Imagery widely reported in social media has shown the deployment of an EL/M-2084 radar within the grounds of an Emirati military base at Bosaso, in Somalia’s Puntland region.

The Israeli-manufactured and widely exported EL/M-2084 radar has a 290-mile surveillance range.  Mounted on a berm built for the purpose to give it extra range, the radar has the capability to detect, locate and track the full range of missile, aircraft and drone targets across the full width of the Gulf of Aden, from Aden in the west to well beyond Mukulla in the east. This is a sea area through which the currently under-used Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor passes.

Until recently this was an area in which the Houthis mounted a large number of attacks, but whether through lack of targets or the effectiveness of US air operations against the Houthis’ missile and drone infrastructure, such attacks are much diminished in recent months. Reflecting monitoring by UKMTO in Dubai, the main threat in the area now appears to come from low-level Somali-based pirates.

My friend @Dinlas3 found the coordination of the Israeli-made ELM-2084 3D AESA Multi-Mission Radar (MMR) with Multi-Beam Operation near the UAE's Bosaso Air Base, northeast Somalia, also known as Puntland.

???? 11°16'16.5"N 49°06'28.3"E https://t.co/XvshvTmUxn pic.twitter.com/mFRPplQzIO

— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) April 14, 2025

The EL/M-2084 emplacement at Bosaso, visible in Google Earth (@OSINTWarfare)

The EL/M-2084 is a particularly effective radar, as noted by its export success with ‘front line’ nations such as Azerbaijan, Finland, and India. Used at longer ranges for air surveillance, at shorter ranges it can be used for acquisition purposes, tied into air defense systems such as Iron Dome.

EL/M-2084 surveillance coverage of the Gulf of Aden (Google Earth/CJRC)

Bosaso is one of a string of Emirati light-footprint bases which the UAE maintains to cover the Gulf of Aden and approaches to the Red Sea. The presence of Emirati bases at Bosaso and at Hadibo airport on the island of Socotra is de facto acknowledged by the respective host governments.  The status of recently-constructed airfields and associated possible surveillance facilities on the islands of Perim, at the southern entrance to the Red Sea and at Abd Al Kuri, is more contested. 

The UAE has not formally acknowledged its military presence at any of these facilities, nor for any in North Africa. Whilst a single EL/M-2084 radar at Bosaso is effective enough on its own, if it were networked with other such systems on Perim and on Abd Al Kuri, the surveillance coverage would intersect and overlap, providing corroboration and triangulation of targets detected, and hence greater precision. However, even the best surveillance on its own is of limited value, unless linked in with systems which can respond, and there is no evidence of active air defense systems being positioned to cover these areas.

 

Iran has announced plans to target the bunker fuel market in the Persian Gulf, with mounting sanctions limiting its global oil trade. Last week saw a fresh round of sanctions by the U.S government, aimed at slowing Iranian oil exports to China. With these market barriers, Iran sees an opportunity in expanding bunker fuel services at Qeshm Island.

According to a report by the state-controlled Fars news, the Iranian government wants to build four major refineries in Qeshm, each with a capacity of processing 140,000 barrels of oil per day. This hoped-for project is intended to increase the supply of bunker fuel and gasoline at the island’s terminals. No timelines were provided for the project.

The Salakh port, located to the south of the island, is already supplying 50,000 metric tons of bunker fuel to ships. The first phase of the bunkering terminal at the port came online back in 2017.

With the new refineries, the Iranian government said that the bunker capacity will increase to 750,000 metric tons per month. In addition, there is a long-term project to increase the Island’s storage capacity to 100 million barrels of oil.

Based on the island’s strategic location in the Strait of Hormuz (a transit route for over 20 percent of the global trade), Iran believes that Qeshm is poised to capture a larger share of over $30 billion in bunkering revenues generated in the region. In a year, more than 50,000 ships operate within the Persian Gulf for trade and energy services. Iran hopes that a bunkering hub in Salakh port would be competitive with Fujairah, which is the top bunker spot in the Gulf region.

China is pushing back hard on the White House's proposal for port fees on Chinese tonnage, which would make it much more expensive for specific classes of vessel to call in the U.S. The fees would make American port calls uneconomical for Chinese owners and operators, who would face charges that would peak at $140 per net ton per visit to the United States.

"The US measures fully expose the unilateralist and protectionist nature of its policies," said China's commerce ministry in a statement Friday. "They seriously harm the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies, disrupt the stability of the global supply and production chain, violate World Trade Organization rules, and undermine the rules-based multilateral trading system and international economic and trade order."

The China Shipowners' Association (CSA) joined in, urging the U.S. to stop all "discriminatory measures" and abide by global trade rules. The association also rejected USTR's accusations of unfair competition.

Chinese ownership is not the only target of the fee structure; it is primarily aimed at Chinese shipbuilders, and any Chinese-built ship is subject to charges. If not owned by Chinese interests, any laden Chinese-built ship would be charged $50 per net ton per visit to the U.S. - or, for container ships, $120 per import container discharged (if a higher dollar value). Compared to USTR's previous proposal, this is relatively affordable, and has been well-received in some corners of the liner industry. And with a new exemption for vessels on a ballast voyage, Chinese-built tankers, LNG carriers, offshore service vessels and bulkers may be able to escape the charge altogether when arriving empty in the U.S., as these vessel classes often do. 

Though these fees are much lower than initially proposed, the China Association of National Shipbuilding Industry (CANSI) hit back at the announcement of charges targeting its members' products, calling the USTR's proposal a trade rule violation and a threat to the development of international shipping. 

Car carriers built anywhere outside of the U.S. - whether in China, Korea, Japan or Europe - would also be subject to a flat charge of $150 per car equivalent unit of capacity, even when arriving empty. For a large car carrier arriving at an East Coast port, this implies an additional fee of more than $1 million for every visit. American exporters of roll-on/roll-off cargo would be affected, including U.S. OEMs like John Deere, Caterpillar, GM, Toyota and Mercedes, which all export vehicles from U.S. factories to the global market. 

Vessels owned in the U.S. or enrolled in U.S. sealift subsidy programs are exempt from the fees, as are vessels on shortsea voyages. 

 

It started small, like all great ventures, with a single sightseeing boat on the Connecticut River in 1970, and grew from there. Eventually a shipyard was added, then more vessels and more itineraries as the concept of river cruising in the U.S. began to slowly catch on.

The concept was long established in Europe, where riverboats – essentially extended barges – were common sights on the Rhine and Danube and Europe's other great rivers for decades, and Americans were eager customers. It took the vision and determination of one man – Charles A. Robertson, whose three sons now run the company – to make it a reality in the U.S.

Others had tried and failed, and today American Cruise Lines (ACL) is not only America's largest cruise line with 21 ships operating solely in the U.S. and nine more on order, it's also the only 100 percent American-flagged cruise line. It's pioneered itineraries all over the U.S. – from coastal New England in the East to the Columbia and Snake rivers in the West and everything in between. And it's pioneered and built new vessels to sail them, creating in the process the modern American riverboat.

You've probably seen the company's ads on TV or gotten one of its brochures in the mail. "Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly®" is its slogan, and it's not far from the truth. "Perfection is a high bar," says President & CEO Charles B. Robertson, "and that's why it's so perfect. It keeps us striving to improve every day."

LEARNING THE HARD WAY

Robertson says the first thing he had to do when he took over the company in early 2020, following his father's death, was "shut it down." Covid was raging, and everything had come to a halt.

"Even my skeptics didn't think I would kill it that fast," he quips. "We had to figure it out on the fly. It was like the early days of the company when everything was new and everyone did whatever needed to be done."

ACL got through 2020 and 2021 and was smart about how it managed bookings and revenue and kept selling tickets. Importantly, the shipyard never shut down – Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, Maryland – and that paid off when the company quickly began running again, meeting the boom in cruising that came after the pandemic lifted.

"We were able to take advantage of the rebound because we kept building," Robertson explains. "But I think more important than that is what it meant to all the people in both companies – Chesapeake and ACL. We kept people working and it was the clearest possible demonstration of commitment to the business. We were building ships, delivering them into layup and just waiting until we had our moment to get started again."

The company has been on a tear ever since, building new ships at the rate of three a year and feeding them into a market that's growing by leaps and bounds.

SHARING AMERICA'S STORY

The name itself, American Cruise Lines, the names of the ships, and the company's red, white and blue color scheme are no accident.

"My parents truly believed that their story and the way they founded the company was only possible in America," Robertson says. "We're an incredibly patriotic company. And the more I travel on our ships exploring America, the more patriotic and the more excited I get about it. We have such an extraordinary history, and it's so much fun to explore it and to share it with people."

You can follow the path of Lewis & Clark as they traveled down the Snake and Columbia rivers to the Pacific Ocean, or sail the Mississippi in a modern paddlewheeler the way Mark Twain did, or take an autumn foliage cruise up the Hudson River in New York, or get close to a glacier in Alaska – with more than 50 different itineraries to choose from.

The company keeps innovating new destinations and itineraries that celebrate the American experience and history and culture and appeal to its target audience: affluent Baby Boomers. It's an elevated, all-inclusive experience with spacious staterooms (much larger than on ocean cruise ships), gourmet food, curated excursions and no more than 180 passengers per vessel. There are no pools, no casinos, no prepaid beverage packages (drinks are free), no overpriced shore tours and no nickel-diming.

The company is distinguished as much by what it is not as by what it is, and it's not for everyone. "It's not like where you would go with your family on a big ship," says Robertson. "What the big ships do is add a lot of value to a lot of vacationers' experiences. It's just not at all what we're trying to be."

PROJECT BLUE

First announced in early 2022 as the pandemic ebbed, Project Blue – a new series of 12 small ships for the U.S. river cruise market – inaugurated the company's current growth phase and marked the beginning of a new chapter in its history. It was also the largest order of U.S.-built cruise ships in decades.

The new ships – 100-passenger Coastal Cats and 125-passenger Patriot Class vessels – provide the luxury of river cruising with the access and expanded itinerary options of expedition cruising. Their unique design enables the company to continue adding new cruises all over the U.S., particularly on protected waterways along the coasts like in Florida where several new ships have been recently added.

All the Project Blue ships – like the existing fleet – feature state-of-the-art design and environmentally friendly technology that includes using ultra-low sulfur fuel, advanced wastewater management and emission-control systems, and cold ironing (plugging into shore power when docked), among many other sustainability initiatives.

"It's all part of our commitment to operating responsibly in the environmentally sensitive areas we visit," says Robertson. "We're doing a lot with Tier IV now, for instance, and it's a challenge, but it's also pretty exciting what the new technology can do."

Two of the Coastal Cats (American Eagle and American Glory) were introduced in 2023 and two more (American Liberty and American Legend) in 2024. This year the first two Patriot Class ships will be launched – American Patriot and American Pioneer.

"The shipyard is really powering our growth," notes Robertson. "We've put a lot into it to ramp up production as much as we have." Investments in technology and manpower have allowed the yard to increase production from one to three ships per year.

SMALL SHIP CRUISING DONE PERFECTLY

The company has an extraordinary repeat rate among customers, testimony to how much they love the product. The fact that it's family-owned and has a family-like feeling on board is part of the magic. It's a winning formula, all right, and after 50+ years the future has never looked brighter. Happy sailing!

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

 

[By Albert Palazzo]

For more than a century, Australia has followed the same defence policy: dependence on a great power. This was first the United Kingdom and then the United States.

Without properly considering other options, successive federal governments have intensified this policy with the AUKUS agreement and locked Australia into dependency on the US for decades to come.

A more imaginative and innovative government would have investigated different ways to achieve a strong and independent national defence policy.

One that, for instance, didn’t require Australia to surrender its sovereignty to a foreign power. Nor require the acquisition of fabulously expensive nuclear-powered submarines and the building of overpriced, under-gunned surface warships, such as the Hunter frigates.

In fact, in an age of rapidly improving uncrewed systems, Australia does not need any crewed warships or submarines at all.

Instead, Australia should lean into a military philosophy that I describe in my upcoming book, The Big Fix: Rebuilding Australia’s National Security. This is known as the “strategic defensive”.

What is the strategic defensive?

The strategic defensive is a method of waging war employed throughout history, although the term’s use only dates to the early 19th century.

It doesn’t require a state to defeat its attacker. Rather, the state must deny the aggressor the ability to achieve their objectives.

The strategic defensive best suits “status quo states” like Australia. The people of status quo states are happy with what they have. Their needs can be met without recourse to intimidation or violence.

These states also tend to be militarily weak relative to potential aggressors, and aren’t aggressors themselves.

In short: if war eventuates, Australia’s only goal is to prevent a change to the status quo.

In this way, strategic defensive would suit very well as the intellectual foundation of Australia’s security policy.

Strong reasons for a strategic defensive approach

There are also sound military and technological reasons why Australia should frame its security around the strategic defensive.

First, defence is the naturally stronger position in war, compared to attack.

It is harder to capture ground (including sea and airspace) than it is to hold it. All aggressors must attack into the unknown, bringing their support with them. Defenders, by contrast, can fall back onto a known space and the provisions it can supply.

Military thinkers generally agree that to succeed in war, an attacker needs a three-to-one strength advantage over the defender.

And the wide water moat surrounding the Australian continent greatly complicates and increases the cost of any aggressor’s effort to harm us.

Australia could also use weapons now available to enhance the inherent power of being the defending side. Its task need only be making any attack prohibitively expensive, in terms of equipment and human life.

Long-range strike missiles and drones, combined with sensors, provide the defending nation with the opportunity to create a lethal killing zone around it. This is what China has done in the East and South China Seas.

Australia can do the same by integrating missiles, drones and uncrewed maritime vessels with a sensor network linked to a command-control-targeting system.

Missiles and drones are a better buy when compared to the nuclear-powered submarines Australia hopes to acquire from the United States, as well as the warships – including more submarines – the government plans to build in the Osborn and Henderson shipyards.

And most importantly, they are available now.

A smarter strategy

A defensive network also makes strategic sense for Australia, unlike the planned AUKUS nuclear-powered submarines. Australia has no need to operate in distant waters, such as those off the coast of China.

In addition, Australia can afford so few vessels that their deterrence effect is not credible. Missiles and drones are vastly cheaper, meaning Australia can buy them in the thousands.

Australia is making the mistake of focusing on the platform – expensive ships and planes – rather than the effect needed: the destruction of a potential enemy with swarms of weapons.

In fact, the age of large crewed warships, both on and below the sea, is coming to an end. Long-range strike technology means the sea can now be controlled from the land. Rapidly improving sensors make it impossible for attackers to hide on, below or above the surface of the ocean.

A better bet would be for Australia to invest in uncrewed surface and sub-surface maritime vessels to patrol its approaches, as well as large numbers of land-based launchers and missiles.

For a small power such as Australia, investing in this makes more sense than a small, bespoke number of extremely expensive and vulnerable warships.

It’s not too late to rethink

It is clear Australian leaders have decided to intensify Australia’s dependence on the US rather than seeking to create a military capable of securing the nation on our own .

The cost is nigh-on ruinous in terms of not just money, but also the entanglement in foreign-led wars and potential reputational loss.

Perhaps worst of all, the nation is making itself into a target – possibly a nuclear target – if war between the US and China was to eventuate.

This need not have been the outcome of the government’s recent defence reviews. But it’s not too late to rethink.

By adopting a different military philosophy as the guide for its security decision-making, Australia could manage its security largely on its own.

This only requires leaders with a willingness to think differently.

Albert Palazzo is Adjunct Professor in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at UNSW-Canberra. Formerly he was the long-serving Director of War Studies for the Australian Army.

This is the first piece in a series on the future of defence in Australia, and appears here courtesy of The Conversation. The original may be found here. 

 

New on-scene footage from the Houthi-controlled port of Ras Isa shows that last week's airstrike destroyed not only the installation, but also dozens of the commercial tanker trucks that served it. The imagery suggests that most of northwestern Yemen will have difficulty obtaining fuel for the foreseeable future, either for military or civilian purposes. 

Imagery released on social media shows that the attack destroyed about eight storage tanks and multiple truck marshalling areas. One product tanker remained Med-moored at the quayside after the attack, while the port's finger piers had emptied out. The quays have impact craters, but the piers do not appear to have been targeted.

Following last night’s bombings of the #RasIsa fuel terminal in western #Yemen by US Armed Forces, we have now secured a hi-resolution SkySat image by @planet which we ordered last night. It shows the scale of the destruction. On the western part of the shoreline, the storage… pic.twitter.com/iDWkjfozHM

— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) April 18, 2025

Houthi sources reported the death toll from the strikes at about 80 people, with 150-170 more wounded - likely reflecting the number of drivers at the tanker truck marshalling areas, noted TankerTrackers.com. Burned-out commercial passenger buses at the scene could also have been occupied. 

America's targeting of Yemen's Ras Isa Fuel port (Civilian Infrastructure) raising a number of martyrs and injuring dozens of workers and employees of the port. (Al Masirah) https://t.co/sXZjiRTqB9 pic.twitter.com/85vWKU4Fxb

— MenchOsint (@MenchOsint) April 17, 2025

Rights organizations (and the UN) have protested the U.S. government's decision to strike the port: it was one of the Houthi organization's main sources of revenue and energy, but it also served the civilian population.  

"Echoing the Secretary-General, I am gravely concerned about the impact of the US airstrikes in and around Ras Isa port on civilians, particularly truck drivers and port workers, as well as on civilian infrastructure," said UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg. "The cycle of attacks on the Red Sea by Ansar Allah and US airstrikes in response jeopardizes peace efforts and risks drawing Yemen further into the regional conflict."

Additional U.S. strikes were reported in the Farwa neighborhood in the Houthi capital of Sana'a, Yemen, with further deceased and injured personnel. Two carriers are stationed off Yemen's coast for round-the-clock bombardment operations, and multiple targeted strikes were reported across Houthi-controlled areas Saturday and Sunday. The commanding officer of USS Harry S. Truman has confirmed ongoing operations (below). 

Back at it. pic.twitter.com/muj1xg42Ei

— Chowdah Hill (@ChowdahHill) April 20, 2025

 

With feeder shipping market showing significant growth opportunities, Saudi Arabia is projected to capture a larger share of the business by 2030. This analysis is contained in a new report by the management consultancy firm Arthur D. Little, which reveals emerging opportunities in the feeder shipping segment. The sector accounts for the short sea, last-leg or regional journeys, which use small-size feeder vessels (with less than 3,000 TEU capacity).

Due to factors such as location and port investments, regions such as the Middle East are poised to lead in feeder shipping. With the feeder market projected to reach $451 billion in revenue by 2030, the Middle East region will represent a significant portion of this surge. Currently, the feeder market in the Middle East, East Africa, Turkey and South Asia is worth $8 billion.

The report suggests that Saudi Arabia is positioned to benefit, thanks to government policies aimed at diversifying the economy. Saudi Arabia is positioned to capture up to 45 percent of Red Sea and 35 percent of Gulf feeder trade, as the regional container volumes are expected to reach 41 million TEU by 2030.  

This has seen Saudi Arabia invest in a new shipping line, Folk Maritime. The company, owned by the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF), targets feeder shipping in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf regions. Last month, the shipping firm celebrated acquisition of its second container ship, MV Folk Jazan. Built in 2008, the vessel has capacity for 2,015 TEUs. The vessel will be operating out of Jeddah Islamic port and on the company’s routes across the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf.

“Saudi Arabia sits at the intersection of macroeconomic shifts in global trade, regional port infrastructure growth, and heightened investor appetite for logistics assets. Its ability to combine geographic proximity to high-growth corridors with government-backed investment strategies creates a uniquely scalable feeder shipping environment that few markets can match,” said Paolo Carlomagno, Partner at Arthur D. Little.

 

The Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) has released its first images of a new railgun installed on the service's technology testbed vessel, JS Asuka. The new model appears to be more complete than the previous prototype, which was first displayed in at-sea testing in 2023. 

On April 9, Vice Admiral Omachi Katsushi, Commander of the Self Defense Fleet (COMSDFLT), visited JS Asuka for an inspection. The vessel belongs to Japan's Fleet Research and Development Command (FRDC) and the railgun is under development at the Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA). Naval gun builder Japan Steel Works is closely involved in the project, according to Naval News. 

????????????????????????????? ASE-6102?????????????????????????

?????????????????? pic.twitter.com/OuRHhqU4I1

— ????? (@HNlEHupY4Nr6hRM) April 9, 2025

 

Japan's program has been actively under way since 2016, with testing beginning in 2022. Early work focused on projectile flight stability and the gun's rapid fire performance - a hurdle for railguns, which generate enormous forces in operation and tend to wear out their "barrels." 

Previous illustrations of Japan's railgun testing program suggest that at least one projectile could be an antiaircraft fragmentation round, not a solid slug as envisioned by the American R&D program. 

??? pic.twitter.com/u5g7A31eEi

— ?????? (@tmy_4ns) April 10, 2025

The U.S. Navy canceled its unclassified railgun work in 2021, citing technical problems; the barrel tended to fail after one to two dozen shots, according to Defense News. It is unknown whether aspects of the $500 million program continued under classified status after cancellation, not uncommon for American defense R&D. Publicly, though, the service has shifted its focus to high-power solid state laser technology for its foray into energy-based weapons. After 10 years of R&D, some U.S. Navy leaders have expressed frustration and regret at the lack of progress with a satisfactory laser platform. 

The U.S. Navy reached the 1,000-shot mark with its railgun R&D program in 2012 (Video courtesy USN, 2012)

Energy-driven weapons like lasers and railguns promise a lower-cost, larger-magazine alternative to guided missiles. Future railgun applications include point defense to counter drones, missiles and small craft - an expensive task for missiles, as highlighted by the Red Sea conflict. 

Despite their durability issues, railguns have distinct advantages. Unlike line-of-sight lasers, railguns shoot a solid projectile with a cannon-like trajectory, so they can be used to hit targets beyond the curve of the horizon. Railguns are not impeded by low-visibility conditions, which can interfere with laser beams and reduce their effective range; lasers also have a more technically demanding requirement for precision tracking, as they have to focus the beam on the moving target for a longer time period in order to burn through it. 

 

Former FESCO co-owner and Board Chairman Andrei Severilov has opened a new venture targeting the West African freight market.

Last week, Russian company JSC A7 Holding - associated with Severilov - registered a new freight transportation entity. According to Interfax news, the newly-formed A7 African Cargo Lines LLC (A7 ACL) was launched on April 17, with a charter capital of $122,000. The company’s primary activity is listed as railway freight transportation.

Interfax reports that the new line is incorporated in the United States, and is owned by two U.S. business entities: A7 Holding LLC (registered in Delaware) and A7 Infrastructure LLC (registered in Missouri). These entities are registered to corporate agents, and their relationship to A7 ACL could not be immediately confirmed.

Severilov told Interfax that the company is keen on establishing a feeder shipping service between West Africa and Russia. “At the first stage, with the assistance of the Russian trade mission in Nigeria, we are implementing a project to establish a direct shipping line,” said Severilov.

By mid-June, the company wants to launch a new maritime route between Novorossiysk and Nigeria’s Lagos port. Two containerships will be chartered for the line’s inaugural route, each with a capacity of 700 TEU. There are future plans to expand maritime connections to Senegal’s Dakar port.

Severilov has extensive experience in the shipping sector, including a stint as the Board Chairman at top Russian container line FESCO. He also held a 23.8 percent stake in FESCO’s parent company, PJSC FESCO. However, Severilov had to leave the company after the Russian state nationalized FESCO in 2023, effectively transferring its ownership to the state nuclear power company Rosatom. The transfer followed the conviction of businessman Ziyavudin Magomedov on corruption charges; Magomedov was the founder of Summa Group, which held a large stake in FESCO.

Severilov announced he would re-enter the transport sector in September 2024. But even as Severilov’s freight company targets the Nigerian market, its entry comes while the Nigerian government is incentivizing local shipping companies to own their own vessels.

Last week, the Minister of Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, directed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to begin the disbursement of the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF). The fund was established back in 2003 with a goal of supporting Nigerian shipping companies to access subsidized credit for the acquisition of vessels. This is the first time the fund will be operationalized. As of last year, NIMASA reported that CVFF had accumulated over $360 million, as part of contributions made by the Nigerian shipping sector.

Eligible Nigerian shipping companies could access up to $25 million each at competitive interest rates. NIMASA has already issued a notice inviting applications through a select group of primary lending banks.

The death toll from the capsizing of the dredger Hong Hai 16 has risen to nine people, with two more still missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard. Special operations divers are still working inside the upturned hull of the ship to recover additional remains, despite dangerous structural hazards and low visibility. 

The sand carrier Hong Hai 16 was operating off Barangay Malawaan on Tuesday morning in moderate seas. At about 0520 hours, the vessel capsized for reasons still under investigation. There were 25 crewmembers aboard, and 14 were rescued alive, including six Philippine nationals and eight Chinese seafarers. 

Two bodies were retrieved Sunday, one from the cargo hold and another from a control room. One more was retrieved from the accommodations block on Saturday afternoon, and two were found on Friday, one in the hold and another in the accommodations area. 

Courtesy PCG

On Friday, the local municipality and the Philippine Coast Guard demanded that the shipowner join the on-scene search and recovery mission. "As part of the company's social responsibility, the PCG emphasizes the importance of the ship owner's commitment and accountability by sending a representative to directly assist," the PCG said in a statement. 

The owner of the Hong Hai 16 has contracted a commercial salvor to begin wreck removal operations, the PCG said Saturday, and the equipment is expected to arrive on site early next week. 

The dredging company that operated Hong Hai 16, Bluemax Tradelink Inc. told Manila Times that it is complying with a stop-work order issued by the province of Occidental Mindoro. A spokesman said that the area of the casualty had been dredged multiple times in the past without issue, and that Hong Hai 16 had all necessary permits for the work.  

Courtesy PCG

The PCG plans to look into the shipowner's operations when the time is right, but is focusing on the search and recovery mission for now. "Let's focus on that first before we interject or before we proceed with the administrative cases that we can file against the owner," PCG deputy spokesperson Commander Michael John Encina told Super Radyo.

So far, the PCG's water quality monitoring technicians have detected no meaningful levels of pollution from the capsized vessel. The Hong Hai 16's fuel tanks carried diesel, not bunker fuel, and any spilled petroleum is expected to dissipate. A containment boom has been placed around the ship as a precautionary measure. 

 

[By Vincent Kyle Parada]

Donald Trump is making good on his promise of “America First.” After admonishing US allies for failing to pay their “fair share” of defence costs and a now infamous meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the message was clear: America’s friendship was a privilege, not a right. If US partners wanted to enjoy the privilege of US security, then they must pay up. And right now, Washington is looking to collect.

For the Philippines, this transactional approach to foreign policy casts a shadow over its territorial dispute with China. Despite continued optimism from policy elites, the use of formerly cooperative arrangements as tools of coercion should give Manila pause. While the strategic value of the Philippines as a forward operating base means it continues to enjoy Washington’s good graces, the onus is on the Marcos Jr. administration to continuously reaffirm this value – or risk abandonment in a Trump-polar world.

The Ukrainians understood this when Washington demanded US$500 billion in mineral wealth as compensation for wartime aid. Though negotiations remain inconclusive, the latest drafts point to a potential joint investment deal that would see revenues from Ukrainian natural resources diverted to an investment fund managed by both parties. It would come with neither a security guarantee nor the assurance of additional aid. But Kyiv’s assumption appears to be that by providing the Americans with a clear, tangible stake in the survival of the Ukrainian state, it could ensure continued US support against Russia – especially since at least 50% of its rare earth deposits are in what is presently Russian-occupied territory.

Like Kyiv, Manila needs to provide the United States with “skin in the game” beyond military basing. Reed Bank – a disputed tablemount in the Spratly Islands rich in hydrocarbons – could be the solution. The feature lies well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), meaning Manila has sovereign rights to explore and exploit its resources under Article 56 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. According to the US’ own estimates, there could be as much as 9.2 billion barrels of oil and 216 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in unexplored deposits across the South China Sea, with many concentrated along shallower areas such as Reed Bank.

The problem is the limited ability of the Philippines to harness these reserves. It tried roping China and Vietnam into a joint marine seismic undertaking in 2005 – a decision made as much to manage tensions as it was to benefit the economy, and which would later be declared unconstitutional on the grounds that foreign-owned entities could not partake in the exploration, development, and utilisation of natural resources. Manila tried again in 2012, this time without Vietnam, but failed due to Beijing’s refusal to recognise the sovereign rights of the Philippines over the area.

This would not be a problem for Washington. From Obama to Trump 2.0, the US has been the Philippines’ leading supporter in the South China Sea. With an ongoing trade war against Canada and Mexico – two of the US’ biggest sources of crude imports – the Philippines has a chance to step in and help diversify US hydrocarbon streams, generate profits, and keep energy prices stable in the long-term. Manila is already working to cut coal and diversify its energy mix through foreign investments. With the Malampaya gas field – the country’s largest energy producer – nearing depletion, the prospect of joint exploration in the oil-and-gas-rich Reed Bank with an ally rather than competitor might just be enough to overcome domestic apprehensions about the foreign development of resources.

We know that Manila has been trying to lift constitutional limits on foreign ownership – and that US firms have expressed interest in oil and gas projects in the country. At the very least, preferential trade agreements could be negotiated in exchange for technical assistance, or with US entities granted shares in Philippine-owned corporations, or a joint investment fund established that would entitle them to oil and gas revenues.

In the end, it boils down to politics. Legal hurdles aside, Reed Bank remains a contested feature. To exploit its hydrocarbon reserves, Washington and Manila will have to force Beijing out of the area or station a maritime force to safeguard drilling operations. That carries the risk of turning Reed Bank into another flashpoint in the South China Sea.

Here, joint US-Philippine patrols will be key. American ships must be visibly present in order to deter Chinese encroachment. But given Manila’s decision not to physically involve other countries in South China Sea operations, is the Marcos Jr. administration willing to challenge China over Reed Bank? Can it ensure the integrity of exploration activities, like the manner Indonesia and Malaysia have done so at Natuna and Sabah?

Drilling takes time, so even if Washington and Manila were to reach an agreement, the Trump administration is unlikely to see a tangible return on its investment for the foreseeable future. What matters in the end, however, is that it was Trump who shook hands and sealed the deal. It would be a “win” that he could present to the American people – oil and gas in exchange for little more than what the US Navy is already doing in the South China Sea. In return, the Philippines secures a lifeline to a new energy supply, profits from resource revenues, and reaffirms its alliance with the US through an economic blood compact.

Vincent Kyle Parada is a former defence analyst for the Philippine Navy and graduate student at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore.

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

 

[By Kari Williamson]

Imagine that the wires to your house not only have to withstand high electrical current flow, weather and wind, but also salt water, ocean currents, temperature changes and large movements. This is the big challenge in connecting large, electrical structures at sea to the power grid.

Dynamic underwater cables are the solution for this challenging task. They are large, robust and flexible cables that have to be able to withstand the forces found in the ocean and in structures like floating solar power plants, offshore fish cages, oil and gas platforms and offshore wind turbines.

The dynamic cables act as an umbilical cord to the static underwater cables that carry electricity to or from shore.

“They’re a bit like the power cables we have for all the electrical gadgets that we connect via a plug to the fixed cables in the wall,” says Naiquan Ye, a SINTEF research manager.

He is working to ensure the robustness of the dynamic cables, which has a major impact on the cost of many projects.

“According to the current plans, Europe will need 6000 km of underwater power cables annually. That’s as far as the distance from Norway to Bermuda,” says the researcher.

It is rare for us to have cable breaks in the wires in our walls – but how often have we had to toss a charging cable or replace an extension cord because it was coiled or mishandled a few too many times?

According to Lloyd Warwick, a company that specializes in claim settlements for the insurance industry, 83 percent of offshore wind insurance claims are due to cable faults. The cables become vulnerable when they heat up due to the current flowing through them and are moved by ocean currents, waves, and the constantly shifting distance between the floating structure and the stationary seabed.

There are three types of submarine cables:

• Dynamic cables are mobile and carry energy, and often information as well, between a floating installation and the static submarine cable.
• Static submarine power cables are cables that lie stationary on the seabed and carry energy between installations at sea and on land, or between countries. These are not exposed to the same stresses as dynamic cables.
• Communication cables are like static submarine power cables, but contain fibre optics and other information technology.

The cables are also multi-layered to ensure reliable electricity transmission. These layers need to be waterproof, carry control signals, be unaffected by magnetism, not leak electricity, and also withstand the stresses of constant movement in both ice-cold and warmer seawater.

Lowering costs

So it is not so surprising that these cables are expensive to produce. Demand for them has been low until now, with the main purchaser being the oil and gas industry – which has had the budget to pay a little extra for safety.

This is changing with the transition to renewable energy.

Researcher manager Naiquan Ye and laboratory manager Kenneth Njuolla in SINTEF’s laboratory. Dynamic cables and everything that goes with them are tested here. Photo: Anne Berit Heieraas

Budgets are usually tighter here, and unlike an oil platform where one cable suffices, an offshore wind farm needs a dynamic, underwater cable for every single wind turbine.

The design and production must be optimized in terms of cost, but also so that the cables last as long as possible.

This is where Ye’s team comes in. Through many years of simulating and testing cables, the group has learned a lot about how the different components of these cables behave and how they handle internal and external stresses.

“Since the 1980s, SINTEF researchers have developed advanced models to simulate the properties of cables in complex marine environments. These numerical tools are world-leading, and the industry uses them to ensure safe and sustainable production of ocean-based energy, both in the oil and gas and offshore wind industries,” says Ye.

According to the current plans, Europe will need 6000 km of underwater power cables annually. That’s as far as the distance from Norway to Bermuda.

Spectre of exhaustion

The biggest threat to a cable’s lifespan is fatigue. Simply put, the materials wear out. As current flows through the cable, it behaves a bit like a garden hose when you turn on the water – it starts to move and bend.

In a water hose this is not a problem because the water flows through easily, but in an electric cable you have multiple metal wires – just like the cross-section of a charging cable at home. If you twist and turn them too much, they will eventually crack and then break.

Kenneth Njuolla and Kristian Minde at SINTEF measure the strength of a copper wire, one of the many components in a dynamic cable. The wire is fatigued to the point of breaking. These are experiments that take us from oversized and expensive solution, to sleek umbilicals for offshore wind. Photo: Kai Dragland.

Then there are the insulating materials, like a data cable that transmits control signals, and the cable itself. All of them consist of varied materials that can withstand different amounts of movement over time.

On top of all this, each of the materials will move differently. Just as the rubber or plastic around the outside of a regular household cable has a completely different mobility if you remove what is inside.

Numerical calculations fall short

“However, the properties and movements of cables are much more complicated than numerical models can predict. Impurities in the material, production, installation and the environment they are in, like temperature, can affect the lifespan of cables,” says Ye.

If lab testing is done early in an offshore wind project, it can significantly reduce the cost of the power cables while optimizing the design.

Laboratory testing is a critical method for determining the effects of these influences. In the design laboratory, we monitor how the cables behave in real life, and the results are fed back into the numerical tools to find more precise methods for estimating the service life of the cables.

“If lab testing is done early in an offshore wind project, it can significantly reduce the cost of the power cables while optimizing the design,” Ye says.

By twisting and turning the cable in a test rig, researchers can see how the different components of the cable move relative to each other. These components can often move inside the cable when they are in operation. The movements are usually non-linear due to friction between the components – that is, they are not directly proportional to the movements around the cable. That is why it is so difficult to calculate how a cable and its contents move.

Testing full-scale cables makes it possible to see how much the cable can withstand, how strong it is, and what will ultimately be the weak point that causes a cable to break.

This article appears courtesy of Gemini News and may be found in its original form here. 

[By: Damen Shipyards Group]

Damen Shipyards Group and Folla Maritime Service AS are pleased to announce their collaboration in the aquaculture market. This partnership combines Damen’s global expertise in shipbuilding and Folla Maritime’s deep knowledge of the Norwegian aquaculture industry. Together, the two companies will be well-positioned to respond to emerging trends and developments in this fast-growing market, both in Norway and globally. 
 
Damen has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Folla Maritime to strengthen its position in the growing aquaculture market. 

The rising global demand for seafood, driven by population growth, is a key reason for Damen’s expansion into aquaculture. Recognising the need for sustainable vessels and smart maritime solutions, Damen aims to support fish farm owners and service providers by combining shipbuilding expertise with industry know-how. 

Damen also operates the Damen Maaskant yard in Stellendam the Netherlands, acquired in 1984. With a strong heritage in fishing vessels and a strategic location near the North Sea, the yard now serves as the central hub for Damen’s fishing and aquaculture activities.

Diverse portfolio 
By combining their complementary strengths, Damen and Folla Maritime will offer a diverse portfolio of multi-functional hybrid or electric vessels tailored for various offshore and nearshore aquaculture activities. This includes small personnel vessels and workboats, large steel workboats and larger service vessels available in multiple lengths and configurations to support farm owners and service vessel providers in their needs. Together, they leverage the full capacity of Damen’s production sites worldwide, with diverse vessel types. 

Expanding capacity and capabilities 
“Together with Folla Maritime, we are confident in our ability to create innovative solutions that will drive the industry forward and offer technical and future-proof solutions to meet the growing demand for food security. I especially look forward to working with the current managing board to explore the extensive opportunities with both existing and potential new clients of Folla Maritime and Damen," said Jeroen van den Berg, Product Director Aquaculture & Fishing.

Folla Maritime shares this vision. “With this partnership, we will become a full-scale supplier of vessels to provide the aquaculture industry with state-of-the-art vessels that meet the highest standards of comfort, reliability, safety and environmental responsibility. We will continue to deliver innovative, high- quality products and services from our yard in Flatanger, while also expanding our capacity and capabilities through Damen.  
 
“We are confident that Damen, with its long-term industrial entrepreneurship, expertise, and resources, will help strengthen our market position and bring added value to our customers,” said Otto Sjølien, CEO of Folla Maritime. 

The transaction is subject to certain standard closing conditions and is expected to close in May 2025. More details about the partnership and the first vessel concepts will be announced at Aqua Nor 2025 in Trondheim.

[By: Global Ports Holding]

Global Ports Holding (GPH), the world’s largest independent cruise port operator, revealed significant updates to its global investment strategy at an exclusive press conference during Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami last week. The event, held on April 8, 2025, marked the unveiling of a multi-million-dollar investment programme designed to future-proof the company’s cruise port network.

Titled “Shaping Tomorrow’s Ports,” the conference included an insightful presentation followed by a reception, where GPH executives, partners, and attendees gathered to discuss key developments in the company’s expansion. The highlight of the session was a spotlight on one of GPH’s newest and most ambitious projects in Saint Lucia, a transformative development aimed at enhancing the island’s cruise tourism infrastructure, with a special appearance by Saint Lucian Olympic Champion and Tourism Ambassador, Julien Alfred.

A Multi-Million-Dollar Commitment to Future-Ready Ports
During the press conference, GPH presented its robust investment strategy, which is designed to meet the evolving needs of the global cruise industry. As the cruise industry grows in fleet size and passenger volumes, GPH’s investment focuses on creating innovative, sustainable, and operationally efficient port facilities and strengthening its partnerships with destinations.

“We are at a critical juncture in the cruise industry’s development, and GPH is proud to lead the charge in building future-ready ports that will support the next generation of cruise tourism,” said Mehmet Kutman, CEO of Global Ports Holding. “Our significant investment programme is not just about improving port infrastructure; it’s about creating lasting value for the communities we serve, fostering sustainable growth, and ensuring that our ports are equipped to handle the demands of today’s growing cruise market.”

He added, "We believe that the strength of our community partnerships is the cornerstone of our global success. By fostering collaboration and empowering local stakeholders, we create sustainable growth and shared prosperity that resonates far beyond our ports.”

Investment Highlights At Ports Worldwide
Key investment highlights include:

• Tarragona Cruise Port (Spain): GPH’s newly inaugurated sustainable terminal at Moll de Balears, a 2,200m² facility designed with energy efficiency and self-sufficiency in mind.
• Alicante Cruise Port (Spain): A highly anticipated terminal modernization project, scheduled for completion by April 2025, focused on improving passenger flow and port experience.
• Las Palmas Cruise Port (Canary Islands): Completion of a sustainable terminal, set to accommodate the world’s largest cruise ships and serve over 1.6 million passengers annually, with completion expected by September 2025.
• Antigua Cruise Port (Caribbean): A substantial upland development project, which will include a state-of-the-art cruise terminal and expansion for new retail stores, launched in February 2025.
• Nassau Cruise Port (The Bahamas): An exciting pool project and yacht marina expansion plan, which is set for completion by March 2026.
• San Juan Cruise Port (Puerto Rico): A significant infrastructure enhancement programme, which began in September 2024, with an additional funding provided for Pier 3 upgrades.

Spotlight on Saint Lucia
One of the most exciting developments shared during the event was the multi-million-dollar upcoming investments in Saint Lucia’s cruise port infrastructure. This project, which is currently underway and set for completion in October 2026, will enhance Port Castries and Pointe Seraphine with significant berth enhancements, a new boardwalk, and the creation of a Fishermen’s Village at Banannes Bay. Additionally, Saint Lucia Cruise Port will construct a new tender dock and upland facilities at Soufriere.

“This project underscores our commitment to supporting long-term tourism growth and strengthening our partnerships with local communities,” said Lancelot Arnold, Director of GPH Eastern Caribbean & General Manager, Saint Lucia Cruise Port. “Saint Lucia represents the future of cruise tourism, and we are proud to be part of its evolution.”

A Moment of National Pride
In a special moment of national pride, Julien Alfred, Saint Lucia’s Olympic 100m champion, graced the event as a special guest. Her achievements are a testament to the excellence and spirit of Saint Lucia, values that GPH celebrates through its investment and community partnerships.  Saint Lucia Cruise Port recently donated $10,000 to support the launch of Ms. Alfred’s upcoming charitable foundation, aimed at providing financial support for athletics programs and other empowering opportunities for Saint Lucia’s youth.

Strengthening Local Partnerships
During the event, Dr. Ernest Hilaire, Minister for Tourism, Investment, Creative Industries, Culture & Information, shared his vision for the future of cruise tourism in Saint Lucia while emphasizing the importance of private-public collaboration in ensuring sustainable growth in the tourism sector.

“GPH’s investment is an example of how strategic partnerships can drive economic growth and benefit local communities. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to ensure that Saint Lucia remains a top cruise destination,” said Dr. Hilaire.

A Focus on Sustainable Financial Growth
Jan Fomferra, Chief Financial Officer of Global Ports Holding, also shared insights on the financial and sustainability aspects of GPH's investments: “At Global Ports Holding, we view sustainability as a fundamental pillar of our investment strategy. Our financial approach is focused on ensuring that every project not only generates long-term value for stakeholders but also promotes environmental responsibility and social impact. This multi-million-dollar global investment programme is designed to balance robust financial performance with our commitment to sustainability—delivering projects that enhance both the cruise experience and the communities we serve.”

Scotland is largely operating blind in the management of its marine resources according to new research published this week as part of a project designed to create a better understanding of the exposure of whales, dolphins, and seals to coastal shipping. It emerged the researchers report that over half of vessels operating in the country’s coastal waters are “invisible” to standard maritime tracking systems.

A team of researchers at Scottish Heriot-Watt University carried out a study that was published this week which is sounding the alarm that the country is navigating blind in as far as understanding the potential adverse impacts of vessels crisscrossing its coastal waters is concerned. The study asserts that only 43 percent of vessels within a 10-kilometer radius of the Scottish coast broadcast an Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal, the standard global tool to monitor ship movements.

Smaller vessels, such as fishing boats under 15 meters, recreational craft, and jet skis, accounted for much of the missing data. Though they are not legally required to carry AIS, the vessels have the option of voluntarily installing and broadcasting data.

Considering that Scottish coast waters are getting busier, the study published in the academic journal Marine Policy contends that lack of visibility poses significant risks to marine life, safety, and sustainable ocean management. This is because governments, conservation bodies, and researchers mainly depend on AIS data to model vessel-related impacts such as underwater noise pollution, whale and dolphin collision risk, anchor damage to the seabed, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate impact. Scotland’s coasts are a vital habitat for species like bottlenose dolphins, minke whales, and orcas.

“With an improved understanding of the activities and movement of different types of vessels, marine planners and policymakers could tailor regulations to maximize their potential effectiveness,” said Lauren McWhinnie, one of the study’s authors. She adds that the wider maritime sector could further benefit through improved safety and awareness.

The study seeks to hold Scottish authorities accountable for assuming that they can rely on AIS to know what is happening in coastal seas. After analyzing over 1,800 hours of land and sea surveys conducted between 2019 and 2024 covering nine of Scotland’s 11 marine regions, the glaring fact is that a majority of vessels operate untracked with over 75 percent of vessel activity going unrecorded in some areas.

In the Outer Hebrides region, for instance, only 20 percent of vessels were transmitting AIS data despite the area being a hotspot for ecotourism, fishing, and aquaculture. The Orkney Islands region showed a higher rate, with 58 percent of vessels broadcasting.

The researchers are pushing authorities to take proactive actions in ensuring all types of vessels operating in the country’s waters, including smaller vessels, broadcast their position using AIS to effectively balance tourism and other vessel-based activities with local sustainability and environmental objectives.
 

The diplomatic dispute brewing between Algeria and France has impacted a potential investment by the CMA CGM in the Algerian port sector. The French ship[ping company was reported to be negotiating a concession for the port of Oran through its subsidiary CMA Terminals, but the deal has been on hold as tensions rise between the two countries. 

Early this week, the CEO of CMA CGM Rodolphe Saadé was scheduled to visit Algeria for a business trip. However, the visit was reportedly postponed as relations between Algeria and France further deteriorated this week. According to local media reports, Rodolphe Saadé was to be received by Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune to finalize a port investment deal, which has been under negotiations for nearly a year. 

The diplomatic incident emerged as Algeria protested after one of its consular staff was arrested in France. The indictment of the official was over suspicion of involvement in the kidnapping of an Algerian government critic in Paris in April 2024. This has seen the two countries expel diplomats from both sides in a tit-for-tat move.

The diplomatic dispute also appears to have taken an economic dimension. The Algerian Economic Renewal Council (CREA), the country’s largest business organization, canceled its planned visit to France next month, where it was to hold a meeting with the French employers’ association (MEDEF). CREA accused French authorities of blocking investments in Algeria.

“The cancellation of the trip follows measures taken by French authorities, who strongly pressured a French maritime transport company to abandon its trip to Algeria to finalize an investment project,” said CREA. With the ongoing tension between Algeria and France, and Saadé’s visit on hold, the negotiations for the port concession are expected to be delayed. 

CMA CGM is already present in nine Algerian ports including Algiers, Annaba, Béjaïa, Skikda, and Ghazaouet. The interest in Oran is because of the port’s strategic location in the Western Mediterranean and its proximity to Europe. CMA CGM is believed to be considering a feeder shipping line between Marseille and Oran, to be operated by its subsidiary, La Méridionale.

 

Top photo by Habib Kaki -- CC BY 3.0
 

According to reports in the Finnish media, the country’s Rauma Marine Constructions shipyard is in negotiations with the United States to build a series of new medium icebreakers. A week ago, the USCG published a Request for Information for what were termed small icebreakers (370 feet in length) seeking shipyards that could deliver within three years of a contract award.

Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat broke the news on Friday, April 18, saying it had confirmed the negotiations with three unnamed sources. Yle News has also picked up the story citing discussions in March between Finnish President Alexander Stubb and President Donald Trump. The newspaper reports just over a week ago Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen discussed the matter with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to the report, the Rauma shipyard would build up to five medium-sized icebreakers, with the order valued at around €2.5 billion ($2.85 million). Helsingin Sanomat says that exploratory discussions are also underway regarding three larger vessels. 

Rauma, located in southwest Finland on the Gulf of Bothnia, highlights on its website that three multi-purpose icebreakers were constructed in Rauma between 1993 and 1998 at the former Aker Finnyards and have been serviced at Rauma Marine. The yard also has experience with ice-strengthened hulls including for the ferry Aurora Botnia built in 2021.

The yard has been building ferries, including for Tasmania, and recently completed the hull for the first of four multi-role corvettes for the Finnish Navy. The first vessel is due to launch this spring and the second has started construction with the yard highlighted the vessels will be able to “operate in icy conditions.” The yard built a new enclosed construction hall for this project and has been positioning itself for expected orders to replace existing icebreakers in Scandinavia.

RMC, which was founded in 2014, is entirely Finnish-owned. It reports it currently has orders till 2028 valued at over one billion euros ($1.14 billion) as of October 2024.

Yle cautions in its report that the negotiations do not guarantee a deal. It says the U.S. Coast Guard has approached several shipyards around the world to assess their capacity to deliver icebreakers within 36 months. However, it also quotes Foreign Minister Valtonen who said after meeting Rubio, "We will likely have concrete news fairly soon." 

A deal would be in keeping with the 2024 agreement between the United States, Canada, and Finland to jointly develop icebreakers. Canadian shipbuilder Davie was reported to be a driving force behind the agreement. Davie in 2023 acquired Helsinki Shipyard, which it was highlighted has built more than 50 percent of the global icebreakers. The Helsinki Shipyard was scheduled to build a new icebreaker for Russia, but the deal was blocked after the start of the war in Ukraine and that contributed to the financial collapse of the yard.

 

The Canadian Coast Guard confirmed that a few tar balls have been recovered in the area near where the MSC Baltic III containership stranded two months ago in Newfoundland. While testing is still ongoing, the Canadian Coast Guard told the local media that it is almost certain the oil came from the vessel but they do not believe there is a consistent leak from the fuel tanks.

The first of the tar balls, which alternately are being described as the size of a tennis or golf ball, was found during a routine search on April 11 of the nearby beach, and two more were found the following day. Media reports indicate a total of six or seven of the tar balls have now been recovered and they were sent to a lab for testing. The Coast Guard suspects they are heavy fuel possibly washed from the ship during some of the heavy weather in the bay where the ship grounded. 

An ROV was used to survey the hull on April 13, and it also confirmed that there was no consistent fuel leak from the vessel. The salvage effort had previously reported multiple cracks in the hull and water in the engine room and holds of the containership. The Coast Guard also says that no oil has been seen in the water or elsewhere in the bay so far.

 

Tar balls are being analyzed, but the Coast Guard thinks they are fuel washed from the ship during heavy weather

 

A subsequent survey of the vessel has lowered the estimate to approximately 1600 metric tons of heavy fuel and marine gas oil aboard the MSC Baltic III. The salvage company hired by the owners placed frac tanks on the deck of the vessel and in late March began an effort to pump the fuel from the vessel. However, it is a slow process due to the time required to heat and pump the fuel. 

The current process calls for pumping the fuel into the temporary tanks on deck and when they are full they will be pumped into tanks on a barge alongside. Once filled, the tanks are too heavy to lift onto the barge. The Coast Guard explains this process is being used because the weather makes it difficult to keep a barge alongside the ship doe extended periods.

As of early April, the Coast Guard reported that 184 cubic meters of fuel had been pumped into the frac tanks. In an interview yesterday, April 17, with the local newspaper The Telegram, the Coast Guard said no fuel has been transferred off the vessel so far. The process continues to move slowly due to weather conditions in the area.

Initial salvage efforts in March removed from the vessel eight containers loaded with polymeric beads, which are considered dangerous goods. There were approximately 470 containers aboard when the vessel stranded on February 15. However, MSC reported approximately half were empties. The damage to the hull of the vessel makes it impossible at this time to consider refloating the ship.

The Canadian Coast Guard highlights that the country works under a “polluter pays” principle. The Coast Guard is overseeing the salvage effort which is being conducted by T&T Salvage hired by MSC. The vessel’s owners and its insurance will be responsible for all the costs of the salvage operation.

 

The Coast Guard has initiated the final of five planned phases of the service life extension program (SLEP) for Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, the service’s sole operational heavy icebreaker. Polar Star arrived at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California, on March 30 to begin the remaining SLEP activities. The work is part of the In-Service Vessel Sustainment (ISVS) Program. 

The SLEP is recapitalizing a number of major systems to extend the service life of the cutter and maintain polar ice-breaking capability until the polar security cutter fleet is operational. The Polar Star SLEP was designed to address targeted systems such as propulsion, communication, and machinery control systems for recapitalization. The USCG is undertaking the major maintenance program to extend the service life of Polar Star beyond its original design of 30 years.

Commissioned in 1976, Polar Star is the United States’ only heavy icebreaker capable of providing access to both polar regions. The Seattle-based cutter is 399 feet in length and 13,500 tons. The cutter's six diesel and three gas turbine engines produce up to 75,000 horsepower.

The life extension program began in 2021 in intervals timed between the vessel’s annual deployment to Antarctica. The current installment is the fifth and final phase planned in the program. The next generation polar icebreaker currently running six years behind the original construction schedule, with the shipyard Bollinger recently saying that completion of the first Polar Security Cutter is anticipated by May 2030 meaning Polar Star will remain active until age 55 or later.

Among the work scheduled during this period is a refurbishment in the two remaining zones of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems refurbishments. These zones will be refurbished with ventilation trunks, fans, and heaters to improve air circulation and maintain a comfortable living environment for the ship’s crew during extended deployments. The gyro repeater recapitalization will ensure that these critical pieces of navigation equipment are updated to modern standards, enabling safe navigation of the cutter.  Ancillary pumps and motors are also targeted for recapitalization through the replacement of critical main propulsion and auxiliary systems with modern supportable units. 

In addition, personnel from the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore will be on site this summer, recapitalizing the sewage pumps and tank level indicators to ensure the crew can successfully monitor and manage sewage capacity while the cutter is executing its missions in ice. 

Kenneth King, ISVS program manager, said “This phase represents a significant milestone for both Polar Star and the ISVS program, as our dedicated professionals ensure Polar Star meets its multifaceted missions in the polar regions until the arrival of the polar security cutter fleet.” 

Last year’s effort targeted three systems aboard the vessel, including starting the refurbishment/ overhaul of the ventilation trunks, fans, and heaters that supply berthing areas of the ship. All the boiler support systems were also recapitalized/redesigned, including the electrical control station that is used to operate them. A complete recapitalization/redesign of the flooding alarm system also occurred from bow to stern to monitor machinery spaces for flooding.

In 2023, the program focused on improvements to shipboard equipment and numerous vital system upgrades for fire detection, communications, and monitoring water quality. Each year they also completed annual maintenance for the vessel.

Polar Star recently completed a 128-day deployment to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze 2025, the annual joint military logistics mission. This year’s deployment marked Polar Star’s 28th voyage to Antarctica in support of the joint military service mission to resupply and maintain the United States Antarctic Stations.
 

While recognizing the Trump administration softened the financial impact of its port fees on Chinese-built shipping for many carriers, the shipping industry was quick to respond raising serious concerns after the U.S. Trade Representative’s Office released the structure of the fees. Like the Chinese, the shipping industry asserts that the fees will do little to support the resurgence of U.S. shipbuilding while instead penalizing the U.S. economy and consumers.

The USTR outlined sweeping fees with the costliest targeted at Chinese carriers and while reducing the dollar amounts would also charge all carriers as Chinese-built ships arrive or offload containers. The surprise came with a fee on each vehicle landed from all foreign-built ships, which the World Shipping Council points out encompasses nearly every vehicle carrier in the world. The shipping industry lobbying group calls the fee on car carriers an “arbitrary action” that will slow U.S. economic growth and raise auto prices while doing little to encourage U.S. maritime investment.

“We urge the U.S. to respect facts and multilateral rules and immediately stop its wrong practices,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said China believes the fees will “disrupt the stability of the global supply chain, and increase inflationary pressure in the U.S., but “ultimately fail to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding industry.” China highlights the decline of the U.S. shipbuilding industry began in the 1970s.

Trump administration officials were quick to defend the president’s policy and tout the benefits. In an op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Transportation Secretary Sean Duff writes, “The inauguration of a new Trump-era in maritime dominance is a fundamental feature of the golden age of transportation.”

The World Shipping Council while saving it supports the efforts to revitalize the U.S. shipbuilding sector, says “the fee regime announced by USTR is a step in the wrong direction as it will raise prices for consumers, weaken U.S. trade, and do little to revitalize the U.S. maritime industry.” 

Joe Kramek, President and CEO of the World Shipping Council, points to serious problems with the structure saying the “backward-looking penalties” would disrupt investment, and risk harming American exporters. Basing the fees on net tonnage, the WSC contends “disproportionately penalizes larger, more efficient vessels that deliver essential goods, including components used in U.S. production lines.”

The WSC also flags “significant legal concerns,” noting that the proposed fees appear to extend beyond the authority granted under U.S. trade law.

“The WSC is urging the administration to reconsider this counterproductive measure, which risks harming U.S. consumers, manufacturers, and farmers without delivering meaningful progress toward revitalizing the U.S. maritime industry,” the group writes in its statement. It instead calls for steps such as targeted investment incentives, infrastructure improvements, and streamlined regulatory processes to strengthen the U.S. maritime sector.

China has launched a public relations effort against the U.S. tariffs and highlights that it is taking the lead in lobbying other countries to resist Trump’s tariffs. Foreign Minister Wang Yi warned of unilateral bullying and protectionism in a speech delivered on Thursday hours before the port tariff regime was unveiled. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam and Cambodia urging opposing unilateral bullying.

Next week, China is planning Reuters reports informal discussions at the UN Security Council. Reuters says China will accuse the U.S. of bullying.