Government & Military News

“Holding Fast in Heavy Seas: Leadership For Turbulent Times” by Tim Gallaudet, PhD, Rear Admiral, US Navy (ret) is much more than a standard leadership tome, far less than a tell-all political expose, rather a common sense approach on leadership and life as told by the man who lives and works with empathy, humility and servant leadership. RAdm Gallaudet recounts his long and storied career, as well as the tumult serving as a presidential appointee under the first Trump Administration as a the leader of NOAA.

US President Donald Trump unveiled plans on Wednesday for South Korea to invest some $200 billion in US projects, but Seoul quickly suggested one key element, a $54 billion pipeline for an LNG project in Alaska, was not yet set in stone.The announcement from the White House amounted to the first set of major projects under a broader $350 billion strategic investment package South Korea made as part of a trade agreement with Washington last year. The package included $150 billion…

"During the first three quarters of 2026, US dry bulk shipments to China have grown 104% y/y, driven by a 176% y/y increase in the shipment of grains. Volumes between the two countries weakened in 2025 amid rising trade tensions and higher tariffs. However, an agreement reached in November 2025 lowered tariffs on US grains and set import targets for US soya beans, allowing shipments to partly recover in 2026,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.US coal and petcoke shipments to China have also strengthened so far this year, with coal up 44% y/y and petcoke up 33% y/y.

The Metals Company said on Tuesday it has appointed former ExxonMobil upstream chief Liam Mallon to its board as the company advances plans to begin commercial recovery of polymetallic nodules in international waters under a U.S. seabed mining framework.Here are a few detailsThe move comes as the Trump administration signaled it is nearing approval for permits to mine the deep sea, part of a broader push to boost U.S. access to the critical minerals used across much of the country's…

U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued at least 40 people approximately 10 miles off Mona Island, Monday, following the report of a capsized makeshift vessel.Two people were recovered deceased. Rescue efforts are still on going.Motor Vessel Tripiti crew members reported to Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders at approximately noon, they rescued four people in the water. Survivors reported there was an estimated 60 people aboard. The makeshift vessel reportedly capsized, Sunday, at about 11 p.m.…

U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued at least 40 people approximately 10 miles off Mona Island, Monday, following the report of a capsized makeshift vessel.Two people were recovered deceased. Rescue efforts are still on going.Motor Vessel Tripiti crew members reported to Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders at approximately noon, they rescued four people in the water. Survivors reported there was an estimated 60 people aboard. The makeshift vessel reportedly capsized, Sunday, at about 11 p.m., after a fight broke out and people were severely injured by a machete, forcing people to jump into the water and attempt to swim to Mona Island.

TKMS and EDGE Group have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore jointly developing underwater surveillance and protection capabilities combining multiple platforms and sensor systems.The companies plan to evaluate an integrated multi-system approach to underwater security, combining TKMS's platform capabilities with EDGE's systems expertise to provide surveillance, protection and a comprehensive situational picture of the underwater domain.The MoU was signed as part of…

The US Senate is nearing a deal to reform laws to speed up permitting of large infrastructure projects after the White House compromised on how renewable energy is treated, though a vote is uncertain before the midterm elections, a top Senate Democrat said on Thursday.Senators Sheldon Whitehouse, the top Democrat on the environment committee, and fellow Democrat Martin Heinrich have negotiated permitting legislation with Republican counterparts for months, after the talks had been cut off in December when President Donald Trump halted five near-complete offshore East Coast wind farms.Whitehous

The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) in New London, Conn., received the Coast Guard Unit Commendation for work spanning emerging technologies, unmanned systems, communications and search and rescue.The award recognizes the RDC’s service from June 2023 through February 2026, a period in which its 82 military and civilian personnel executed 189 high-priority research projects and delivered 105 mission-critical products to Coast Guard operators and program offices.Among…

The U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development Center (RDC) in New London, Conn., received the Coast Guard Unit Commendation for work spanning emerging technologies, unmanned systems, communications and search and rescue.The award recognizes the RDC’s service from June 2023 through February 2026, a period in which its 82 military and civilian personnel executed 189 high-priority research projects and delivered 105 mission-critical products to Coast Guard operators and program offices.Among the center’s most visible projects was the maritime integration of proliferated low-Earth orbit satellite communications. In 2023, RDC deployed the first fully functional underway Starlink terminal aboard polar icebreaker USCGC Healy (WAGB-20)…

Italy has formally launched its next-generation destroyer program, with Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (OSN) signing a contract valued at approximately $4.2 billion with OCCAR for two new DDX destroyers for the Italian Navy.OSN, the joint venture between Fincantieri (51%) and Leonardo (49%), said the contract includes approximately $1.48 billion in options and covers development, production, logistics studies and Initial In-Service Support.Fincantieri and Leonardo are expected to receive subcontracts valued at approximately $2.05 billion and $1.93 billion…

Inside Seaspan Shipyards' efforts to help accelerate the U.S. Coast Guard's Arctic Security Cutter programFor decades, conversations about rebuilding the United States Coast Guard icebreaker fleet have largely centered on budgets, politics and the strategic necessity of maintaining a credible presence in the Arctic. Less frequently discussed is perhaps the most critical ingredient of all: engineering maturity.Building a modern heavy icebreaker is among the most technically demanding challenges in commercial or naval shipbuilding.

"Caribbean Basin have year-to-date increased by 234 million barrels year-on-year according to data from Signal Ocean. This is equal to an additional 880k barrels per day, and a 45% jump compared to 2025,“ says Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO.Adjusting for an increase in barrels transhipped via the Bahamas, we estimate that exports from the Caribbean Basin so far have added 210 million new crude oil and heavy product barrels. The increase equals 790k barrels per day.

Saudi Arabia's first defence-focused venture capital fund, MASNA Ventures, is seeking to plough more money into local manufacturing of US and allied defence technology as conflict in the Gulf exposes the region's military gaps.The fund, anchored by a prominent Saudi family office and sharia-compliant, has asked the Capital Markets Authority to raise its capacity to $150 million from $100 million, General Partner Lucien Zeigler told Reuters.Committed capital so far includes only Saudi nationals…

Saudi Arabia's first defence-focused venture capital fund, MASNA Ventures, is seeking to plough more money into local manufacturing of US and allied defence technology as conflict in the Gulf exposes the region's military gaps.The fund, anchored by a prominent Saudi family office and sharia-compliant, has asked the Capital Markets Authority to raise its capacity to $150 million from $100 million, General Partner Lucien Zeigler told Reuters.Committed capital so far includes only Saudi nationals, and the firm is weighing whether to bring in international capital, Zeigler said, declining to comment further on amounts or investors, citing regulations."This is a bet on Saudi sovereignty…

A tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz was struck by an unknown projectile, leaving two crew members with minor injuries, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said.Military authorities informed UKMTO on September 21, 2026, that the tanker was conducting an inbound transit when it was hit.The vessel remained under its own power and was continuing to its next port of call, according to UKMTO.No environmental impact had been reported following the incident.Authorities are investigating the incident…

US Coast Guard and FBI personnel boarded two commercial vessels bound for the United States in the Gulf of Mexico last month after indications that hackers had broken into their computer networks.The unusual operation, carried out on August 21 and August 24 aboard two foreign-flagged ships, comes as US authorities grapple with a series of cyber incidents that media reports have linked to Iran since the outbreak of conflict between Washington and Tehran.The FBI said a joint Coast…

Finnish authorities boarded and searched a target vessel in the Baltic Sea on Thursday in a live drill that officials said shows how seriously the region takes the threat of undersea sabotage after a string of incidents.Finland and the wider Baltic Sea region have experienced ruptures of power cables, telecom lines and gas pipelines following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, raising concerns that critical infrastructure lacks sufficient protection.Masked officers from the coast guard…

Argentina's government has presented a bill to crack down on companies operating in the Falkland Islands, potentially escalating tensions with the United Kingdom over the territory that is controlled by Britain but claimed by Argentina.The proposal introduced on Thursday toughens sanctions on companies and people who unlawfully participate in activities in the Falklands and in Argentina's maritime spaces and continental shelf in "any type of activity aimed at the utilization of…

Indonesian rescuers plan to try to right a passenger ship that capsized in the Java Sea last weekend as persistent strong currents and big waves prevent them from making an underwater search of the overturned vessel for the 129 people still missing.The Virgo Transport 8 was carrying 243 people on a 20-hour voyage from Surabaya in East Java to Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan when it capsized in bad weather early on Sunday. Six people died and 108 survived the incident, tallies that have not changed since Sunday.The national rescue agency and Indonesian Navy will make an assessment on Thursday on the plan to turn the capsized ship back over…

The headline grabbing global attention is simple enough: a shipowner reportedly paid more than $5 million for a single Panama Canal transit slot. But that may only mark the start of an historic surge in shipping costs.The vessel was a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carrier operated for South Korea's SK Gas. The fee was not the canal toll itself, but an auction premium paid to secure passage through one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.It surpassed earlier reported…

The U.S. is expanding its icebreaking fleet to strengthen Arctic and domestic access, and support commercial shipping, seabed resources, subsea cables and fisheries. Current plans include 1–3 heavy Polar Security Cutters (PSCs), 11 medium Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs), seven Homeland Security Cutter (HSC) HSC-L (light) icebreakers, 11 HSC-Ms (medium) and one additional heavy HSC-H (heavy). But as delays and cost overruns on the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) Program shows, while major opportunities exist for the U.S.

Stephen M. Carmel & MarAd are aiming to make this U.S. Maritime Rebuild StickFor anyone who has spent a career in the U.S. maritime industry, the past two years have been unusual by any metric. Maritime has moved from the far margins of federal policy discussions to center stage, with rebuilding American shipbuilding, the Merchant Marine and the maritime industrial base elevated a national priority. Action to shore up the big ship, military portion of the equation has been rapid and measurable.

Multraship, on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat, delivered the new patrol vessel ENFORCER to the Netherlands Coastguard, a 53-metre-long modern patrol vessel for surveillance work, providing assistance and contributing to safety in the North Sea. ENFORCER was built by Damen Shipyards in Gorinchem. It is owned by Multraship from Terneuzen, which will therefore also be responsible for the vessel’s crew and maintenance. The Netherlands Coastguard will have operational command. To carry out the duties in the North Sea…

Multraship, on behalf of Rijkswaterstaat, delivered the new patrol vessel ENFORCER to the Netherlands Coastguard, a 53-metre-long modern patrol vessel for surveillance work, providing assistance and contributing to safety in the North Sea. ENFORCER was built by Damen Shipyards in Gorinchem. It is owned by Multraship from Terneuzen, which will therefore also be responsible for the vessel’s crew and maintenance. The Netherlands Coastguard will have operational command. To carry out the duties in the North Sea, boarding officers from law enforcement agencies such as the police, customs and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee board the vessel.ENFORCER is outfitted with two high-speed boats (RHIBs) for inspections and enforcement at sea.

Foreign non-vessel-operating common carriers (NVOCCs) increasingly rely on U.S.-based logistics companies to serve as destination agents. These arrangements involve a domestic provider handling cargo receipt, warehousing, customs coordination, and last-mile delivery on behalf of an ocean transportation intermediary headquartered abroad. The revenue opportunity is real, but the regulatory, financial, and operational risks demand careful assessment before committing to this framework.Regulatory…

The Sault Historic Sites, Captain John P. Wellington Great Lakes Marine Hall of Fame, recognized the significant contributions of James H.I. Weakley, President of the Lake Carriers’ Association (LCA) on Friday, September 11th in Sault Ste Marie, Michigan.The award is given every other year alternating between U.S. and Canadian nominees. The complete list of previous awardees can be found here.Jim Weakley has served as LCA President for almost 25 years leading the U.S.-flagged fleet on the Great Lakes through advocacy, Congressional engagement, and public awareness.

China dipped into its massive crude oil stockpile in August for the third month in the past four as increased refinery processing exceeded a modest increase in oil imports.Refineries processed about 640,000 barrels per day (bpd) more than what was available to them from imports and domestic oil production, according to calculations based on official data.China, the world's biggest crude importer, slashed its purchases to the lowest in a decade in the wake of the higher oil prices caused by the disruption to supplies from the Middle East after the U.S.

BroCoTec, a Houston-based maritime cyber security specialist, is urging US vessel operators to act now on new Coast Guard cybersecurity regulations, warning they are a 'banana skin' for unprepared companies.The regulations establish cybersecurity requirements for covered U.S.-flagged vessels, facilities and Outer Continental Shelf facilities. The rule became effective July 16, 2025, with phased compliance requirements.BroCoTec warned major milestones, including designation of the Cybersecurity Officer…

BroCoTec, a Houston-based maritime cyber security specialist, is urging US vessel operators to act now on new Coast Guard cybersecurity regulations, warning they are a 'banana skin' for unprepared companies.The regulations establish cybersecurity requirements for covered U.S.-flagged vessels, facilities and Outer Continental Shelf facilities. The rule became effective July 16, 2025, with phased compliance requirements.BroCoTec warned major milestones, including designation of the Cybersecurity Officer, completion of the initial Cybersecurity Assessment and submission of the Cybersecurity Plan, are due by July 16, 2027. The cybersecurity…

Oman's Maritime Security Centre said on Tuesday that the Panama-flagged oil tanker 'EL GAIA' was being towed to an Omani port after a fire broke out in its engine room following an attack.The tanker was about 103 nautical miles northeast of Musandam when it was attacked, the centre said. An Omani naval vessel evacuated 23 crew members, while two remain missing.(Reuters - Reporting by Jana Choukeir and Tala Ramadan; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

A Russian frigate fired two flares towards a Danish military helicopter in international waters off Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft, the Nordic NATO member's military said.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after incidents involving gas pipeline outages, airspace violations and drone sightings since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, all of which have increased tensions between Moscow and the West.The Fennec military helicopter had been on a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate…

A Russian frigate fired two flares towards a Danish military helicopter in international waters off Denmark on Monday, narrowly missing the aircraft, the Nordic NATO member's military said.The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after incidents involving gas pipeline outages, airspace violations and drone sightings since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, all of which have increased tensions between Moscow and the West.The Fennec military helicopter had been on a routine mission to photograph the Russian frigate, the Danish defence command said in a statement late on Monday.One of the flares — pyrotechnics usually used as a warning signal at sea — passed close to the helicopter…

Indian marine automation provider Accurate Industrial Controls is set to begin converting three patrol boats to Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) as part of a six-vessel deal with the Indian Navy.The company has already undertaken a feasibility assessment of the first three vessels ahead of converting them to fully autonomous boats at Mumbai’s Naval Dockyard.Dharmesh Popatlal Gala, Accurate’s director of AI & Robotics, said the three vessels include a 13m Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) used in coastal reconnaissance and two larger 23m Immediate Support Vessels (ISV).

Iran has suspended a 10% charge on freight fees for foreign vessels carrying imported or exported oil, gas and liquid petroleum products to and from Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday.A U.S. naval blockade has sharply disrupted the country's seaborne oil exports.(Reuters - Reporting by Dubai Newsroom; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Deep in Arctic waters near the remote Svalbard archipelago this spring, NATO allies caught Russian subs training to unleash a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any fingerprints.The clandestine Russian operation, described to Reuters by two Western officials, was carried out by Moscow's GUGI undersea warfare directorate, which used deep-sea submersibles to simulate the deployment of the sophisticated and destructive technology.A joint operation involving Britain…

The Middle East war intensified on Tuesday with Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen launching strikes on several Saudi cities, further embroiling a U.S. ally in the conflict, while U.S. forces hit multiple Iranian oil tankers and Iran targeted a U.S. base in Jordan.The Houthis attacked four cities in the south of Saudi Arabia, wounding 73 people and setting oil installations ablaze in what appeared to be a major expansion of the six-month-old war.As global oil markets were pricing in the Saudi attacks, the U.S.

Hapag-Lloyd is working with the Israeli government on improvements to its proposed $4.2 billion cash purchase of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, the German shipping group said on Monday.The proposed deal has faced heavy opposition in Israel, including ZIM's workers, Defence Minister Israel Katz and other government officials, who argue that it undermines national security by transferring Israel's shipping to a foreign company."We are now developing an improved proposal designed to further strengthen Israel's maritime security and independence…

Iran threatened the United States with "economic warfare" on Tuesday and said it had fired an advanced missile at U.S. warships, underscoring the risks of further escalation in the war only days after both sides traded blows again.The six-month-old war has been marked by a cycle of pauses followed by periodic flare-ups, with the U.S. last reporting attacks on Iranian targets on Saturday, when U.S. forces struck three Iranian oil tankers. Iranian state media on Sunday reported that Iran fired the Qassem Basir missile.Despite U.S.

South Korea is reviewing options, including military measures, to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the presidential office said on Friday, while denying media reports that the government had already decided on a deployment.Several South Korean media outlets, including JTBC and MBC, reported late on Thursday that Seoul was preparing to deploy military assets before the end of the year and could seek parliamentary approval this month.The reports said options under consideration included a maritime patrol aircraft…

Argentine President Javier Milei said on Thursday he would tighten sanctions on companies involved in oil projects around the Falkland Islands, boost defense resources in the country's south and send Congress a bill aimed at strengthening Argentina's response to what he called violations of its sovereignty.In a televised address, Milei said he would sign a decree to speed sanctions under Argentine law against companies participating in oil and gas extraction in territory Argentina…

China's Ministry of Natural Resources conducted a survey of waters east of Taiwan last month that it said would help it create "one map" for territorial planning and resource management, state broadcaster CCTV said on Thursday.China has been stepping up its activities to the east of Taiwan in the Pacific Ocean to assert its claims of sovereignty and jurisdiction over the island and its waters, to the anger of the government in Taipei.Taiwan's coast guard said on August 21 that it had warned off and shadowed a Chinese research ship sailing in sensitive waters near the island…

Turkish authorities continued searching on Thursday for 10 crew members missing after a cargo ship sank off the coast of Istanbul following a collision with another vessel, state-owned Anadolu Agency reported.Two Turkish-flagged commercial vessels collided in the Sea of Marmara off Istanbul on Wednesday. Authorities said one of the ships, carrying 10 crew members, is believed to have sunk within about 11 minutes of the crash.Search operations involving the coast guard, navy, disaster management agency and other emergency services were continuing on Thursday.

Nigeria could double investment into its energy sector within five years after joining the International Energy Agency, its chief Fatih Birol said on Thursday, as nations seek partners they can "trust" after supply disruptions from the wars in Iran and Ukraine.Speaking during a visit to Abuja, Birol told Reuters that Nigeria's admission as an associate member of the Paris-based energy watchdog would help attract investment, deepen technical cooperation and give Africa's largest oil producer a stronger voice in global energy policy discussions."My goal is…

A U.S. campaign to throttle Iran's economy by blockading its oil exports and stopping sanctions evasion is growing increasingly difficult to withstand, three senior Iranian sources said.Washington has in recent weeks sought to ratchet up the economic pressure on Tehran, in an effort to extract concessions in any future negotiation that six months of conflict have so far failed to secure.Although Iran's clerical rulers managed to bypass sanctions for decades, the latest U.S. moves have left them in a far more sensitive position…

Ukrainian attacks on Russian naval vessels have caused significant but not critical damage, President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday.He said Ukraine had damaged around 100 vessels over a 40-day period, with the resulting damage equivalent to 1% of gross domestic product (GDP).(Reuters - Reporting by Maxim Rodionov in London, Dmitry Antonov and Ksenia Orlova in Moscow; Editing by Andrew Osborn)

The U.S. launched a barrage of airstrikes against Iran on Tuesday, prompting Iranian retaliation, in the most serious escalation in weeks in a conflict that has driven up global energy prices and weighed on President Donald Trump's popularity at home.The U.S. military said late on Tuesday it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran. U.S. forces struck IRGC targets "including air defense sites, radar systems, maritime assets and facilities, mine laying capabilities, and communications sites," the U.S. Central Command said on X. An Axios report, citing U.S. officials, said the U.S.

China's state-owned shipping giant COSCO uses concealed equipment on board its ships to spy on military communications near the coastlines of target nations including the U.S., two senior Trump administration officials said.The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the U.S. assessment of the Chinese program, said COSCO has a decades-long intelligence-collection partnership with Beijing. The arrangement allows China to collect communication signals from vessels and aircraft operating across Europe…

The small Pacific Island state of Vanuatu is trying to bring a decades-old dispute with France over two uninhabited islands before the International Court of Justice, the United Nations' top court said on Tuesday.The ICJ, also known as the World Court, will not immediately accept the case because France has not agreed to so-called compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ over its disputes with other states. Vanuatu's claim has been sent to Paris to see whether France agrees to let the court take it on…

A tanker has reported being struck by three projectiles while sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz, 17 nautical miles east of Oman's Khasab, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.No casualties or environmental impact have been reported, UKMTO said.TRANSITSThe number of vessels sailing through the Strait of Hormuz was little changed on Monday compared with the weekend, hovering around five, preliminary ship-tracking data showed on Tuesday, below the 10-day average of around 14.Four of the vessels entered the strait and one exited…

Singapore and Brazil have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Singapore-Brazil Green and Digital Shipping Corridor. The MoU was signed by Singapore’s Minister for Transport, Jeffrey Siow, and Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, Tomé Franca.Brazil has significant renewable energy resources and production capabilities that could support the production of zero- and near-zero greenhouse gas emission marine fuels, while Singapore is the world’s largest…

Just two years after the worst drought in the Panama Canal's history forced ships to wait weeks for passage and triggered multi-million-dollar bidding wars for transit slots, El Niño is again threatening the rainfall that feeds the waterway.With El Niño strengthening and reservoirs shrinking, the industry is bracing for a repeat of the disruption at one of the world's most important waterways — and some ships are already taking long detours via Africa.Earlier in August, the Panama…

The number of visible commodity vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped to five per day over the weekend, shipping data showed on Monday, as companies tread cautiously amid continued attacks on ships.The actual number of ships passing the strait could be higher as some vessels have switched off their automatic identification system to evade attacks.Weekend traffic was limited to small-sized vessels, data from commodities firm Kpler showed. These included two liquefied…

Iran's energy hub of Kharg Island is being blown to smithereens, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday, after forces hit two rocket launchers on another island in the first known American strikes on the Islamic republic since late July.Attacking Kharg, which handled 90% of Iran's oil exports before the war launched by U.S. and Israeli attacks on February 28, would severely disrupt its energy trade and put huge pressure on its economy."Kharg Island being blown to smithereens!!! President DJT," Trump said on social media, but gave no further details.The White House and the U.S.

At least eight people died and 18 were missing after a ferry carrying around 270 passengers and crew capsized off North Cyprus on Sunday, leaving survivors clinging to its overturned hull.The privately owned ferry left the port of Kyrenia at 12:30 p.m. local time (0930 GMT) and immediately started taking on water for an unknown reason, authorities said. It was heading for the Turkish port of Tasucu in the eastern Mediterranean.Survivors reported the ferry moving erratically, with its last hard impact with the water's surface breaking the bow of the two-hulled vessel, allowing water to seep in.

The following article is an op-ed piece from Andrei Barotov and Kristiina Peterson, Chief Specialists of Maritime Competitiveness at the Estonian Transport AdministrationLeveraging its ‘e-Estonia’ digital society initiative, the government of Estonia is preparing to extend the digital reach of EST Flag ship registration services, while also expanding its tonnage eligibility. Andrei Barotov and Kristiina Peterson, Chief Specialists of Maritime Competitiveness at the Estonian Transport Administration…

Finland's Steerprop won an order to supply complete propulsion packages for four Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs) being built for the US Coast Guard by Bollinger Shipyards. Each vessel will be equipped with two Steerprop Contra-Rotating Propellers (CRP) azimuth propulsors and two tunnel thrusters. The vessels will be built to an existing Multi-Purpose Icebreaker (MPI) design. During the selection process, Steerprop demonstrated that its dual-end propeller CRP concept delivered significantly…

Iran and Oman are still working on the details of an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said on Wednesday, after Iran's Revolutionary Guards said the two countries had agreed how to share the waterway and its revenues.The elite force's spokesperson, echoing Tehran's official stance, also said the strait would not open unless the U.S. met Tehran's conditions under an interim ceasefire agreement that was struck in June before unravelling. Those conditions include an end to the U.S.

Lloyd’s Register has secured a $7.8 million (A$11 million) contract from Austal Defence Australia to provide naval classification services for the Australian Army’s Landing Craft Medium program.The contract covers classification services throughout the construction of 18 landing craft, supporting quality, compliance and assurance from construction through to delivery.Austal Defence Australia is delivering the vessels under a Design and Build Tasking Statement worth more than $715 million (A$1.029 billion)…

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran has been told that any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States, through its Space Force, was watching "every square inch" of the Strait, a key waterway in the global energy supply chain."There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect," Trump said.The U.S.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Monday the federal government would invest more than C$11 billion ($7.95 billion) to build six new icebreakers for the Canadian Coast Guard.Speaking in Levis, Quebec, Carney said the ships would be built by Quebec shipbuilder Chantier Davie and would replace the Coast Guard's aging heavy and medium icebreakers.After Russia, Canada has the world's second-largest fleet of icebreakers, which routinely escort U.S. ships heading to the Arctic.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration (MARAD) and CORE POWER (US) Inc. signed an agreement to accelerate the commercial, industrial, and regulatory pathways for U.S.-flagged nuclear-powered commercial ships. Fueled by small modular reactor (SMR) technology, this first-of-its-kind partnership will advance the President's agenda to strengthen American shipping and secure energy dominance.Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, MARAD and CORE POWER will establish a collaborative framework to navigate SMR regulatory acceptance…

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced a $665 million investment to modernize ferry infrastructure for the communities who rely on these transit systems to work and move goods.From inland waterway dock expansions to brand-new passenger ferries, the Department selected 23 projects in 14 states and the United States Virgin Islands, including: $153,406,928 to the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities to replace a 50-year-old passenger vessel that connects smaller communities in Southeast Alaska.$7…

A tanker was struck by an unknown projectile 63 nautical miles west of Saudi Arabia's port city of Yanbu, leading to a fire on the vessel's main deck, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Monday.The UKMTO said all crew were safe and accounted for with no reported environmental impact.Yanbu is Saudi Arabia's main Red Sea oil port, where millions of barrels a day are loaded, and has become the main route out for Saudi oil skirting the Strait of Hormuz, which has…

Iran has issued a warning that vessels violating its arrangements for transiting the Strait of Hormuz could face restrictions, including fines, detention, or confiscation, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority wrote in a post on X.The warning heightens risks for the charterers and shipowners whose vessels transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the world's energy shipments.The PGSA, a new body Iran has established with the aim of managing the strait, has said cargo owners should refer to an updated list of vessels deemed non-compliant for voyages relating to the Persian Gulf.Vesse

Seven commodity ships sailed along the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, just half the previous day's tally, showed data from shiptracker Kpler, amid concern over risk to Middle East shipping as U.S.-Iran peace talks remain in limbo.Of the total, four ships entered and three exited the waterway, which was used by nearly a fifth of global shipments of crude oil and liquefied natural gas before war began in February.The seven did not include any very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers.However, one very large gas carrier - carrying propane and butane - did transit out of Hormuz via

Taiwan's government on Thursday proposed an 18% rise in defense spending for next year, including for drones and missiles, taking it above T$1 trillion ($31.41 billion) for the first time as Taipei bolsters its military to ward off China.The budget details come as Beijing, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has ramped up military and political pressure over the past few years to assert its claims, which Taipei strongly rejects.Taiwan also faces calls from Washington to spend more on its own defense, mirroring U.S.