Today in U.S. Naval history: August 5
![Operation Big Switch "Freedom -- Carrying a brand-new navy white hat, Zacheus A. Smith, Jr., hospital corpsman, third class, USN, ... climbs out of an ambulance at Freedom Village, Munsan, Korea, the processing center for returning POWs." (Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the "All Hands" collection at the Naval Historical Center)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/operation-big-switch-freedom-carrying-16788.jpg)
Today in U.S. 1832 - Frigate Potomac is first U.S. 1882 - Authorizing of first steel warships, beginning of the modern Navy. 1915 - First air spotting for shore batteries at Fort Monroe, Va. 1921 - Yangtze River Patrol Force established as command under Asiatic Fleet. 1990 - Navy and Marine Task Force (USS Saipan, USS Ponce, and USS Sumter) begin evacuation of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals from Liberia during civil war.
South Korean Navy to Build Nine 3,000-ton Subs by 2030
The South Korean Navy plans to build nine 3,000-ton submarines by 2030 to increase the length of its underwater operations and improve its precision strike capabilities, Yonhap News reported.
Parasailing Operations - "Know Your Ropes"
A series of parasail incidents resulting in fatalities and injuries have occurred over the last few years. Since 2006, there have been 11 deaths and 52 injuries as a result of parasailing activities.
U.S. Army Awards Dredging Contract
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District awarded a contract for dredging at Duluth-Superior Harbor in western Lake Superior on the Minnesota-Wisconsin border.
G6 New Feeder Service Adjusts Black Sea Coverage
The members of the G6 Alliance have decided to modify their network between the Far East and the Black Sea effective from week 36. The last sailing for the ABX service…
Keppel Scores S$100 Million Upgrade and Repair Projects
![Photo: Keppel](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/photo-keppel-16785.jpg)
Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd., through its wholly-owned subsidiaries, Keppel FELS and Keppel Verolme, has secured upgrade and repair contracts totaling about S$100million from repeat customers. Keppel FELS in Singapore will be undertaking the upgrade and modification of a semisubmersible (semi) for Ensco while Keppel Verolme will be upgrading a jackup rig for Rowan and repairing a semi for Saipem.
MurCal Named as Johnson Matthey SEC Distributor
Johnson Matthey’s Stationary Emissions Control (SEC) group announced the appointment of MurCal , Palmdale, California, as a distributor of Johnson Matthey 3-Way…
Energy Specialist to Head Up G2 Crew Services
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-16783.png)
G2 Crew Services, the recently formed JV between Griffin and GAC, has announced the appointment of Gary Pearce as CEO with effect from August 5. Previously Senior Vice President Global Energy Services for Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), Gary Pearce led the team responsible for CWT’s strong growth and high levels of customer satisfaction within the Offshore and Energy sector. “Whether their origins are in crew or corporate travel…
Navios Maritime Announces Acquisition of Four Newbuilding Tankers
Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation, an owner and operator of tanker vessels, announced that it has agreed to acquire two newbuilding chemical tankers and has…
Teekay to Acquire Up to Two LNG Carriers
Teekay LNG Partners L.P. announced that it has agreed to acquire a 155,900 cubic meter (cbm) liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier newbuilding from Awilco LNG ASA…
MAN 32/44CR Units to Power Offshore Construction Ship
![Ceona Amazon](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/ceona-amazon-16782.jpg)
MAN Diesel & Turbo has won an order to supply the main gensets for a multi-layer vessel newbuilding, recently commenced by Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven AG for British client, Ceona. The multi-layer vessel, Ceona Amazon, which will specialize in pipelines and subsea structures, will be equipped with two 9L32/44CR and four 8L32/44CR main gensets, providing a total output of 28MW. Each engine will be constructed at MAN Diesel & Turbo’s Augsburg production facility in southern Germany…
USCG Detains 553-foot Vessel for Safety Violations
![Great Success (Photo: Glenn Towler)](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/great-success-photo-glenn-towler-16786.jpg)
The Coast Guard detained the motor vessel Great Success, Tuesday, requiring the vessel remain in Longview, Wash., until numerous safety violations are corrected by the ship’s crew. Port State Control officers from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River’s Marine Safety Unit in Portland, Ore., discovered the discrepancies during routine inspections of the 553-foot Hong Kong-flagged vessel in Kalama, Wash., Monday and Longview on Tuesday.
Hyperdynamics' Guinea Consortium Provides Notice of Intent
Hyperdynamics Corporation announced that Tullow Oil Guinea Ltd. has formally notified the Republic of Guinea, on behalf of the consortium that is exploring for oil offshore Guinea…
Arctic Oil & Gas - "Alaska 1, Norway 0"
E&P costs have been increasing by 11% per annum for the last five years, according to Barclays Capital, and nowhere are they increasing faster than in remote and…
Topaz Expands Caspian Presence
![Caspian Provider, a 6,300 BHP platform supply vessel operating in Topaz’s Caspian fleet](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/caspian-provider-a-6300-bhp-16781.jpg)
Topaz Energy and Marine, an offshore support vessel owner with primary operations in the Middle East and Caspian, announced that it has secured new multi-year charters in the Russian Filanovsky project for nine of its offshore support vessels amounting to approximately $20 million. The vessels have been deployed to offshore contractor Saipem and will support the development of the Filanovsky oil and gas field in the Northern Caspian Sea.
Coast Guard, Good Samaritan Rescue Three From Capsized Boat
The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued three people Sunday after the 15-foot boat the three boaters were on capsized in Pamlico Sound near Avon, N.C. The boat's…
Bestobell Valves Secures U.S. Distributor Deal with W&O
![](https://images.marinelink.com/images/maritime/w100h1500/-16780.jpg)
Bestobell Valves, part of the President Engineering Group (PEGL), has named W&O Supply, a global supplier of marine pipe, valves and fittings, valve automation and engineered solutions to the marine and upstream oil and gas industries, as its exclusive distributor for Bestobell Valves in North America. Through this partnership, Bestobell Valves, headquartered in the United Kingdom, and W&O, headquartered in Jacksonville…
Paris, Tokyo, Indian Ocean and Black Sea Port State Concentrated Inspection
The Paris, Tokyo, Indian Ocean and Black Sea Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) on port state control will carry out a joint concentrated inspection campaign (CIC)…
Braemar Adjusting Expands London Team
Braemar Adjusting continues its development and expansion with the recruitment of new personnel to its London-based loss adjusting team. Geoffrey Thomas, Braemar Adjusting Regional Managing Director…
Malaysia's Petronas to Buy its Own Newbuild LNG Ships
Petronas says that as part of its strategy to optimise the value of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) business, it has decided to directly procure newbuild LNG ships…