Us Government News

TOTE Services, LLC, a U.S. maritime services company specializing in vessel construction management and ship management, announced its first shipyard selection, Hanwha Defense USA (HDUS), for the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program under TOTE Services’ Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) contract for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps.As VCM for the LSM program, TOTE Services issued a request for proposals (RFP) to qualified U.S. shipyards in July 2026. The award covers construction of one LSM, valued at $269 million, at Hanwha Philly Shipyard (HPSI), with options for three additional vessels.

Iran and its proxies have carried out dozens of pinpoint strikes on infrastructure in the Gulf since the start of the war, systematically disabling critical equipment and causing cascading failures and economic damage region-wide in a deft campaign that helps explain how the Islamic Republic has held its own against the more powerful US military.Iran and the allies it arms went after vital oil-routing systems at Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates, the main port outside the Strait of Hormuz, disabling operations for weeks.

Louisiana-based boatbuilder Metal Shark has been awarded a U.S. Government contract to build 13 patrol boats for Vietnam, with options for additional vessels.The contract expands Metal Shark's presence in Asia and builds on the company's successful delivery of 24 purpose-built 45 Defiant military patrol boats to the Vietnam Coast Guard between 2017 and 2020. The 45-foot welded-aluminum vessels enhanced Vietnam's maritime security and law-enforcement capabilities while supporting…

Cav, a continuous cyber assurance company, announced a period of record growth, capped by a fleetwide expansion of its deployment with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Annual recurring revenue has grown more than 500% year over year, and the company is on pace to be both cash-flow and EBITDA positive for fiscal year 2027.Cav's growth reflects an operational shift happening across high-reliability organizations (HROs) in how they handle cyber compliance. Today, cybersecurity is the last major regulated risk area still relying on periodic, manual, sample-based audits.

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.

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…

U.S. oil company North American Blue Energy Partners will take over some oilfields previously controlled by several Chinese companies and a Russian firm, two U.S. officials told Reuters on Monday.The takeover will be part of a sweeping oil production agreement that President Donald Trump announced with Venezuela, they said.The projects were among 14 contracts newly granted to U.S.-backed North American Blue Energy Partners, according to the officials. NABEP was previously owned by U.S.

An unprecedented deal for the U.S. to gain access to a fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves - and the central role a Venezuelan businessman will play - is prompting questions and hesitation from some oil companies evaluating potential investments in the country, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters.A White House fact sheet released late on Monday outlined an arrangement under which private oil firm North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) would receive a 100-year lease for 17 oilfields in Venezuela holding some 65 billion barrels of oil reserves. The U.S.

American Roll-On/Roll-Off Carrier Group Inc. (ARC Group) announced that it has been awarded an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to provide national “cross-dock” and incident base support during emergencies and disaster response operations. Under the contract (No. 70FB7026D00000002), ARC will provide logistics capabilities that help FEMA position and rapidly deliver critical, life-sustaining resources where they are needed following a disaster.

At first light on Ecuador's Pacific coast, small fishing boats fan out from the villages of San Mateo and Jaramijo, their bows pointed toward deeper waters and the promise of a good catch. Other boats come in from the rolling surf to battered coves, where crews unload baskets of tuna and swordfish and traders rush to inspect the day's haul.The scene belies the dangers some fishermen face pushing out into these waters. Onshore, drug cartels have turned the small ports of Ecuador's Manabi province into a cocaine-trafficking hub…

Defense Maritime Solutions, Inc. (DMS), an equipment manufacturer and supplier of shipboard propulsion and auxiliary systems, announced plans to invest more than $30 million to expand its operations in Chesapeake, Virginia.The investment is expected to create 32 new jobs and establish U.S. based capabilities for the manufacturing, assembly, integration, testing, finishing, packaging, and lifecycle support of Wärtsilä medium-speed engines for marine purposes. The added capabilities are intended to improve domestic maritime supply-chain resilience…

Dubai-based GMS has won U.S. government approval to scrap two sanctions-hit oil tankers it acquired, months after securing agreements to recycle four sanctions-hit container ships, the ship recycler told Reuters.The use ‌of so-called shadow fleet tankers has surged in recent years, with hundreds of tankers transporting Iranian or Russian oil with limited scrutiny, insurance or safety checks.Major shipowners have called for faster scrapping of such vessels, warning they pose significant environmental and safety risks.'DESTINED FOR RESPONSIBLE RECYCLING'GMS…

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.

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 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.

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.

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,…

Technology companies and shipyards are vying for attention as the US unmanned navy grows in size and sophistication.No too long ago, US Navy Secretary John Phelan said: “If the last few years of conflict have taught us anything, it is that we will not win the wars of the future with the platforms of the past.” The nation’s ability to deter future conflict or to prevail, if necessary, will benefit from high quantities of low-cost air, surface and subsea unmanned systems. These…

Report highlights expanding career opportunities—but says access to financial aid remains unevenThe United States has no shortage of maritime career opportunities. What it does have, according to a new report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), is a fragmented training and financial aid system that can make entering the profession more difficult than it should be.In its report issued earlier this year, Mariner Training: Maritime Administration Should Share More Information About Financial Aid and Careers…

TOTE Services, LLC, has been awarded a contract by the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Maritime (PAE Maritime) to serve as Vessel Construction Manager (VCM) for the Medium Landing Ship (LSM) program.The LSM program is a multi-ship effort requiring coordination across U.S. shipyards, suppliers, designers, manufacturers, and government stakeholders. The program will require standardizing configuration across the fleet, using multi-ship procurement to support favorable pricing and delivering mission-ready vessels with lifecycle logistics in place.

Tehran reasserted its right on Friday to control shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and warned Gulf states against siding with the U.S., a day after an attack on a ship near Oman highlighted the fragility of a preliminary deal to end the Iran war.Iran was responding to what it called an "interventionist, irresponsible and provocative" joint statement by the United States and six Gulf states that rejected Iran's insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait."Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements…

Taking your children or grandchildren for a ride on the Merry-Go Round may be a pleasant past memory. With that memory, we are asking to think about your choice of the best horse as you board the platform. A decision resting upon what you want out of the ride. Now consider that selection to the current state of US shipbuilding.Selecting the outside row of “jumpers” provides the greatest thrill as they move the fastest. When the Executive order for Maritime Dominance was issued on April 9, 2025, the U.S. maritime industry was ready to ride for the thrill of it.

Windward, thealeader in mission-grade Maritime AI, announced the appointment of Robert (Bob) Sharp, retired U.S. Navy Vice Admiral, as Chief Maritime Intelligence Officer (CMIO). Sharp brings decades of experience at the highest levels of the U.S. defense and intelligence establishment, and will work directly with Ami Daniel, CEO and Co-Founder, to shape Windward's intelligence strategy and deepen its engagement with defense, government, commercial and national security customers worldwide.Sharp's career spans 34 years as a career Naval Intelligence Officer…