On 16-May-2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) –responsible for regulating international shipping– began efforts on the regulation of autonomous ships with the 99th session of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 99). The MSC began looking at how the safe, secure and environmentally sound operation of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) may be introduced in IMO instruments. With a myriad of…
Denmark presented its plan to ratify the 2010 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea (HNS). The Convention aims to provide compensation for costs, including clean up and restoring the environment in case of an incident involving HNS cargoes. With entry into force of the convention, access…
Commercial shipping is waking up to the growing threat that drones pose to the safety and security of vessels. Terrorist use of drones deploying explosives is already well documented and the potential for a drone to deliver an explosive charge through the deck of an oil/gas tanker or on a passenger ship with potentially catastrophic results is a stark reality….
The Philippines through MARINA Administrator Rey Leonardo B Guerrero conveyed on 02-July-2018 its support for the inclusion of “number of serious incidents per year, and per vessel type” as a new performance indicator for maritime safety in the Strategic Plan, 2018-2023 of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which held the 120th Session of the IMO Council, London, United Kingdom from…
Marking its 44th anniversary on this day, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has been making big investments in terms of port infrastructure in its bid to achieve its vision by 2020. It is also in line with the current thrust of the Duterte administration to realize the golden age of infrastructure and be at par with our international partners. Incidentally,…
The Port of Surigao serves as the Base Port of the Port Management Office of Surigao. Located in Surigao City on the northeastern coast of Mindanao, the Port of Surigao lies in a protected cove, making it an all-weather facility and ideal port of refuge. The Port Management Office (PMO) of Surigao has jurisdiction over various ports in the provinces…
Reflecting on Last Year’s Conference The inaugural Disruptive Technology for Defence Transformation conference took place in London on 24-25 October 2017 and examined how disruptive technology will transform defense capability and operations. It was attended by: senior military from many countries; NATO: technology firms such as Google and QinetiQ; leading aerospace and defense companies including Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems;…
The role of Inmarsat as the sole provider of satellite technology performing to Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) standards is set for advancement after an IMO Sub-Committee decided to greenlight consideration of both FleetBroadband and Fleet One for formal approval. To date, Inmarsat is the only company that has received approval from the International Maritime Organization to provide…
“The most important aspect of saving fuel and energy on board a vessel, is the crew,” Peter Knudsen, managing director at Blueflow Energy Management told VPO Global. The maritime industry has taken huge strides to improve the performance of the global fleet with the development of new technologies, increasing quantities of data, and improved connectivity between ship and shore. Advanced…
Theo de Lange, Commercial Manager, Van Oord Offshore Wind Projects, says that despite some delayed projects, Europe’s Offshore Wind cable-laying demand is expected to grow rapidly. “UK Round 3 projects, but also German and probably also Dutch projects, are moving farther away from shore, into deeper waters. That means those vessels doing the cable-laying need to be suitable for rougher…
A fully electric zero-emission passenger vessel, Future of the Fjords, has been launched in Norway. It is the result of a collaboration between several industry partners that wanted to develop an environmentally conscious, no emissions vessel. Comprising an electric propulsion system and a Power Dock floating charging station that can take on grey and black water to ensure no sewage…
The Dutch Police has ordered six patrol vessels from Damen Shipyards for its ‘Zeehavenpolitie’ and ‘Landelijke Eenheid’ units. Three of the new vessels are seagoing (Stan Patrol 2506), while the other three are for the inland waterways (Stan Patrol 2005). All six will be built at Damen’s headquarters in Gorinchem in the Netherlands, and are due to be delivered between…
With 114 journeys every day, the Svanhild ferry has a heavy workload in transporting passengers and cars between two Swedish islands. The roll-on roll-off (Ro-Ro) vessel makes 57 return trips between the islands of Lilla Varholmen and Bjorko, west of Gothenburg. Each journey on the 900m route takes around five minutes, but with such a busy schedule, time is of…
What once was a beacon of loveliness that would first catch your eye with its glorious sunset is now a down drum of uncleanliness, an eyesore of unseemliness that casts a sty. This is not the result of a mere slip-up but rather continuous discharge of toxic oil, industrial effluents, agricultural runoffs, untreated wastewater, and city garbage over the decades….
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The principal role of maritime forces is war fighting. This includes searching for, surveillance of, and combat engagement with the adversary’s battle fleet. The aim is to control the sea lines of communications including the chokepoints or deny their use by the enemy in order to achieve the enduring national interests: territorial integrity and political independence. Maritime forces initiate naval…
In my column in the MR 18-1 (Jan-Feb 2018) issue of this magazine, I wrote about the need to look at coastal towns with tourism potential and figure out how to turn around development deficiencies (e.g., correcting zoning, construction and, environmental violations). I wrote in particular about Coron for four reasons: (1) I’ve been familiar with most coastal communities, including…
“FVR is now being besieged by cascading, emerging dots to be connected, clamoring to be prioritized, and then to be brought to the attention of PRRD. KAYA NATIN ITO!” – Mae Gaffud, Executive Director, RPDEV BOAO FORUM FOR ASIA, HAINAN AND 10TH FVR GOLF CUP, TAIWAN. Another welcome development was the editorial announcement “Duterte In Boao” (Malaya, 02-April-2018), to wit:…
For decades, Filipinos have been making a mark in the maritime industry as competent and skilled seafarers ready to set sail in any circumstances and opportunities that await them. Indeed, it takes more than bare knowledge to be able to stay focused and dedicated to this career path. That is why over the years, not just the number of Filipino…
Introduction There appears to be much disagreement, if not chaos, arising from discussions on certain law of the sea concerns of the Philippines. Politics is clearly a factor here, but undeniably, there is likewise an issue concerning the appreciation of the law(s). As a sovereign state, the Philippines has a government and exercises sovereignty over its subjects and its territory….
The filing of a case against China was a historic moment in Philippine foreign relations: it was the first time that the Philippines resorted to an international judiciary to settle a political dispute.1 In retrospect, the effort was well worth it, at least from a legal standpoint. On 12-July-2016, three years since filing the case on 22-January-2013, the Philippines secured…
Seafarers’ rights to Shore Leave have been strengthened through amendments, which entered into force globally on 1-January-2018, under the revised treaty, which aims to achieve the smooth transit in ports of ships, cargo and passengers. The amendments to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention) also bring in a new requirement for national governments to introduce electronic…
Officials from various government entities in the Philippines have received training in how to develop a National Maritime Transport Policy (NMPT). The concept is being promoted by IMO as a good governance practice to guide planning, decision making and legislation in the maritime sector, and as a key driver for a country’s sustainable development. The event took place in Manila,…
“Great Powers, Grand Strategies: The New Game in the South China Sea,” edited by Anders Corr (U.S. Naval Institute Press, 2018), is a good read because it puts the South China Sea conflict into a global strategic context. In so doing, it looks at the movements of China well within the EEZ of Philippine coasts, a topic dear to my heart,…
As part of modernization, the Philippine Navy procured five new helicopters manufactured by Italy’s Agusta Westland to replace the ageing helicopters in its inventory. Three of these aircrafts that are in multi-role configuration were delivered in 2013 while the other two in armed-configuration came in 2015. These helicopters gave the Philippine Navy a great leap in terms of capabilities and…