Serco News

Caterpillar Marine announced it is working with Serco Inc., a provider of professional, technology, engineering and management services, to advance the use of autonomous vessels for naval applications. The initiative supports the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) project.Autonomous unmanned vessels represent an opportunity to protect crews from the inhospitable, dangerous environment encountered at sea. This technological advancement not only promotes safety but also cost savings…

Serco has signed on a team assembled by Vard Marine Inc. to replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) Kingston Class Maritime Coastal Defense Vessels (MCDV) under Pillar Two of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.Vard Marine, a Fincantieri company, launched VIGILANCE in 2023 to "provide the RCN with a state-of-the-art, capable, operationally flexible, and globally deployable multi-mission naval vessel" that is designed, built and equipped in Canada.Other Team Vigilance partner companies include Ontario Shipyards…

DARPA’s NOMARS program aims to revolutionize naval operations by designing a ship that can operate autonomously for extended periods at sea without an onboard crew.One project at the forefront of maritime innovation is the development of a vessel called “Defiant,” a project of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The Defiant is referred to as a NOMARS vessel – “No Manning Required Ship.”The project’s been underway at least since January 2020, when DARPA held a “proposers day…

Freeland, Wash. shipbuilder Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) announced it has been awarded a contract to construct an uncrewed autonomous vessel for the U.S. Department of Defense's research and development agency.The No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) project was awarded by Serco North America, the prime contractor and designer of the vessel, for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).The program aims to revolutionize naval operations by designing a ship that…

Keel laying and steel-cutting ceremonies for two new ferries being built for Scotland's Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) were held this week at Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in Turkey.The first ferry in the production timeline has had its keel laid, while steel-cutting for the second vessel has also begun – three weeks earlier than planned.The new, 94.8-meter vehicle/passenger ferries will each have capacity for up to 450 passengers and 100 cars or 14 commercial vehicles…

Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. announce it is providing a customized thruster propulsion system to SERCO, Inc. in support of its recently awarded No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The advanced platform design has been developed by SERCO to meet the performance requirements established by DARPA to demonstrate true unmanned operations for extended time periods.Joe Bekker, president of Thrustmaster of Texas, said,…

The U.S. Department of Defense's research and development agency is moving into the second phase of a project to to build and demonstrate a new seagoing unmanned surface vessel.The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) on Monday announced  it is moving into Phase 2 of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program, which seeks to build and demonstrate a revolutionary new medium unmanned surface vessel (MUSV) that can go to sea and perform missions with unprecedented reliability and availability, while carrying a significant payload.

Crowley Maritime Corporation announced it has managed the first vessel acquisition under its contract to help recapitalize a sealift fleet with the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD).In 2021, Crowley was awarded a multi-year vessel acquisition and management (VAM) contract to help recapitalize MARAD's Ready Reserve Force (RRF). It is now spearheading the acquisition and conversion of two vehicle carriers from American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group in collaboration with Stena RoRo, Serco and LCE (Life Cycle Engineering).The first vessel to be acquired, Honor, will be followed by Freedom.

Australia’s new Antarctic icebreaker RSV Nuyina departed Hobart Thursday on its first voyage south.There are 67 expeditioners and crew onboard for the five week voyage to refuel Casey research station and transport helicopters to Davis station.They will also undertake marine science commissioning including tests of the acoustic instruments mounted on the hull and drop keels, and deploying the CTD (conductivity, temperature, depth) sampler.The CTD is the workhorse of oceanography research…

Serco Canada Marine (Serco) has received Approval in Principle from Lloyd's Register (LR) for its Atlas 120 Frigate design.The Atlas 120 Light Frigate is a modern general-purpose surface combatant that spans 120 meters in length. The ship can accommodate almost all standard NATO missile munitions and the Hangar and Flight Deck have been sized to accommodate all NATO medium lift naval helicopters. The ship has a broad range of passive and active self-defense systems to protect the ship from all directions.

Australia’s new icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, has begun its 24,000-kilometer voyage from the Netherlands to its new home port of Hobart. The vessel will be the main lifeline to Australia’s Antarctic and sub-Antarctic research stations and the central platform of the Australian Antarctic Division's Antarctic and Southern Ocean scientific research.Construction of the ship commenced at Damen’s Galați shipyard in Romania in May 2017, and the vessel was floated out in September 2018 prior to its scheduled arrival at its home port Hobart in 2020.

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…

Australia’s newly completed icebreaker, RSV Nuyina, has left the Netherlands port of Vlissingen to commence trials in the North Sea.The start of the month-long sea trials, which had been pushed back due to delays stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, will be followed by additional weeks of deepwater trials involving the Australian Antarctic Division, ship managers Serco and shipbuilder Damen. Testing of the ship’s speed, noise, propulsion systems, steering, advanced electrical…

Australia’s new, nearly completed icebreaker built at Damen's Galati shipyard in Romania is traveling to the Netherlands to undergo final commissioning and sea trials that had been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.The Nuyina is currently under a month-long tow from Romania to the Dutch port of Vlissingen, where teams of equipment installers from Western Europe will access the new research and supply vessel (RSV) for final commissioning of essential propulsion, electrical and navigation systems…

Australia's newly built Antarctic icebreaking research and supply vessel (RSV) is nearly ready to be delivered, but its sea trials have been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD) said.Construction of the ship commenced at Damen’s Galați shipyard in Romania in May 2017, and the vessel was floated out in September 2018 prior to its scheduled arrival at its home port Hobart in 2020. But delays brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak have derailed…

Shipbuilder Damen said it has floated out the Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) RSV Nuyina currently under construction at Damen Shipyards Galati in Romania.The carefully executed procedure was achieved by raising the water level in the yard’s dry dock by six meters; a process taking two days to complete. Once afloat, the vessel was maneuvered 250 meters to a quayside berth where the ongoing construction and outfitting process will take place.Damen is building the 160-meter…

A deal has been agreed for the three passenger ferries serving the Northern Isles to be purchased outright by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) with loan funding from the Scottish Government. The MV Hamnavoe, MV Hrossey and MV Hjaltland, which have previously been leased from Royal Bank of Scotland, will be taken into CMAL ownership. An 18 month extension to the current Northern Isles Ferry Services contract has also been agreed to allow further progress to be made with the ongoing review of procurement policy. Serco NorthLink Ferries will continue to operate the services until 31st October 2019 under the extended contract. Minister…

Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) has selected Taylor Bros of Tasmania to supply two high powered Antarctic landing barges for Australia’s new icebreaker, the RSV Nuyina. Damen is building the vessel at its yard, Damen Shipyards Galati, in Romania for the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). The vessel will be operated by DMS Maritime, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco, and is an integral part of the AAD’s research program in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. The signing ceremony was attended by the Tasmanian Minister for State Growth, Mr.

Marking the commencement of construction of the Damen Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV), a steel cutting ceremony has been held at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania. Damen is constructing the ASRV for Serco Defence, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Australia who, in turn, signed a contract with the Australian Government last year for the delivery, operation and maintenance of the vessel. “Cutting the first steel for any vessel is always significant. However, the fact that the ASRV is such a ground-breaker makes this a very exciting moment,” said Damen Project Director Joop Noordijk.

Completing her maiden voyage, the Damen Multi-role Aviation Training Vessel (MATV) MV Sycamore arrived in Sydney harbor early on Monday morning. The 94-meter-long vessel is now less than a month away from deployment as a versatile multi-role vessel and helicopter training platform for the Royal Australian Navy. “It is definitely an impressive sight to see the Sycamore enter Sydney harbor,” said Damen Sales Director Asia Pacific Roland Briene. “The MATV project really highlights what can be achieved with this joint team effort.

Australia’s new multirole aviation training vessel MV Sycamore has recently arrived in Sydney. Designed to support Defence helicopter training, having been launched in Vietnam in August 2016, built by Skelder and overseen by Serco Defence, the 94-metre ship is a flight deck equipped sea-going training vessel for the crews of most types of helicopters used by the Australian Defence Force. Captain Al Whittaker said building of the Damen-designed steel ship began in 2015. “Sycamore has completed its harbour acceptance testing, systems factory acceptance testing and the shipyard acceptance tests,” he said. The ship arrived in Sydney on June 26, where her flag state was changed to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s red ensign.

Construction of Australia's new Antarctic Supply Research Vessel (ASRV) has taken an important step forward with an official keel laying ceremony carried out at Damen Shipyards Galati, Romania. Damen is building the ASRV for Serco Defence on behalf of the Australian Department of the Environment and Energy. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding in the Netherlands is responsible for engineering and project management, and Damen Shipyards Galati will perform vessel construction and outfitting. The ice-breaking ASRV is a multi-mission vessel that has been designed to undertake a variety of roles.

MAN Diesel & Turbo has been selected to supply the main engines to a new, icebreaking, supply-and-research vessel for the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). The 2 × 16V32/44CR main engines – each producing 9,600 kW – were chosen for their highly reliable and fuel-efficient design that will serve in an environment with a demanding operational profile, including temperatures down to -30 degrees and extended mission times. The vessel is being procured by Serco Defence through DMS Maritime (prime contractor) and will be designed and built by Damen Shipyards Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS).