Jet News

As the Military Sealift Command (MSC) celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is looking to the future through the eyes of a forward-thinking “innovation cell” named for a ship from its storied past. USNS Taluga (T-AO-62) was the first Navy replenishment ship that was operated by civil service mariners.The Taluga Group is a three-person team of Director John Bruening, Dean Vesely and Jerit VanAuker who are focused on capability development and adoption of innovative practices.The Tulaga Group team have diverse backgrounds to help them look at problems in different ways.

“During the first nine months of 2024, seaborne shipments of jet fuel increased 11% over 2023," said Niels Rasmussen, Chief Shipping Analyst at BIMCO. "Shipments were equivalent to 461 million barrels or 1.7 million barrels per day (mbpd). At the same time, airline passenger traffic measured in Available Seat Kilometres (ASK) exceeded 2019 levels for the first time since COVID,”Airline cargo traffic recovered quickly after the COVID pandemic hit in 2020 and has since remained mostly within +/-10% of 2019 levels.

Korean maritime service company MARCON has secured an approval in principle (AiP) from Korean Register (KR) for its crew transfer vessel (CTV), a passenger and cargo transport vessel dedicated to offshore wind farms.The CTV that received the AiP adopts an eco-friendly hybrid electric propulsion system using batteries.This addresses environmental regulatory issues while also offering fuel cost savings and supporting safer offshore wind farm operations.The key components of the CTV include a hybrid system and energy storage system (ESS) provided by Hanwha Aerospace…

For years, operators of high-speed boats have silently endured the physical toll of their profession. Repeated slamming impacts from rough seas caused serious injuries—many of them life-altering. However, one Navy doctor saw these challenges not as an unavoidable consequence but as a problem that could be solved. His solution? A seat that would change the course of high-speed boat safety.The hidden cost of high-speed operationsRecent research shows that professional high-speed boat operators suffer more severe injuries than seen in almost any other peacetime profession.

Last month's CrowdStrike IT outage that grounded scores of flights created new problems for California's fuel market, forcing U.S. traders to store jet fuel destined for the state on waterborne tankers, storage broker The Tank Tiger told Reuters this week.The outage exacerbated existing constraints on petroleum storage in California, where policies aimed at ending fossil fuel usage have made it harder to setup new oil and gas infrastructure."When it comes to petroleum products storage in California, there has been no room at the inn for several years," Ernie Barsamian, founder of U.S.

The Philippines and China clashed in disputed waters of the South China Sea on Sunday over what Manila said was a resupply mission for fishermen, the latest in a series of sea and air confrontations in the strategic waterway.The incident overshadows efforts by both nations to rebuild trust and better manage disputes after months of confrontations, including a violent clash in June, in which a Filipino sailor lost a finger.The Philippines on Sunday accused China of "aggressive and dangerous manoeuvres" to block the resupply mission.

Port Angeles, Wash. shipbuilder BRIX Marine announced it has delivered a new whale watching tour vessel for Alaska Whale Watching, operating out of Auke Bay, Alaska.The 5217-CTC aluminum catamaran Quinn Starr—part of the builder's PaxCat portfolio—is 56 feet long (LOA) with a beam of 17 feet 6 inches. The vessel can accommodate 49 passengers and three crew members, meeting USCG Sub T class requirements.Quinn Starr is powered by twin 800-horsepower Scania DI16 marine diesel engines and and HamiltonJet HJ403 waterjets.“Quinn Starr is a vessel designed for passengers to love” said Perry Knudson…

Danish subsea cable and services firm NKT has boosted the offshore installation capabilities of its cable laying vessel (CLV) NKT Victoria by conducting several technical upgrades.According to NKT, the vessel now features increased cable load capacity, improved station keeping and added installation capabilities.Key upgrades on NKT Victoria include increased load capacity from 9,000 tons to 11,000 tons, added Azimuth retractable thruster in the middle of the hull for improved positioning…

U.S.-based family-owned private equity firm the Hoffmann Family of Companies (HF Companies) announced it has acquired Mackinac Island Ferry Company in Michigan.Jenny Gezella, President of Hoffmann Marine, said, “We are thrilled to acquire the Mackinac Island Ferry Company, further expanding our presence in the Mackinac community and marine industry. Our commitment to providing first-class, efficient transportation remains steadfast, and we look forward to continuing to serve both residents and visitors to this special island.”“To ensure a seamless transition…

Combat craft are used by both large and small navies, and every navy, coast guard or maritime service operates some kind of boats.The U.S. Navy’s boats are used for a variety of tasks from personnel and cargo transport to ship repair and maintenance to environmental response.The combat craft range from pull sized patrol boats down to ridged-hull inflatable boats (RIBs) armed with machine guns. Boats include shipboard RIBs, maritime security boats, dive support boats, workboats…

Alabama Shipyard has secured a contract to perform maintenance work aboard the Military Sealift Command's (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196).The Mobile, Ala. shipyard was awarded an $11,339,193 firm-fixed-price contract for a 106-calendar day shipyard availability. The deal includes a base work package and four unexercised options for additional work and time which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative value of this contract to $11,807,789.Alabama Shipyard was one of five bidders for the job.Work will begin August 31…

Kongsberg Maritime’s Jet Control System is now available for the company’s larger, S-series stainless steel waterjets.The system offering improved maneuverability and easier installation for vessels up to 50 meters in length.Already available on the S3/CA steel series and the A5 aluminum series and installed on over 100 craft, the Jet Control System, will now be matched with the S4-series waterjets, typically used on larger vessels such as ferries, super yachts and coastal patrol vessels.The system is used to control waterjet steering…

Castoldi launched the latest in a new range of hydrodynamically optimized waterjets; the Turbodrive 400 HCT.With a 400 mm jet housing, hydraulic gearbox/clutch and high thrust efficiency, the Turbodrive 400 HCT was designed using  Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software.The development of the new family of Castoldi HCT waterjets started 12 years ago and according to Giacomo Castoldi, owner at Castoldi S.r.l. “Thanks to the very latest developments in fluid dynamics, the new Turbodrive 400 HCT is around 12% more efficient than the outgoing model and is perfectly interchangeable with it.

New York-based Kalypso Offshore Energy on Monday announced it is teaming up with Dutch marine technology group and shipbuilder Royal IHC to design and construct a Jones Act compliant cable lay vessel (CLV)—the first purpose-built for the U.S. offshore wind market.Under a newly signed letter of intent (LOI), the partners are working together to finalize contract, engineering and construction details to domestically produce a 5,000-ton CLV for anticipated delivery in 2028. The partners have not announced which U.S.

Tankers carrying Russian oil have continued sailing through the Red Sea largely uninterrupted by Houthi attacks on shipping and face lower risks than competitors, according to shipping executives, analysts and flows data.Russia has become more dependent on trade through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea since it invaded Ukraine, which led to Europe imposing sanctions on Russian imports and forced Moscow to export most of its crude to China and India. Before the war, Russia exported…

Thailand’s Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has taken delivery of a new state-of-the-art research vessel. Designed by Incat Crowther and built by Thai shipbuilder Seacrest Marine, the 25-meter catamaran will be used by the DMCR to patrol Thailand’s coastal environments and monitor the nation’s fisheries and marine resources.Based the Incat Crowther 25 design, the vessel has a range of innovative features and equipment to help its crew monitor and protect sensitive…

Sweden-based waterjet propulsion systems manufacturer Marine Jet Power (MJP) has unveiled its new X-HT waterjet.Designed for efficiency in low to medium speed applications (up to 35 knots), the X-HT particularly targets wind farm crew transfer vessels (CTV) but boasts wider applicability for various workboats, including passenger ferries, patrol boats and other utility vessels.“We are excited to expand our X-Series line with the High Thrust variant,” said Jonas Tegström, CEO of MJP.

As many as 35 oil tankers that usually carry crude or fuel oil could switch to carrying cleaner products like diesel and jet fuel in the next two months as shipowners chase higher profitability, oil analytics firm Kpler said in a LinkedIn post.An LR2 (long-range 2) type tanker typically carries cargoes of about 90,000 metric tons of cleaner fuels.

The chief negotiator for Yemen's Houthis said on Monday the group's stance has not changed since U.S.-led air strikes on its positions, and warned that attacks on ships headed to Israel will continue.U.S. and British warplanes, ships and submarines last week launched dozens of air strikes across Yemen in retaliation for Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping, which the Iran-aligned movement cast as a response to Israel's offensive in Gaza."Attacks to stop Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the occupied Palestine will continue…

Houthi forces in Yemen struck the U.S.-owned and operated dry bulk ship Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship ballistic missile, U.S Central Command said on Monday, although there were no reports of injuries or significant damage.The vessel's U.S.-based operator Eagle Bulk Shipping said that it was hit by an "unidentified projectile" while sailing 100 miles off the Gulf of Aden and suffered limited damage to its cargo hold, and no seafarers were injured."As a result of the impact…

U.S. shipbuilder Eastern Shipbuilding Group, Inc (ESG) on Wednesday announced it is teaming up with Dutch shipbuilding group Royal IHC to design and construct a highly automated hopper dredge for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE).The diesel-electric vessel, contracted for the Department of Defense, will be constructed at ESG's Allanton and Port St. Joe facilities in Florida for scheduled delivery in 2027.The new 6,000-cubic-yard-capacity medium-class hopper dredge (MCHD) will be based at the Corps’ Philadelphia District…

Derecktor Shipyards New York is building a pair of hybrid ferries for Savannah, Ga. based Chatham Area Transit (CAT). Delivery is expected in 2024.The two 65-foot-long, 50-passenger ferries will be equipped with an electric propulsion package from BAE Systems, including permanent magnet traction motors and HybriGen Power system. Each vessel will feature a 308 kWh energy storage system (ESS) from Xalt Energy and a pair of Marine Jet Power (MJP) Ultrajet 305 waterjets.The ferries are being built to operate on short…

Marine Jet Power (MJP) announced it has been selected to supply its 850 DRB waterjets for a new fireboat being built for South Korea's Incheon Metropolitan City.The 36.2-meter fireboat, set to become the flagship vessel at the littoral of Incheon, will be built at Asian Shipbuilding in Korea for scheduled delivery in January 2025.It will be equipped with dual MJP 850 DRB waterjets. MJP will also provide a dynamic positioning system to enhance station-keeping capabilities during firefighting operations.MJP’s JetMaster 3 control system will govern the helm…