Iran's naval forces were loading up mines in preparation for a possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. officials told Reuters this week. The closure would have been damaging to Iran's own diplomatic and economic interests, and never occurred, but the mine loadout may suggest that Iranian leadership was actively considering the option. 

Mine warfare would be one of Iran's most potent options for causing havoc for its Western adversaries. The Strait of Hormuz handles about 20 percent of the world's oil and LNG, along with an increasing volume of containerized trade for the GCC states. Even a partial shutdown would disrupt trade and send the price of oil north of $100 per barrel, according to Goldman Sachs. 

Targeted attacks are one possibility for Iran, which has an array of anti-ship ballistic missiles, drones, cruise missiles, and suicide drone boats to bring to bear on maritime targets. But mines offer something more. They are comparatively cheap, easy to deploy, hard to remove and psychologically intimidating. A tethered mine or bottom mine is undetectable to most vessels, so to a crew, the threat could be anywhere. And when one does go off, it is harder to place blame on the offending party, since the vessel that laid the mine has already long since departed.

If Iran had wanted to use its mines in the strait, it would have had a large stockpile to draw on. Iran possesses about 5-6,000 naval mines of various types, including Russian-made MDM-6 bottom mines and powerful Chinese-made EM-52 rocket-propelled mines. It can deploy them covertly with its mini-submarine fleet or less subtly with its surface vessels. Gav Don, a former British naval intelligence officer, told BNE that marine insurers would suspend coverage for the strait if it were mined, forcing tankers to go to anchor and bringing traffic to a halt. 

Iran has used mines on traffic in the strait before. During the Iran-Iraq Tanker War in the late 1980s, Iran deployed sea mines to target U.S. Navy convoys in the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, prompting a comprehensive U.S. military response. After an Iranian mine nearly sank the frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts, the U.S. Navy retaliated with Operation Praying Mantis - a comprehensive strike that sank one frigate, one gunboat and three speedboats, destroyed two oil platforms and left another frigate badly damaged. More than 50 Iranian servicemembers were killed. 

The BBC World Service has obtained a previously unreported VDR transcript of what may be a series of conversations between the master of the burned-out container feeder XPress Pearl and shoreside managers. The document was filed by Sri Lanka's government in a case before Colombo's Supreme Court; the shipowner disputes the document's accuracy and completeness, and is contesting it in court proceedings. 

The BBC's report appears to confirm initial accounts of a slow-rolling catastrophe that began long before XPress Pearl reached Sri Lanka in May 2021. It provides new details of the crew's attempts to respond to a leaking container of nitric acid, and the Russian master's growing frustration with the lack of a solution. 

"About one liter an hour [leak rate from the container]. Remain the same. We're washing deck continuously by fire pump, seawater, because main deck too much corrosion . . . very strong chemical, very strong chemical," Russian master Vitaly Tyutkalo said. "If you will read my email, I sent to everybody, right, already three days fire pump running. But leakage remain on deck and maybe more and more corrosion."

After the call with the home office, he complained to a crewmember on the bridge that "they don't take any action, don't give me any advice," and claimed that company officials wouldn't take responsibility, the VDR transcript suggests.

Port officials at Hamad, Qatar and Hazira, India refused to provide a port-of-refuge service to unload the leaking boxes from Xpress Pearl, so the container ship sailed onwards to Colombo, Sri Lanka, a voyage of some 1,000 nautical miles southeast from Hazira. After arrival off Colombo, a container on deck caught fire, but local authorities refused to allow XPress Pearl to berth for firefighting operations. It burned and sank, releasing acids, caustic soda, 9,700 tonnes of epoxy resin and 1,680 tonnes of plastic pellets into the water (minus any amounts consumed by the fire). It is believed to be the largest plastic spill in history.

The master faces criminal charges in connection with the disaster and remained in Sri Lanka at least as recently as last year, free to live on the island but unable to leave until court proceedings have finished. 

One crewmember lost his life after a tug went aground at a remote beach in Southeast Sulawesi, according to rescue agency Basarnas. 

On Friday night, the tug Iska 1165 was swept aground in foul weather and high waves just off the coast of Tanjung Goram, on the north end of the island of Buton. The vessel was swamped by heavy wave action, and the crew took action to get help. 

At about 2230 hours, three crewmembers jumped over the side and attempted to swim ashore. One made it safely to dry land, another turned back to the tug because of the rough conditions and climbed aboard, and the third died in the attempt. His body was recovered in the early hours of the next morning. 

The nearest SAR station was about 33 nautical miles away, and authorities received first word of the grounding at about 0200 hours Saturday morning. A team with a RIB got under way and arrived on scene at about 0540 hours.  

Initial attempts to reach the six remaining crewmembers on the tug were not successful because of severe surface conditions, which prevented the RIB crew from approaching. The waves abated at about 0830, and all six crewmembers were safely evacuated. All were taken to a nearby health center for evaluation. The remains of the deceased crewmember - identified as Antonius Parantuan, 44 - were delivered to a hospital morgue.  

[By: Inmarsat Maritime]

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat company, has announced that orders for NexusWave have exceeded1,000-vessels. Following months of rigorous development and testing, the service has gained incredible momentum in its first six months on the market with global customers adopting NexusWave for their fleets. This milestone underscores the global shipping industry’s strong appetite for a fully managed, high-speed, bonded connectivity service that combines the power of multiple networks with the convenience of a single provider.

Early adopters such as “K” Line, Anthony Veder, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Solvang, Sallaum Lines, Parlevliet & van der Plas Group and others are already reaping the benefits of transforming their vessels into floating offices and homes.

Inmarsat’s NexusWave brings together Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band, low-Earth orbit (LEO), coastal LTE, and resilient L-band services into a seamless, fully managed solution. Inmarsat’s unique ‘network-bonding’ technology is designed to allow connected applications to harness the aggregate speed and capacity of all available networks simultaneously rather than relying on one at a time.

Recent real-world tests have demonstrated NexusWave’s exceptional performance, achieving download speeds of up to 340 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of up to 80 Mbps. Network availability on vessels has consistently exceeded 99.9%, and video call quality has remained virtually unaffected by the availability or performance of any single network. Inmarsat’s solution dynamically adjusts traffic routing to maintain a seamless user experience, even in connectivity hotspots.

Users also benefit from unlimited data, global coverage, and secure-by-design infrastructure, providing complete ‘connected confidence’. For seafarers onboard it means they can enjoy a wide range of applications, including web browsing, streaming, gaming, video and voice calling, messaging, and social media access, providing a ‘home-like’ connectivity experience while at sea.

Ben Palmer, President, Inmarsat Maritime, said: “We are incredibly proud to have surpassed the 1,000-vessel mark for NexusWave orders. This achievement is testament to the vision and commitment of everyone involved in the development process. It also reveals a strong appetite among forward-thinking operators for connectivity that provides more than just high speeds and reliability.

“NexusWave offers everything shipowners need to transform their vessels into floating offices and homes – and thereby drive their digitalisation strategies and crew welfare initiatives. It is designed to provide full connected confidence underpinned by global coverage, unlimited data, and enterprise-grade cybersecurity. Crucially, it combines all of the above with the convenience of working with a single, trusted maritime connectivity partner.”

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.  Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements that refer to the features and benefits of the NexusWave solution. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: our ability to access third-party capacity and services; risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the ViaSat-3 class satellites and any future satellite we may construct or acquire; unexpected expenses related to our satellite projects; our ability to successfully implement our business plan for our broadband services on our anticipated timeline or at all; capacity constraints in our business in the lead-up to the launch of services on our satellites; our ability to successfully develop, introduce and sell new technologies, products and services; and other factors affecting the maritime sector.  In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in our SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. We undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason.

[By: DNV]

Ordering of alternative-fuelled vessels is continuing to grow in 2025, despite a slowdown in the overall newbuild market. According to data from DNV’s Alternative Fuels Insight (AFI) platform, new orders for alternative-fuelled vessels reached 19.8 million gross tonnes (GT) in the first six months of 2025, exceeding the 2024 figure by 78%. This marks a significant shift in capital allocation, as shipowners increasingly prioritize future-ready assets in response to regulatory pressure, fuel availability, and long-term decarbonization goals.

A total of 151 alternative-fuelled vessels were ordered in the first half of 2025, slightly behind the 179 orders placed during the first six months of 2024. Even so, the overall GT has increased markedly, showing a 78% year-on-year growth driven mainly by activity in the container segment, but with notable orders also in the bulker, tanker and RoPax segments. This concentration suggests that some of the industry’s most commercially exposed and operationally complex segments are now leading the charge, reinforcing the view that alternative fuels are no longer a fringe strategy, but a mainstream investment decision.

Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO Maritime at DNV, commented: “We’re seeing a broader shift take hold across the industry. The energy transition is no longer driven solely by first movers, it’s now being shaped by a second wave of shipowners who are integrating alternative fuels and technologies into their core strategies. Even in a slower newbuild market, fuel choices are diversifying, and decarbonization is becoming embedded in everyday decision-making. We expect that fuel choices and energy efficiency investments will accelerate as the regulatory framework becomes clearer over the next 4-10 months."

LNG was the clear fuel of choice, accounting for 87 new vessels ordered, totaling 14.2 million GT so far in 2025. The fuel remains dominant in the container segment, with 13.6 million GT (81 vessels). Methanol has also shown strong momentum, with 4.6 million GT (40 vessels) ordered across the container, RoPax, tanker, offshore, and car carrier segments. 

Ammonia and hydrogen, while still niche, continue to register activity, suggesting early-stage confidence in their long-term potential. Three ammonia-fuelled were added to the orderbook, primarily in the tanker and general cargo segments (37.000 GT total). Hydrogen made a return with four vessels (114.000 GT) currently on order.

Jason Stefanatos, Global Decarbonization Director at DNV, added: “The data reflects a sector that is actively recalibrating. We’re not seeing a slowdown in ambition, but rather a more measured approach to investment—one that balances optionality, compliance readiness, and long-term fuel strategy. As shipowners weigh compliance strategies, the upcoming fuel intensity rules, which form part of the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework, are expected to accelerate this shift. We’re watching closely to see how this will be reflected in future ordering behavior, particularly as fuel availability and infrastructure evolve, and we get further regulatory clarity when IMO’s lifecycle assessment guidelines are decided.”

Supporting infrastructure is also evolving in parallel with vessel investments. In the first half of 2025, 13 LNG bunkering vessels were ordered, compared to 62 in operation globally, with February marking the strongest month for this segment with eight orders. This growth reflects a steady alignment between alternative-fuelled vessel orders and the supporting logistics required to scale their use, particularly for LNG, where bunkering capacity is becoming a critical enabler of continued adoption.

DNV’s AFI platform is free to use. Access it here.

The next offshore service operation vessel (SOV), ECO Liberty, was christened to officially enter the U.S. fleet in support of the offshore wind sector. The vessel, which was completed in May, has been in jeopardy after the Trump administration suspended work on the Empire Wind project, but with work back underway, the vessel was named in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 28 by Louisiana’s First Lady Sharon Landry.

The 262-foot (80-meter) hybrid-powered ECO Liberty will be homeported at New York’s South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, where more than 2,000 workers are constructing the staging facility, O&M base, and control center for Empire Wind. The ECO Liberty will be deployed to support ongoing marine construction in the lease area and eventually serve as the floating home for Empire Wind’s skilled workers when stationed offshore.

The vessel is 5,700 GT. It provides accommodations for up to 60 workers and is designed to remain offshore at the site to support the construction and later maintenance operations.

The vessel was built by Edison Chouset Offshore, which continues to own the vessel through its offshore division. It will be operating on a long-term charter to Empire Wind, which is being developed by Equinor. Empire Wind is located 15 to 30 miles southeast of New York’s Long Island and spans 80,000 acres, with water depths of between approximately 75 and 135 feet. Offshore work started this spring for the project, which will have a capacity for 810 MW when completed.

ECO Liberty is the seventh U.S. registered vessel built for the Empire Wind project (Empire Wind)

The project had been placed in jeopardy when the Trump administration suspended its permits just as offshore work was due to begin. There was more than a month of political jockeying which included New York’s government Kathy Hochul and Norwegian government officials. The permit was restored after an agreement with New York for a new onshore energy pipeline.

Empire Wind highlights that the ECO Liberty is the seventh new US-flagged vessel added to the U.S. Jones Act-compliant fleet, because of the wind project. She has a sister ship, ECO Edison, which was completed a year ago and is operating under a long-term charter to Ørsted to play an integral part in the operation and maintenance of the South Fork Wind, Revolution Wind, and Sunrise Wind projects.

In 2023, President Joe Biden attended the first steel cutting at the Philly Shipyard for a future rock installation vessel to support the offshore wind industry. At the time, the president highlighted that companies had announced 18 offshore wind shipbuilding projects as well as investments of nearly $3.5 billion across 12 manufacturing facilities and 13 ports to strengthen the American offshore wind supply chain. The vessels ranged from the first Jones Act-compliant installation vessels to SOVs and crew transfer vessels. They are being built at shipyards ranging from Florida to Louisiana, New York, Massachusetts, Michigan, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

In addition to the SOVs at Edison Chouset, Fincantieri Bay in Wisconsin is building an SOV that will support Dominion's offshore wind farm in Virginia. Dominion is also preparing for the delivery of Charybdis, the massive turbine installation vessel being built by Seatrium AmFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas. The vessel began sea trials and jack up testing in early 2025. It will be used to install the turbines at the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which began offshore installation in 2024.
 

[By: deugro]

As part of its ongoing deliveries for INEOS Project One—one of the most energy-efficient and raw-material-efficient olefin complexes in Europe— deugro successfully completed yet another shipment from the UAE and Oman to the Port of Antwerp, Belgium.

The cargo components were collected at the ports of Hamriyah, UAE and Sohar, Oman and were delivered to the Port of Antwerp, Belgium in June. These deliveries are in addition to the 52,600 cubic meters of equipment that deugro delivered from China to Belgium in January, which included a variety of oversized and heavy lift units such as a 430-metric-ton modular building measuring nearly 29 x 14.4 x 6.65 meters, pipe racks with lengths of over 15 meters, and exchanger skids weighing more than 160 metric tons.

With deugro UK acting as the central project control tower—and working in close collaboration with the local teams from deugro Belgium, deugro UAE, deugro Oman and dteq Transport Engineering Solutions, who provided on-site supervision and coordination for all loading and discharge operations—all cargo was successfully delivered safely and on schedule.

“This is just one of many shipments deugro has been awarded in support of the INEOS Project One megaproject in Antwerp, and also one of the most complex due to the nature of the cargo and locations,” said Ben Cunnington, Country Manager UK at deugro. “deugro offices in Belgium, the UK, the UAE and Oman were all involved, with representatives present for all the loading and unloading operations of the cargo. In addition to this, the expert support from dteq and our Chartering team makes this a true joint effort and highlights the nature of deugro’s teamwork.”

[By: BASS]

BASS Software is proud to announce a new contract with Unity Ship Management (‘USM’) for the full suite of BASSnet SaaS solutions, covering 21 vessels and office operations. This major customer signing for 2025 reinforces BASS’s momentum as a leading provider of end-to-end maritime ERP cloud solutions for fleets of all sizes.

USM, which manages the technical and operational needs of a large fleet, had faced limitations with a previous system in meeting operational goals. Seeking a mature, reliable and future-ready partner, they chose BASSnet as a fully integrated cloud platform to unify vessel and shore operations.

The contract includes BASSnet’s Financials, Human Resource Management, Maintenance and Procurement modules, along with the complete HSEQ suite powered by the brand new and advanced BASSnet Web 3.0 browser-based software. USM also purchased BASSnet’s Web Portal app to support mobile functionality.

Proven and advanced SaaS system for large fleets

BASSnet was adopted following a rigorous vetting process. Key factors included its proven track record across small, medium and large fleets; its risk-free and structured implementation approach; and flexibility and scalability of the BASSnet SaaS cloud platform to streamline operations.

“BASSnet stood out as proven and mature software leading the way in maritime technology,” says Stanislav Tritakov, Technical Director at Unity Ship Management. “We needed a reliable end-to-end system to eliminate inefficiencies and deliver real operational value. BASS’s long-standing experience, intuitive and scalable SaaS platform—and dedication to working hand in hand with their user base—made BASSnet the clear choice. Importantly, BASS had the capability to roll out the system efficiently across our large fleet.”

Reliable partnership for ship management excellence

“We’re honoured to welcome Unity Ship Management to the BASSnet community,” says Per Steinar Upsaker, CEO & Managing Director of BASS Software. “Their selection of our complete SaaS suite and advanced BASSnet Web 3.0 solution speaks to the strength of our future-ready technology, and expertise in delivering a smooth, low-risk implementation. With BASSnet, USM will benefit from fleet-wide visibility and control, seamless workflows, and improved efficiency.”

The system will be rolled out in two phases. The first phase covering BASSnet Procurement, Maintenance, and Financials—including PMS data migration for the full fleet—has now gone live. The second phase will follow with HR Management and the latest BASSnet Web 3.0.1 suite.

This partnership marks a powerful step forward in USM’s digital strategy to expand their fleet and grow their business operations. It also underlines BASS’s commitment to deliver reliable and modern cloud ERP solutions that empower ship owners and managers worldwide to streamline maritime operations.

Norway continues to support the advancement of a broad range of new technologies that it points out will both contribute to maritime decarbonization while also creating new industries and jobs for Norway. The Enova program announced its fourth round of grants, providing a total of approximately $76 million for projects advancing hydrogen and ammonia as fuels for ships, as well as the establishment of facilities for storing ammonia.

Enova SF is owned by Norway’s Ministry of Climate and Environment, and is focused on technology and market development, digitalization, supporting communities, and business management. Shipping has been one of its key focuses as an industry that is vital to Norway and provides strong opportunities for the future.

“Norway must be at the forefront of the transition at sea,” said Minister for Climate and Environment Andreas Bjelland Eriksen. “When we support the development of such projects in the maritime sector, we enable them to take the lead in implementing new solutions globally.”

In this award round, Enova reports it selected four hydrogen-powered and two ammonia-powered ships to receive support. A total of approximately NOK 510 million ($50 million) is being allocated to hydrogen projects and NOK 253 million ($25 million) to ammonia projects. 

The projects include LH2 Shipping and Møre Maritime, each of which is working on developing two hydrogen-powered vessels. Amon Maritime announced in June that it was launching a bulk shipping operation, and it is receiving grants for two ammonia ships from Enova.

Møre Maritime is receiving grants for its project for two hydrogen powered short sea bulkers (Enova)

Operations using liquid hydrogen have already been demonstrated over the last two years with Norled’s M/F Hydra pilot project, a ferry operating in Norway. LH2 Shipping reports that its personnel worked as project managers for the Norled project, and its goal is to use this experience to begin to scale up hydrogen operations. Its first project focuses on short sea shipping as it looks to increase the range and move hydrogen into open sea operations. LH2 is receiving $23.5 million from Enova to advance its concepts for liquid-hydrogen ships.

LH2 notes that it is critical to also focus on the infrastructure required to support hydrogen. It says that as hydrogen facilities are developed along the coast, it will enable shipowners to move forward with investment decisions for liquid hydrogen-powered vessels. At the same time, LH2 is also scaling up and expanding into new ship segments where fuel cells and batteries work together in hybrid systems for vessels.

Amon Maritime reports it is seeking construction bids for two large ammonia-fueled bulkers (Amon Maritime)

Amon Maritime is more advanced as it works with ammonia, which is approaching commercial operations. It has developed plans for two bulk carriers, one approximately 180,000 dwt (Capresize) and the other at 85,000 dwt (Kamsarmax). It reports that it has entered a shipyard evaluation and tendering process for these vessels and aims to order the vessels for delivery by 2029. Amon is receiving $25 million from Enova.

Amon Maritime’s CTO Steinar Kostøl highlights that medium sized gas carriers (MGC) are large vessels with a high fuel consumption. As such, they are a strong target for adopting ammonia-fueled propulsion. Because the ship is already designed for transporting ammonia, Amon notes that the relative additional cost of ammonia-fueled propulsion compared to conventional ships will be less than most other segments. It believes its design concept can help to support the development of the category and drive investment in ammonia storage and bunkering.

Enova reports that it supports a wide range of measures and technologies within energy and climate, and works technology-neutrally to contribute where the need is greatest and the support has the most effect, also within shipping. In addition to the focus on hydrogen and ammonia, support is provided for battery electrification, biogas production, and the development of technology for other energy carriers in maritime transport.

The Government Accountability Office has completed a review of MARAD's promotional programs for shipbuilding, and has found room for improvement - primarily in goal-setting and tracking. Ever under-resourced, MARAD carries out its statutorily-mandated programs but does not always have internal goals for what these programs should accomplish - nor has it likely been asked by anyone before GAO arrived. GAO also found that there may be room for improvement in the Small Shipyard Grant program, with potential to enlarge it and to increase its transparency. 

The Small Shipyard Grant program awards minor federal support funding to yards, typically totaling about $10-20 million per year. The number of applications outstrips the supply of funding, and so MARAD staff use a scoring system to weigh the merits of each application. After rating about 100 factors per project, they pick the best candidates and present them to the Maritime Administrator (or acting administrator) for final approval. 

The administrator decides which applicants get grants, which are typically small sums in the range of $300,000-$1 million - not enough for a full modernization, but enough to buy a crane or train a new cohort of apprentices. But the reasons for picking projects are not written down or presented to the successful shipyards, GAO said, nor do unsuccessful applicants find out why their project was turned down (at least not in a formal, documented way). 

"While grantees have benefitted . . . the Maritime Administration cannot determine to what extent the Small Shipyard Grant program is achieving its intended outcomes because it does not have measurable goals and does not assess the performance of the program," GAO found. "A better understanding of the impact of the Small Shipyard Grant program could help inform the Maritime Administration’s broader efforts to support the U.S. maritime industry."

GAO also recommended writing down the reasons why each grant is approved or disapproved in order to make the process more transparent and consistent. It has previously made the same recommendation for all of the Department of Transportation, MARAD's parent agency. 

A bigger Small Shipyard Grant program could help struggling yards to modernize, GAO found. In a survey of shipbuilders conducted for the study, 92 out of 105 reported that their outdated infrastructure impeded efficiency, and 89 out of 105 said that it was hard to finance infrastructure improvements with private capital. "Expanding the Small Shipyard Grant program could allow shipyards to invest more in new equipment, according to nine out of 10 industry groups and shipbuilding or repair companies that discussed the program with us," GAO reported.

In its review of MARAD's twin newbuild financing programs, the Capital Construction Fund Program and the Construction Reserve Fund Program, GAO found that recent statutory changes have made them both about the same. They are both run by the same staffers at MARAD, a total of two people, and at least one owner uses the programs interchangeably. GAO recommended merging the programs to reduce duplication. 

Workforce woes

Beyond MARAD, GAO also took input from shipbuilders in a general survey about market conditions, and relayed familiar news about the availability of willing and capable workers. "Boom-and-bust" shipbuilding has made it difficult to retain good welders and shipfitters, and now the industry is competing with service-sector employers too. "One shipyard representative said that at one point, the shipyard had 1,000 employees, but now that number is down to 200, in part because younger generations are not getting into the shipbuilding and repair industry," GAO reported.

The agency also took the time to talk to foreign officials in the UK, Singapore and South Korea, and all reported a hard time recruiting young people. Unlike the United States, Singapore and South Korea use foreign guest workers to round out their payrolls, subject to percentage limits. 

A consistent government procurement program would help smooth out the boom-and-bust cycles for American shipbuilders, participants told GAO. These could include American-made newbuilds for the aging Ready Reserve Fleet, as proposed and funded in the FY2024 budget for MARAD. To further stimulate fleet growth, GAO held up the example of the multi-billion-dollar procurement programs in South Korea and Canada, and called for setting specific goals for vessel construction numbers and types. 
 

The efforts to identify and crack down on shadow fleet vessels breaking maritime regulations are increasing with Germany announcing that along with Sweden it will begin asking passing vessels about insurance coverage. It is joining with other Baltic and Scandinavian countries and the European Union, which have all launched efforts despite strong criticism from Russia to enforce rules on suspect vessels.

"The new inquiries will help further intensify coordination with our friends and partners in the region,” said Germany’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Johann Wadephul. “Our goal is very clear: We will increase the pressure on the Russian shadow fleet and protect the Baltic Sea habitat."

German authorities starting today, July 1, are immediately asking passing tankers about their insurance coverage to protect against oil pollution. They said the effort would be focused on vessels off Fehmarn, a German island alongside the key shipping lane, which is just 12 miles across to Sweden.

We must increase our vigilance in the Baltic Sea regarding the shadow fleet,” said German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder. "By querying the insurance status of the traffic control centers, we are adding another piece to our situational picture. The more complete the picture, the sooner we can take measures together with our partner countries in the Baltic Sea region, including listing the ships for sanctions."

Unlike Estonia and Finland, Germany is not threatening to stop the vessels for inspections. However, it warns that irregularities may lead to Europe-wide monitoring or actions by the vessel’s flag state. It would also be considered as a basis for future listing under the sanction programs.

Germany in January 2025 took more direct action detaining the Panama-flagged tanker Eventin (152,000 dwt) after the vessel blacked out and had to be rescued in the Baltic. It later moved to seize the vessel and its cargo after saying it was a shadow fleet tanker in violation of regulations. Germany took control of the tanker, which continues at anchor, while the case was to be reviewed by the German courts.

Sweden also said at the end of May that it planned to increase its surveillance of suspect vessels targeting the shadow fleet. Denmark recently tracked and reported a deception by a shadow fleet tanker entering and exiting the Baltic. However, it decided not to attempt to detain the vessel, referencing the legal complications of a seizure.

Russia has said it would take steps to protect the tankers in its oil trade, including several recent incidents where Russian warships have been seen sailing near tankers. In May, a Russian warplane briefly entered Estonia's airspace as the country was confronting a suspicious tanker. 

Speaking at the United Nations, Russia has called the efforts of the European Union and specific countries in the Baltic piracy. It demanded adherence to maritime rules and free navigation, while the countries have cited the subsea cable incidents and the dangers of pollution from the unregulated tankers.

The European Union and the UK have been aggressive in expanding their sanctions against the shadow fleet and a crackdown on the Russian energy sector, while the United States under Trump has lagged. Australia recently joined the efforts by launching its first sanctions against the shadow fleet, but more vessels continue to support the Russian oil trade. Estimates have said that at least 800 tankers have been involved in moving Russian oil, many in violations of the G7 price cap on Russian crude.
 

France’s Louis Dreyfus Amateurs, which today is focused on offshore services, cargo and port operations, and logistics, has been sold to private equity investment group InfraVia Capital Partners. The companies had announced in February that the Louis-Dreyfus family was negotiating to sell the majority of its holdings and that it would be an opportunity to grow the operations.

InfraVia reports that one of its funds has acquired an 80 percent stake in LDA with the family continuing to hold the remaining 20 percent. The business, which traces its origins to 1890 and had remained in the family, will now be renamed LD Armateurs with Samira Draousa named the new CEO, while Edouard Louis-Dreyfus will remain as president.

The new owners are promising to invest €1 billion (nearly $1.2 billion) in the company over the coming years. The companies had said when first announcing the discussions that the investment called for more than doubling the current fleet. LDA operates 23 vessels including RoRo vessels and offshore support ships to provide maintenance of offshore wind farms, and installation and maintenance of submarine telecom and power cables.

“This investment will enable the group to more than double its fleet and accelerate its growth in technological innovation, energy transition, and the development of next-generation maritime services and navigation modes,” the companies said, announcing completion of the sale.

Overseeing the new company will be Samira Draoua, who becomes the chief executive officer of LDA. She has a long career spanning finance, digital transformation, and maritime operations. She was serving as CEO of Econocom France, an IT consulting firm. Also at the group, she was president of Les Abeilles International, a tug and offshore services company that was providing salvage and rescue services to the French government. Les Abeilles was sold in 2024 to Boluda.

LDA has been in the maritime business for more than 100 years, when it started with a small fleet of grain feeders navigating on the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea under the Russian flag. After the First World War and the Russian Revolution, the company transitioned in the 1920s to a fleet of ocean-going cargo ships and more recently, added RoRo, offshore, and port logistics. The last of the cargo ships was sold in the early 2020s.

LDA has become a leader in offshore services, realizing the opportunities in the sector. It expanded to offshore wind services as the sector emerged. It recently unveiled designs for a floating offshore ammonia cracking platform and its next-generation design for a liquid hydrogen-fueled service operations vessel (SOV) for servicing offshore operations.
 

The UK-led carrier strike group led by HMS Prince of Wales (R09), has now left Singapore after a week-long port visit, and is heading further east to Indonesia, a series of Australian-led exercises, and then northwards past Taiwan to South Korea and Japan.

The multinational group escorting the flagship now comprises the Canadian Halifax Class frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec (F332), New Zealand ANZAC Class frigate HMNZS Te Kaha (F77), Norwegian Nansen Class frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F311), Spanish Álvaro de Bazán Class frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez (F104), Type 45 destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33) and Type 23 frigate HMS Richmond (F239), with logistic support provided by RFA Tidespring (A136). There will also no doubt be an Astute Class submarine shadowing the CSG.

With some vessels of the CSG splitting off to make other port calls in the area, the focus of the visit to Singapore has been defense diplomacy and technological cooperation, reinforcing the UK’s commitment to the Five Power Defence Arrangement, a mutual defense treaty organization created in 1971 between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand Singapore and the United Kingdom,

The CSG will participate this month in the Australian-led Exercise Talisman Sabre 2025, which involves US forces and other multinational partners, and training in all three land, air and sea operational environments. HMS Prince of Wales will be calling in at Darwin as part of the exercise.

The CSG will then head north to exercise with and make port calls in South Korea and Japan, with the focus en route being on which elements of the CSG will exercise rights of navigation through international waters in the Taiwan Strait.

Meanwhile, the Royal Air Force F-35B from HMS Prince of Wales which made a forced landing on June 14 at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala remains under repair, now attended to by a specialist tow vehicle and 40 UK engineers flown out from the UK to fix the aircraft’s hydraulic systems. The classification of the F-35Bs systems has inevitably been a concern, with the Indian press noting that the aircraft’s pilot, identified as ‘Flight Lieutenant Mike’, had remained in the cockpit for an extended period after touching down while security arrangements were put in place.

The Indian authorities, who are believed to be interested in an F-35 purchase, would inevitably have a keen interest in the F-35’s technical systems. But UK authorities were assured that the stealth aircraft would be safe from prying eyes, with one local commenting that the aircraft was likely to better guarded in India than in the UK, where protestors found it easy to enter the RAF largest airbase at Brize Norton last week and damage a parked aircraft.

Hanwha Ocean has been selected as the preferred bidder for the construction of a new government-owned polar research vessel. The contract comes as more nations race to expand their presence in the polar regions, which the shipyard notes is creating a new business opportunity.

Korea built its first polar research vessel, Araon (6,950 GT), starting in 2008 and at Hanjin Heavy Industries and commissioned the vessel in 2012 for year-round polar research between the Arctic and Antarctic. The vessel was built at a cost of over 100 billion won (US$74 million at current exchange rates). It can accommodate 85 people, including 25 crew and 60 researchers, and has 25 key pieces of research equipment. 

The vessel has a range of 17,000 nautical miles and can break flat ice of 1 meter thickness at a speed of 3 knots. It carries 31 TEU for equipment and supplies. It is currently completing regular maintenance and will soon depart for the Arctic, where it will remain till September. After another quick overhaul, it will depart in October and remain till April 2026 in Antarctica.

Korea has operated Araon for more than a decade as its first polar research vessel (KOPRI)

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries led the search for a shipyard to undertake the project for the next-generation vessel, which will be operated by the Korea Polar Research Institute. Hanwha Ocean was selected and the government expects to complete a contract this month. Design work will begin for the new vessel, which will be completed by December 2029 to expand Korea’s polar research efforts.

Hanwha Ocean reports that the next-generation icebreaking research vessel will have a total tonnage of 16,560 tons, more than twice that of the Araon. It will be equipped with an LNG dual-fuel electric propulsion system, and will be a PC (Polar Class) 3 vessel with a bidirectional icebreaking capability that can break through 1.5 meter thick ice, and has a cold resistance of -45 degrees Celsius. For the comfort and productivity of the staff working on board, the project calls for the accommodations to be designed to the standards of a “top-class passenger ship.”

Korean officials stress the importance of adding the new vessel as the scope of research capacity expands, caused by changes in the polar environment. Hanwha Ocean notes the increasing interest in the polar regions for commercial operations. Japan recently launched its first dedicated ice-class Arctic research vessel while India announced an agreement with Norway and Japan for its first polar research vessel.

The shipbuilder, which was formerly Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering, highlights that it began working on icebreaking designs in 2008 in anticipation of the possibility of the Arctic route. It became a leader in icebreaking LNG carriers, having built a total of 21 vessels, including 15 in 2014 and six in 2020. 

Hanwha Ocean plans to devote more effort to the research and construction of icebreakers. It sees emerging opportunities in the capability as a possible future growth engine for the business. 

Korea’s move in the sector comes as others, including Canada and Finland, look to leverage their capabilities in icebreaking ship construction. The Trump administration continues to highlight the U.S.’s desire for more icebreaking vessels, which is seen as a potential driver for the market.
 

The crew of a French trawler had an unsettling experience while transiting near Guernsey last weekend: a Russian submarine surfaced within sight, then continued on its way on a transit of the English Channel.

The fishing vessel Belenos was under way off the coast of Finisterre on Saturday when an unidentified attack sub surfaced nearby. It was close enough that the trawler's crew were able to capture detailed images of the hull and conning tower. According to Premar Atlantique, the Russian sub was in transit northbound and was being accompanied by the frigate Normandie. The movement was routine and fully monitored by French authorities, and it "did not cause any concern." 

The sub was en route to its home port after departing Russia's base in Syria, according to Le Telegramme. Based on photos, it was a Kilo-class, but the exact name of the sub remains confidential for now; the task of tracking was passed off to the UK Royal Navy, which typically reveals the identity of Russian vessels several days after each operation.

While there is no indication that the crew of the Belenos was in danger, fatal accidents have occurred during submarine surfacing and near-surface operations in the past. The most infamous disaster was an emergency-blow surfacing test carried out aboard the U.S. Navy sub USS Greeneville. The sub struck and punctured the hull of the Japanese fishery training ship Ehime Maru, and nine people were killed, including four high school students. 

The Philippines authorities worked with local crewing agencies and others to resolve a pay dispute and release a crew that had been stranded on a small cargo ship anchored in the Iloilo Strait. The crew, which had been signed on in April, was in a standoff with the owners who were refusing their pay, and provisions, until the ship departed, while the crew contended the vessel was unseaworthy.

A newly elected representative for Iloilo City, Julienne “Jam Jam” Baronda took an interest in the crew’s plight and intervened to negotiate the resolution. Six Filipino crew were removed from the vessel on June 30 and taken to a hotel, and are receiving medical evaluation before their repatriation, while seven Indian crewmembers were expected to leave the vessel on Tuesday, July 1.

The crew was signed on at the beginning of April by apparently a new owner of the 6,749 dwt general cargo ship. The vessel, which was built in 2005, was operated by Chinese owners till possibly 2024. Philippine media reports that the owner is now in the UAE, and the vessel is showing the name of Hirman Star, registered in the Comoros. Equasis and other databases show the vessel as Dong Hong Shun and the flag and manager as unknown.

The vessel arrived in the Philippines in August 2024 transporting bags of rice from Vietnam. The Philippines undertook a Port State Inspection and listed 27 deficiencies in a broad range of categories and issued a detention order. Reports indicate they questioned the seaworthiness of the vessel and found expired certificates.

The crew was changed twice, with the current crew coming aboard on April 3 and told to prepare for a voyage to Singapore. The Philippines lifted the detention order in April, and the Port Authority granted port clearance on May 7.

According to the media reports, the vessel was preparing to depart when the gyro compass malfunctioned. The captain contends the owners told the vessel to sail using just a magnetic compass, but the master refused, citing concerns. The crew also reported the vessel was listing and attempting to rectify the list, said they found a crack in the bulbous bow causing water ingress. 

The standoff began with the crew refusing to sail saying the ship was unseaworthy. The owners stopped the delivery of food and water on May 12. Further, the reports said they only paid partial wages in April and none in May, saying the crew would not be paid until the vessel departed.

Philippine authorities were permitted to board the vessel to begin the reparation process (Jam Jam Baronda)

Baronda convened a meeting with the Philippines’ Department of Migrant Workers, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, as well as the Philippine Coast Guard, the Bureaus of Immigration and Customs, and MARINA on Monday, June 30. She also spoke with the crewing agencies and the vessel owner, who reportedly had a representative from the UAE in the Philippines.

An agreement was reached to settle the pay issues and to immediately provide provisions to the vessel. Baronda and other officials went to the vessel to meet with the crew. The Philippines is also providing financial assistance to the crewmembers and assisting with the reparations for the Filipinos. The Indian Embassy is assisting the Indian crew.

Multiple groups, including the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), have been pushing for more action over issues of crew abandonment and enforcement of the terms of the master labor contract for seafarers. ITF warned in May that the industry is on track for a record number of abandonments unless action is taken. 

The first LNG gas carrier, GasLog Glasgow (112,764 dwt) departed the LNG terminal at Kitimat, Canada, on June 30, officially marking Canada’s entry into the export market. The LNG Canada project had been gearing up in recent weeks and began the first loading over the weekend, which opens a critical market for Asia to obtain LNG from Canada.

The project is led by Shell and includes partners PETRONAS, PetroChina, Mitsubishi Corporation, and Korea Gas. Each of the participants in the project will provide its own natural gas supply and individually offtake and market their respective share of liquified natural gas from LNG Canada. The project has two trains with an initial capacity of 14 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) and plans to double capacity in the future.

The first shipment is aboard the Greek-owned vessel, which is operating under charter to Shell. The vessel’s AIS signal currently shows it bound for Incheon, South Korea, where it is scheduled to arrive on July 20.

“With LNG Canada’s first shipment to Asia, Canada is exporting its energy to reliable partners, diversifying trade, and reducing global emissions ­— all in partnership with Indigenous peoples,” said Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney. “By turning aspiration into action, Canada can become the world’s leading energy superpower with the strongest economy in the G7.”

Historically, Canada’s only LNG market was to the United States by pipeline. The concept of opening to the Asian markets began more than 15 years ago with various projects proposed to Canada’s federal government. Shell, however, highlights that the timing is right now as Asia moves away from coal. Shipping LNG from Canada’s West Coast provides shorter distances and will result in lower prices for the Asian buyers.

Largely driven by economic growth in Asia, Shell in its 2025 annual forecast for LNG predicted that global demand is set to rise by around 60 percent by 2040. Shell is targeting 4 to 5 percent per year growth in its LNG sales through at least 2030.

LNG Canada reports the investment to develop the facility, which is located northeast of Vancouver, topped C$40 billion (US$29 billion). Of that, it says it invested more than C$5.8 billion (US$4.25 billion) locally in Canada.

GasLog Glasgow starting the journey toward the Pacific Ocean (Canada LNG)

The deep water port at Kitimat is more than 180 miles from the coast of British Columbia, requiring the tankers to make a 15-hour journey. Arrangements were made with British Columbia Pilots, who said two pilots were aboard the GasLog Glasgow, and the location gave rise to a new tugboat operation. Canada is requiring escort tugs, and they are being operated by HaiSea Marine, which is a partnership with the local indigenous people and Seaspan. It boasts of the “world’s greenest tugboat fleet,” all purpose-built and powered by batteries or dual-fuel LNG vessels. 

Two additional LNG export projects are currently under construction on Canada’s West Coast, Cedar LNG and Woodfibre. They are scheduled to start operations in 2027 and 2028.  A third one, Ksi Lisims LNG is preparing for its final financial decision.
 

Drones are already playing a key role in combat at sea, as seen in the Black Sea and in the recent Red Sea crisis. Leading navies are investing in drone technology in all domains, and are learning how to orchestrate drone capabilities to work together to maximum effect. In the U.S., Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is using AI to plan out the actions of unmanned air, surface and subsurface assets all at once. 

NAWCAD's newly-developed Optimized Cross Domain Swarm Sensing (OCDSS) software system helps Navy operational planners set up unmanned swarms for success. The new program simulates different combinations of aerial, surface and subsurface drones and sensors to achieve various mission objectives. The software was trialed at the NSWC Port Hueneme Coastal Trident exercise last year. 

“OCDSS quickly runs thousands of simulations to predict how different unmanned systems might perform together,” said NAWCAD Mechanical Engineer Raymond Koehler, OCDSS’ lead software developer. "OCDSS levels-up how unmanned systems are used in a wide range of missions, and we’re ready to scale this autonomy to operational teams or test programs across the Navy and Marine Corps."

For his contributions to swarm autonomy, Koehler won an "emergent engineer" award from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy in 2025, and his team won a command-level award for the same project. 

The technology could find application in the Navy's new push towards unmanned systems at sea. It would dovetail with procurement efforts aimed at large numbers of hulls, like the Defense Innovation Unit's Production-Ready, Inexpensive, Maritime Expeditionary (PRIME) Small Unmanned Surface Vehicle program, which aims to deliver attritable small craft that could chase down a target vessel. 

The PRIME project goes beyond current state-of-the-art in drone boat operations. Ukraine's drone boats can attack targets at long range and high speed, but only with a human operator in control by satellite uplink. DIU wants to develop an unmanned surface vessel system that can "operate in cohesive groups and execute complex autonomous behaviors that adapt to the dynamic, evasive movements of the pursued vessel" on its own, even if the remote connection to a manned control center is lost. A software-driven "collaborative intercept capability" is a stated goal. 

A convicted pirate leader has had another three years added onto his sentence for a kidnapping in the Gulf of Guinea in 2017 - a rare example of a court proceeding for a pirate from the Niger Delta. 

The story of the arrest of Itoruboemi Benson Lobia begins in earnest in 2018, when he led the hijacking of the Dutch-owned freighter FWN Rapide off the coast of Port Harcourt. At Lobia's instruction, the gang kidnapped 11 members of the crew, injuring one with gunfire and causing organ damage to another due to untreated malaria. After a month of negotiations, operator ForestWave talked the pirates down to a final ransom payment of $340,000, a cost reduction of more than 80 percent compared to the criminals' original demand. 

After the kidnapping, Dutch authorities decided to go after Lobia. Using inquiries about his knowledge of piracy and dangling the possibility of a job, they lured him to fly to Johannesburg - where he was promptly arrested on an Interpol warrant. He was extradited to the Netherlands to stand for a vanishingly-rare criminal trial for piracy.  

The Rotterdam District Court found Lobia guilty of acting as the leader of the hijacking gang, and he was sentenced to a term of 8.5 years in Dutch prison for the FWN Rapide attack.

However, it turned out that the FWN Rapide was not the only ship he had hijacked. The year before, in 2017, he had been involved in the kidnapping aboard the German-operated cargo ship BBC Caribbean in the Gulf of Guinea. In that earlier hijacking, Lobia and his gang abducted eight seafarers and brought them back into the remote waterways of the Niger Delta. After a month of negotiations, the hostages were ransomed for an undisclosed sum. 

Meanwhile, three crewmembers remained aboard BBC Caribbean, and they navigated all the way to safety in Las Palmas. On arrival, the ship was searched; among other evidence, police collected a cigarette butt that carried Lobia's DNA, prosecutors said. Crewmembers also testified that they recognized his distinctive dolphin-shaped necklace from the hijacking. 

Last year, Lobia was charged a second time for the attack on the BBC Caribbean. This month, the district court in Rotterdam found him guilty and sentenced him to another three years in prison. This was less than the 5.5 years that Dutch prosecutors requested, in part because the judge took Lobia's original motive - poverty - into account. 

Each year's proposed Navy budget gets a lot of attention for what's in and what's out, but this year has some big surprises. The next order for a Constellation-class frigate is zeroed out - no frigates are in the budget request. But the Pentagon has asked Congress to set aside $1.7 billion for on-water autonomous systems, along with $730 million for underwater autonomous capabilities. 

A senior Navy official told DefenseScoop that the unmanned line items include "new efforts in unmanned undersea and in unmanned surface, to include procuring our medium unmanned surface vessel [MUSV]." 

GAO reports that the Navy is consolidating its two ship-like unmanned surface vessel programs, the MUSV and the larger LUSV. The plan, GAO reported earlier this month, is to start development of a single hull design under a major capability acquisition pathway by FY2027.  

The news for the manned fleet is mixed. Fleet size would remain the same under the budget, but the much-delayed Constellation-class frigate program appears to be facing an executive-level decision, according to USNI: Pentagon officials told the outlet that "the Trump administration has not yet decided whether it will move forward" with the frigate. 

The Constellation-class faces a long list of challenges. Originally intended as a quick and low-risk adaptation of an existing French-Italian design, the program office opted to alter about 85 percent of the vessel, lengthening it and changing its internal arrangements so that it has little in common with the original. It is running three years behind schedule, the design is not yet complete, and it is on track to deliver about 13 percent overweight, according to GAO; if not corrected, this would reduce margin for future system installations, and could affect performance. The shipbuilder's costs also appear to have gone up, though the Navy has not released the amount of the yard's requests for payment adjustment. 

This budget is a one-year request without a 30-year plan, and does not forecast future-year carrier acquisitions - like a much-discussed block buy for the fifth and sixth Ford-class hulls. But it does include $600 million for advanced procurement for the fifth hull, a signal that the Pentagon is committed to the program. Also on the plus side for the carrier (and submarine) industrial base, the proposed budget includes no less than $2.5 billion for "nuclear shipyard productivity enhancements."