The head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command supports reactivating the naval airbase at Adak, a remote Cold War station in the Aleutian Islands - but the U.S. military isn't the only interested party, according to Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK). An unnamed Chinese shipping company has also reached out to the current landowner to express interest in negotiating a lease, Sullivan said at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday. 

Adak was a key naval base throughout the Cold War, providing a logistics and surveillance hub near Russia's eastern shores. After the Base Realignment and Closure Commission process in the mid-1990s, it was shut down, and it ceased operations in 1997. The land is now held by the native Aleut Corporation.   

The port's remoteness and austerity are hard to overstate: at 1,000 nautical miles west of Anchorage, it is closer to the capital of Russia's Kamchatka region than it is Alaska's main city. It is the second-rainiest place in the United States, and is subject to extreme winds, including hurricane-force North Pacific winter storms. As of 2022 it had a population of about 150 people, down from 6,000 at its peak. 

The U.S. military still holds occasional exercises at Adak, and talk of reviving the base has circulated since at least 2021. The regional security situation is changing: Over the last three years, Russian and Chinese forces have begun operating jointly in the North Pacific and Bering Sea, sometimes crossing over into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. These transits have received considerable attention, and Adak would be a natural location for an enhanced U.S. deterrent presence, Sen. Sullivan said Thursday. 

Adm. Sam Paparo, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, told the committee that he also favors reactivating Adak. "It is a further western point which would enable . . . [gaining] time and distance on any force capability that's looking to penetrate," Paparo said. "It would enable up to 10x the maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft coverage of that key and increasingly contested space."

Sullivan suggested that Adak should be reactivated as a matter of urgency, as the U.S. Navy is not the only prospective tenant. 

"The Aleut Corporation, these are great patriotic Americans. Alaska Natives serve at higher rates in the military than any other ethnic group in the country. They would love to do a deal with the Navy for a 99 year lease or something like that. But you know who checks in with them once a year?" Sullivan asked. "It's a Chinese shipping company that is, certainly, in my view, a front company for the [Chinese military]. So how embarrassing would it be to the Pentagon or the Navy . . . if somehow they signed 100 year lease with a quote 'Chinese shipping company' that always is out there looking at Adak?"

Sullivan emphasized that the Aleut Corporation would never sign a port lease with a Chinese firm, but asked Paparo his opinion all the same. 

"I think it would be bad, because this is the modus operandi in [China's] Belt and Road Initiative," Paparo replied. 

Northern Command and Indo-Pacific Command are working on a set of options to reactivate the base, Sullivan said, and he pressed for a final report before the end of the month.  

 

Reports from Israel suggest that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Quds Force is making progress in its search for new routes into Lebanon, following the destruction of the traditional smuggling routes into Lebanon by Israel in recent months. A primary smuggling route, through Beirut docks, had been shut down beforehand in the wake of the fire and subsequent explosion of badly stored ammonium nitrate in the dock’s quayside Warehouse 12 on August 4, 2020.

Unit 190, the IRGC Quds Force’s dedicated smuggling unit, has a well-established modus operandi of developing multiple routes to service a particular client, so that there is built-in redundancy to the supply system.  The Iranians also appear to assume that a proportion of shipments will be intercepted - so they divide shipments into smaller consignments using different routes, so as to be able to absorb any losses.

In the days before Hezbollah was decimated by Israeli strikes, Unit 190 - working with Hezbollah’s Unit 4400 - operated three primary routes into Lebanon to keep Hezbollah supplied.  Besides shipping into Beirut docks, Iranian heavy cargo aircraft from Mahan Air regularly flew into Beirut’s International Airport, where aircraft were unloaded by Hezbollah without any interference on the part of the Lebanese state.  Large volumes were also trucked over the border from Syria, having arrived in Syria primarily overland, through the port of Latakia or via Damascus International Airport. 

Some sophistication in the smuggling routes into Lebanon was needed, after Lebanese border security was tightened with the aid of RAG, a British private security company; on October 3, 2024, the Israelis destroyed a two mile long truck tunnel which straddled the border and emerged into northern Lebanon at Mrah al-Makbeh.  One of many routes, this tunnel demonstrated the sophistication of the smuggling system, which is now dismantled.

The 2-mile long Hezbollah tunnel which straddled the Lebanese-Syrian border (Google Earth base map/CJRC)

In building a smuggling infrastructure afresh, Unit 190 will try a number of options.  Small volumes of cash and vital supplies are still entering Lebanon via Beirut International Airport, but while Hezbollah can still rely on Hezbollah sympathizers within the ranks of the Lebanese security forces, the new Lebanese government is adopting a much stricter control regime over airfreight.  Likewise, Unit 190 has tried to use professional smuggler gangs on land routes into Lebanon, but the new Syrian government also has no desire to stir up trouble with Israel, and has made a number of interceptions. 

Sea routes offer a lower chance of interdiction, though in the current political climate, Iran is not likely to use its own naval sealift or sanctioned vessels from the government-owned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL).  On the basis of past performance, Iran will attempt to ship using third party owners, utilizing respectable container shipping lines and multi-stop routing.

US authorities may be behind reports carried by both Al Arabiya and the Israeli open source intelligence site Intelli Times that Hezbollah’s operation to rebuild its smuggling route through the Beirut docks is headed by Wafiq Safa.  The leaked reports suggest that he controls a network of compliant customs and port officials, but gives no specific details of when and what is being smuggled.  The leak is likely to be a warning both to the Lebanese authorities and to Hezbollah that their activities are being tracked and will not be tolerated.  US State Department envoy Morgan Ortagus, quoted in the same reports, has said that “only by disarming militant groups could the Lebanese people be ‘free from foreign influence, free from terrorism, free from the fears that have been so pervasive in society.’”

If this can be taken as a statement of US policy intent, it is likely that there will be a heavier presence of allied naval vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean overseeing merchant traffic into Lebanon, and that there could in due course be interceptions and searches of suspicious ships off the Lebanese coast.

 

On Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard National Security Cutter USCGC James delivered more than 20 tonnes of cocaine to a pier in Port Everglades, Florida - nearly enough to pay for the cutter itself if the seized cargo were sold. More than half of the drugs were captured in just 72 hours in seven back-to-back intercepts.

"I could not be prouder of the James crew and the teams who embarked with us to stand the watch over the holidays to keep our border secure and keep Americans safe," said Capt. Thomas Rodzewicz, commanding officer of James. 

Almost all of the busts occurred on the high seas off Ecuador and Peru. James' embarked unmanned aerial systems crew did much of the legwork in detecting smuggling craft, many of which were found up to 300 nautical miles offshore. An embarked HITRON helicopter aircrew helped ensure the suspect vessels' compliance on multiple occasions, using "airborne use of force tactics" to make sure that the target came to a halt. (When authorized, HITRON crews may fire warning shots to deter smugglers, and can shoot out suspect boats' engines if noncompliance continues.)

The biggest bust occurred on January 6, when James was operating about 280 miles off Ecuador. The cutter intercepted a set of three go-fast vessels at once, and with help from the HITRON aircrew, James' boarding teams intercepted and captured all three boats. Nine suspects were detained, and the cutter crew seized nearly 14,000 pounds (6.3 tonnes) of cocaine.

James also worked with the smaller cutter Mohawk to interdict a fleeing go-fast vessel on January 18. Mohawk worked to recover packages that the smugglers had tossed over the side, while James' small pursuit boat chased down the suspect vessel from 60 nautical miles away. Three suspects were detained and about 6,000 pounds of cocaine were seized. 

In all, the cutter racked up nine intercept events in January and February, including a three-day run of back-to-back busts that resulted in the capture of seven vessels. 

"Over a remarkable 72-hour period, our crews interdicted six go-fast vessels and one low-profile vessel across the vast ocean, culminating in the extraordinary seizure of over 24,000 pounds of cocaine and 15 suspected narco-traffickers. We delivered a substantial blow to narco-terrorism organizations, sending those attempting to bring drugs to our border to face federal prosecution," said Capt. Rodzewicz.

 

The ultimate goal of navigation has always been to arrive at a predetermined destination in the shortest time possible. For centuries, that objective has meant utilizing the Great Circle route. At the risk of offending any flat-earthers among you, this generally means that the shortest distance between two points on a sphere (our planet, in this instance) is not always a straight line.

Over time, as the maritime industry transitioned from sail to steam and beyond, fuel efficiency became a critical element in managing operating costs. Of course, as the seas became ever more crowded with vessels that not only served as cargo carriers but also passenger vessels, safety and comfort also increased in consideration.

As a result of these and other changes, the modern definition of navigation still holds timeliness in high regard but has expanded to include the globally integrated transportation system and its mission of ending up where you want to be while avoiding collisions and minimizing fuel consumption.

Enter "voyage optimization, a dynamic approach to navigation that modernizes the Great Circle route and not only minimizes distance but also takes a more comprehensive approach by factoring in real-world variables.

Progressive routing systems adapt to storms, currents and wind conditions, ensuring smoother and safer journeys. Enhanced routes and speeds (faster or slower) lower fuel consumption, thereby improving efficiency and supporting global decarbonization efforts. Advanced sensors and AI algorithms detect and respond to hazards in real time, adapting to vessel traffic, wildlife migration patterns and even political turmoil in volatile regions.

UNDER THE RADAR

Voyage optimization has experienced a slow evolution alongside centuries of innovation – so much so that its growth and development have largely occurred under the radar (pun intended). But make no mistake: Efforts to improve the safety and efficiency of navigation have been continuous throughout history and are nothing new.

In recent decades, pioneering companies have been able to leverage new technology to make significant advances.

"Our expertise in voyage optimization goes back to the 1990s," explains Petter Andersen, Senior Vice President of Shipping Digital at StormGeo, a Norwegian company providing advanced decision support based on real-time weather forecasting. With over 1.3 million voyages optimized in total, StormGeo has established itself as a global leader in the field. Andersen notes that "optimization" is comprised of services spanning the voyage timeline, adding, "StormGeo supports shipping companies top to bottom from pre-voyage planning to real-time optimization to post-voyage analysis using weather routing, vessel performance optimization, bunker management, emissions reporting and more."

Likewise, industry giants better known in other fields are emerging as strong proponents of voyage optimization and bring decades of expertise to the space.

Avikus, founded in 2021 as a wholly owned subsidiary of shipbuilding giant Hyundai, leverages the knowhow of its parent company by pioneering new technologies that are reshaping maritime navigation. "Voyage optimization is a critical value proposition," explains Jungwoo Seo, Avikus' Chief Strategy Officer. "As an autonomous navigation solutions provider, we integrate AI-driven decision-making with real-time sensor data, transforming maritime operations into safer and more efficient endeavors."

Any discussion of voyage optimization and the technology it incorporates inevitably turns to autonomous ships and operations. Both StormGeo and Avikus are investing heavily in AI and machine learning to enhance navigation and situational awareness, including IoT-driven fleet management platforms, to improve vessel speed-down estimations and weather forecasts.

Avikus employs digital twins for predictive maintenance and operational analytics, supported by Hyundai's R&D resources. The company is also focusing on autonomous navigation solutions with its flagship product, Hyundai Intelligent Navigation Assistant System (HiNAS) Control, which seamlessly integrates these factors and executes optimized routes that reduce fuel consumption, emissions and crew workload while enhancing safety.

According to Seo, "Our AI-powered systems dynamically adapt to real-time conditions, enabling vessels to achieve optimal performance in safety and efficiency." While the company is expanding HiNAS as a standard feature in Hyundai newbuilds, retrofit opportunities are a strategic priority and already underway in the company's Korean manufacturing facilities and in repair yards in Europe, Greece and Singapore. These markets represent a significant share of the maritime industry and align with Avikus' goals for broad adoption of voyage optimization and autonomous technology.

Similarly, StormGeo's cloud-based solutions enable real-time data integration and scalability. This allows vessels to leverage AI technology to automatically identify the best routes while maintaining a human-in-theloop approach to account for vessel-specific needs and cargo requirements. "Voyage optimization helps vessels navigate efficiently by considering weather conditions and avoiding adverse weather, thereby saving on fuel and emissions while improving overall efficiency," Andersen says.

COLLABORATION

For any manufacturer or provider to stand as a holistic supplier of voyage optimization services, it must of necessity partner with other manufacturers, vessel operators, regulators and government agencies. Success can only come with a certain level of cooperation among stakeholders and, of course, a level of agreed-upon standardization across regions and industry sectors.

Collaboration with OEMs allows providers like StormGeo and Avikus to improve their services and ensure near-seamless integration and adaptability across platforms that may vary in data type and delivery.

Moreover, feedback from onsite application is critical. StormGeo relies on daily customer engagement to refine its solutions. "We allow shipowners to share validated CO2 emissions data with charterers, reducing the need for multiple systems," Andersen states.

Perhaps most important of all, collaboration allows for in-depth discussions and dialogue among the varied stakeholders – regulators, vessel operators, charterers – who recognize the benefit of voyage optimization and are pushing for its widespread adoption.

DNV straddles the maritime industry as a consultancy and classification society and offers a unique perspective on emerging tech like voyage optimization, including the varied forces behind it.

Jarle Coll Blomhoff, DNV's Head of Digital Ship Systems, points to initiatives like the IMO's regulatory framework and the E.U.'s evolving fuel policies: "These regulatory efforts are prompting shipowners to adopt sustainable practices and 'encourage' operators to optimize emissions and adopt greener technologies."

More directly, Blomhoff notes that fuel costs represent a significant operational expense. The simplest of optimizing efforts can save up to 10 percent on fuel consumption, delivering both financial and environmental benefits. A less obvious but equally important benefit comes in the form of marketing and branding paybacks, particularly for non-cargo vessels like cruise ships. Environmental consciousness is increasingly a key marketing factor.

Although passengers may not directly pay a premium for sustainability, the ability to brand a cruise line as environmentally responsible provides indirect value.

Above all, Blomhoff states, "Charter requirements are a bigger driver than regulatory schemes" as they increasingly demand energy-efficient operations. As a result, vessel owners and operators proudly emphasize the efficiency of their vessels to gain a competitive edge in securing contracts.

Collaboration with leading organizations like DNV has enabled Avikus and others to achieve groundbreaking milestones, including the world's first autonomous navigation type approval. DNV has likewise partnered with entities such as DeepSea, Kongsberg and Ocean Infinity in verifying solutions that can adjust speed and routing autonomously, saving significant fuel while maintaining arrival schedules.

HUMAN-IN-THE-LOOP

In many ways, voyage optimization is the modern equivalent of the Great Circle route – a time-honored practice updated by technological advances. Voyage optimization takes it further, incorporating layers of real-time data and computational analysis to unlock unprecedented efficiencies in cost, time and emissions.

The evolution of voyage optimization reflects a journey from manual navigation to early weather routing and now to dynamic, data-driven optimization.

With all of this emphasis on AI, algorithms and innovation, it may be easy to dismiss the actual human navigator. However, as the maritime industry progresses toward fleet-wide synchronization and increasingly autonomous operations, the human element becomes ever more nuanced but never irrelevant.

While automation can handle repetitive, precision-driven tasks, the brilliance of human adaptability remains critical in responding to unexpected challenges. This human-machine collaboration, supported by robust cybersecurity measures and efforts at standardization, ensures that technological advances are not only functional but safe.

Ultimately, the synergy of people, process and technology, guided by good ol' fashioned seamanship, redefines what it means to navigate the seas – heralding a new era where optimization, rather than mere efficiency, is a new, redefined Great Circle.

Maritime consultant Chad Fuhrmann is the founder of Revolution Consulting X Engineering.

 

In October 2022, a British-American couple, Kyle and Maryanne Webb, were sailing their yacht through a remote area of the Indian Ocean between Mauritius and Seychelles, just south of the Saya de Malha Bank, the world’s largest seagrass field. The Webbs were sailing enthusiasts and had covered tens of thousands of miles on their vessel, the Begonia, over the previous years. As they passed the Bank, they spotted a small fishing vessel, about 55 feet in length, painted bright yellow and turquoise, with about a dozen red and orange flags billowing from the roof of its cabin. It was a Sri Lankan gillnet boat called, in Sinhali, the Hasaranga Putha.

Looking gaunt and desperate, the crew told the Webbs that they had sailed roughly 2,000 miles from their home port, in Beruwala, Sri Lanka. They had been at sea for two weeks, they said, but had only caught four fish. They begged the Webbs for food, soda, and cigarettes. The Webbs gave them what they could, including fresh water, then headed on their way. “They were clearly in a struggling financial position,” Mrs. Webb said. “It broke my heart to see the efforts they feel they must go to provide for their families.”

A month later, again near the Saya de Malha Bank, the Hasaranga Putha hailed another vessel—the South African ocean research and supply ship, S.A. Agulhas II, which was on an expedition in Saya de Malha for the environmental non-profit Monaco Explorations. By this time, the Sri Lankan crew was almost out of fuel and begged for diesel. The scientists did not have the right type of petrol to offer but they still boarded a dinghy and brought the fishers water and cigarettes. Grateful, the Sri Lankans gave them fish in return. The Hasaranga Putha would remain at sea for another six months before returning to Colombo in April 2023.

Hundreds of miles from the nearest port, the Saya de Malha Bank is one of the most remote areas on the planet, which means it can be a harrowing workplace for the thousands of fishers from a half dozen countries that make the perilous journey to reach it. The farther from shore that vessels travel, and the more time they spend at sea, the more the risks pile up. Dangerous storms, deadly accidents, malnutrition, and physical violence are common threats faced by distant-water crews. Each year, a fleet of several dozen Sri Lankan gillnetters makes some of the longest trips made to the area, often in the least equipped boats.

Some of the vessels that fish the Saya de Malha Bank engage in a practice called transshipment, where they offload their catch to refrigerated carriers without returning to shore, so that they can remain fishing on the high seas for longer periods of time. Fishing is the most dangerous occupation in the world, and more than 100,000 fishermen die on the job each year. When they do, particularly on longer journeys far from shore, it is not uncommon for their bodies to be buried at sea.

Sri Lankan gillnetters are not the only fishing vessels making perilous journeys to reach the rich and biodiverse Saya de Malha Bank. Thai fishmeal trawlers also target these waters, traveling more than 2,500 nautical miles from the port of Kantang. In January 2016, for example, three Thai trawlers left the Saya de Malha Bank and returned to Thailand. During the journey, 38 Cambodian crew members fell ill, and by the time they returned to port, six had already died. The remaining sick crew were hospitalized and treated for beriberi, a disease caused by a deficiency of Vitamin B1 or thiamine. Symptoms include tingling, burning, numbness, difficulty breathing, lethargy, chest pain, dizziness, confusion, and severe swelling.

Easily preventable, yet fatal if left untreated, beriberi has historically appeared in prisons, asylums, and migrant camps, but it has largely been stamped out. Experts say that when it occurs at sea, beriberi often indicates criminal neglect. One medical examiner described it as “slow-motion murder” because it is so easily treatable and avoidable.

The disease has become more prevalent on distant-water fishing vessels in part because ships stay so long at sea, a trend facilitated by transshipment. Working practices involving hard labor and extensive working hours cause the body to deplete vitamin B1 at a faster metabolic rate to produce energy, the Thai government concluded in a report on the deaths. Further research by Greenpeace found that some of the workers were victims of forced labor.

Today, fewer vessels from the Thai fleet are traveling to Saya de Mahla, but some still make the trip, and questions about their working conditions linger. In April 2023, one of those vessels, the Chokephoemsin 1, a bright blue 90-foot trawler, set out for the Saya de Malha Bank with a crew member named Ae Khunsena, who boarded the ship in Samut Prakan, Thailand, for a five-month tour, according to a report compiled by Stella Maris, a non-profit organization that helps fishers. As is typical on high-seas vessels, the hours were long and punishing. Khunsena earned 10,000 baht, or about $288, per month, according to his contract.

In one of his last calls to his family through Facebook, Khunsena said he had witnessed a fight that resulted in more than one death. He said the body of a crew member who was killed was brought back to the ship and kept in the freezer. When his family pressed for details, Khunsena said he would tell them more later. He added that another Thai crew member who also witnessed the killing had been threatened with death and so he fled the ship while it was still near shore along the Thai coast. Khunsena’s family spoke to Khunsena for the last time on July 22, 2023. A company official contested this claim and said no such fight happened and added that there was an observer from the Department of Fisheries aboard the vessel, who would have reported such an incident had it happened.

On July 29, while working in waters near Sri Lanka, Khunsena went overboard, off the stern of the ship. The incident was captured on a ship security camera. A man listed as Khunsena’s employer on his contract named Chaiyapruk Kowikai told Khunsena’s family that he had jumped. The ship’s captain then spent a day unsuccessfully searching the area to rescue him, before returning to fishing, Kowikai said.

The vessel returned to port in Thailand roughly two months later. Police, company and insurance officials eventually concluded that Khunsena’s death was likely a suicide. This claim seemed to be backed up by the onboard footage, which did not show anyone near him when he went over the side of the boat.

In September 2024, a reporting team from the Outlaw Ocean Project visited Khunsena’s village. Settled by rice farmers about a century ago, Non Siao is located in Bua Lai District, Nakhon Ratchasima, roughly two hundred miles to the northeast of Bangkok. The reporting team interviewed Khusena’s mother and cousin as well as the local labor inspector, police chief, aid worker and an official from the company that owned the ship. While the police and company officials said the death was likely a suicide, Khusena’s family avidly disagreed. “Why would he jump?” said Palita, Khunsena’s cousin, explaining why she highly doubted that Khusena took his own life. “He didn't have any problems with anyone.” Sitting on the ground under an overcast sky as she spoke with the reporter in a follow-up conversation by video chat, Palita went silent and looked down at her phone. “He wanted to see me,” added Khusena’s mother, Boonpeng Khunsena, who also doubted his suicide, since he kept saying in calls that he intended to be home by Mother’s Day. His family instead speculated that Khusena had likely witnessed a violent crime and therefore to silence him, he had been coerced to jump overboard.

As is often the case with crimes at sea, where evidence is limited, witnesses are few and frequently unreliable, it is difficult to know whether Khusena died due to foul play. Perhaps, as his family speculated in interviews with The Outlaw Ocean Project, he had witnessed a violent crime and, consequently, had been forced to jump overboard. Perhaps, instead, he jumped willingly from the ship, a suicidal gesture likely driven by depression or mental health issues. In either scenario, the point remains the same: these distant-water ships are traveling so far from shore that the working and living conditions are brutal and sometimes violent. And these very conditions are likely playing a role in sinister outcomes.

And yet, the human tragedy that criss-crosses this remote patch of high seas is not just tied to fishers. The Saya de Malha Bank has also become a transit route for migrants fleeing Sri Lanka. Since 2016, hundreds of Sri Lankans have attempted to make the perilous journey on fishing boats to the French-administered island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean, some making the journey directly from Saya de Malha. Those who do succeed in making landfall on Reunion are often repatriated. In one case, on December 7, 2023, a Sri Lankan vessel that had spent the previous three months fishing in Saya de Malha, the Imul-A-0813 KLT, illegally entered the waters around Reunion. The seven crew members were apprehended by local authorities and repatriated to Sri Lanka two weeks later. Joining them on the repatriation flight were crew members of two other Sri Lankan fishing vessels that had previously been detained by Reunion authorities.

With near-shore stocks overfished in Thailand and Sri Lanka, vessel owners send their crews further and further from shore in search of a worthwhile catch. That is what makes the Saya de Malha—far from land, poorly monitored, and with a bountiful ecosystem—such an attractive target. But the fishers forced to work there live a precarious existence, and for some, the long journey to the Saya de Malha is the last they ever take.

Ian Urbina is the director of The Outlaw Ocean Project, a non-profit journalism organization based in Washington D.C. that produces investigative stories about human rights, environment and labor concerns on the two thirds of the planet covered by water. 

Reporting and writing was contributed additionally by Outlaw Ocean Project staff, including Maya Martin, Joe Galvin, Susan Ryan, and Austin Brush.

 

The French shipping company Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) has received an Approval in Principle for its new liquid hydrogen-based SOV design. The Level 1 AiP was given by Bureau Veritas Marine& Offshore. This brings the groundbreaking Service Operation Vessel (SOV) design closer to reality.

The 100% hydrogen-powered SOV will be able to operate 95 percent of the time with zero carbon emissions during standard operations. This will lead in a reduction of an estimated 4,000 tonnes of annual CO2 emissions. The vessel will have capacity to accommodate up to 90 technicians for up to 14 days at sea, eliminating the need for additional offshore infrastructure. Refueling has been streamlined, as bunkering can be completed in six hours using trailers, eliminating the need for high-cost port facilities.

LDA introduced the hydrogen SOV concept design back in March 2024, in cooperation with Norwegian naval architecture company Salt Ship.

“We believe in developing purpose-built SOVs tailored to specific projects and needs. We are already offering alternative fuel options such as full electric and dual-fuel methanol. We firmly believe that hydrogen will be one of the options in the near future. This AiP represents a key step in making hydrogen-powered maritime operations a reality,” said LDA.

Other projects working to develop liquid hydrogen-powered vessels include the H2ESTIA Project, led by the Dutch innovation company NIM and supported by the Dutch government. The project launched last month, and aims to design, construct and demonstrate a hydrogen-powered bulk vessel to operate in the North Sea and beyond. The short-sea and inland shipping company Van Dam Shipping will manage the vessel.

However, in its bi-annual 2025 Hydrogen Market Outlook report this week, BloombergNEF indicated that the hydrogen sector has been in decline. “Costs have remained high and demand stayed low as a result. Policy has failed to bridge the gap between prices suppliers need to build viable projects and the prices buyers need to get justifiable business case. As a result, investments in the sector fell in 2024, with developers canceling projects,” said Martin Tengler, Head of Hydrogen Research, BloombergNEF.

But Tengler believes a rebound could be expected in places such as Europe, China, Japan and South Korea, where there are incentives offering developers opportunities for investment.

 

Pakistan has welcomed a $2 billion investment from the global shipping giant Maersk. On Tuesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met with Robert Maersk, Chairman of the A.P Moller- Maersk board, who was on a business tour in the country. Sharif hailed the investment as a significant boost to Pakistan’s maritime sector.

Maersk initially announcedthe investment last year in October, during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding(MoU) between Denmark and Pakistan on maritime development. At the time, the MoU was signed by Danish Minister for Industry and Business Morten Bodskov and Pakistani Minister for Maritime Affairs Qaisser Ahmed Shaikh.

Prime Minister Sharif has directed Pakistani authorities to fast-track conversion of the MoU into a formal agreement. He also directed formation of a technical working group to accelerate drafting of a maritime collaboration agreement with Maersk, with recommendations to be presented within a month.

“Pakistan has a crucial role as an economic corridor for trade with Central Asia, a key factor for our company. Maersk is committed to modernizing Pakistan’s port logistics and equipping them with advanced technology to establish a major maritime trade hub in the region,” said Robert Maersk.

Maersk also emphasized that his company has a long history in the region, with the first Maersk ship arriving in Pakistan in 1924. Maersk is reportedly exploring options of developing a deep-water container terminal, with a focus on Karachi and Port Qasim.

The investment from Maersk coincides with reforms in Pakistan port sector announced by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday. A maritime taskforce is already in place tasked with the responsibility of reviving Pakistan’s maritime economy. Some of the recommendations by the taskforce include setting up a National Dredging Company, which will oversee dredging of all ports in the country. In addition, a plan of action has been prepared for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC) through a public-private partnership for the next 25 years.

“The pace of installing the latest scanners at all ports should be accelerated. Trade tariffs should be reviewed to bring the country’s ports to a competitive standard,” Sharif said in a meeting with the taskforce.    

Top image: Port Qasim, Pakistan (Sana Sneha / CC BY SA 4.0)

 

[By Euan Graham and Ray Powell]

Civilian exploration may be the official mission of a Chinese deep-sea research ship that sailed clockwise around Australia over the past week and is now loitering west of the continent. But maybe it’s also attending to naval duties.

These could have included laying or servicing seabed acoustic sensors and possibly detailed mapping of parts of the ocean floor to support future submarine operations.

Open-source tracking data enables such educated guesses to be made, without discounting the possibilities of economic and scientific data-gathering.

The ship, Tansuo Yi Hao (Exploration 1) took a similar route around Australia in January 2023, investigating 1100km of the Diamantina Trench over 34 days. China’s state media later said this was the first time the bottom of the trench had been reached. The ship carries a crewed submersible, the Fendouzhe (Striver), capable of long-duration forays to the seabed in depths exceeding 10,000 metres.

As in 2023, rather than proceeding directly home from New Zealand, where it was conducting joint activities with a partner institution, the ship has again undertaken a long deviation around Australia. Its transitory presence in the Bass Strait and inside Australia’s 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was nonetheless permissible under international law, as long as the ship undertook no commercial survey activity and maintained continuous passage, showing ‘due regard’ to the coastal state.

However, speculation quickly grew that Tansuo Yi Hao could be gathering intelligence on Australia’s seabed cables. When questioned by media about its presence, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he ‘would prefer that it wasn’t there’.

Tansuo Yi Hao subsequently stayed mostly outside of the EEZ as it traversed the Great Australian Bight. Nor did it appear to loiter before reaching the Diamantina Trench, about 1100km off the Western Australian coast and well beyond Australia’s maritime jurisdiction.

Given the inherently dual-use nature of China’s marine scientific research assets, it would be prudent to assume that Tansuo Yi Hao and the submersible are subject to some level of military tasking. They belong to China’s Institute of Acoustics, which according to its own website has ties to the armed forces, dating back decades.

Sending a survey ship around Australia is less obviously coercive than similarly deploying a naval task group, as Beijing did in February and March, and China’s survey vessels are more common near Australia than generally known. But the passage is a further demonstration of China’s growing strategic reach and interest in operating beyond the first island chain.

According to automatic information system data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, Tansuo Yi Hao has paused daily for 12 to 17 hours over the Diamantina Trench since 6 April. This is consistent with the reported underwater endurance of Fendouzhe of up to 15 hours. During that time, Fendouzhe could have deployed new devices or serviced acoustic arrays already on the seabed near the trench. The sensors could gather valuable military intelligence about signatures of ships that pass them.

The Diamantina Trench is too far away to be of obvious use for monitoring the approaches to HMAS Stirling, Australia’s sole submarine base and the main hub for future combined Australian, British and US submarine operations under AUKUS. It is also too deep for submarine operations. However, China reportedly has developed deep-sea surveillance networks that can operate in the extreme pressures of ocean trenches and use acoustic characteristics of the trenches to detect sounds from as far away as 1000km, including from passing ships and submarines. Listening devices are said to be attached to a seabed cable that is connected to a small buoy that in turn serves as a battery power source and relay for satellite communications. Around a decade ago, two arrays were reportedly laid in deep sea trenches near Guam and near Yap, an island in the Federated States of Micronesia. Since then, China’s sensing technology has continued to advance at an impressive pace.

The survey ship’s return visit to the Diamantina Trench after two years could be associated with a need to service or replace equipment and collect data gathered since 2023. Unfortunately, Australia has very limited capabilities for monitoring the seabed beyond its continental shelf, so it would likely be none the wiser if Tansuo Yi Hao deployed seabed devices during its current visit—or two years ago, for that matter.

To be sure, China’s deep-sea survey expeditions have economic and prestige motivations, which may even be preponderant. However, it would be foolhardy to discount the possibility that Tansuo Yi Hao and other specialised survey vessels are also used to support China’s naval ambitions.

China’s navy is probably interested in seabed mapping for its own future submarine operations, and while submersibles are able to map only limited areas, with emerging technologies they can do so in impressive detail.

In the public domain at least, it remains unclear whether Chinese submarines have previously operated south of Australia. But Tansuo Yi Hao’s two recent survey expeditions, taken together with China’s recent warship transit south about Australia, suggests Beijing’s strategic interest in Australia’s southern seaboard is rising. This is no surprise given the growing strategic importance of HMAS Stirling.

Australia must understand that China is paying it greater attention, in strategic terms, as a result of the AUKUS initiative and the developing footprint of the US force posture here. This is likely to motivate a more regular Chinese maritime presence in our vicinity, comprising not only military assets but dual-use capabilities such as survey ships. Assuming otherwise would be akin to burying our heads in the sand.

Euan Graham is a senior analyst at ASPI. Ray Powell is the director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project at Stanford University. He was the US defence attache to Australia from 2017 to 2020.

This article appears courtesy of The Strategist and may be found in its original form here. 

Top image: Tansuo Yi Hao (Kareen Schnabel / CC BY SA 4.0)

 

Six people are reported dead after a small helicopter crashed into the Hudson River on Thursday, according to local first responders. The victims included three children. 

At about 1515 hours, a helicopter went down in the Hudson near Pier 40 with six people aboard (early reports incorrectly reported five individuals). A bystander video circulating on social media appears to show the aircraft plummeting upside-down towards the water, its tail missing and its rotor visibly separated and trailing behind. 

The New York Fire Department and NYPD responded quickly to the scene, bringing response boats and dive teams. Six bodies were recovered from the wreckage, including the remains of the pilot. 

"Our rescue swimmers were in the water shortly after the call and recovered some of the victims," an FDNY spokesman said at a press conference Thursday afternoon. 

Hudson River Helicopter crash @fox5ny @ABC7 @NBCNewYork @CBSNewYork @njdotcom @News12NJ @CNN @cnnbrk

Credit: Bruce Wall pic.twitter.com/CVy249wApx

— SangriaUltra (@xpertcommander) April 10, 2025

Open-source flight tracking data suggests that the aircraft departed the downtown Manhattan heliport and was in the air for about 15 minutes before the crash. Aviation news sites have identified the aircraft as a Bell 206L4, registration number N216MH. The aircraft is registered to a private helicopter sales and leasing company headquartered in Louisiana, and the same helicopter appears in promotional materials for a New York-based flightseeing company. 

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the crash, in cooperation with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). At least one local lawmaker has called for more oversight. 

"This heartbreaking incident was not only devastating—it was foreseeable. For years, I have raised concerns about the dangers posed by non-essential helicopter flights over our city’s densely populated neighborhoods and congested airspace. One of the busiest skies in the nation remains largely unregulated, governed by outdated visual flight rules and minimal oversight. This is unacceptable," said Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) in a statement. 

 

On Tuesday, the Philippine Coast Guard helped put out a fire aboard a ro/ro during loading operations at the port of Abra de Ilog, about 70 nautical miles south of Manila.

At about 0900 hours Tuesday, the Roro Master 2 was loading passengers and cargo for a routine transit to Batangas, Luzon. A fire broke out in a generator on deck near the fantail, inside a vehicle bay. 33 passengers were on board at the time, along with 34 crewmembers and 21 trucks.  

Courtesy PCG

The Philippine Coast Guard outpost at Abra de Ilog responded to the scene after receiving a report of an ongoing fire. In the meantime, the ship's crew began firefighting measures, applying water to the burning generator. PCG officers worked with the local Philippine Ports Authority office to find extra firefighting equipment, but the situation was under control and the fire extinguished by 0920. 

No injuries or casualties were reported. The PCG has recommended detaining the vessel for a thorough safety inspection.  

Roro Master 2 is an open deck roll-on / roll-off cargo vessel with a bow ramp and a house-aft arrangement. It does not appear in international shipping databases, as is common for coastal vessels in Southeast Asian trades. 

 

American importers are beginning to delay or cancel orders in China due to the White House's new 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods - and some U.S. firms may even abandon import cargo on the dock because they can't afford to pay the extra duties, though the White House has promised an exemption for goods already in transit. 

Even before the latest hike, Chinese manufacturers faced a tariff of 20 percent from earlier White House actions. Many have already discounted their goods to the lowest profitable price in order to offset the effects. "It is a deal breaker," toy factory owner Chen Qingxin told the Wall Street Journal. "No room for doing business anymore, for both sides."

Given the effective doubling of their wholesale costs, American retailers are already beginning to cancel or defer orders. E-commerce giant Amazon began to revoke orders this week, according to Bloomberg, and has already canceled shipments of summer goods like air conditioners, beach chairs and scooters. 

Exporters in China are also adapting to a new reality. "All factory orders are suspended. Any goods that have not been loaded will be cancelled and goods that are already at sea will be re-priced," one manufacturing executive told SCMP. "The loss on each container we ship is now greater than the profit we used to make on two containers." He added that his firm has heard from at least one U.S. client that the goods would be abandoned on the dock when they arrived because the tariffs make them too expensive to sell.

"The major trend we see is shippers looking to not accept their freight," supply chain consultant Joseph Esteves told CNBC. "A lot of these companies are levered financially. They don’t have the working capital requirements and they don’t have the cash. So they simply cannot just take on this [tariff] and hope to see what happens."

The steep tariff on China may force U.S. importers to diversify their supply chains to other alternatives, like Cambodia and Vietnam, already popular options for the "China plus one" diversified sourcing strategy. But there is little chance that more low-end consumer goods will end up being produced in America, some in the supply chain business say. 

"They’re absolutely not going to go back to the United States," said Casey Barnett, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia, told CNBC. "I can’t imagine that Americans want to sit down and sew a pair of sweatpants for long hours of the day."

China has also imposed its own retaliatory tariff of 84 percent on U.S. goods, and the increased cost is expected to hit agricultural interests hard, particularly soybean farmers. U.S. manufacturers may also feel the effects of a slowdown. In California, a leading maker of CNC industrial machine tools - Haas Automation - has announced that it is scaling back hiring, production and overtime because of a "dramatic decrease in demand for our machine tools from both domestic and foreign customers."

 

As markets continue to fall on the news of a 145 percent tariff on all Chinese goods, the White House has quietly signaled that it will soften its plans for multimillion-dollar port fees on Chinese ships - fees that U.S. oil companies, exporters and farmers strongly opposed. 

Six sources with knowledge of the matter told Reuters that the White House may delay or reduce the fees proposed by the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). The head of the office, Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, confirmed Tuesday that some of the fees might not be put into action and might not be added together. 

The fees - which could have cost up to $3.5 million per port call for Chinese-built ships, under the original plan - drew protests from major domestic industries. The fees would have raised the cost of shipping for exporting oil, grain, machinery and other goods, making them less competitive or pricing them out of the global market, with broader effects on the U.S. economy. Some smaller U.S.-based carriers like Atlantic Container Line (ACL) warned that they would have to shut down American operations, and at least one major U.S. shipowner - Genco - said that it might cease calling in U.S. ports. Energy Products Partners, a leading U.S. midstream firm, warned that the fees would also have a devastating impact on oil and gas exports. If the fees take effect, "there will be no ‘drill baby drill’ [and] the ‘liquid gold’ under our feet would stay in the ground," EPP told Lloyd's List. 

Reuters' sources said that USTR had not considered all types and sizes of ships when it formulated the port fees. The multimillion-dollar flat-fee structure was designed only with the largest container ships in mind; the impacts on tankers, bulkers, ro/ros and smaller boxships were not taken into account before the policy proposal was released. Now that USTR is looking at the broader effects on shipping, the fee structure will likely be recalibrated based on vessel size, making it proportional to the amount of cargo carried.    

The administration's new executive order on revitalizing American maritime - a policy directive signed Tuesday - could be used as an alternative way to pursue USTR's domestic  objectives, instead of penalizing foreign-flag shipowners with fees on Chinese ships, according to World Shipping Council President & CEO Joe Kramek. 

"The Executive Order outlines several encouraging elements that reflect a serious focus on rebuilding the American maritime industry," Kramek said Thursday. "Measures to impose retroactive port fees would disadvantage all aspects of the supply chain - from consumers to farmers, from energy producers to manufacturers."

WSC previously raised the possibility of a legal challenge to USTR's fees. Last month, Kramek suggested that USTR's action was a plan to boost U.S. domestic shipbuilding, rather than a proposal to counter unfair trade practices. "Generating demand for domestic products and raising government revenue – whether to support a domestic industry or for other purposes – are not permissible bases for actions under Section 301," said Kramek in a statement last month, referring to the U.S. Trade Act of 1974. 

 

The world's major balances are changing rapidly as a result of changes in governments, regional tensions and fierce trade battles.

The great global institutions, the offspring of the last two world wars, are losing their credibility as the blocs decouple and the law of the strongest returns. Against this backdrop, it may be worth analysing these rapid changes and determining their current and future impact on the Gulf of Guinea and its neighbouring countries.

The center of global tensions is gradually shifting towards the Levant  and the Indo-Pacific. World trade is and will remain mainly maritime, and the importance of the Straits has been brought home to us in recent months. New partners are extending their spheres of influence (China, Turkey, Russia, Brazil, etc.), while others with longer histories are reducing their footprints (UK, France, Spain, Portugal).

Crises and rising regional antagonisms are diverting military resources away from the Gulf of Guinea towards emerging areas of tension (Baltic Sea, Eastern Mediterranean, Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, Persian Gulf and Western Pacific).

The Yaounde architecture was built following the technical agreement of 6 May 2009.  It was intended to be ambitious and to be based on existing structures (ECCAS/ECOWAS). In 2013, the Yaounde process initiated the construction of this interregional cooperation architecture based on an Interregional Coordination Centre (CIC Yaounde), two regional centres (CRESMAC & CRESMAO) and five multinational centers (MMCC A, D, E, F, G). The armed arm of the architecture, the CIC, was tasked with steering the joint maritime strategy between the various players in the zone, working on coordination, cooperation, interoperability and pooling.

The mission

The Yaounde Architecture (Y.A) was initially built around one main threat: maritime piracy.

While this threat was very prevalent around Nigeria and Cameroon, the epicenter of this criminal activity at the turn of the 2010/2020s, the peripheral states (countries in zones A, G & F) had very little to do with this problem.

This specific focus on maritime piracy led to a delay in the structuring and operational rallying of regional centers that were not, or were only marginally, involved (MMCC A, MMCC F, MMCC G). However, the coastal countries were faced with much wider threats in terms of type and impact (illegal fishing, illegal trafficking, pollution, etc).

The initial uniformity of the ‘Y.A. tool’ and the definition of initial missions and objectives thus slowed down the growth of this organization.

Resources

The Yaounde architecture must receive funding from the member countries to enable it to function properly. However, this initial agreement was never met, with economic crises affecting the majority of contributing countries.

These funding shortfalls have had a severe impact on the operation of the various centers due to a lack of material and human resources. Although significant progress has been made over the last 20 years, military maritime resources (ships, aircraft, personnel, intelligence resources) are still inadequate for the maritime areas to be controlled.

Coordination

Although there have been some notable successes in regional cooperation, coordination and cooperation are mainly affected by the general lack of resources. This cooperation is most effective in managing long-term crisis situations. It requires improvements in preventive cooperation and in post-incident management. However, this need is complex when it involves ships flying very different flags, international operators and crews, and transnational areas of activity. 

Bilateral partnerships have been set up on top of the Yaounde architecture for the benefit of countries in the same Y.A. zone or even countries belonging to different Y.A. zones. National administrations have also established links between state, regional or interregional structures, following the example of Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (GoG-MCF/SHADE).  Finally, the initial innovative initiatives set up in zone D (military vessels under TACON MMCC) have not been strengthened or replicated in other zones of the Yaounde architecture.

Cooperation

In view of these difficulties and the complexity of actions aimed at securing maritime areas, it is essential to determine the objectives to be pursued, the appropriate and financeable requirements needed to meet these objectives, and the mechanisms and timetables for implementation. This task is made all the more difficult by the fact that countries have more or less appropriate intelligence, deterrence and intervention resources at their disposal, that they face very different problems and threats, and that their internal resources are more or less constrained.

Numerous cooperation programs, whether financial, training, material or operational, are run by a wide range of partners: countries, unions of states and international organisations.

These programs, which sometimes run over several years, can occasionally ‘overwhelm’ the overall coherence expected at a national or regional level. Beneficiary countries may also be disoriented by the overlapping of disparate and incomplete procedures, concepts and resources, making it impossible to provide a simple, effective and coherent tool.

In 2023, ECCAS has convened a meeting in Kinshasa to redefine the strategic axes of the integrated policy for the seas and shared continental waters of ECCAS, as well as the strategy for the safety and security of vital interests at sea and in the shared continental waters of ECCAS Member States, thus marking the need to refresh and possibly reorientate regional policy in this area. This regional brainstorming should, in this context, probably involve two areas of reflection: first, on the primacy of initial interregional, regional or bilateral cooperation; and second, on the format, nature and points of application for this cooperation.

Francois Morizur is a maritime security expert.

 

[By Sophie Wushuang Yi]

China’s People’s Liberation Army last week deployed the aircraft carrier Shandong alongside 19 warships in military exercises encircling Taiwan. Initially conducted without an official codename – a departure from previous practice – these drills were later designated “Strait Thunder-2025A”, along with a signal of potential follow-up operations later this year.

These exercises occurred against a backdrop of deteriorating cross-Strait relations. Taiwan’s Lai Ching-te last month labelled China a “foreign hostile force” and announced plans to re-establish Taiwan’s peacetime military court system, marking a significant rhetorical escalation. The PLA exercises featured live-fire drills, simulated blockade operations, and unprecedented aerial incursions, occurring around the anniversary of the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act, a key US policy milestone.

The core of the issue is an unfinished civil war. China has consistently asserted that Taiwan is an integral part of its territory and views such military exercises as measures to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

What distinguishes this moment is the deliberate shift in presentation. Previously, major exercises including “Joint Sword” in 2023 were explicitly framed as exceptional responses to specific provocations. The eventual codename “Strait Thunder-2025A” given to the latest exercises suggests a transition from episodic responses to a more systematic approach to military pressure.

Particularly revealing was the release by the PLA Eastern Theatre Command of four military action posters, representing a comprehensive coercion strategy of “advancing”, “deterrence-containment”, “destruction-paralysis” and “lock-control”. The effort was psychological intimidation through show of force and the suggestion of encirclement.

This approach serves three objectives. First, it normalises substantial military activities in contested waters, gradually reshaping international expectations. Zhang Chi of China’s National Defence University confirmed this strategy, stating the unnamed approach has become “normal practice”. Such framing indicates Beijing’s intention to normalise its military activities around Taiwan.

Second, it allows China to incrementally increase pressure without triggering crisis-level responses that specially named operations might provoke. Chinese state television explained that the initial activities were deliberately not labelled as part of “Strait Thunder-2025A” to demonstrate the armed forces’ ability to adapt to rapidly evolving combat situations.

Third, it supports a sovereignty narrative by characterising exercises as routine domestic security operations.

The comparison to the 1995-1996 Taiwan Strait Crisis is instructive. Those exercises, codenamed “Strait 961” and involving missile tests near Taiwan’s ports, were explicitly identified as extraordinary events. The current approach represents an important evolution – no longer framing military pressure as exceptional but as the ordinary state of affairs.

Particularly significant was the integration of simulated “inspection and capture” operations against vessels – blending aspects of maritime interdiction with conventional military operations in a way that suggests preparation for enforcing territorial claims through military means. According to the PLA’s Eastern Theatre Command, the exercises focused on “identification and verification, warning and expulsion, and interception and detention” while testing troop capabilities in area control, joint blockade operations, and precision strikes on key targets.

Unlike previous themes emphasising “sword” imagery that connotes direct military action, the new strategic themes suggest a more comprehensive approach to control – combining psychological pressure with physical constraint through a systematic progression of military actions.

These military exercises reflect China’s enduring strategic commitment to national reunification rather than short-term tactical calculations. Notably, the prominent deployment of coast guard vessels for “law enforcement patrols” surrounding Taiwan represents a calculated strategic manoeuvre. This approach strategically signals Beijing’s assertion of these waters as “internal seas” under domestic Chinese jurisdiction, effectively militarising civilian maritime agencies in support of territorial claims.

China’s military activities beyond the first island chain have increased substantially since 2023, with notable growth in both naval deployments and aerial operations throughout the Western Pacific. This marked escalation reflects a significant evolution in Beijing's approach to regional power projection, moving from occasional demonstrations to persistent maritime presence.

All this coincides with the return of Donald Trump to the White House, where his reputation for a transactional foreign policy – emphasising bilateral deals and cost-benefit calculations over traditional alliance structures – potentially complicates America’s longstanding strategic ambiguity regarding Taiwan. His administration’s focus on reducing foreign military commitments while pushing allies to increase defence spending creates a space that Beijing appears eager to test.

These exercises may represent a calculated probe by China of Trump’s intentions. The nomenclature adopted to describe the exercises, along with the scale, might be a test for an administration emphasising deal-making over ideological confrontation.

Sophie Wushuang Yi is a Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow at Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, specialising in international relations, military and strategic studies, and China’s foreign policy. She earned her PhD in Chinese Studies Research from King’s College London, where she explored military transparency and strategic dynamics in US-China relations.

This article appears courtesy of The Lowy Interpreter and may be found in its original form here. 

[By: MAN Energy Solutions]

The Royal Niestern Sander shipyard in the Netherlands has ordered 2 × MAN 16V175D MEM engines (2,400 kW_m/1,800 rpm) in connection with the building of an MPV (Multi-Purpose Vessel) vessel – ‘Easymax 5’ – for Dutch outfit, Wagenborg Operator. The engines will be employed as GenSets for power generation aboard the purpose-built CO₂ carrier, which will be employed in the offshore, substrate storage of CO₂.

The vessel will be the fifth under the EasyMax concept jointly developed by Wagenborg and Niestern Sander with a cargo capacity of 14,000 tons. It will ultimately be chartered by Ineos, Denmark and the 175D engines are scheduled for delivery during 2025.

The CO₂ for storage will come from a bio-gas plant in Denmark, from where it will be transported to Esbjerg on the Danish west coast for loading aboard the vessel before proceeding to the Greensand storage site in the Danish North Sea. The MAN 175D GenSets are intended to give the Easymax 5’s CO₂ pump and DP2 systems more power during discharge into offshore storage.

Bart Speckens, Regional Sales Manager, MAN Energy Solutions, said: “This order represents a new type of reference for the 175D. In general, 175D is a versatile engine with the lowest environmental footprint and operating costs in its class due to its high fuel-efficiency and long service-intervals. We’re proud to be involved in such a crucial project that ultimately will sequester millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide from hard-to-abate industries.”

In keeping with its slogan of ‘Moving Big Things to Zero’, MAN Energy Solutions provides the shipping industry with green engines that can operate on climate-neutral fuels, but also offers the actual carbon-capture-and-processing technologies essential for global industry to achieve net zero. Once captured, CO₂ can be stored and reused to form the backbone of a circular carbon economy. Of the 18 large-scale facilities currently in commercial operation globally, fully eight employ MAN CO₂ compression technology.

About the MAN 175D engine
MAN Energy Solutions developed the MAN 175D engine range to supplement and complete its product portfolio in the maritime sector. Available in three variants of 12-, 16- and 20-cylinders, the engine is available with an output ranging from 1,500 to 4,400 Kilowatts and is optimised for propelling ferries, offshore support ships, tugs and other working vessels. Other market areas, such as superyachts, planing yachts and naval marine applications are also served by additional engine variants.

The 175D is also an extremely eco-friendly engine, having been designed from the outset for low fuel consumption, coupled with compliance to the latest exhaust-gas-emission standards and considering as well future-fuel requirements where it is already cleared for operation on biofuels such as FAME and HVO.

[By: Babcock]

Babcock International Group (Babcock) has been awarded a c.£65 million, five-ship contract to deliver the Capability Insertion Period (CIP) for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN) Type 31 frigates being built by the company at its Rosyth facility in Scotland.

The CIP adds crucial capabilities that will support the ships throughout their life and includes the insertion, testing and enhancement of a number of upgrades that will enhance the Type 31’s military capability.

The activities will take place at Babcock’s facility in Rosyth, utilising the expertise and experience of the skilled team.

Paul Watson, Arrowhead Managing Director, Babcock, said: “This new contract provides additional military capability for the vessels beyond the initial design and build contract.

“The detailed knowledge that we have of these ships, combined with our forward-thinking design, will enable an efficient installation and through-life support of the systems and equipment.

“As the design and build partner, Babcock is expertly placed to provide the know-how and technical information to deliver these important activities in the development of the ships through the CIP.

“We are proud of the role we play alongside our customer – their mission is our mission.” 

Steven Perry, Type 31 Project Manager at DE&S, said: “We are pleased to have awarded Babcock the CIP contract for the Type 31 fleet. This contract will deliver capability upgrades that go beyond the vessel build specification, delivering Type 31 frigates to the Royal Navy that will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global security.”

Babcock, awarded the design and build contract in November 2019, is supporting the Royal Navy’s mission to deter aggression and maintain the security of the UK’s interests by delivering the next generation of Royal Navy warships. The Type 31 will be at the heart of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, working alongside the UK’s allies to deliver a UK presence across the globe.

[By: Accenture]

Fincantieri, a global leader in complex shipbuilding, and Accenture (NYSE: ACN), one of the world’s leading professional services companies, have signed an agreement to establish Fincantieri Ingenium, a new joint venture. The company will be owned 70% by Fincantieri NexTech – a subsidiary of the Fincantieri Group – and 30% by Accenture. The initiative stems from a Memorandum of Understanding signed in July 2024 and combines Fincantieri’s technological expertise in the naval sector with Accenture’s advanced digital capabilities and digital engineering and manufacturing expertise. The project is subject to customary regulatory clearances.

Fincantieri Ingenium has been created to accelerate digital transformation across the cruise, defense, and port infrastructure sectors. It will play a key role in executing the strategy outlined in Fincantieri Group’s Industrial Plan. The goal is to enhance the offering of digital services and systems based on recent advances in technologies such as artificial intelligence by optimizing the entire value chain through data utilization and process transformation.

The joint venture will integrate Accenture’s extensive experience in digital platforms, AI, connectivity and IoT, cybersecurity, and service design with Fincantieri’s deep technological know-how in the naval and defense industries. This powerful combination will enable the development of new technological capabilities and skills, while also attracting and training new talent.

Among the first strategic initiatives of the new company is the development of Navis Sapiens, a digital ecosystem designed for next-generation ships and the upgrade of existing fleets. The project spans three key dimensions: the creation of a portfolio of application services to optimize operational efficiency and lifecycle management for ships and onshore infrastructure; the development of a digital platform enabling these applications and advanced AI-driven functionalities, with a strong focus on cybersecurity; and a marketplace to facilitate the exchange of solutions - including those from third parties - to deliver high value-added services and enable new business models across the maritime ecosystem. The first ship equipped with Navis Sapiens is expected to enter service by the end of 2025.

In synergy with Navis Sapiens, the joint venture also plans to enhance real-time data exchange and connectivity between ships and onshore ecosystems - including ports and shipyards - through a sea-to-shore interoperability solution to increase cross-functional process efficiency. This project will help improve the competitiveness of Italian ports by optimizing performance across the entire maritime and land-based value chain.

All initiatives will be promoted with sustainability as a core pillar. The systems will be designed to reduce environmental impact through data-driven energy optimization, supporting shipowners in reducing fuel consumption. The initiatives already underway, as well as those to come, will generate significant value for Fincantieri, the national maritime ecosystem, and the country as a whole, with a positive impact on a global scale.

Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO and General Manager of Fincantieri, said: "With Fincantieri Ingenium, we strengthen our leadership position in technological innovation applied to shipbuilding and the naval engineering industry. This joint venture represents a strategic step forward in accelerating the digitalization of the sector, leveraging artificial intelligence and the most advanced technologies. Thanks to the synergy with Accenture, we will develop cutting-edge solutions that will make our ships and infrastructures increasingly connected, efficient and sustainable, consolidating Fincantieri's role as a global leader in the sector."

Teodoro Lio, MU Lead for ICEG and CEO of Accenture Italy, commented: “We are excited about this joint venture with Fincantieri, which marks a significant step forward in maritime innovation and is a tangible example of collaboration between two organizations committed to transforming the market and creating new value. With Fincantieri Ingenium, we are combining our respective strengths to shape new operating models that will transform maritime operations through innovative technologies.”

[By: ClassNK]

ClassNK has issued an approval in principle (AiP) for an Onboard Carbon Capture and Storage system (OCCS) developed by Mitsubishi Shipbuilding. The certification confirms its feasibility from regulatory and safety perspectives.

Interest in CO2 capture the method from exhaust gases is growing alongside fuel conversion as part of efforts to reduce GHG emissions from ships. In response, the development of OCCS is progressing. To support the smooth development and introduction of related technologies, ClassNK has published the 'Guidelines for Shipboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems' as a subset of the ClassNK Transition Support Services. This guideline outlines safety requirements for OCCS and its installation on ships.

ClassNK reviewed the design of the system based on 'Guidelines for Shipboard CO2 Capture and Storage Systems'. Upon confirming compliance with the prescribed requirements, ClassNK issues an AiP.

ClassNK will continually strive to contribute to advanced decarbonization initiatives through safety assessments and more.

Charles B. Robertson is the President and CEO of river cruise leader American Cruise Lines, and he recently spoke to TME editor-in-chief Tony Munoz about the company's history and his own journey as an executive. 

Welcome, Charlie! Tell us about yourself – how you grew up and prepared to one day run the family business.

It's been a lifelong preparation, really. I literally grew up with the company, which my parents started before I was born. We were in the dinner and excursion boat business back then on the Connecticut River and they were just getting back into the overnight cruise business.

I grew up on the boats, and it was a unique childhood. I fell in love with the business before I ever knew it was a business or that it had a lot of growth potential. It was just a great thing to do in the summers and on weekends during the school year. I have two brothers and they were the same way. We all kind of found different niches in the company.

Where did you go to school? Did you go to one of the maritime academies?

No, I went the standard college route and have a little bit of Ivy in me, but not so much that I forgot how to work. Like a lot of people in the company, I went to the "School of American Cruise Lines."

Cool. Tell us about your Dad. He was a legend in the industry and in many ways the founder of river cruising in America. What was his vision in founding the company? How did it all start and work? He was way ahead of his time.

Yes, he really was. He was a pioneer. He was a fighter, and he fought for whatever he believed in. He was sort of fortunate to find maritime and the cruise business back in the Seventies, long before the cruise industry had taken off in any material way. He had been a captain on ferries, so he knew what he was doing around boats, but he didn't have any business background.

Give us a brief overview of the company and how it evolved over the last 50+ years.

My parents started American Cruise Lines in 1973, but they were more about shipbuilding until 2000 when the cruise line started taking off. They had one ship in 2000 and a second ship in 2003. They were each only 49 passengers. So we were a really small company when I was in high school and working on the boats. Everybody did everything back then and we just grew organically, slowly expanding into the fleet of ships that we have today.

How many ships do you have now?

We have 21 and nine more under construction.

Do you and your brothers own the company?

We do. We're a hundred percent family-owned and love it that way. It keeps us very nimble. It keeps us very grounded, and we care unbelievably about the company. It's pretty unique. We love being private and have a lot of fun with it. I mean, we can really manage the business the way we think is best.

That family feeling extends to the ships and is part of why people love our product so much. Even though it's now a sophisticated environment onboard, it still feels family-like. The way people get to know one another, passengers among themselves and passengers and crew, is very genuine. The whole operation, from the way we run excursions to cocktail hours and onboard entertainment, is designed to be about one another and the experiences we share in extraordinary places.

Wow, very cool! Who came up with the cocktail hour idea?

My parents did. We've had them from the beginning, and that nightly event is so important to the camaraderie onboard. We're absolutely adamant not to have any point-of-sale displays on board. There's no cash registers on board. There's no traditional separation that you would have between the person serving you and the guest. Everything's free. It's all premium drinks and high-end hors d'oeuvres, and everything is face-to-face. It's a very genuine, family-like experience. And that's what we want to create.

Tell us about your employees. How many do you have and where do they come from? How do you train them?

We have about 2,500 and they come from all 50 states. They're all Americans, and they all go to our facility in Salt Lake City for training. They get a very consistent training program there and are then deployed around the fleet.

People can come in without any real experience, get trained and then get started in deck or housekeeping or food service roles and grow with us. Some of our best managers have been hired on after their initial employment period with us as a server, for instance. They come back and they do great because that's how most of us got started.

I joke that I went to the School of American Cruise Lines, but so many of our executives did the same thing. We started our careers here and grew. So you see this really interesting longevity and progression in people's careers that's rare in many companies.

What about the mariners and deck officers? They went to the academies, correct?

They come from the academies, the oil patch, and out of the military, but we also make a lot of officers. Take someone young who's never been at sea before. They can get on board as a deckhand with us, build their time in getting a license – we'll put them through a licensing program – then they can apply to be a mate. And that's actually the track I took myself, but later shifted into the office.

Are you a captain?

I am, but I don't sail as a captain. I have the license for it, but I respect the position too much to make myself captain. It takes years of experience at sea to truly be able to handle any situation. As much time as I've spent on board, I don't have that yet. I'm a well-qualified mate and would sail as a mate.

Tell us about the shipyard – Chesapeake Shipbuilding. When did that come along?

It was around 1980, and it's sort of the most fun part of the business. We were, in a way, shipbuilders first. My Dad had worked in shipyards, and when he started his own business he wanted to build his own ships. My parents found the shipyard property that we have now in Salisbury, Maryland. At the time, it was just an abandoned piece of industrial property – abandoned after World War II – but it had the right bulkhead to build on.

It's taken off a lot from there, even in just the last few years. We now have hull fabrication buildings. We have plasma tables, robotic welding equipment, all these different things that really allow us to build ships at the pace we are now. We also have a team of Marine engineers and naval architects on staff who design everything we build.

As the operator, builder, and designer, we have a seamless communication flow between the operational wish list and the construction reality. Understanding both the operation and the construction really helps us see how each ship can be better and how the latest technology can be incorporated into the design.

Each ship is designed specifically for its region in the U.S. with its bridges, its lock systems, its water depths, but also in a regulatory sense. They comply with the latest Coast Guard and EPA requirements in a way that no other passenger vessels in the world really have to. We're very proud to be pioneering this application of technology in some of the most environmentally sensitive areas in the country.

Who's your target demographic? Who are the people you market to?

Our market is older, affluent Americans. Well-traveled people. They're often cruisers who've been around the world. Now they want to explore their own backyard a little bit, and they want to relax. They want to learn something. They want to move on from the mass luxury that exists around the hospitality space generally to a more intimate, sophisticated atmosphere.

Our product is designed to appeal to that luxury traveler and provide them a venue and an experience they would never expect to find in the U.S. I mean, it's unbelievable to be in a luxury hotel cruising through the Snake River canyons or the Ohio River locks. It's just an extraordinary experience. We're really creating these domestic cruise markets and adding routes that no one's done before.

So, our marketing program is as robust as it is because we're really educating people that you can get a ship into these places and you can have an experience that you thought was only available on European riverboats. It's as much about education as it is about promotion. And it works because we bring people who graduate from other areas of the cruise industry and move into our product.

We have a local expert on every cruise, usually a historian of some kind who has a real background in the region we're visiting and gives daily presentations on each destination. We feature local cuisine and local wines and local entertainment. We also offer at least three different shore excursions at each stop. So passengers are immersed in the history and culture of the region.

What's your biggest challenge right now? What keeps you up at night?

What keeps me up at night is all these ships running. We have people at sea and we have machinery running 365 days a year. And that means we always have to stay sharp. We always have to be prudent in our operations and always have to be ready for whatever comes next. Growth is also a challenge, but it's a blast and we just want to keep absorbing all the potential we see in the market.

Awesome. Any final message for our readers?

"Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly" – that's been our slogan from the beginning and it's a fantastic slogan because perfection is a high bar. You can always be better. It forces you to keep evaluating yourself, keep changing, keep trying to be better. It also speaks directly to our mission to share America's story on the finest American ships.

Tony Munoz is The Maritime Executive's publisher and editor-in-chief. 

 

MSC Cruises celebrated the entry of the MSC World America, one of the largest cruise ships in the world, into service with a spectacular event in Miami, Florida on Wednesday, April 9. It comes as the cruise line, which is already the largest in Europe, is further expanding its presence in the North American market including its largest deployment to date in 2026-2027.

The MSC World America was delivered by Chantiers de l’Atlantique on March 27 as the second of a planned four-ship class. At the same time, assembly began on the third cruise ship, MSC World Asia, which will enter service in late 2026 in the Mediterranean. Steel cutting also began for MSC World Atlantic which will be delivered in 2027 and will begin sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida. The class began with MSC World Europa delivered in 2022.

At 216,638 gross tons, MSC World America is one of a few cruise ships to currently exceed the 200,000 gross ton threshold. MSC became the second cruise company to reach the mark with this class after Royal Caribbean International. Later this year, Disney Cruise Line will also deploy Disney Adventure which will be 208,000 gross tons, and both Carnival Cruise Line and Norwegian Cruise Line have ordered ships that will exceed this size threshold being built by Fincantieri.

 

Arrival in PortMiami on Monday, April 7 (courtesy PortMiami)

 

MSC World America is 1,094 feet in length (333 meters) with 2,614 passenger cabins. The ship accommodates 6,762 passengers and has 2,138 crew. Like all modern cruise ships, it offers a wide array of amenities, including 19 dining venues and 18 bars and lounges. There is an outdoor water park with an over-water swing and ropes course, as well as both interior and exterior promenades with bars, cafes, and shops. The line highlights the additions of a sports bar, comedy club, and an outdoor family entertainment area among the efforts to tailor the ship to the American market.

The naming celebration included appearances by music stars Mark Anthony, Gloria Estefan, and Kimberly Davis. At the naming ceremony Drew Barrymore and Orlando Bloom, who are in MSC’s new branding advertisement “Lets Holiday” appeared and Barrymore was the ship’s godmother. The evening was capped off by a drone show over the MSC World America before sailing to the Bahamas on a preview cruise. The ship starts commercial service on Saturday, April 12, sailing year-round from Miami.

 

During Miami drone show (Allan Jordan)

 

The ship is the latest in the cruise line’s expansion in the North American market. MSC is using four homeports, Miami, Port Canaveral, Galveston, and New York, plus scheduling its first cruises to Alaska from Seattle. The 2026-2027 season will include a total of seven ships cruising in North America.

As another part of the expansion, the group officially opened what they are calling the world’s largest cruise terminal in PortMiami with nearly 500,000 square feet and the ability to process 36,000 passengers per day. Designed by Arquitectonia and built by Fincantieri Infrastructure at a cost reported between $400 and $500 million (including $186 million from PortMiami), it can handle three large cruise ships at one time and will be the terminal for both MSC Cruises and its luxury brand Explora Journeys. Among the advanced technologies in use will be biometrics to speed up the handling of passengers.

 

(courtesy MSC Cruises)

 

MSC Cruises highlights that MSC World America is the company’s 23rd cruise ship. In approximately 20 years, the group has built 19 cruise ships at Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Fincantieri using five prototypes. In addition to the two ships under construction in France, MSC’s Explora brand has four cruise ships being built in Italy. During tonight’s presentation, Chief Executive Officer of MSC Cruises, Gianni Onorato, said the family-owned business has promised to build even more cruise ships.