A Need for A National Will to Fight

The continuing harassment of China Coast Guard (CCG) reached an unprecedented level in late March 2024 when three (3) Filipino troops on a replenishment mission were wounded after CCG cutters 21555 and 21551 attacked by water cannons the civilian wooden-hulled supply boat Unaizah May 4 carrying passengers and supplies intended for the Philippine stranded ship BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin…


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Herma Shipyard Inc. Launched a Newly Built Tanker

Mariveles, Bataan – On Friday, January 26, 2024, Herma Group Chairman and CEO Herminio S. Esguerra christened a brand new 12MB tanker, M/Tkr Mayabong. Built by Herma Shipyard Inc. (HSI) – a proudly 100% Filipino-owned ship building and ship repair company under the Ship Building and Maritime Infrastructure Division (SBMID) of the Herma Group – M/Tkr Mayabong will take her…


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Conrad Shipyard Awarded Ferry Contract

MORGAN CITY, Louisiana. Conrad Shipyard is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a contract by the Puerto Rico Maritime Transit Authority (PRMTA) for the construction of 4 cargo and passenger ferry vessels. The ferries, designed to carry 300 passengers and 300 short tons of cargo, will operate between the Municipality of Ceiba and the Municipality Islands of Vieques…


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Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Tests MAmmoSS Ammonia Handling System for Ships

Completion of demonstration facility to safely process surplus ammonia from ammonia-fueled vessels. Testing has begun to support the market launch of MAmmoSS® –a system package comprising an ammonia fuel supply system and peripheral equipment. Ammonia Gas Abatement System (AGAS) demonstration facility Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co. Ltd., a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group, is currently developing the Mitsubishi Ammonia Supply…


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South Korea’s Shipbuilding Orders Hit 12-Year High

New, Value Added, Eco-Friendly Ships. Shipbuilding exports are taking the lead in Korea’s exports in the first half of the year. During this span, Korea’s exports rose 11.9% year on year. The Korean shipbuilding industry secured four years’ worth of work through the end of the first half of this year. This is the largest order backlog in 12 years….


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Deltamarin and Bar Technologies Unveil New Wind-Optimized Hull and Superstructure

The latest Aframax/LRII design, named Aquilo, represents a significant leap in overall performance by integrating state-of-the-art hull design with WindWings®️ technology. Recognizing uncovered potential in both existing ships and new builds, the collaboration focused on rethinking the concept design while optimizing hull and propulsion for substantial wind assistance. The design ensures aerodynamic optimization through the positioning of the four WindWings®️…


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Tanker Market Strengthens Despite Slowing Oil Demand Growth

In the Supply/demand balance For crude tankers, BIMCO forecasts the supply/demand balance will tighten further during both 2024 and 2025. Low fleet growth, along with increasing sailing distances, create the foundation for the improvement despite a slowing of growth in oil demand. The product tanker supply/demand balance is also expected to tighten in 2024 but weaken in 2025. Like the…


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Robust Shipbuilding Industry Is Key to Making Philippines a Maritime Power

THE PHILIPPINES should build a self-reliant coastal defense system and support local shipbuilders if it wants to become a maritime hub, experts and a local shipbuilder said. “Maritime security is a necessary condition for developing the Philippines as a maritime hub,” said George N. Manzano, a trade expert from the University of Asia and the Pacific. “If there are dangers…


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Tanker Newbuild Contracting to Hit a 10-Year High by 2025

During the first 8 months of 2023, contracting of product tanker newbuilds hit a 10-year high, reaching 140 ships and 10.72 million deadweight tons (DWT). The last time more than 10 million DWT were contracted from January to August was in 2013. Newbuild tanker contracting activity during the past  5 years has been low at about 5.46 million DWT per…


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Roadmaps and Programs – Part 1 of 4

Roadmaps are very important in setting the direction of every organization. But what is a roadmap? Austin (2013) defines a roadmap as a document that establishes a plan for accomplishing a particular strategic goal and describes why the goal is in place. The basic road map includes a charter, strategy and an assessment tool. Some people believe that roadmaps or…


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Global Maritime Trends for the Future of Shipping

According to the latest report by Lloyd’s Register –GLOBAL MARITIME TRENDS 2050– the triple planetary crisis, characterized by climate change such as nature, biodiversity loss, and pollution, will be the defining challenge that shapes the decades ahead. In particular, the report which is authored by ECONOMIST IMPACT is part of a new joint multi-year Global Maritime Trends program between Lloyd’s Register…


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Ten Trends Influencing Commercial Shipping

In a recently published report in June 2023, the World Maritime University studies and presents 10 trends influencing global commercial shipping. According to the Transport 2040 – Impact of Technology on Seafarers – The Future of Work Report, identifying global trends within the maritime industry is critically important since such knowledge helps stakeholders select trend relevant technologies. A Road Map…


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The 67th Establishment Anniversary of Naval Special Operations Command

The theme of the event was “NAVSOCOM @67: Leading Innovations, Sustaining Excellence, Forging a Legacy.” Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy, VADM TORIBIO D ADACI JR PN, and the NAVSOCOM Commander, COMMO DWIGHT STEVEN M DULNOAN PN received the President after a sideboys honor was rendered to him, which was followed by a guestbook signing, before escorting him…


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Beyond the Horizon – Innovations Toward Organizational Success

In a momentous event, Naval Special Operations Command inaugurated its state-of-the-art Recompression Chamber and Mess Hall. The event also featured the Convening Ceremony of Basic Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Class 21 (BNEOD CL-21) at NAVSOCOM headquarters, NBHA, Sangley Point, Cavite City on Monday, February 12. Warmly received by Commander NAVSOCOM, COMMO DWIGHT STEVEN M DULNOAN PN, distinguished guests, including VADM…


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Submarine Operations in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea: A Historical Backgrounder

INTRODUCTION Since the 90’s, two of the six claimant countries in the disputed Spratly Group of Islands possessed submarines in their respective fleets. After the year 2000, this would change with the arrival of the French-built Scorpene and the Russian Kilo Class Submarines in the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) and the Vietnam  Peoples Navy (VPN) in 2014. Things are about…




WPS: Testing Our National Will

n his book “The New Rules of War” Professor Sean McFate describes the post-WWII era as a period of “durable disorder.” He cites the following evidence to support his finding: increasing challenges on the “rules-based” world order; rising number of “fragile” or “failed” states; half of the countries in the world are experiencing some form of conflict; armed conflicts today…



IMO Regulations for Cyber Security Risk Management

UNDERSTANDING INTERNATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR MARITIME CYBER SECURITY RISK MANAGEMENT In response to the growing threat of cyber-crime, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued Resolution MSC.428(98). This regulation has since been complemented by other guidelines, notably those developed by the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) for cyber risk management. These guidelines lay out high-level recommendations for incorporating cyber risk management into existing safety management…


Five Top Tips for Sourcing Port Cyber-Attack Insurance Cover

Port cyber-attacks are now one of the biggest and most sophisticated threats facing port operators, notes Ed McNamara, President & CEO, Armada Risk Partners, and a port insurance broker in Cleveland, Ohio. Nagoya, Japan has become the latest in a long line of global ports to be targeted by a ransomware attack. The incident in early July had severe consequences…


IMO Considers STCW Training Provisions On Bullying and Harassment

The world economy is heavily dependent on maritime transport, as most of the international trade is carried out by sea. Delay in shipping can result in severe financial loss, especially for the management team in the distribution channel. This heavy dependency makes the shipping industry an attractive target for cyber criminals. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digitization of the world,…


Crew Welfare Executive Roundtable Industry Report

As we celebrate International Day of the Seafarer, we are pleased to present a review of the outcomes from the recent June 2023 Mission to Seafarers Executive Roundtable on Crew Welfare held in Singapore. The event focused on identifying solutions to the challenges faced by seafarers. The Roundtable explored 5 key areas that significantly impact the lives of seafarers: (1)…


5 Reasons Why Shipping and Aviation Need Green Hydrogen and Direct Air Capture to Decarbonize

The shipping and aviation industries are energy intensive, so they have a limited pool of options to choose from when it comes to decarbonization. However, green hydrogen and carbon dioxide derived from direct air capture (DAC) will both be integral in their efforts to reach net-zero. We established the Skies and Seas Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator Coalition (SASHA Coalition) to highlight the…