Communications Systems News

Vard Electro, a subsidiary of the Fincantieri-owned Vard Group, entered into a three-year service level agreement (SLA) with Aker QRILL Company, a leader in krill harvesting. The contract covers a fleet of four krill harvesting vessels and two cargo vessels.A central part of the agreement is fleet-wide spare parts coverage. The SLA also includes annual preventive maintenance, technical support, and crew training for Antarctic Endurance, a  krill harvesting vessel delivered by VARD in 2019 and equipped with a complete SeaQ package covering bridge, automation, power and communications systems.

Construction has started on the operations and maintenance (O&M) base for the 1.1 GW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm at Montrose Port in Angus, Scotland.The base will expand Inch Cape’s existing presence at Montrose, where its marine coordination center is already located, and confirms the port’s role as a major Scottish offshore wind hub.Local contractor Pert Bruce Construction is delivering the project, which includes an O&M office, a 600 square metre warehouse, quayside facilities…

North Star, a U.K.-based service operation vessel (SOV) operator, has become the first organization in the world to have ships achieve Lloyd’s Register’s Cyber Resilience classification.The classification is in line with mandatory International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) standards implemented for all newbuilds from July 1, 2024.North Star’s new commissioning service operation vessels (CSOVs), the Grampian Kestrel and Grampian Eagle, are the first in the world…

Gibdock has announced the launch of Gibdock Yachting as a dedicated division focusing on a key area of business growth for the Gibraltar ship repair and maintenance yard.Gibdock Yachting will build on Gibdock’s long-standing expertise in maintaining and refitting superyachts. It will also work in a strategic partnership with BWA Yachting - the world’s largest superyacht agency and yachting services provider – to communicate the yard’s reputation for high quality and on time redelivery.“Gibdock Yachting will bring unparalleled dedication and professionalism to every project…

Defense group Leonardo and Immsi's naval unit Intermarine have signed a contract worth up to 2.6 billion euros ($2.82 billion) to supply Italy's navy with five coastal minehunter ships, the companies said on Friday.The contract, which also includes logistics support, is worth 1.6 billion euros for the vessels and 1 billion euros in various other options.Immsi's share price jumped more than 16% and Leonardo was up 2.3% after the deal was announced.Intermarine will produce the 63 meter vessels in its shipyards in Sarzana and will have a 73% share of the contract, with the remaining 27% for Leona

The IMO's Sub-Committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue (NCSR) met from June 3 to 14 at IMO headquarters in London, covering a range of issues including maritime pilot safety, improving the security and integrity of AIS, and the dissemination of information over multiple recognized mobile satellite services under the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS).Pilot transfer arrangements and amendments to SOLAS regulation V/23 agreedTo improve compliance and address inconsistencies and ambiguities in existing regulations…

Smart maintenance and remote access technologies provider Telemar is opening an office in Algeciras to better support digital solutions for Telemar and Marlink customers.The Algeciras office will enable Telemar to directly serve customers in the region for the first time, increasing the scope and range of services available with a dedicated team in place to handle client requests in the fifth busiest port in Europe by annual TEU volume. The new facility will also provide solutions such as Smart Maintenance and Smart Data, Telemar's maritime Data-as-a-Service (DaaS) solution.

Louisiana-based boat builder Metal Shark has unveiled Prowler, its new autonomous, amphibious, and semi-submersible military craft engineered to meet the current and near future warfighting requirements of the U.S. military and its allies. The company is also debuting Frenzy, a high-performance, low-cost, amphibious micro-USV (uncrewed surface vehicle) with a payload carrying capacity of up to 14 pounds.“Prowler represents the sum total of everything we’ve learned while building 400-plus autonomous and remote operated vessels for our military customers over the past decade…

British satellite communications company Inmarsat said on Wednesday it is nearing an agreement to move some of its ground communications systems from the Netherlands to Greece, resolving a conflict over 5G bandwidth use.The systems based in Burum, Netherlands, use the 3.5Ghz frequency range for emergency communications with sea traffic. Their location has been in doubt for years as the Dutch government plans to use the 3.5Ghz range for 5G telecommunications.Inmarsat said it received…

Anschütz is delivering advanced, customized integrated bridge systems (IBS) to three multi-purpose vessels for the German Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSV) built by Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R).The vessels will run exclusively on LNG, with sophisticated systems supporting a wide-ranging mission profile.The IBS consists of six Synapsis NX workstations with chart radar, ECDIS and conning, providing advanced features for precise and safe navigation, while using another ECDIS as a planning station.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has awarded type approval in principle to SeaARCTOS for its emissions monitoring technology ARCTOS-1, which monitors carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) exhaust levels with a dedicated sensor attached to a vessel’s exhaust stack.Designed to provide transparency on emissions monitoring and help support compliance with local and regional sulphur regulations, ARCTOS-1 enables ship owners and operators to understand their vessel emissions…

Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it had completed a live trial of autonomous shipping technology in Bornem, Belgium, demonstrating the company's progress in fully autonomous systems.The test vessel, Zulu 4, an inland waterway barge owned by Blue Line Logistics NV, is equipped for remote-operated and autonomous transport demonstrations for the AUTOSHIP project, which is part of Horizon 2020, an EU research program.As part of the test, Zulu 4 maneuvered and navigated on unrestricted waterways, and it demonstrated berthing and unberthing capability.

The USCGC Baranof (WPB 1318) was decommissioned during a ceremony aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Monday.“USCGC Baranof’s exemplary service to our nation is a testament to both the Island-class platform and the crews that have manned Baranof over the past 34 years,” said Vice Adm. Kevin Lunday, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, who presided over the ceremony. “Whether it was conducting law enforcement and search and rescue in the Caribbean, or deploying to the present-day homeport of Bahrain to support U.S.

Data usage on commercial maritime vessels has jumped more than threefold since 2019, according to new communications analysis by maritime comms specialist Inmarsat.Inmarsat said the study results underline the shipping industry’s reliance on digital connectivity to enhance operating efficiency and safeguard crew welfare during a period of unprecedented disruption to seaborne trade.The internal study undertaken by Inmarsat, which says it connects more vessels than any other provider…

In November 2021, GTMaritime published a white paper: “Maritime Communications - A look over the horizon.” The report, available here, is built around three broad Sections – 1. “Basics of marine Communications;” 2. “The connected ship;” and 3. “Special services.”Then, each Section presents a closer look at various topics. The “Basics” section, for example, covers regulatory issues established by IMO treaties and national agencies. It presents the terms and concepts that define satellite systems and networks…

For decades, the only way to bring global satellite communications onboard a commercial vessel was with a CAPEX-intensive equipment purchase or a long-term lease, inhibiting fleet managers’ ability to adapt to varied operational needs. That changed five years ago when KVH introduced AgilePlans Connectivity as a Service, an innovative, all-inclusive communications subscription service.“We set out to remove the CAPEX barrier and enable accelerated deployment of communications systems aboard vessels around the world,” says Mark Woodhead, KVH executive vice president of mobile connectivity.

Videos of U.S. military personnel stopping drug-smuggling boats are exhilarating and frightening. They are not Hollywood movies but real-life, dangerous encounters on the high seas. In each of those instances, the use of force applies. The High Power Microwave (HPM) Weapon Systems Division at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) makes those encounters safer for everyone involved.“A significant portion of what we do focuses on vessel stopping,” said Kevin Cogley, HPM Weapon Systems Division head.

Agreement marks next step in accelerating LEO connectivity for the global shipping and offshore industriesAs part of its mission to deliver low latency, ‘fiber-like’ connectivity to the maritime and offshore industries, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) broadband satellite communications company OneWeb, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The AST Group (AST), a global leader in satellite communications systems.By working together, AST and OneWeb will offer fixed-land and maritime customers access to OneWeb’s fast…

Mackay Marine said it finalized the agreement with Raytheon Anschütz GmbH, establishing Mackay Marine South Africa (Pty) Ltd. as a Raytheon Anschütz Sales and Service Distribution Partner.Although Mackay Marine South Africa is Mackay’s newest global branch (opened in September 2020), their technical and sales teams have long established relationships with marine customers in South Africa, formerly known as Dynamic Marine Systems.

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said Friday that its Technical Solutions division was one of 11 companies selected to provide development, technical, management and engineering services for Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) department. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract includes a three-year base term with a two-year extension option. HII will compete for task orders under the contract. The combined value of all potential task orders across the base and option years is $250 million.“This award reaffirms HII’s commitment to the Navy and NIWC’s ISR mission and the need for innovative and cost-effective solutions…

Japan's Nagashiki Shipping said on Friday the grounding of one of its large bulk carriers that caused an ecological disaster in Mauritius was due to a lack of safety awareness and a failure to follow rules as it pledged better training and oversight.The findings were assumptions based on interviews with crew members, the company said.A bulk carrier owned by Nagashiki and chartered by Mitsui OSK ran aground on a reef in Mauritius in July and began leaking oil, causing an ecological disaster in the pristine seas around the Indian Ocean island.

Data analytics firm ioCurrents will offer KVH Watch connectivity as part of its vessel maintenance and optimization servicesKVH Industries, Inc., announced today that ioCurrents, a provider of real-time, remote vessel analytics, has joined the KVH Watch Solution Partner program and will offer KVH Watch connectivity as part of its maritime services. The company is the creator of the MarineInsight platform, which uses machine-learning algorithms to support maritime maintenance and fuel optimization and has thus far relied on vessels’ existing communications systems for data transfer.

Gregory Darling and Applied Satellite Technology (AST) works with shipowners to help them use their bandwidth more efficiently for ship business and crew needs.When Gregory Darling, Group MD, AST, worked in the marine industry in the 1980s with a marine survey company, he needed to get word to one of his ships off of West Africa to recalibrate its course and head off to a new job. But the ship had left port, and radio calls to the ship went unanswered, resulting in two days of lost time and revenue.“That was frustrating and costly…