Maritime Security News

Fugro and Damen have teamed up to provide the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) with a surveillance vessel and operating crew. The Dutch Ministry of Defence has contracted this new partnership to enhance its marine security and surveillance capabilities. The RNLN will deploy the surveillance vessel to conduct security operations within the Netherlands’ North Sea exclusive economic zone (EEZ), both above and below the water. Using advanced technology like uncrewed vehicles, it will enable the RNLN to monitor vessel activities in the North Sea and survey critical underwater infrastructure…

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said on Tuesday that it received a report of an incident for a vessel 100 nautical miles east of Yemen's Aden, the first report by the agency in the area in months.The vessel's crew were safe and it was proceeding to the next port of call, UKMTO said, after reporting it was being followed by people in multiple small vessels for about two hours with shots being fired.The agency said it was investigating the incident, without identifying…

The United States is deploying around 9,000 troops to the Philippines for this year's joint military exercises, as the allies strengthen ties amid tensions with China over its activities in the South China Sea and in Taiwan.The annual drills, which the Philippine military on Tuesday described as a rehearsal for national defense, will include 5,000 Filipino troops, 200 from the Australia Defence Force, and observers from the Japan Self-Defence Force.For the first time, observers…

The Documentary Committee of BIMCO has approved revisions to its War Risk Clauses to reflect changes in the geopolitical challenges facing the shipping industry.The Documentary Committee reviewed the existing BIMCO War Risk Clauses and agreed on the updated versions, BIMCO War Risk Clause for Voyage Charter Parties 2025 (VOYWAR 2025) and the BIMCO War Risk Clause for Time Charter Parties 2025 (CONWARTIME 2025).A revision of BIMCO’s War Cancellation Clause 2004 was also considered…

Winward’s latest report, focused on Q1 2025, indicates a major change in how vessels experiencing GPS jamming are appearing on tracking maps.The average distance vessels “jump” to when their AIS is jammed grew from 600km in Q4 2024 to 6,300km in Q1 2025. “This distance completely disrupts trade and safety measures at sea, making it nearly impossible to track vessels within any realistic or relevant geographical vicinity,” says Windward.“The main GPS jamming patterns we saw in Q4 were dense areas and smaller circles.

The United States will "take back" the Panama Canal from Chinese influence, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday during a visit to the Central American nation.After talks with Panama's government, Hegseth vowed to deepen security cooperation with Panamanian security forces and said China would not be allowed to "weaponize" the canal by using Chinese firms' commercial relationships for espionage."Together, we will take back the Panama Canal from China's influence," Hegseth said, speaking at a pier renovated with U.S. assistance in Panama City."China did not build this canal.

Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Terrell Horne (WPC 1131), with support from the USS Spruance (DDG 111) and Department of Homeland Security partners interdicted a suspected maritime smuggling vessel carrying eight Mexican nationals approximately 27 miles west of San Diego, on Saturday.At approximately 11 p.m. Friday, a CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) aircraft detected an estimated 40-foot cuddy cabin-style vessel traveling northwest about 37 miles south of Point Loma.The AMO aircraft coordinated a handoff with a Navy SH-60 Seahawk helicopter launched from the USS Spruance…

Foreign ministers from the G7 nations called China's recent military drills around Taiwan provocative and destabilizing while urging dialogue for "peaceful resolution of issues.""These increasingly frequent and destabilizing activities are raising cross-Strait tensions and put at risk global security and prosperity," the top diplomats from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America said in a joint statement on Sunday."G7 members continue to encourage the peaceful resolution of issues through constructive cross-Strait dialogue."Last week, China's

U.S. and Chinese military officials met in Shanghai for a series of meetings which the U.S. military said on Thursday were focused on reducing unsafe actions by Chinese military ships and planes."Military officials from the U.S. traveled to Shanghai, China to meet for working-level talks focused on decreasing the incidences of unsafe and unprofessional PLA Navy and PLA Airforce actions," the U.S.

As GPS jamming and spoofing incidents escalate across Europe, disrupting aviation and posing security risks, the maritime sector faces similar vulnerabilities that threaten global trade and safety. AST Networks, a provider of satellite communication solutions and marine electronics, warns that vessels relying on GPS for navigation are increasingly at risk and must seek countermeasures to ensure operational integrity.GPS jamming occurs when a device deliberately transmits signals on the same frequencies used by GPS satellites…

China's military held long-range live-fire drills in the East China Sea on Wednesday in an escalation of ongoing drills around Taiwan, saying it was practicing precision strikes on port and energy facilities but with no details on the exact location.The exercises follow a rise in Chinese rhetoric against Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, who China called a "parasite" on Tuesday, and come on the heels of U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Asia visit, during which he repeatedly criticised Beijing.China…

China's military on Tuesday said it had begun joint army, navy and rocket force exercises around Taiwan to "serve as a stern warning and powerful deterrent against Taiwanese independence", calling Taiwan's President Lai Ching-Te a "parasite".More than 10 Chinese military ships have approached close to Taiwan's 24 nautical mile (44.4 kilometre) contiguous zone, and Taiwan sent its own warships to respond, two senior Taiwan officials told Reuters.Taiwan has not yet detected any live fire by the Chinese military so far…

The United States will keep attacking Yemen's Houthis until they end attacks on shipping, the U.S. defense secretary said on Sunday, as the Iran-aligned group signaled it could escalate in response to deadly U.S. strikes the day before.The airstrikes, which the Houthi-run health ministry said killed at least 53 people, are the biggest U.S. military operation in the Middle East since President Donald Trump took office in January. One U.S. official told Reuters the campaign might continue for weeks.Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on Sunday that his militants would target U.S.

Australia is scrambling to deploy new long-range missiles as the recent arrival of powerful Chinese warships off the Australian coast delivers a sharp reminder of Beijing’s growing naval muscle.In a move to boost military firepower, Canberra plans to arm Australian soldiers with anti-ship missiles and advanced targeting radars to protect the country’s vast maritime approaches, according to contract announcements as well as a flurry of recent official speeches and ministerial statements.Two…

Yemen's Houthis said on Tuesday they would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, ending a period of relative calm starting in January with the Gaza ceasefire.The Houthis had launched more than 100 attacks targeting shipping from November 2023, saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza.During that period, the group sank two vessels, seized another and killed at least four seafarers in an offensive that disrupted global shipping…

China will boost its defense spending by 7.2% this year, maintaining a steady growth rate as Beijing faces headwinds from three years of sluggish economic expansion amid mounting geopolitical challenges from Taiwan to Ukraine.The increase, announced on Wednesday in a government report due to be released in parliament, matches last year's figure.It remains well above China's economic growth target for this year of roughly 5% - which analysts say was expected and reflected Beijing's ambitions for continued military modernization amid roiling geopolitical challenges.Since Xi became president and

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has reported an unauthorized boarding of the Singapore-registered chemical tanker, Basset, at about 07:00am (SGT) on February 28 in the Singapore Strait, outside Singapore territorial waters.A crew member was reported to have been injured. The vessel is currently anchored in Singapore waters and the Singapore Police Coast Guard and Singapore Civil Defence Force have been activated to render assistance. Medical evacuation of the…

Guyanese President Irfaan Ali said on Saturday that a Venezuelan coast guard patrol entered Guyanese waters earlier in the day, approaching an output vessel in an offshore oil block managed by Exxon Mobil.The South American neighbors are involved in a long-running dispute about which country owns the 160,000-square-km (62,000-square-mile) Esequibo area, which is the subject of an ongoing case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).The northwest portion of the block, close to Venezuela…

Finland will release an oil tanker which investigators believe broke a Baltic Sea power cable and four internet lines late last year, and will escort the vessel to international waters even as the criminal probe continues, police said on Sunday.The Cook Islands-registered Eagle S was boarded by Finland's coast guard on December 26 and has been held in custody while authorities probed the case, which remains under investigation on suspicion of sabotage.Three crew members remain subject to a travel ban and are not allowed to leave Finland, police said in a statement."The criminal investigation c

A U.S. Coast Guard cutter crossing the Tasman Sea as part of maritime security cooperation with Australia and New Zealand knew Chinese naval ships were in the area but had no interaction with them, its commanding officer said on Tuesday.China's navy held live-fire exercises on Friday and Saturday in international waters between Australia and New Zealand that Australian officials have described as unprecedented. The drills forced airlines to change the paths of 49 commercial flights for safety reasons.The movements of the People's Liberation Army Navy frigate…

Taiwan's coast guard said it detained a China-linked cargo ship on Tuesday after a nearby undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the sensitive Taiwan Strait was disconnected.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has repeatedly complained about "grey zone" Chinese activities around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation, such as balloon overflights and sand dredging.Taipei was alarmed after a Chinese-linked ship was suspected of damaging another cable earlier this year…

New Zealand said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights."Reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live firing activity, on Saturday afternoon," a spokesperson for Defence Minister Judith Collins said in a statement.Personnel on New Zealand Navy frigate Te Kaha observed live rounds fired from a Chinese vessel's main gun…

Russia has ordered divers to inspect ships in its ports, a government letter seen by Reuters shows, after suspected attacks on four oil tankers that visited in recent weeks.At the same time the Russian navy will help protect from the threat of drones and unmanned vessels, it said.Three oil tankers around the Mediterranean, and another in the Russian Baltic, have been damaged by blasts in the last month.All four had recently called at Russian ports, according to shipping sources…