Satellite News

Managing Cyber Risk Pivotal for Safe Maritime Digitalization Push, DNV Finds

A new report published by DNV has revealed that the majority (61%) of maritime professionals believe the industry should accept increased cyber risk from digitalization if it enables innovation and new technologies.The sector’s appetite to take on emerging risks arising from digital transformation is notably higher than other critical infrastructure industries including energy, manufacturing and healthcare, according to DNV.The industry’s increasing appetite for cyber risk comes at a time when it must manage a growing volume of vulnerabilities.Namely…

Windward Launches AI Threat Investigation System

Maritime AI company Windward has launched a new system: Advanced Intelligence, an AI-powered solution designed to empower intelligence and security organizations to uncover and handle threats more efficiently.The solution streamlines the entire investigation process from early anomaly detection and strategic investigations to vital context provided by MAI Expert™, Windward’s generative AI-powered virtual analyst. By controlling all aspects of the investigative process within one platform…

South China Sea Reef Expansion Riles Malaysia

Malaysia issued a complaint to Vietnam over its alleged expansion of a South China Sea reef that both countries claim as their own, a rare bilateral escalation not involving China.The move brings to light another of the multiple disputes in the strategic waterway, most of which China claims sovereignty over, with Beijing involved in frequent altercations with the Philippines and sporadic rows with Vietnam.The most contested features are around the Spratly archipelago, where China…

Russian Arctic LNG 2 Project Partners are Sanction Targets

The United States has imposed sanctions on hundreds of entities and individuals for supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine, including companies supporting the development of Russia's Arctic LNG 2 project and its shipment of liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as other future energy projects.The Arctic LNG 2 project by Russia's Novatek is subject to Western sanctions over Russia's conflict with Ukraine. The project had been due to become Russia's largest LNG plant with eventual…

Finland Coast Guard Detects SatNav Jamming, Spoofing in the Baltic Sea

Finland's Coast Guard said it has detected constant disturbances to satellite navigation signals in the Baltic Sea since April and in recent weeks has seen tankers spoofing their location data to cover up visits to Russia.Last week, Finland's interior minister Lulu Ranne said Finland believes Russia is behind disturbances detected in Finland and the Baltic Sea region in the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) signals used in navigation.The Coast Guard said the GNSS jamming…

WMS to Showcase Wi-Fi Service at Interferry2024

Wireless connectivity provider WMS will feature its Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity solutions at the Interferry2024 Conference (October 26-30).WMS designed the services to elevate the passenger experience, provide faster connectivity and generate significant onboard revenue for ferry operators.“Enabling messaging, emailing, web browsing and streaming for communications with family, friends, and work is critical for ferry operators today,” said Kerry Pettitt, Ferry Sales Director, WMS.

Ukrainian Attacks Repel Russia's Black Sea Fleet

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been forced to move many warships from the naval base of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsular, which Russia annexed in 2014, due to attacks by Ukraine, a Russian-installed official was quoted as saying on Sunday.The remarks by Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian-installed senator for the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region and a former head of Russia's space agency, are the first Russian official confirmation that the fleet has had to move from Sevastopol.Ukraine…

Ukraine Attacks Force Black Sea Fleet Relocation

Russia's Black Sea Fleet has been forced to move many warships from the naval base of Sevastopol on the Crimean peninsular, which Russia annexed in 2014, due to attacks by Ukraine, a Russian-installed official was quoted as saying on Sunday.The remarks by Dmitry Rogozin, a Russian-installed senator for the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia region and a former head of Russia's space agency, are the first Russian official confirmation that the fleet has had to move from Sevastopol.Ukraine…

Colonel (Ret.) Landry Joins Iridium to help Expand Government Ops

Iridium Communications said that U.S. Space Force Colonel (Ret.) Kalliroi Landry has joined Iridium as Government Programs Director. Col. Landry will engage Department of Defense (DoD) communities to help drive business.At the Space Development Agency Col. Landry was the Chief of the Support Cell and oversaw planning, acquisition and fielding of ground and user-terminal systems and launch services that underpin the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Her military career has included various space acquisition assignments spanning developmental planning, research and development, satellite operations, range management, acquisition policy and program management.

US Expands Sanctions to Iran's 'Ghost Fleet' of Oil Tankers

The United States expanded sanctions against Iran's petroleum and petrochemical sectors on Friday in response to an Iranian missile attack on Israel, the administration of President Joe Biden said.The U.S. move adds petroleum and petrochemicals to an executive order that targets key sectors of Iran's economy with the aim of denying the government funds to support its nuclear and missile programs."The new designations today also include measures against the 'Ghost Fleet' that carries Iran’s illicit oil to buyers around the world…

Whale Sharks Beware!

An international study has found whale sharks and ships are more likely to collide by the end of the century due to climate change.The researchers used global climate models and satellite-tracking data of 348 tagged whale sharks from 2005 to 2019 and combined it with shipping traffic models and habitat suitability estimates to predict the risk of interaction.Whale sharks are highly mobile marine megafauna that can travel hundreds or thousands of kilometers annually. The species…

Billions in Lost Treasure: How Modern Technology Is Revealing Hidden Riches from the Depths!

Oceans worldwide hold untold riches hidden beneath the waves. Now treasure hunters are using  cutting-edge technology to explore them, discovering some of history's most treasured sunken finds from Caribbean waters to Arctic depths rewriting maritime history and uncovering fortunes lost at sea.According to estimates by marine archaeologists and treasure hunting experts, the value of treasure lying beneath the waves could range anywhere between $60 billion to over $100 billion.

Satellite-based Solution Helps to Prevent Ship Groundings in Coastal Waters

Recent incidents of naval and commercial vessels running aground have underscored the inherent risks of operating in shallow and poorly charted coastal waters. A solution from Denver-based TCarta Marine utilizes Earth observation satellites to deliver precise water depth measurements in near-shore areas.“While the exact causes of recent ship groundings off the coasts of Oman, Greenland, and Fiji are under investigation and often complex, the risk of such accidents can be significantly reduced with up-to-date bathymetric data produced from satellite imagery…

Naval Drones and the Battle for Crimea: Ukraine’s Strategic Counteroffensive

As the war between Ukraine and Russia rages on, the Black Sea has become a hotbed for naval operations, with Ukraine pioneering the use of naval drones in its fight to reclaim the Crimean Peninsula. These drones have emerged as a potent tool in disrupting Russian naval dominance, particularly around Sevastopol, the home base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.Ukraine's use of unmanned naval drones marks a significant shift in naval warfare. These drones are capable of targeting large warships, as demonstrated in the October 2022 attack on Russian vessels docked in Sevastopol.

US Says New Chinese Submarine Sank Earlier This Year

China's newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, a senior U.S. defense official said on Thursday, a potential embarrassment for Beijing as it seeks to expand its military capabilities.China already has the largest navy in the world, with over 370 ships, and it has embarked on production of a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines.A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China's new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack…

North Korean Seeks to Build Up Its Naval Power

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un underscored the importance of strengthening naval power as he toured a naval base construction site, state media KCNA reported on Sunday."Now that we are soon to possess large surface warships and submarines which cannot be anchored by the existing facilities for mooring warships, the construction of a naval base for running the latest large warships has become a pressing task," Kim was quoted saying.During the tour, Kim stressed the need to build…

AST Networks Introduces Hybrid Maritime Communication Solutions

AST Networks, a high-speed satellite connectivity provider, has introduced advanced hybrid communication solutions, to addressing the growing global demand for connectivity in remote and challenging environments.With industries such as maritime, mining, and agriculture increasingly relying on uninterrupted, high-speed communication, AST Networks has launched hybrid solutions that blend the strengths of satellite and terrestrial networks for better communication capabilities.As for maritime connectivity…

Cobham Satcom Debuts New Maritime Safety Terminals

Designed for the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), Cobham Satcom’s two new satellite Safety Terminals are prepared for new generation safety services from maritime satellite service providers, Inmarsat Maritime (SAILOR Fleet C) and Iridium (SAILOR 7200 GMDSS).The new products for the new satellite-based safety services with voice, messaging and data functions from Inmarsat and Iridium can integrate the Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system, and the Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) into a single product…

Sounion Still on Fire After Houthi Attack

The Greek-flagged ship Sounion has been on fire since Aug. 23 after an attack by Yemen's Houthis with no obvious signs of an oil spill, EU Red Sea naval mission Aspides said in a post on X on Monday.The EU mission published photos dated Sunday showing fire and smoke coming out of the vessel's main deck.Houthis, who control Yemen's most populous regions, said on Thursday that they attacked the Sounion oil tanker in the Red Sea. The Iran-aligned group has been attacking ships in…

Oil Spill Impacts Caribbean Beach

An oil spill, which appeared to originate from Venezuela's El Palito refinery several days ago, has contaminated a bay off the country's north-central coast in the Caribbean Sea, five sources told Reuters on Saturday.Biologist Eduardo Klein posted satellite images on X that he said showed an oil slick of about 225 square kilometers (87 square miles) in the Golfe Triste and completely covering Morrocoy National Park, known for beaches lined with palm trees and mangroves.There was…

Meet the CTO: Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, MAN Energy Solutions

As the shipowners stare down decarbonization mandates that grow increasingly strict through 2050, the engine makers are at the tip of the spear of this energy transition phenomena, working to design and build engines and components that are built to operate on a long and growing list of alternative fuels. We recently visited with Dr. Gunnar Stiesch, CTO, MAN Energy Solutions, to take a look inside the research and development process at this global power leader, for insights on ‘what’s next’ in ship propulsion.Dr.

Sanctioned Ship Spotted Transferring Arctic LNG 2 Cargo

A U.S.-sanctioned gas tanker that picked up a cargo from Russia's new Arctic LNG 2 plant this month has been spotted carrying out a ship-to-ship transfer, suggesting Moscow is managing to continue some exports from the project.Monitoring service TankerTrackers.com said in an X post on Monday that the Pioneer had conducted a transfer to the Palau-flagged, UAE-owned and Indian-managed New Energy tanker north of the Suez Canal.The Arctic 2 LNG plant, which was planned to be Russia's largest…

Senesco Launches Fifth CTV for WindServe Marine

Senesco Marine recently held a launch and christening ceremony for WindServe Marine's new Jones-Act-compliant crew transfer vessel (CTV), WindServe Frontier.WindServe Marine, a sister company to the North Kingstown, R.I. shipbuilder—both part of the Reinauer Group—will operate the CTV to serve the emerging offshore wind industry on the U.S. East Coast.The BMT-designed aluminum catamaran is 29 meters long with a 9-meter beam and 1.7-meter draft. It is equipped with Volvo Penta D13 main engines (515kW at 2,300 RPM) and a Volvo Penta IPS 900 propulsion system.