Mine News

The Vlissingen, the second of the series of mine countermeasures vessels (MCM) of the Belgian-Dutch rMCM program, first intended for the Royal Netherlands Navy, has commenced sea trials.The specialized and cyber secured by design MCM vessels are the first to have the capability to embark and launch a combination of surface drones (themselves 12-metre, 19- tonne vessels), underwater drones and aerial drones.The mine countermeasures vessels will use a mainly autonomous system for detection…

The White House is weighing an executive order that would fast-track permitting for deep-sea mining in international waters and let mining companies bypass a United Nations-backed review process, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the deliberations.If signed, the order would mark U.S. President Donald Trump's latest attempt to tap international deposits of nickel, copper and other critical minerals used widely across the economy after recent efforts in Greenland and Ukraine.

German navigation specialist Anschütz has developed a navigation and command system for autonomous and unmanned maritime operations. The approval-ready system has undergone extensive testing in autonomous operation and is currently being prepared for use in prototypes, according to the company.The autonomous navigation and command system from Anschütz provides navies with a sustainable capability and safety enhancement for unmanned systems. It ensures autonomous navigation and control and operation of unmanned platforms…

The term gamechanger is often over used enough to be rendered meaningless, but the huge Simandou mine in the West African country of Guinea is going to be just that as its start up is set to rock the seaborne iron ore market.The first cargoes from the project may arrive by the end of this year and it's expected that it will ramp up to its full capacity of 120 million metric tons per annum fairly quickly.The four blocks of Simandou are impressive in their scale and infrastructure challenges…

Mines attached to the hulls of ships and set off with timers likely caused blasts that have damaged two crude oil tankers in the Mediterranean Sea since January, three sources close to the investigation said on Monday.At least five vessels have been damaged, including explosionson the Greek-managed tankers Seacharm and Seajewel which Reuters reported last week. The incidents have raised concerns of a new security threat in the typically safe waters of the Mediterranean, just as the shipping industry is dealing with attacks in the busy Red Sea route.It is not clear who is responsible for the alleged attacks. The vessels had recently called at Russian ports, according to ship tracking data and sources.

The Fascinated by Shipwrecks Podcast, hosted by Kathy A. Smith,  is dedicated to the People & the Science of Maritime Archaeology.EPISODE 8 – Guest: Vince Capone – Hunting Shipwrecks with Side Scan Sonar“The robot is navigating underwater and runs a search pattern, collecting the data. We are not at the point where we can transmit that data in real time back to the vessel because of the volume of data. We can transmit snippets to make sure it's working. When I say snippets, those are just small images of the sonar waterfall. But that time is coming.

Heavy lift services specialists, Malin Abram, part of the Malin group, have successfully rolled out and floated off HMS Brocklesby, a Hunt Class vessel, representing one of the eight mine countermeasure vessels of the Royal Navy, at His Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth. The project, which has involved months of meticulous planning from KBS Maritime and Malin Abram, saw the vessel carefully rolled-onto a semi-submersible launch barge, provided by Tronds Marine, after which it floated off and launched successfully. The contract represents a new relationship between the two companies.

Estonia's navy is prepared to act against vessels that pose a danger to Baltic Sea infrastructure even if they are in international waters, a senior official patrolling the busy Gulf of Finland shipping lane said.The Baltic Sea region is on alert and the NATO alliance has boosted its presence after a series of power cable, telecom and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Most were caused by civilian ships dragging their anchors.While some of the underwater breaches have been ruled accidental…

As global reliance on subsea infrastructure grows, so do the risks. Discover how safeguarding undersea assets opens new frontiers for innovation and investment.Importance of Subsea InfrastructureSubsea infrastructure plays a critical role in maintaining the operational continuity of the modern society and the global economy. This vast network includes subsea data and communication cables, pipelines for energy transportation, electricity cables, and resource extraction systems.

Patrick Murphy has been President of Blue & Gold Fleet, L.P., the San Francisco Bay Area’s largest and premier provider of Bay Cruises and ferry service, since 2016. Murphy grew up in the Maritime business. His father, Roger Murphy, founded Blue & Gold Fleet in 1979. Patrick Murphy began his career in 1982, working part-time in the Box Office and as a Deckhand before receiving his United States Coast Guard’s license in 1995 and was promoted to Captain in 1996. In 2005, Murphy advanced to Blue & Gold Fleet Operations Manager, and then to Director of Operations in 2009.

In September 2024, the U.S. Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti, issued her Chief of Naval Operations Navigation Plan for America’s Warfighting Navy. Admiral Franchetti describes this Navigation Plan as the strategic guidance to the U.S. Navy.This Navigation Plan embodies “Project 33” in recognition of the fact that Admiral Franchetti is the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations. Project 33 articulates two overarching objectives: An imperative to be ready for the possibility of war with the People’s Republic of China by 2027…

Norway said on Monday it would provide 2.7 billion crowns ($242 million) to strengthen the Ukrainian navy and help it deter Russian naval forces in the Black Sea.Much of the funding will go towards innovation and autonomy under the Maritime Capability Coalition, which Norway and Britain launched last year to make Ukraine's navy more compatible with Western allies, the government said."It is essential to protect the Ukrainian population and Ukrainian infrastructure from attacks by Russia's Black Sea Fleet," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said in a statement."It is also important to protect ex

The lush river valleys of El Zaino y La Arenosa in western Panama, home to hundreds of families that eke out a living farming, fishing and raising cattle, could soon be submerged by a massive man-made reservoir designed to ensure the viability of the Panama Canal in the face of a changing climate.Tres Hermanas, with its farms, two schools, churches and a medical clinic, is one of dozens of towns that would disappear in the next six years if the state-owned Panama Canal's ambitious $1.6 billion project goes ahead. Residents are divided: some do not want to leave, while others are focused on getting fair compensation if they are forced to move.

The lush river valleys of El Zaino y La Arenosa in western Panama, home to hundreds of families that eke out a living farming, fishing and raising cattle, could soon be submerged by a massive man-made reservoir designed to ensure the viability of the Panama Canal in the face of a changing climate.Tres Hermanas, with its farms, two schools, churches and a medical clinic, is one of dozens of towns that would disappear in the next six years if the state-owned Panama Canal's ambitious $1.6 billion project goes ahead. Residents are divided: some do not want to leave, while others are focused on getting fair compensation if they are forced to move.

Fire broke out on a Japanese warship sailing near the western part of the country, causing one crew member to be hospitalized due to smoke inhalation, while another was missing, Japan's navy said on Sunday.The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) said the minesweeper Ukushima was sailing off the coast north of Fukuoka in the island of Kyushu when the fire occurred at around 9:40 a.m. local time (0040 GMT).Admiral Akira Saito later said firefighting efforts were ongoing as of 8:30 p.m.

U.S. aluminium maker Alcoa AA.N said on Thursday it had halted bauxite shipments from Brazil's Juruti port due to a stranded vessel in the waterway.This was the latest in a series of disruptions to hit the aluminium raw material supply chain, which have pushed alumina prices to record highs and supported aluminium prices.Alcoa declared force majeure at its bauxite mine in the Juruti region on Wednesday as an inaccessible waterway hindered its ability to supply its customers, an Alcoa spokesperson said in an emailed statement to Reuters.The statement gave no estimate on when shipments would resume.One trader source said the vessel has…

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.

General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded a $15.9 million contract by the U.S. Navy to develop its Mining Expendable Delivery Unmanned Submarine Asset (MEDUSA) system.MEDUSA is a tactical, clandestine mining system using an expendable Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) that can be launched from a submarine torpedo tube. The U.S. Navy is developing MEDUSA to address the need for an advanced maritime mining system with long-range offensive mining capabilities.The scope of the newly awarded research and development effort includes the design…

Eureka Naval Craft is introducing its suite of high-speed AIRCAT (air cushion catamarans) surface effect ships (SES), already in use with the offshore energy industry, to the defense market.According to Bo Jardine, CEO of Eureka Naval Craft, a newly formed U.S.-based naval defense company, the versatile suite of AIRCAT naval vessels can serve as a patrol craft, rescue craft, medical evacuation vessels, heavily armed small combatants and landing craft.The AIRCAT SES has both an air cushion…

VesselsValue has released its Q4 2024 Market Outlook indicating a forecast period up to 2027 which suggests a mixed outlook across different vessel types.The company anticipates that orders for bulkers and tankers will gain momentum, while demand for containers and LNG/LPG vessels will decline. Despite the expected rise in bulker and tanker orders, the overall orderbook will likely shrink due to a surge in deliveries for container and gas vessels.Geopolitical tensions, such as the Houthi attacks in the Bab Al Mandeb Strait, are creating both risks and opportunities for shipping.

San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) to the U.S. Navy, on September 12.The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base ship is named for Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War. The Medal of Honor was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a White House ceremony in 1953.“From christening in May 2024 to delivery…

For decades, submarines have been the apex predator, roaming the oceans largely unmolested, gathering intelligence, providing a sea-based nuclear deterrent, and conducting clandestine missions with impunity. As such, these versatile and lethal platforms have been highly sought after by navies around the world, and with advancements in underwater propulsion and quieting technologies, it is perhaps more challenging than ever to detect, localize, and track them. But even as submarines become stealthier…

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…