Government Update News

Fincantieri's subsidiary WASS Submarine Systems and Magellan Aerospace Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore industrial cooperation aimed at supporting Canada's underwater defense capabilities.The agreement establishes a framework for the two companies to identify and develop areas of cooperation related to heavyweight torpedoes and torpedo countermeasure systems.Under the arrangement, WASS and Magellan will assess opportunities for Canadian industrial participation across a range of activities…

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in maritime decarbonization, digitalization, innovation, and manpower development.The MoU underscores the shared commitment of MPA and MSC to foster a sustainable, digital, and future-ready maritime sector, while enhancing MSC’s operational and business activities in Singapore. This year also marks the 30th anniversary…

Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved the sale of a 10% stake in the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project held by France's TotalEnergies to a company called Nordline LLC, according to a decree published on Wednesday.TotalEnergies declined to comment and has not issued any statement on a sale, unlike previous divestments from Russia.Reuters has identified two Russian-registered entities named Nordline LLC, both linked to private Russian LNG producer Novatek, the majority owner of Arctic LNG 2…

The Maritime Risk Symposium is ongoing today in Pasadena, Texas, and annual event which moves location and convenes thought leaders across government, industry and academia to assess trends and threats to the evolving maritime landscape; offer operational insights to enhance resilience from disruptions, and advance solutions through merging technologies.Day 2 MRS 26 first panel of the day on shipbuilding. Image courtesy Rob CraneUSCG RDML Amy Grable speaks on risk and its role in the maritime transportation system…

Risk Intelligence has signed an agreement with an unnamed European maritime authority for the provision of its Risk Intelligence System and intelligence reports.The client is a national maritime authority responsible for supervising vessel and seafarer safety and security within its flag state registry, as well as overseeing foreign-flagged vessels calling at the country's ports.Under the agreement, the authority will gain access to the Risk Intelligence System and intelligence reports to support monitoring of security risks affecting vessels registered under its flag.

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) raised concerns about deceptive practices at its 59th Committee meeting in Glasgow, held from May 18 to 22.The Committee noted a continuous rise in the detention rate to 4.18% in 2025 (up from 4.03% in 2024 and 3.81% in 2023), reinforcing the critical role of Port State Control as a vital safety net. This safety net faces additional challenges from deceptive maritime practices, which the Committee discussed…

Palaemon Maritime has released its maritime security report for May 24-31, indicating that the week saw 15 maritime security incidents, with heightened activity in major maritime corridors globally, including: Black Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Finland, Gulf of Guinea, Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz.Key developments include:A suspected pirate attack was foiled near the Gulf of Aden, with the Indian Navy deploying a helicopter and boarding team to protect a merchant vessel.An armed skiff approached a tanker off Yemen…

The U.S. military fired a Hellfire missile at a tanker heading toward Iran on Tuesday as part of a blockade being imposed by President Donald Trump, who is pressing Tehran to negotiate a peace agreement on his terms.The U.S. military's Central Command posted a video showing the missile strike the tanker and said it targeted the Botswana-flagged M/T Lexie's engine room, disabling it."The ship's crew ignored repeated warnings, failing to comply with directions from U.S. forces multiple times over a 24-hour period," Central Command said in a statement."A U.S.

Seven U.S. states led by New York sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for cancelling a major offshore wind lease off the coast of New York in exchange for a pledge by its owner to invest instead in fossil fuel projects.The lawsuit in the Washington, D.C., federal court challenges a March 23 decision by the U.S. Department of the Interior to cancel a lease by a subsidiary of France's TotalEnergies, "reimburse" $795 million to the company, and extract a pledge from the company…

The International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (2010 HNS Convention) is set to enter into force on 29 November 2027, marking a milestone for shipping’s global liability and compensation regime as increasing volumes of chemicals and alternative fuels are transported by sea.The conditions for the treaty’s entry into force were met on 29 May 2026, paving the way for the 2010 HNS Convention…

On June 1, Robert J. Harvey of Florida was sworn in as a Commissioner of the Federal Maritime Commission.Harvey was nominated by President Trump on September 3, 2025, to serve on the Commission for a term expiring on June 30, 2029. The United States Senate confirmed his nomination on May 18, 2026, and President Trump appointed him to the Commission on May 28, 2026.Harvey previously served as the President and Executive Director of the Florida Opportunity Fund, a not-for-profit corporation investing in Florida-based start-up companies in life sciences…

The Chinese navy was spotted conducting aircraft carrier drills in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines last week, Japan's defence ministry said in a bulletin on Monday.The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed that China's aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying vessels were cruising the waters east of the Philippines' Luzon Island between May 26 and May 28, said the bulletin, which included a map.Liaoning-based planes and helicopters conducted roughly 170 take-off and landing drills as the Chinese fleet sailed around the western Pacific Rim…

Despite the current ceasefire between the United States and Iran, it remains too risky to move the thousands of sailors stuck in the Gulf, the head of the IMO said."We will not be able to activate anything until the root causes are addressed and there is more of a final agreement, a ceasefire, or complete agreement, between the parties involved in the conflict," Arsenio Dominguez, secretary-general, told Reuters on Sunday ahead of the start of the Posidonia shipping industry week in Athens.There are an estimated 20…

Venezuela's oil exports rose slightly to 1.25 million barrels per day in May, its third consecutive month of increase, fueled by more cargoes to the U.S., India and Europe, shipping data showed on Monday.Under the U.S.-supported government of interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelan crude production and exports have bounced this year as Washington eased sanctions and foreign companies expanded oil and gas projects in the OPEC nation.The oil ministry has forecast a crude output of 1.37 million bpd by year-end…

The U.S. Department of the Navy has selected seven companies to advance to the at-sea testing phase of its Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) marketplace initiative.The companies selected for the MUSV Family of Systems development program are Sea Machines, Leidos, Saronic Technologies, Galliano Marine Services, PacMar Technologies, Birdon, and Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII).The Navy said companies whose vessels successfully complete at-sea testing will receive $15 million…

The Australian Border Force has seized 34kg cocaine concealed within a luxury bus in Fremantle, Western Australia.ABF officers examined a roll-on/roll-off vessel on May 6, using a combination of targeted intelligence, physical search, detector dogs and advanced technology.During the inspection, officers located approximately 30 packages concealed in the roof cavity of a bus.Presumptive testing returned a positive result for cocaine, with an estimated weight of 34kg.This amount of cocaine…

The United States, Britain and Australia are working together to develop unmanned undersea vehicles as part of their trilateral AUKUS defence pact, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told reporters on Saturday.AUKUS said in a joint statement that delivery of the vehicles will start in 2027.The program will improve the three nations' reconnaissance and strike capabilities, "and bolster superiority in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine countermeasures, electronic warfare, and contested littoral manoeuvre," the statement added.

China's military and coast guard said they carried out patrols near disputed waters in the South China Sea on Sunday, a day after the Philippines said it remained under threat from Beijing despite a recent easing in U.S.-China tensions.Philippine and U.S. forces held a five-day maritime exercise in the same waters last week near the Scarborough Shoal, the third such drill this year, to strengthen interoperability and maritime security, the Philippine military said on Sunday.Scarborough Shoal…

The U.S. military says it fired a missile into the engine room of a vessel trying to get through the U.S. blockade of Iran on Friday.In a statement on Saturday, U.S. Central Command said it fired a Hellfire missile into the engine room of the Gambia-flagged Lian Star as it was "transiting international waters toward an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman."Before the attack, U.S. forces issued "more than 20 warnings" informing the vessel it was in violation of the U.S. blockade, according…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would soon decide on a proposed deal to extend the ceasefire with Iran, though the two countries still appeared to differ on significant issues that have been central to the conflict.Trump said on Friday morning that he would meet in a secure White House room to make a "final determination" on the proposal, which would extend an early-April truce for another 60 days, giving negotiators time to forge a permanent end to the war.Several hours later…

The ERMA TECH GROUP has highlighted that its President, Eleni Polychronopoulou, has been recognized by the IMO for her contribution to advancing gender equality in the global maritime sector, receiving a Letter of Commendation as part of the prestigious IMO Gender Equality Award framework.Polychronopoulou serves as President of HEMEXPO - Hellenic Marine Equipment Manufacturers & Exporters and Vice Chair of SEA Europe - the Shipyards’ and Maritime Equipment Association of Europe…

Since the Iranian Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, the Strait of Hormuz has been a geographic constant as a choke point for which closure has been threatened from time to time but never truly closed. The longstanding assumption of the continued openness of the strait collapsed on February 28, 2026. In the weeks since Iran effectively shut the strait to commercial shipping in response to U.S. and Israeli military strikes and the U.S. established its own blockade…

The U.S. military carried out new strikes overnight in Iran targeting a military site that officials believed posed a threat to U.S. forces and commercial maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the U.S. military has also intercepted and shot down multiple Iranian drones that posed a similar threat.The U.S. military strikes, which have not been previously reported, came during negotiations…