Authorities in Guangdong province in southern China have reported that four people have gone missing after the vessel they were serving on struck a bridge in the city of Foshan on Monday, April 22. The unidentified vessel was transporting 4,900 tonnes of steel coil between the provinces of Heshan and Fujian when it struck a […] The post Four missing after cargo ship hits bridge in Guangdong, China appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

Norway’s Kongsberg, via its Kongsberg Discovery technology division, has confirmed that the first production example of its long-range Hugin Endurance autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has completed factory acceptance testing. Sea trials for the first production unit began in September 2023. In the succeeding months, Kongsberg Discovery put the AUV through a series of tests to […] The post Factory testing concluded for Norwegian-developed long-endurance AUV appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

Austal Australia has successfully completed sea acceptance trials, including endurance trials, of Sentinel, a remote and autonomously operated vessel of the Royal Australian Navy. The trials consisted of a series of remote and autonomous navigation events conducted off the Western Australian coastline during March and April 2024. Greenroom Robotics’ proprietary maritime autonomy software was used […] The post Royal Australian Navy autonomous patrol boat completes acceptance trials appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

The Quad partners often discuss the Indo-Pacific, but they hold differing views on what exactly it is. That disparity has tangible effects, such as Australia’s diminished interest in piracy in the western Indian Ocean compared with its Quad partners. While China consistently demonstrates interest in the seas off eastern Africa, Australia does not, neglecting significant […] The post OPINION | Out of focus: Australia neglects western Indian Ocean appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

Chinese shipbuilder CIMC Raffles has handed over a new large jackup wind turbine installation vessel (WTIV) to compatriot private offshore wind construction company Boqiang Heavy Industry. The aptly named Boqiang 3060 (博强3060; “Broad Power 3060”) was designed and built by CIMC Raffles in compliance to China Classification Society (CCS) rules as well as standards covering […] The post VESSEL REVIEW | Boqiang 3060 – Chinese construction firm places large-capacity installation jackup into service appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

Japanese news outlet The Asahi Shimbun reports that the families of some of the deceased victims of a tour boat sinking that occurred off Japan’s Hokkaido island two years prior intend to press charges against the vessel’s operating company and its president in relation to the incident. Lawyers representing the families confirmed that a civil […] The post Victims’ families to sue Japanese tour boat operator over deadly sinking appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

Hatchery-reared juvenile scallops have been successfully deployed for the first time off the coast of Rottnest in a crucial step towards developing a more productive and sustainable saucer scallop fishery for Western Australia. The WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) recently deployed about 5,000 scallop spat, testing the transport and deployment process […] The post Hatchery scallops successfully deployed off Rottnest in stock replenishment trial appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

The Chinese fishing fleet is responsible for systemic illegal fishing and human rights abuses in countries bordering the Southwest Indian Ocean (SWIO), undercutting China’s claims of supporting sustainable development and thriving blue economies in the region, according to a new report published by the Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF). China’s distant-water fleet (DWF) is by far […] The post Report: China responsible for human rights abuses and illegal fishing across the Southwest Indian Ocean appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

The fourth Type 218SG or Invincible-class diesel-electric submarine ordered by the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) was officially named in a ceremony at the facilities of Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) on Monday, April 22. As with its three earlier sisters, the future RSS Inimitable is a variant of the Type 214 submarine that Germany […] The post Singapore’s fourth Invincible-class submarine officially named appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more

Dutch marine contractor Boskalis recently completed an extensive land reclamation campaign on the island of Gulhifalhu in the Maldives. The works were carried out over a period of nine months using the trailing suction hopper dredgers Oranje, Queen of the Netherlands, Willem van Oranje, and Prins der Nederlanden. The development is part of an overarching […] The post Boskalis wraps up island reclamation in Maldives appeared first on Baird Maritime ..read more