/Ed: Arctic Ice is a U.S Shipbuilding Thermostat – Let’s Turn Up the Heat

ILS Ship Design & Engineering in Helsinki, Finland has developed the ILS Removable icebreaker bow concept - DIBB.  The removable bow icebreaker is based upon utilizing an existing tug with lower power and size than a conventional icebreaker. The tug is connected it to a notched removable ice breaking bow with additional port and starboard propulsion system adding the additional power to push and break ice. When the bow is not in use, the existing tug in the notch can return to primary operations

In December of 2025, the U.S. Coast Guard announced the award of two contracts to build up to six Arctic Security Cutter (ASC) icebreakers. The announcement declaring the vessels would be built between the United States and Finland in a major step forward for America’s national security in the Arctic region. The decision process encompassed more than the security of the Arctic passage. It announces a major shift in the U.S. Shipbuilding process. A second round of contracts were approved February 11…

15 Feb 2026

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Hosts Annual School Innovation Challenge

Preston Ailor, an instructional technology teacher for Richmond County Public Schools, leads a fourth grade class through a science unit on solar systems using Lego robots donated by Naval Surface Warfare Dahlgren Division. The donation is part of NSWCDD’s expansive STEM outreach across regional school districts to build a pipeline for the next generation of scientists and engineers essential to the Navy’s mission. (Dorina Watermolen/NSWCDD Photo)

For more than a decade, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division has invested in regional schools through STEM events, robotics competitions and technology donations, recognizing that the next generation of scientists and engineers is already sitting in today’s classrooms.On Feb. 13 and 14, NSWCDD will host its annual Innovation Challenge at Dahlgren, called IC@D for short, for middle and high schoolers at the Fredericksburg Convention Center. The invitation-only event will…

10 Feb 2026

SAMS Hosts Training Course for the Era of Environmental Robotics

Experts from the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban will lead courses on environmental monitoring using robotics to upskill researchers, engineers, planners and land managers. © SAMS

As the use of robotics in data collection increases, the Scientific Robotics Academy, based at the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) in Oban, will host two courses this March: "Environmental monitoring using autonomous platforms" and "Applied photogrammetry for environmental monitoring."The courses come amid the rapid expansion of twin technologies of AI and robotics, which are transforming the way tasks such as survey work and species identification can be completed.Based at beginner to intermediate level and intermediate to advanced level…

28 Jan 2026

Coast Guard Honors Fallen Crew Members of Cutter Blackthorn

Source: USCG

Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg crew members held a memorial service honoring the fallen crew members from Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn, Wednesday, at the Blackthorn Memorial in St. Petersburg.The memorial ceremony marked the 46th anniversary of the 23 lives lost during the collision between Coast Guard Cutter Blackthorn and the motor vessel Capricorn near the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Jan. 28, 1980. The ship had a crew complement of 50.“Today, we honor the memory of the 23 men we lost that day,” said Master Chief Petty Officer Henry J. Audette Jr., Southeast District command master chief.

21 Jan 2026

ESAB Sponsors 2026 “Blue Collar Tour” to Support Skilled Trade Careers

ESAB is sponsoring  the 2026 “Blue Collar Tour,” featuring Western Welding Academy,” a 31-city American journey with a mission to get high school students interested in the skilled trades. © ESAB

As part of the ESAB Future Fabricators program, ESAB announced that it will again sponsor the “Blue Collar Tour,” featuring Western Welding Academy, continuing their shared mission to increase the interest and awareness of high school students in the skilled trades. The 2026 tour starts January in Stratton, Colorado, and includes 31 total stops in 21 states before concluding in mid-March.More than 4,000 students directly participated in 31 Blue Collar Tour events last year, and social media content generated during the tour earned millions of views, further spreading the tour’s impact.

20 Jan 2026

Elizabeth B. Simmons of Massachusetts Maritime Academy Reappointed to Seaport Economic Council

© Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a top-ranked public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business that blend academics and experiential learning, announced the reappointment of Elizabeth B. Simmons, vice president of external affairs, to the reconstituted Seaport Economic Council.Named to the Council by Governor Maura Healey, Simmons serves on the newly reconstituted 15-member body, which is updating its mission and membership to better advance economic growth…

08 Jan 2026

US Department of Labor Awards $13.8m to Train American Shipbuilders

© Adobe Stock/ID_Anuphon

The U.S. Department of Labor announced the award of nearly $14 million in funding to support the development of programs aimed at reinvigorating and rebuilding the U.S. maritime industry and workforce.Administered by the department’s Bureau of International Labor Affairs, the department awarded $8 million to Delaware County Community College and $5.8 million to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy to advance the next generation of American shipbuilders through hands-on training programs developed in conjunction with international partners.

29 Dec 2025

USACE's Major General Jason Kelly & Modernizing America’s Waterways

Man on a Mission: Major General Jason Kelly is a leading force for the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) and inland waterways infrastructure maintenance and upgrades, a central plank in keeping U.S. commerce flowing.
Image courtesy USACE

For Major General Jason Kelly, Rebuilding and Maintaining the Nation’s Critical Waterway Infrastructure is personal.When Major General Jason Kelly reflects on his path to leading the United States Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Civil Works mission, he doesn’t describe a straight line. He describes a journey, one that began “on the business end of the Army,” as he puts it, and evolved into a passion for solving complex problems that impact every American who depends on safe, reliable…

29 Dec 2025

China Launches Largest-Ever Military Drills Around Taiwan

© Grispb / Adobe Stock

China launched its most extensive war games around Taiwan on Monday to showcase Beijing's ability to cut off the island from outside support in a conflict, testing Taipei's resolve to defend itself and its arsenal of U.S.-made weapons.The Eastern Theatre Command said it had deployed troops, warships, fighter jets and artillery for its "Justice Mission 2025" exercises to encircle the democratically-governed island, conduct live fire and simulated strikes on land and sea targets…

22 Dec 2025

Crowley Awards 2025 Scholarships to Maritime Students

© Crowley

Seventeen students from seven U.S. and El Salvador maritime academies and universities have been selected as the 2025 recipients of the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and dedication to their studies related to the maritime industry. The scholarship honors the legacy of Thomas B. Crowley Sr. by acknowledging excellence and investing in the next generation of maritime leaders.The Thomas B. Crowley Sr.

22 Dec 2025

Fincantieri Marinette Marine Appoints Kenneth J. Braithwaite as Chairman

© Fincantieri Marinette Marine

Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) appointed former U.S. ambassador to Norway and the 77th Secretary of the Navy, Kenneth J. Braithwaite, as Chairman of their Board of Directors. Braithwaite brings a career in defense and public service to the role, as well as deep Navy ties. He is a 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. His active naval service included time as a naval aviator flying anti-submarine missions in the Pacific and Arctic…

15 Dec 2025

Anglo-Eastern Conducts First Crew Training on Ammonia as Fuel

Source: Anglo-Eastern

Anglo-Eastern Maritime Training Centre (AEMTC) has successfully completed its inaugural pilot training course on ammonia as a marine fuel.Held on November 24–25, the two-day program brought together 26 participants from a wide spectrum of shipboard ranks, including Masters, Chief Engineers, senior officers, and junior engineers, who travelled from across India to take part in the specialised training.Pioneered by Prasad Nayak, General Manager of Training at Anglo-Eastern, the…

21 Nov 2025

MMA Ranks #1 in State Graduate Earnings Report

Source: MMA

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA), a public university with undergraduate degree programs focusing on science, engineering, technology, math, and business has been recognized as the top public higher education institution in the state for graduate earnings, according to the latest report from the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.The Academy’s #1 ranking confirms that its graduates achieve the highest salaries among peers statewide, highlighting the institution’s reputation for academic excellence…

12 Nov 2025

New McAllister Tractor Tug Arrives in New York

Source: McAllister Towing

McAllister Towing’s newest tractor tug, the Gerard McAllister, has arrived in the Port of New York.American made at Washburn & Doughty, the tug is the fifth in a series of six 84-metric-ton bollard pull, low-emission tractor tugs. She is McAllister’s 42nd tractor tug and the 13th with over 80 metric tons of bollard pull.Driven by 6,770 horsepower in her CAT engines, the Gerard McAllister is built to handle the largest ships arriving on the U.S. East Coast. She joins her sister vessel…

12 Nov 2025

Washburn & Doughty-Built Gerard McAllister Delivered

The Gerard McAllister, a newly built 6,770 hp tractor tug, sailing from Maine on her way to the McAllister’s flagship operations in the Port of New York.
Image courtesy McAllister Towing

McAllister Towing’s newest tractor tug, the Gerard McAllister, was delivered from Washburn & Doughty, the fifth in a series of six 84-metric-ton bollard pull, low-emission tractor tugs. She is McAllister’s 42nd tractor tug and the 13th with over 80 metric tons of bollard pull, underscoring the company’s continuation toward a more powerful, hi-tech, and sustainable fleet.Driven by 6,770 horsepower in her CAT engines, the Gerard McAllister is built to handle the largest ships arriving on the U.S. East Coast.