The Iranian spy ship Behshad has departed the Gulf of Aden and headed for home, ending the vessel's alleged role in the Red Sea maritime security crisis. Behshad deployed to the Red Sea in 2021, and analysts believe that the ship has served as a staging point and command post for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' operations in Yemen. The vessel is widely suspected of providing targeting information and intelligence to Yemen's Houthi rebels, who have been launching missile and drone attacks on merchant shipping since November. The intensity and location of Houthi attack activity has ..read more

The Philippines and the United States are planning to stage a naval exercise in the South China Sea next week, drawing strenuous objections from China. While this has happened many times before, this time will be different: part of the maneuvers will take place in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, and will challenge China's extralegal maritime claims in the South China Sea.  China claims most of the South China Sea as its own, including large parts of its neighbors' EEZs. The Philippines is at the front lines, and has refused to give up a contested outpost at Second Thom ..read more

  [By You Xiaoying] China is increasingly seeking to put solar panels on the seas off its coastline, with some state-run companies experimenting as far offshore as 30 kilometers. A global leader in renewable energy, China has already been looking to the ocean to meet its future power via wind, waves and tides. But ambitious plans for large solar installations face problems ranging from rough seas to a regulatory vacuum, experts have told Dialogue Earth. The country’s strong supply chains could give it a leg up in tackling hurdles to ocean solar power. It could spearhead a new sector ..read more

  Chinese officials and the state-run media continued the strong response denouncing the U.S.’s announcement of a trade investigation into the shipbuilding sector and efforts to triple the tariffs on steel. Chinese media writes the U.S. administration is using an “old playbook of unilateralism and protectionism,” saying it will fail to reshore manufacturing and result in a more expensive supply chain. China’s Commerce Ministry issued a series of statements responding to the U.S. announcements and said regarding the steel tariffs that, “China has urged the U.S. to confront its internal cha ..read more

[By: MariApps Marine Solutions] An agreement was announced by MariApps Marine Solutions (MariApps), a company that specializes in maritime digital solutions, to enhance the digitalization of Intership Navigation's (Intership) fleet of 100 vessels. By utilizing MariApps’ digital solutions suite, smartPAL, Intership hopes to offer their customers, ship owners, and vendors state-of-the-art digital services. MariApps is committed to continuous innovation and collaboration with industry leaders. Our technical professionals offer expertise in ship maintenance, voyage management, crew management ..read more

  Two of Northern Europe’s leading ports reported first quarter 2024 results citing the ongoing geopolitical uncertainties and the impact on European economies. While Rotterdam remains the larger port overall, it reported a slight decline in overall throughput due to persistent economic issues while Antwerp-Bruges both saw an increase in total cargo throughput and critically pulled nearly even with Rotterdam on container volumes. Both ports experienced improvements in their container trade despite the impact of the disruptions in the Red Sea. Rotterdam for example reported a slight increa ..read more

  A defense IT company and one of its former executives have pleaded guilty to charges of bribery in connection with a scheme to get U.S. Navy contracts at a base in San Diego.  Russell Thurston, 51, and his then-employer Cambridge International Systems have admitted to offer things of value to James Soriano, a contracting officer at the Naval Information Warfare Center. Thurston and his subordinates gave Soriano free meals, a ticket to the 2018 MLB All Star Game, and jobs for Soriano's friends and family. One of these new hires did not appear to have job responsibilities, and gave h ..read more

[By: Nesec] Rotterdam-based Nesec Financiering is pleased to announce its contribution to an investment program increasing maritime sustainability. By providing a strategic loan, Nesec plays a pivotal role in the total capital attracted by EST-Floattech from Energietransitiefonds Rotterdam, Rotterdam Port Fund, PDENH, Ponooc, and Yard Energy. EST-Floattech will put the investment to use in the ongoing advancement and production of the maritime type-approved Octopus Series battery systems by various classification societies for the propulsion of hybrid and fully electric vessels. The battery sy ..read more

Australia's federal police believe that they have solved the case of the floating cocaine bales that have been floating up on the beaches of Queensland and New South Wales over the last few months.  According to the AFP, the Australian ringleader was a Brisbane resident who set up a cocaine import shipment of 900 kilos. The 36-year-old suspect is accused of running a domestic organized-crime network that handled at least three large-scale smuggling operations, mainly by sea, that brought in (or attempted to) a total of about two tonnes of cocaine. He is suspected to have been involved in ..read more

The designs have been finalized and the shipyard was chosen for an ambitious project to build two of the world’s largest hydrogen-fueled passenger and car ferries. The project has been in development for several years with the designs initially approved in 2022 and now with the shipyard selected, Norway expects the vessels will be delivered in 2026. “There are no other maritime hydrogen projects internationally that come close to the scale and ambitions of this project,” says Marius Hansen Managing Director of Norwegian ferry company Torghatten Nord. He recognizes that extensive time was spent ..read more