All posts tagged: Maritime

So Long, ‘Ferrynoia.’ Green Maritime Technology Is Here

So Long, ‘Ferrynoia.’ Green Maritime Technology Is Here

Published by skeptic

The Harbor Charger, New York state’s first hybrid-electric public ferry, is gearing up for its first full summer transporting passengers between the city’s South Ferry terminal and Governors Island, the 172-acre oasis across New York Harbor from Lower Manhattan. A draw for New Yorkers and tourists alike, Governors Island hosts outdoor concerts and art installations on its sprawling green spaces. “A lot of what we do on the island is focused on public recreation, exploring the outdoors and public art,” says Clare Newman, president and CEO of the Trust for Governors Island. “The Harbor Charger reflects all three of those pillars, with the idea being that the boat ride itself is part of your Governors Island experience.” The $33 million ferry was designed by Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group and built at the Conrad Shipyard in Morgan City, Louisiana. It’s 66 percent faster than the outgoing ferry—the nearly 70-year-old Lt. Samuel S. Coursen that consumed roughly 420 gallons of fuel daily—and can make the one-way trip in 10 minutes. It’s expected to cut carbon dioxide emissions …

AUKUS unveils undersea drone project to deepen defense partnership – POLITICO

AUKUS unveils undersea drone project to deepen defense partnership – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

AUKUS is a trilateral security partnership established in 2021 by Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. It focuses on countering China’s influence in the Indo-Pacific region by enhancing the three countries’ military capabilities through the deployment of nuclear-powered submarines, what is known as the “Pillar One” of the alliance. The three countries also are cooperating to develop advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cyber capabilities, and other undersea and defense systems — referred to as “Pillar Two.” The alliance encompasses Australia’s acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines from the United States, the joint development of a new AUKUS-class submarine, and the creation of facilities to host U.S. and British submarines on Australian territory. In mid-2025, the U.K. and Australia scrambled to reassure Washington of their commitment to AUKUS after the Pentagon ordered a review of the pact, fueling fears that the United States could retreat from the agreement. Those concerns eased in October, when U.S. President Donald Trump reaffirmed his backing for the alliance. “The United States, as we’ve said from the beginning, and …

The House | Maritime Chokepoints: It Could Get Worse Than The Strait Of Hormuz Closure

The House | Maritime Chokepoints: It Could Get Worse Than The Strait Of Hormuz Closure

Published by Sam Flores

Illustration by Tracy Worrall 9 min read2 hr Supply chains have been badly hit by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, but – as Noah Vickers reports – the worst could still be to come. The war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has wrought significant harm on the global economy, but for the shipping industry, it is only the latest disruption in a series of damaging episodes. The Covid pandemic triggered a collapse in maritime trade. Then, in 2021, the Ever Given ship blocked up the Suez Canal for five catastrophic days and, in 2023, Houthi rebels in the Red Sea began attacking ships in the Bab al-Mandab strait. From 2023 into 2024, Panama experienced one of its worst droughts in recorded history, limiting the number and weight of ships which could pass through its vital canal – a situation likely to become more frequent with climate change. The closure of Hormuz, which normally accommodates roughly a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil trade, has …

Putin’s shadow fleet faces fresh EU sanctions blitz – POLITICO

Putin’s shadow fleet faces fresh EU sanctions blitz – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Expected in late June or early July, the 21st sanctions package will also likely target Russian banks, financial institutions and military-industrial companies as well as firms selling stolen Ukrainian grain, according to seven EU officials and diplomats with knowledge of the discussions, who were granted anonymity to discuss the preparations. Officials also see a chance to move ahead with sanctions previously blocked by the government of Viktor Orbán, the former Hungarian prime minister. Among them are measures targeting senior members of the Russian Orthodox Church, notably its leader Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Putin’s who has lauded the Ukraine invasion. The European Commission may also revive the idea of a ban on maritime services for Russian vessels, which has so far been blocked by Malta and Greece, one of the diplomats argued. “Following Hungarian elections, there is a new momentum” for sanctions, chief EU diplomat Kaja Kallas told reporters after a recent gathering of ministers in Luxembourg. “We should revisit sanctions that have been on the table and not agreed before, but also we should move on …

Why are maritime laws failing to secure the seas? | Show Types

Why are maritime laws failing to secure the seas? | Show Types

Published by Sam Flores

Wars and territorial disputes are rewriting the rules of global shipping. Wars and territorial disputes are rewriting the rules of global shipping. From the Strait of Hormuz to the Panama Canal, and the Red Sea to the Black Sea, maritime traffic is under increasing threat. Is shipping becoming the new global battleground? And why are the decades-old laws governing the seas failing? Presenter: James Bays Guests: Rockford Weitz – director of the Fletcher Studies programme at Tufts University George Theocharidis – professor of maritime law and policy at the World Maritime University Stavros Karamperidis – associate professor in maritime economics at Plymouth University Published On 2 May 20262 May 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Source link

UK eyes anti-Putin naval partnership in High North – POLITICO

UK eyes anti-Putin naval partnership in High North – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

“This is where our long-term focus must remain, where Russian service and subsurface activity continues to pose a systems challenge,” he added. Addressing an audience at the defense think tank RUSI, Jenkins stressed that the JEF alliance must “deepen and evolve” in order to “generate the collective combat power necessary.” The navy chief tried to address widespread criticism that the force had been unprepared to deploy in response to the Iran war, saying: “I’m here to show you that the Royal Navy is already rising to the challenge in front of us.” Strains on Britain’s maritime resources were laid bare by the debacle of HMS Dragon’s deployment to the Mediterranean to defend Cyprus, which took several weeks to reach its destination and left the U.K. with only one other destroyer in service, which is committed to a separate Carrier Strike Group mission in the High North. Jenkins said that he is focusing his efforts on rapidly equipping the navy with uncrewed systems to sit alongside crewed vessels — such as the minehunting robots promised for the …

5 ways the Iran war shows NATO is not ready to fight Russia – POLITICO

5 ways the Iran war shows NATO is not ready to fight Russia – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

That creates an “urgent requirement for more affordable air-to-air interceptors,” he added, arguing NATO should focus on cheaper alternatives to the Patriot like the AGR-20 laser-guided missile — and build out passive defenses like hardened concrete aircraft shelters. The alliance’s munitions shortages will now feature heavily at July’s summit of NATO leaders, according to one person familiar with the matter. 2. Air inferiority Iran’s ability to continue pummeling neighboring Gulf states with over 5,000 missile and drone attacks despite the U.S. aerial campaign shows the “clear limits to the expectation that you can bomb a country into submission” with conventional aircraft, said Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The HMS Dragon is pictured in Portsmouth, England on March 4, 2026. | Peter Nicholls/Getty Images In response, NATO must rethink air dominance and look for creative solutions to deter Russia, like turbocharging investment in long-range precision strike weapons capable of targeting Moscow’s drone production and military sites deep inside the country, said Bronk. “If we can get air superiority over …

EU must stop being ‘distant observer’ in Middle East, Cyprus warns – POLITICO

EU must stop being ‘distant observer’ in Middle East, Cyprus warns – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

With oil and gas tankers stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and energy prices skyrocketing, European leaders have so far failed to find an agreement on how to help secure the strategic waterway. While Germany has indicated it could be ready to accept U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for a maritime operation to reopen the strait, France insists that would only be acceptable in the context of a peace deal. “There are efforts to have the negotiations between the Iranian side, the Americans and so on — there are various efforts of mediation taking place in various conflicts. We want and we advocate for the EU to be a lot more present and a lot more visible,” Kombos said. Cyprus — which holds the six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the EU — convened talks Friday afternoon between the bloc’s leaders and those from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Gulf nations, the most significant multilateral summit since the start of the Iran war. However, relations with regional counterparts have been strained by their …

Tehran shuts Hormuz again as Iranian gunboats fire on tanker – POLITICO

Tehran shuts Hormuz again as Iranian gunboats fire on tanker – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei warned the Iranian navy was ready to inflict “new bitter defeats” on the U.S. and Israel, in a message read on Iranian state TV. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that two IRGC gunboats had opened fire on a tanker 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman without issuing a radio challenge. The vessel’s captain reported the incident to UKMTO; no injuries were reported and the tanker was said to be safe. In a separate incident, an unknown projectile hit a container vessel, damaging some of the containers, the UKMTO said. The renewed closure of the strait came after U.S. President Donald Trump said the American naval blockade of Iranian ports “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with Washington, including on its nuclear program. Iranian foreign ministry earlier rejected any possibility of transferring Iran’s enriched uranium to another country, stressing that such an option has never been considered. Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei on Friday emphasized that Iran’s enriched uranium will under no circumstances be transferred elsewhere, rejecting a suggestion …

EU to ‘play its part’ to restore energy and trade flows from Middle East – POLITICO

EU to ‘play its part’ to restore energy and trade flows from Middle East – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called fully reopening the strait “an urgent, shared priority,” adding the EU could contribute by “reinforcing Operation Aspides,” the EU’s naval mission in the Middle East. The mission’s mandate covers the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman but stops short of the Strait of Hormuz. EU leaders rejected expanding it at a summit in March and Kallas and von der Leyen did not say Friday whether doing so now was in the cards. Tehran said Friday it was “completely” opening the strait in response to a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, allowing gas and oil tankers to transit through it once again. U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the news on his social media platform Truth Social, adding a full ceasefire was close to being agreed. “Iran has agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again. It will no longer be used as a weapon against the World!” the American leader wrote. Markets reacted euphorically, with the price of oil falling sharply amid hopes …