Government & Military News

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) received a report on Tuesday that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting outbound in the Strait of Hormuz, causing engine room damage and a crew casualty, with the remaining crew being assisted by the Omani Coast Guard.No environmental impact has been reported and authorities are investigating, UKMTO said.The incident comes as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted, with vessel crossings still in the single digits, down from more than 130 a day before the war.(Reuters - Reporting by Tala Ramad

Ship crossings via the Strait of Hormuz were still in single digits on Monday, despite rising slightly from the weekend, according to preliminary shipping data on Tuesday, amid a stalemate in U.S. and Iranian peace talks.Six commodity ships transited the strait on Monday, of which three were exiting the Gulf and three were entering, Kpler shiptracking data showed, compared with the 10-day average of 11 ships. Three ships transited on Saturday while two moved through the waterway…

Saudi Aramco is offering crude oil outside the Strait of Hormuz to some Asian refiners through private negotiations, two sources with knowledge of the matter said on Monday, in a strategy similar to that adopted by United Arab Emirates' Abu Dhabi National Oil Co (ADNOC).In a rare move, Aramco is in talks with buyers to supply Arab Medium and Arab Heavy crude via ship-to-ship (STS) transfers off Fujairah in the UAE, the sources said. One of them said the cargoes were for September loading.It was not immediately clear how Aramco moved its cargoes out to Fujairah.

Signatory States of the Djibouti Code of Conduct/Jeddah Amendment have agreed to set up a Combined DCoC Task Force to protect shipping from the resurgence of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden.The task force will provide a practical regional mechanism through which willing Signatory States can conduct coordinated maritime operations in support of existing international maritime security efforts. This includes the possible embarkation of officers (sea-riders) from…

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed over the weekend, data showed on Monday, following attacks on tankers, while U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the Middle East conflict stalled.Five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with none registered for Sunday, shiptracking data from Kpler showed, versus 31 in the prior weekend.Ships entering the strait on Saturday included an empty very large crude carrier with its Automatic Identification System switched off and an Indian-flagged very large gas carrier that used the Iranian route…

Iran called on the U.S. to accept defeat on Saturday, while President Donald Trump blasted Tehran as "very evil" and told Americans to prepare for continued high fuel prices as a result of the war.Progress towards peace talks and oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz remained halted, with no sign the warring parties were moving toward ending the conflict that the U.S. and Israel launched on February 28."This strait will be opened and closed only under Iran's command…

Yemen's Mocha port has suspended commercial and maritime operations after being hit by more than 25 missiles in Houthi attacks over recent days, the port's director said on Saturday.The attacks killed seven people and caused an estimated $16 million in losses, the director told a news conference.Mocha is a Red Sea port near the Bab el-Mandab strait, a strategic chokepoint connecting the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and a key route for international shipping.The port is controlled by forces aligned with Yemen's internationally recognised government.

The leader of U.S. Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, wrote on Sunday that his recent visit to the USS Abraham Lincoln was "awe-inspiring" and hailed the crew's "resilience" following reports of concerns about mental health and deteriorating conditions aboard the aircraft carrier.The ship has not made a port call in more than 200 days, setting a modern-day record for consecutive days at sea, according to Democratic lawmakers who have called for answers after sailors' families…

U.S. President Donald Trump has allowed the Navy to build ships overseas and ordered it to abandon a complex system for launching jet fighters from its aircraft carriers and instead return to using steam catapults, the White House said on Thursday.Trump signed a national security memorandum directing the change, which would require the fourth vessel in the Gerald R. Ford class of aircraft carriers to abandon the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) used on the first three vessels.

Firefighters were battling flames on Friday at Russia's Baltic Sea port Ust-Luga, a major energy exports hub, after a fire sparked by a drone attack, regional governor Aleksander Drozdenko said on messaging app Telegram.More than fifty drones were downed in the Leningrad region, he added, as the region around Ust-Luga, a centre for exports of oil and oil products, kept up efforts to repel the attack.The scale of damage was not immediately clear in the attack, which continues Ukraine's tactics of hitting Russian oil processing and export facilities and grain shipping routes, in an effort to den

Ukraine has sent Russia an offer suggesting they both halt attacks on civilian targets in the Black Sea, a source said, after mounting strikes on vessels and ports there raised fears over global food supplies.The offer to suspend attacks was transmitted by Kyiv via a third party, and Ukraine was still waiting for a response, the source who is familiar with the matter told Reuters.Both Russia and Ukraine, major players in the world agriculture market, have accused each other of…

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said on Thursday the Department of Homeland Security has approved a second 90-day extension of a Jones Act waiver first issued on March 17, 2026, allowing certain covered cargoes to continue moving on foreign-flagged vessels between U.S. ports under specified conditions.The waiver will commence on August 17, 2026, at 12:00 a.m. ET, the CBP guidance said.CBP said any covered product must be loaded onboard a vessel before the waiver expires at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 15, 2026.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy today announced that the Maritime Administration (MARAD) is delivering $35.1 million to invest in critical infrastructure and workforce development at 45 shipyards across 24 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program received a 300% increase in funding in 2026.Projects examples include:$1,007,678 to Gulf Marine Repair Corporation in Tampa, Florida, for training center equipment, wheel loaders and upgrades to three berths in its south slip.$1,000,000 to Robert E. Derecktor, Inc.

The U.S. military has enough assets to maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday, adding ships could be rotated in and out of the region as needed.Hegseth's comments suggest he is advising U.S. President Donald Trump that the U.S. military can keep applying economic pressure on Iran for as long as needed to help so-far failed negotiations to end the conflict, begun in February."Indefinitely the United States Navy can maintain a blockade like that because we'll rotate ships in and out…

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday said reports about poor conditions aboard aircraft carrier the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Middle East were "completely misrepresented.""We make sure every ship, every crew, every captain has everything we can provide them at every single moment. Some deployments are longer than others, and I have more respect and gratitude for those sailors than anybody. What they do in those high seas in those austere conditions with less port calls - it's incredible…

Anyone who has attended a writer’s conference has heard writers, editors, agents and publishers repeat the same mantra: “Show, don’t tell.” You can likely intuit what this means, but just to be clear, if you are writing a western thriller and you are describing a bar fight, it can’t be told matter-of-factly. The reader has to hear the crash of beer bottles against the bar’s mirror, feel the gunshots and root for the sheriff.What does this have to do with uncrewed maritime systems? A great deal.The U.S.

Anyone who has attended a writer’s conference has heard writers, editors, agents and publishers repeat the same mantra: “Show, don’t tell.” You can likely intuit what this means, but just to be clear, if you are writing a western thriller and you are describing a bar fight, it can’t be told matter-of-factly. The reader has to hear the crash of beer bottles against the bar’s mirror, feel the gunshots and root for the sheriff.What does this have to do with uncrewed maritime systems? A great deal.The U.S. Navy’s embrace of unmanned systems accelerated in 2009 when the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group (SSG) issued its report "The Unmanned Imperative." This concept focused on integrating unmanned systems into the Navy’s force structure as a way to ensure maritime dominance.

Just how much crude oil is leaving the Strait of Hormuz?U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright claims almost nine million barrels per day, but the companies that track vessel movements say at best it is about half this volume.The amount of crude leaving the Middle East via the narrow chokepoint matters, as it's this oil that goes to Asia, the top energy-consuming region that has been hardest hit by the fallout since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.Wright said on social media platform X on August 12 that "thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S.

Taiwan's armed forces carried out an anti-blockade drill during annual war games, using the navy and coast guard to simulate escorting a merchant ship, the defense ministry said on Thursday, as China steps up its maritime pressure.Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has long been concerned that Beijing could try to choke off the island with a blockade or quarantine to force it into surrender.In June, China began holding what it calls "law enforcement" patrols off Taiwan's east coast…

Taiwan's armed forces carried out an anti-blockade drill during annual war games, using the navy and coast guard to simulate escorting a merchant ship, the defense ministry said on Thursday, as China steps up its maritime pressure.Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has long been concerned that Beijing could try to choke off the island with a blockade or quarantine to force it into surrender.In June, China began holding what it calls "law enforcement" patrols off Taiwan's east coast, to the anger of Taipei and prompting concern in Washington and some other Western capitals.In a statement, the ministry said the anti-blockade…

Greensea IQ has introduced Bayonet Sweep, an autonomous underwater robot designed to search and inspect ship hulls and underwater structures.Bayonet Sweep provides navies, security teams, and port and harbor authorities with a rapid and effective way to inspect ship hulls without placing divers in the water.Where routine hull inspection focuses on maintenance, Bayonet Sweep is specifically built for force protection. It provides a complete data workflow for security, threat assessment…

The Canadian Coast Guard has remembered the 40th anniversary of the rescue of 155 Tamil refugees off the coast of Newfoundland.On August 11, 1986, Captain Gus Dalton and fellow fishermen found two lifeboats carrying 155 people fleeing violence and war in Sri Lanka near St. Shotts. Together with local fishing vessels, we launched a coordinated rescue effort.The CCGS Leonard J. Cowley played a key role in bringing the refugees safely ashore.“Forty years later, this rescue remains a powerful example of compassion…

The Canadian Coast Guard has remembered the 40th anniversary of the rescue of 155 Tamil refugees off the coast of Newfoundland.On August 11, 1986, Captain Gus Dalton and fellow fishermen found two lifeboats carrying 155 people fleeing violence and war in Sri Lanka near St. Shotts. Together with local fishing vessels, we launched a coordinated rescue effort.The CCGS Leonard J. Cowley played a key role in bringing the refugees safely ashore.“Forty years later, this rescue remains a powerful example of compassion, cooperation, and humanitarian action at sea,” said the Canadian Coast Guard in a Facebook post.

The Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, has issued a statement following the death of seafarers on the Tihamah which was hit by a projectile off the coast of Al Mokha, Yemen.“It is with sadness and regret to know that, once again, innocent seafarers have lost their lives in an indefensible attack on international shipping. I offer my deepest condolences to the families of those involved.“It is particularly troublesome that the most recent attack has taken place in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden area.

A major Ukrainian attack on Russia's Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk hit warships at a naval base and forced two major grain terminals to halt operations on Wednesday, according to Russian and Ukrainian officials as well as grain industry sources.The Ukrainian attacks killed at least two people, including an 8-year-old child, regional Governor Veniamin Kondratyev said.Describing the attack as having "strategic significance", Ukraine's SBU security service said Kyiv's forces hit the Novorossiysk naval base with drones and missiles.

I first heard about the Jones Act from my father in 1976. He had just become part of the US maritime community and one day came home and started to tell me about the differences between the US maritime community and the Dutch maritime community. Two things stood out; the heavy US union influence and the Jones Act. My father despised unions, as a lifelong non unionized shipping company employee (but a very benevolent one, sponsoring employee vacation resorts and excellent employee housing, and later found to have one of the most generous pension plans one can imagine).

Warship manufacturer TKMS on Wednesday raised its outlook for the second time in six months, expecting higher demand for surface vessels such as frigates as well as for its sensors and mine-sweeping technology.TKMS has been one of the main beneficiaries of Europe's push to build up its defenses in light of dwindling U.S. support, scoring several landmark deals in recent months, including one for Germany's navy as well as a submarine agreement with Canada."Our recent successes confirm our outstanding positioning as a maritime powerhouse - both nationally and internationally…

Taiwan's government has condemned "dangerous" planned Chinese navy drills with an Indonesian warship off the island's east coast, saying Beijing was trying to create a false impression to the international community that it controls those waters.China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and in June began coast guard patrols off the island's east coast, causing anger in Taipei and concern in Washington and some other Western capitals.China's defense ministry said on Tuesday the drill…

Taiwan's government has condemned "dangerous" planned Chinese navy drills with an Indonesian warship off the island's east coast, saying Beijing was trying to create a false impression to the international community that it controls those waters.China views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, and in June began coast guard patrols off the island's east coast, causing anger in Taipei and concern in Washington and some other Western capitals.China's defense ministry said on Tuesday the drill, to take place in mid-August at a location east of Taiwan it did not detail, would be a "navigation exercise" with an Indonesian navy ship…

HII has announced that the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has officially recognized the successful completion of the company’s production-ready, inexpensive, maritime expeditionary (PRIME) prototype project.The prototype features the Watcher small unmanned surface vessel (sUSV), which is based on HII’s Romulus-25 USV and powered by HII’s Odyssey autonomous control system.The DIU recognition follows HII’s delivery and successful sea testing of two autonomous Watcher Romulus…

Gasoline at $38 a gallon sold from cramped apartments. Diesel hawked on Instagram by a celebrity model to a reggaeton soundtrack. Six decades after Fidel Castro’s revolution, all of a sudden, capitalist cracks are appearing in Cuba’s communist energy sector.Under Washington’s crippling oil embargo against Cuba, an exception that allows U.S. firms to export fuel to private Cuban businesses has kickstarted a chaotic black market and pried the lid off an energy sector tightly controlled…

Russia has begun shipping crude oil via its Arctic sea route this year at a faster pace than a year ago, with seven cargoes carrying some 6 million barrels of crude already heading to Asia, according to three trade sources and LSEG shipping data.The Northern Sea Route, which links Russia's western ports with Asian markets through Arctic waters, is typically open from July 1 until October 1 each year.Russia is speeding up usage of the route as it enables its cargoes to reach China and other parts of Asia without transiting waters where tankers face inspections…

China's test of a nuclear-capable missile last month has exposed the limits of Pacific leaders' ambition to make the region an "Ocean of Peace", free from the crossfire of major-power rivalry.The July launch, China's first known ballistic-missile test into the Pacific since September 2024, was fired into the Pacific just hours after Fiji and Australia signed a major defense treaty, marking Fiji's first ever alliance.More than a month after the test, Pacific Islands foreign ministers were unable to agree on a collective statement condemning Beijing's missile test…

Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the country's Black Sea exclusive economic zone near the offshore gas project Neptun Deep, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Tuesday.The NATO state shares a 614-km (382-mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones repeatedly breach its airspace over the last four years, as well as mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes.In July, Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilots shot down…

Romanian army divers destroyed two Gerbera-type drones drifting in the country's Black Sea exclusive economic zone near the offshore gas project Neptun Deep, Defence Minister Radu Miruta said on Tuesday.The NATO state shares a 614-km (382-mile) land border with Ukraine and has seen Russian drones repeatedly breach its airspace over the last four years, as well as mines floating in the Black Sea across key trade and energy routes.In July, Romanian F-16 fighter jet pilots shot down three Russian drones breaching national airspace over three consecutive days after dozens of such incursions in the more than four years of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.On Tuesday, a civilian vessel working near the Neptun Deep offshore gas project spotted the drones, Miruta said.

Vietnam has begun construction on what it describes as the country's largest and most advanced domestically made anti-submarine frigate, a military-owned newspaper reported.The vessel, being built at the defense ministry's Song Thu Shipyard in Danang City, will also have most of its weapons and military equipment developed or assembled in the country, the Quan Doi Nhan Dan newspaper said late on Monday.Vietnam, which has long been involved in maritime disputes with China and other claimants to the South China Sea, has been seeking to expand its domestic defense manufacturing capabilities while

The Australian Submarine Agency (ASA) has awarded Lockheed Martin a two‑year AUD$26.5 million ($18.7 million) contract to create a sovereign Combat Systems Integration (CSI) capability for Australia’s future Virginia‑class submarines under the AUKUS partnership.Australian engineers will be supported by U.S.-based Virginia-class submarine subject-matter experts, to accelerate capability development and build a sustainable, sovereign integration capability for the future force.Together with the ASA…

The U.S. government has sold for scrap two sanctioned oil tankers that were seized in the days after Washington's raid on Venezuela, Lloyd's List reported on Monday.Dubai-headquartered vessel recycling firm Global Marketing Systems purchased the tankers last month for an undisclosed sum, according to the report.The sale included the Era, previously operating as Marinera and Bella 1, and the Lileo, previously sailing as Galileo and Veronica, the report said. The tankers will be demolished in scrap yards in India.“The U.S.

The Royal Australian Navy is reaffirming its commitment to reconciliation and strengthening partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with the launch of a new five-year plan.Launched on the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, the Djalkiri – Foundational Footsteps: Navy Indigenous Action Plan 2026-2031 outlines how Navy will deepen cultural understanding, bolster community partnerships and create opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.The plan includes actions to expand Indigenous recruitment and career pathways…

President Donald Trump has extended for 90 days a waiver allowing foreign-flagged ships to transport oil and other commodities between U.S. ports, but imposed new limits after shipbuilders and their allies in Congress argued the policy was undermining the domestic maritime industry, the White House said.The extension, finalized on Monday, comes as the war with Iran disrupts global crude flows and pushes up fuel costs, increasing pressure on the administration to find ways to ease…

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 22 crew members from the Marshall Islands-flagged vehicle carrier Min Jiang Kou after the ship experienced a fire approximately 630 miles south of Costa Rica on Thursday.At 1:09 p.m., Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders received an Inmarsat distress alert indicating an engine room fire onboard. Watchstanders established contact with the ship’s manager, who reported the crew activated the vessel’s carbon dioxide fire suppression system…

Ukraine and Russia accused each other of lethal attacks on Sunday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Moscow was targeting global food security by striking Odesa's seaport.Three people were killed and 37 wounded in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv, where a multi-storey apartment block was hit, while authorities in Russia's Belgorod said five were killed and 25 wounded by a Ukrainian drone attack.Zelenskiy said Odesa's seaport had been damaged by a strike. Local authorities said dozens of drones and missiles hit the southern seaside city…

Ships are passing smoothly through the Turkish straits to the Black Sea despite heightened concerns about safety, two Turkish government officials told Reuters on Sunday.On Saturday, Bloomberg News reported that Ankara had restricted commercial ship traffic entering the Black Sea following attacks on vessels there, including Turkish-owned ships.Turkey has issued repeated warnings to Moscow and Kyiv over the attacks in the Black Sea, urging the warring sides to take measures to ensure navigational safety in the area.On Saturday…

Iran said it was nearing a final pact with Oman defining new shipping lanes between them through the Strait of Hormuz but repeated that the U.S. must meet other conditions, including compensation and an end to sanctions and military threats, before the strategic waterway is reopened.A U.S. official told Reuters on Friday that Iran and Oman were close to a deal that could pave the way for restoring safe passage through the strait, a major conduit for oil and gas shipping before Iran blocked Hormuz in response to U.S.

German energy company RWE said on Thursday that it had reached a $1.22 billion agreement with the Trump administration to cancel three offshore wind leases in U.S. waters and to direct the funds to LNG and natural gas power plant projects.The arrangement is the fifth, and largest, the administration has entered into this year as part of its wide-ranging effort to stop development of U.S. offshore wind projects, which U.S. President Donald Trump regards as costly and ugly. His…

A few months ago, I authored an article for Marine News focused on just one of the many successful features of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (“OPA 90,” Pub. L. No. 101-380 (1990)) — Alaska’s regional citizen advisory councils (RCACs). The Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet RCACs were established under OPA 90 to work with oil and gas industry interests on behalf of the surrounding communities to ensure safe operations and community buy-in. I was heartened by the positive responses I received from friends…

When the EXXON VALDEZ ran aground in Prince William Sound on March 24, 1989, it was an action-forcing event that led to what was the most substantial overhaul of our federal oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response regime in the Nation’s history. But the event that really got policymakers and experts started thinking about such a sweeping re-rack of federal law actually occurred a decade earlier—the Ixtoc One blowout in Mexico’s Bay of Campeche in 1979.If Ixtoc sounds eerily similar to the Macondo blowout (i.e.…

One year from today, Americans will have the opportunity to experience the National Coast Guard Museum, the first national museum dedicated to preserving and sharing the history, heritage, and missions of the Coast Guard. The museum will open to the public during the week of Aug. 2, 2027, culminating with the Coast Guard’s birthday on Aug. 4.Currently under construction along the Thames River waterfront in New London, Connecticut, the 80,000-square-foot museum will feature five public decks with three exhibit floors…

The American maritime industry depends on policy that supports economic growth and investment and protects national security; however, recent policy decisions have too often relied on broad administrative actions and outdated assumptions rather than modern, data-driven approaches. The extension of the Jones Act waiver and the continued use of rigid seasonal dredging windows illustrate this trend. Though distinct issues, both carry significant consequences for maritime investment, operational efficiency, and the long-term strength of the maritime industry.

There are several major dredging opportunities emerging across the United States that extend well beyond traditional maintenance dredging, channel deepenings, or harbor expansions. Increasingly, the American dredging industry is becoming a strategic tool for addressing some of the nation's most pressing challenges, including water security, agricultural sustainability, coastal resilience, maritime industrial revitalization, and national defense. Among the most significant opportunities…

China's foreign ministry on Friday said it firmly opposed and would never accept the Philippines' establishment of "baselines" around Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, calling the move "illegal and invalid" and a serious violation of China's territorial sovereignty.Scarborough Shoal, known in China as Huangyan Dao and in the Philippines as Bajo de Masinloc, is claimed by both countries.Manila earlier this week deposited its official nautical chart of Scarborough Shoal with the United Nations…

CHICAGO — July 30, 2026 —  The United States cannot rebuild its maritime strength by focusing solely on its ocean coasts. Instead, the nation's industrial resurgence depends on recognizing the Great Lakes as one of America's five maritime coastlines and leveraging the region's unmatched manufacturing ecosystem, according to U.S. Maritime Administrator Stephen M. Carmel.Speaking at the American Great Lakes Ports Association's annual meeting in Chicago today, Carmel argued that the Great Lakes should be viewed not as a regional transportation network…

China's military and coast guard conducted patrols in the airspace and waters near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea on Thursday, separate statements showed.Tensions have recently flared between China and the Philippines amid repeated maritime disputes and confrontations in the South China Sea, which China claims almost entirely as its own despite overlapping claims by Southeast Asian nations.China's Coast Guard said in a statement it took necessary measures, including a verbal warning, blocking and water cannon shooting in accordance with the law and regulations to expel i

Singapore has issued eight new licenses to supply liquefied natural gas as a marine fuel in Singapore from September 1, 2026, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said on Thursday.The new licences will expand Singapore's LNG bunkering capacity to meet growing demand expectations and support a multi-fuel bunkering hub.The licences were awarded to companies including Aramco Trading Singapore, Equatorial Marine Fuel Management Services, ExxonMobil Asia Pacific, PetroChina International Singapore, Shell Eastern Trading, Sinopec Fuel Oil Singapore, the TotalEnergies Gas & Power Asia-Sembcor

Tehran has ruled out Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Wednesday, scuppering hopes for a resolution to the impasse that has choked off Gulf trade for months.Oman proposed a new regional deal aimed at resolving the conflict over the critical strait, through which about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran in February.However, Tehran ruled out Oman's proposal for regional joint management of the strait, saying it had no chance of success.The U.S.

Oman has presented Iran with a plan backed by Gulf states to manage the Strait of Hormuz, including collecting voluntary fees for using it, a Gulf source and a Western diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday.The plan could serve as a basis to end the disruption to trade through the strait caused by the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.President Donald Trump, who abruptly called off a two-week U.S. bombing campaign over the weekend in his latest strategic U-turn, said there were "good talks" under way with Iran but threatened to restart strikes unless negotiations deliver.

Taiwan will test relocating weapons production lines and converting civilian factories for military use in annual drills next month, the defence ministry said on Tuesday, aiming to sustain combat operations if Chinese attacks hit supply hubs.The exercise, part of the annual Han Kuang war games from August 5 to 14, will simulate China using routine military drills to conceal preparations for a full invasion of Taiwan, prompting the island's armed forces to immediately raise combat…

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton's crew seized approximately 2,380 pounds of presumptive marijuana worth an estimate of $2.8 million, Saturday, following an interdiction of a suspected drug-smuggling vessel approximately 80 miles southwest of Great Inagua, Bahamas.In coordination with the Bahamian government and with logistical support from U.S. Coast Guard Homeland Security Cutter-Ocean, Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton and the Royal Bahamian Defense Force crews boarded the suspected drug-smuggling vessel and discovered 97 bales of suspected marijuana.

Police authorities have seized more than 2.6 tonnes of cocaine, with an estimated street value of €500 million ($570 million), in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Portugal, Italy's border and customs police said on Monday.The drug was found aboard an "ultra-fast ocean-going rigid inflatable boat", which smugglers typically use to recover illicit cargoes dropped at sea by large ships arriving from South America, the Guardia di Finanza police said in a statement.Four people aboard the vessel were arrested - two Spaniards…

Yemen's Houthi Movement aims to replicate Iran's Hormuz Strait strategy in the Red Sea by disrupting shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb and has been emboldened by an insufficient international response, Yemen's top diplomat said on Monday."The Houthis want to copy the Iranian model and this will shut down two main straits, the gateways into the Gulf and Red Sea," Yemeni Foreign Minister-designate Afrah Al-Zouba said, speaking to a small group of journalists at the Yemeni embassy in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.The Red Sea has become a new front in the Iran war, with the Houthis taking an escalatory ap

Exiger, a supply chain AI company and largest provider of supply chain risk technology to the U.S. Government, has announced that retired U.S. Navy Captain (Supply Corps) Mark Harris has joined as a Strategic Advisor.He brings over 30 years of logistics, supply chain, and operations management experience across diverse Navy programs to the development and delivery of Exiger's AI across military and defense industrial base customers.Capt. Harris joins as Exiger expands its footprint across Fed Gov and Defense Industrial Base to accelerate defense readiness with AI."The U.S.

The U.S. Coast Guard successfully completed a major interoperability exercise conducted by the crews of Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Stone (WMSL 758) and Norwegian Coast Guard Vessel Hopen, marking a significant milestone in international Arctic cooperation and operational readiness.The exercise, part of Operation Arctic Cohesion (OAC) 2026, took place from July 8 to 15 off the coast of New England and ashore in Newport, Rhode Island.During the exercise, the crews of Stone and Hopen focused on building familiarity, strengthening coordinated response, and improving seamanship.

On July 23rd, 2026 Amtech, courtesy an invitation from the U.S. Department of Commerce, attended the Grand Opening of the Korea-U.S. Shipbuilding Partnership Center (KUSPC) in Washington DC, a Secretary level event with invitations provided to recognized leaders in the U.S. commercial and naval shipbuilding industry. Amtech has been working with Commerce from the initial release of the first Executive Order issued to recover and develop U.S. maritime dominance. And with that,…

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Sunday a Ukrainian attack on an Iranian commercial vessel "cannot go unanswered".Iran said the attack in the Caspian Sea resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another.Araqchi made the comments in calls with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Araqchi posted on X.Lavrov, in a statement posted on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website, offered condolences in connection with the death of a sailor in the attack.Lavrov said Araqchi thanked local authorities in the Russian region of Astra

Rescuers were searching on Sunday for 17 people still missing after a Vietnamese ship sank in the busy waterway of the South China Sea, while 45 have been pulled from the waters since Saturday night, China's state broadcaster CCTV said.Chinese authorities said the cargo vessel Khoi Nguyen 18, with 62 Vietnamese nationals aboard, ran into distress in waters near Fiery Cross Reef, CCTV added.A distress flare from the vessel was first spotted by a Chinese rescue ship, the Nanhai Jiu 115…

An international general cargo vessel sank off the coast of Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odesa on Sunday, a week after Ukrainian officials said it had been struck by Russian forces.Ukraine's ports authority said the Golden Leo, sailing under a Guinea-Bissau flag, had sunk near the port.

Ship traffic through Bab el-Mandeb fell on Sunday after Yemeni Houthis attacked Saudi oil installations along the Red Sea coast, while transit through the Strait of Hormuz stayed low over the weekend, shipping data from Kpler showed on Monday.Eleven commodity vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb strait on Sunday, the lowest level in months, the data showed.Red Sea traffic has been disrupted off the coast of Yemen since last week by the Tehran-aligned Houthis, who want to blockade Saudi exports…

Capt. Jonathan Andrechik transferred command of Coast Guard Sector New York to Capt. Doreen McCarthy Monday, during a change-of-command ceremony at Sector New York in Staten Island. Rear Adm. Michael Platt, Commander, Coast Guard Northeast District, presided over the ceremony.Capt. McCarthy reported to Sector New York and has served as the deputy commander since May of 2024. Prior to serving as the Sector New York Deputy Commander, Capt. McCarthy completed a Senior Service School at the United States Air War College in Montgomery, Alabama.Following the change-of-command ceremony, Capt.

The foreign ministers of the Philippines and China met in Manila on Wednesday and both made "strong" protests over an encounter between the two countries' vessels this week in contested South China Sea waters.The Philippine foreign affairs secretary, Maria Theresa Lazaro, said in an X post that she reiterated the protest over what she called "unacceptable actions against Filipino personnel", while Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was quoted by an official readout as lodging a…

Oil prices rose to their highest in almost six weeks on Wednesday, with Brent crude surpassing $95 a barrel, on mounting concerns about disruptions to Middle Eastern supply routes because of escalating hostilities between the U.S. and Iran and threats to shipping by the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen.Brent crude futures were up $2.23, or 2.45%, at $93.24 a barrel by 1323 GMT, after hitting a session high of $95.47. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude CLc1 climbed $2.18, or 2.18%, to $86.18.

If the Navy can’t successfully introduce smaller ship classes of ships, why does it think it can succeed with the largest surface combatants since World War II?The Navy has announced a new class of guided missile battleships, the USS Defiant [BBG(X)] or the Trump-class, as the centerpiece of a new “Golden Fleet.”  BBG(X)s would be 840 to 880 feet long and have a full load displacement of more than 35,000 tons. They would be the largest surface combatants built since World War II, and cost an estimated $17.5 to $22 billion each. The Navy wants 15 of them.

Qatar Gas Transport Company Q.P.S.C. (Nakilat) announced its consolidated financial results for the first half of the year ended 30 June 2026, with a net profit of QAR 857 million compared to QAR 860 million for the corresponding period in 2025.Eng. Abdullah Al-Sulaiti, Nakilat’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “In light of the current situation in the region and its impact on business performance, our Marine Services segment was significantly affected, with ship repair, shipping agency, and towage services experiencing a noticeable decline.

India said it had summoned a senior Russian diplomat on Tuesday and expressed "grave concerns" after a missile strike killed four Indians on a Black Sea cargo ship that was leaving a Ukrainian port.Ukraine said Russia hit the Golden Leo – a Guinea-Bissau-flagged ship manned by a crew from India and Syria – with three cruise missiles on Sunday, killing 10 people, including four Indians.Vladimir Ladanov, Russian chargé d’affaires, was summoned to India's Ministry of External Affairs…

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will summon China's ambassador in Manila, his office said on Tuesday, hours after Manila's envoy in Beijing was similarly summoned following accusations by both sides of provoking tensions in the contested South China Sea.Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed to reporters Marcos had summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan at 5 p.m. (0900 GMT) on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, China's foreign ministry said it summoned…

Fincantieri has secured a three-year contract from the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces to operate the navy's Training and Simulation Centre, extending its support role following the delivery of seven naval vessels and associated capabilities.The Training and Simulation Centre, delivered by Fincantieri in 2021, supports the training of Qatari naval personnel through advanced simulation systems that allow officers, non-commissioned officers and sailors to operate in realistic tactical scenarios.Under the agreement…

The U.S. Interior Department has proposed a lease of more than 31 million acres off the coast of American Samoa for seabed mining, part of President Donald Trump's broader push to boost U.S. critical minerals production.The waters around the Pacific Ocean territory are estimated to contain large amounts of potato-shaped rocks known as polymetallic nodules filled with the building blocks for electric vehicles, weaponry and electronics.The department's Marine Mineral Administration (MMA) said on Thursday it aims to lease two blocks…

Ukraine will do everything possible to protect its seaports and guarantee grain exports at no less than last season's level,its deputy economy minister, Taras Vysotskiy, told Reuters on Wednesday.Russia has sharply stepped up attacks in recent weeks on Ukrainian Black Sea ports' infrastructure and on cargo vessels entering Odesa ports to export grain and other agricultural goods.Brokers say shipowners are refusing to enter Ukrainian ports because of sharply increased war risks…

“Global grain shipments have increased 13% y/y so far this year, supported by strong wheat, maize and soya bean exports from the Americas and Europe. Improved harvests across most major exporters have boosted their export surpluses, driving higher shipments to Asia, the Middle East and North Africa,” says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Grain shipments to China have jumped 15% y/y, supported by stronger soya bean, sorghum and barley imports. An improvement in trade relations between the US and China has led to a 137% increase in US grain shipments to the country…

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has threatened to close "all other export corridors that benefit the U.S. and its allies", Iranian media reported, after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. reimposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports."Regional energy exports are either shared by all, or denied to all," the IRGC said in a statement carried by Iran's IRNA state news agency on Wednesday.Analysts have said Iran has been signalling it may use its Houthi allies in Yemen to shut the Bab el-Mandeb gateway to the Red Sea…

U.S.

GABLER, a provider of submarine systems, and German defense technology company FLANQ have successfully completed the Sea Acceptance Test (SAT) demonstrating seaworthiness of their jointly developed Torpedo-Tube-Launched Uncrewed Surface Vessel (TTL USV) capability demonstrator.The demonstrator vehicle, named Ranger, combines GABLER's experience in mission-critical submarine components and defense manufacturing with FLANQ's capabilities in autonomous maritime systems, mission software…

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) has unveiled what it says is the world's first spray-based immersion cooling technology for lithium-ion battery packs, a development that could improve thermal management and fire safety while dramatically reducing the amount of dielectric coolant required.Developed by a research team led by Dr. Jinsub Kim at KIMM's Heat Pump Research Center, the system combines two cooling approaches: dielectric liquid is sprayed directly…

One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded when two Emirati oil tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday, in the latest escalation in the strategic waterway.Abu Dhabi National Oil Company's shipping arm ADNOC L&S later confirmed the very large crude carriers (VLCCs) Mombasa B and Al Bahiyah were struck while transiting Hormuz and had sustained "significant damage".UAE state oil giant ADNOC has been among the most active participants in a U.S.

President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was reinstating its blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf and would ensure the Strait of Hormuz stays open after the two sides exchanged more missile and drone attacks.The latest hostilities followed an announcement by Iran over the weekend that it was closing the strait, and cast further doubt on the viability of an interim deal to halt the war in the Middle East and drove oil prices higher."The Hormuz Strait is OPEN, and will remain OPEN, with or without Iran.

The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz fell to multi-week lows on Sunday, shipping data showed, as renewed strikes between the U.S. and Iran and attacks on ships in the Middle East heightened safety concerns.Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks.Tankers that exited the strait included the Very Large Crude Carrier Humanity, laden with 2 million barrels of Iranian oil and another tanker, Capetan Andreas…

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) have agreed to a joint commitment to overhaul bureaucratic processes and accelerate coastal resilience efforts.The agreement follows the "Summit at Sea Level," hosted by CPRA and DOTD on Friday, June 26, 2026, in Baton Rouge. The event marked a convergence of top national, state, and local figures, bringing them together with federal partners…

The Coast Guard released a request for proposal (RFP) for design, production, testing and delivery of homeland security cutter-light (HSC-L) vessels. The Coast Guard plans to acquire seven HSC-Ls through an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract.The RFP is available here. Proposals are due by July 14, 2026.The Coast Guard’s aging fleet of 65-foot light icebreaking tugs was commissioned into service between 1961-1967 and is well beyond its planned end of service life.

Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has signed two memoranda of understanding with Croatian shipbuilding companies Brodotrogir Cruise and Iskra Shipyard in support of its participation in Croatia’s naval acquisition program for two Multi Role Corvettes.The agreements provide a framework for exploring cooperation in the design, engineering and construction of naval vessels in support of Fincantieri’s proposal for the MRC corvette program promoted by Croatia’s Ministry of Defense.The…

Norwegian lighting specialist Glamox has agreed to acquire U.K.-based Consolite Technology, expanding its naval and defense business with specialized military lighting and optical communication technologies.Consolite develops military lighting and optical communication systems for naval and defense applications. Its portfolio includes night vision technology, military LiFi systems and specialist lighting solutions for defence environments.The company is also a supplier to major UK naval programs…