Connecticut and Rhode Island File Suit in Support of Revolution Wind

Rheinmetall, MBDA to Build Laser Weapon for Germany's Navy

Published Jan 6, 2026 6:09 PM by The Maritime Executive

Facing increasing threats from unmanned systems and an ongoing "hybrid warfare" security environment in Europe, Germany's navy is joining the rush to develop a laser weapons system for close-in defensive use. A newly-signed agreement between European air defense company MBDA and German conglomerate Rheinmetall is setting up a new joint venture for laser weaponry with the objective of producing an operational, uniquely German system. "This step demonstrates the potential of determined industrial and technological cooperation in Germany in order to...

World’s First Large LCO2/Multi-Gas Carrier Delivered to Capital

Published Jan 6, 2026 5:37 PM by The Maritime Executive

The first large capacity vessel designed to support the efforts for the capture, transport, and storage or reuse of CO2 has been completed, marking a new segment for shipping. The vessel, which has a capacity of 22,000 cubic meters, is designed for charter operations and can move seamlessly between LCO2 transport and gas cargos, including LPG, ammonia, and selected petrochemicals. Greece’s Capital Maritime Group launched the new operation known as Capital Clean Energy Carriers to develop the emerging market. It...

Autonomous Vessel Company Buys Metal Shark

Published Jan 6, 2026 4:06 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Miami-based autonomy startup Magnet Defense has acquired longtime aluminum-hull patrol boat builder Metal Shark, maker of a wide range of high-speed boat classes for domestic and overseas government customers. In a statement, Magnet said that it intends to use Metal Shark's advanced fabrication capabilities to create "a leading supplier of AI-enabled unmanned surface vessels." The target customer, according to Magnet Defense, is the U.S. Navy and its new "golden fleet" project. An accompanying illustration released by the firm shows...

US and Canadian Coast Guard Ice Breaking Underway for Great Lakes Shipping

Published Jan 6, 2026 3:43 PM by The Maritime Executive

An early onset of the cold and harsh winter conditions is playing havoc on shipping across the Great Lakes region. The U.S. Coast Guard reported it started its second icebreaker effort from the Detroit region, but shippers are saying operations are being impacted, including a delay in the annual closing of the St. Lawrence Seaway. The U.S. Coast Guard announced that its annual Operation Coal Shovel, managed by the Detroit Sector, was commencing on January 2 for the 2026 winter...

Shipping

World’s First Large LCO2/Multi-Gas Carrier Delivered to Capital

Tugs & Salvage

A Coast Guard helicopter arrives in St. Paul, delivering the survivors (USCG)

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Nine From Grounded Fishing Vessel in Bering Sea

On Monday, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter aircrew rescued nine crewmembers from a crab boat that grounded off the coast of St. George Island, a tiny outpost in the Bering Sea just southeast of St. Paul. The Arctic Sea was under way and laden with crab when she lost power off St. George, operator Erik Deakin told Anchorage Daily News. In 50-knot winds and 10-foot waves - not unusual for the Bering in January - the vessel drifted and grounded...

Government

OPT's solar-powered PowerBuoy (OPT press handout)

U.S. Coast Guard Augments Border Surveillance With Monitoring Buoys

The Coast Guard is getting ready to try out a new kind of maritime domain awareness system off San Diego, a longtime hotspot for maritime migrant smuggling. It will be deploying four powered buoys from OPT for "persistent and resident" surveillance off the coast. The PowerBuoy is a large energy generation platform with a 30-foot spar beneath the surface. Once envisioned as a wave-powered product, it has been refocused on solar power and wind. It weighs up to 16 tonnes,...

Corporate News

Stena RoRo Enters Into 5 year Charter Contract with Marine Atlantic, Canada

[By: Stena RoRo] The ship will enter into service during the fall of 2026 following a period of customization to the intended trade such as ship to shore ramp arrangements, ships livery, a 5-year preventive maintenance program etc. The A Nepita is currently chartered to the French operator Corsica Linea and trading in the Mediterranean Sea. She is ice-class rated, equipped with three bow thrusters and a stern thruster for superior maneuverability and designed to transport both passengers and commercial...

Cruise Ships

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Hawaii’s hotly contested and closely followed “Green Fee,” a new tax on hotels, short-stay rentals, and cruises, suffered a setback just hours before it was due to go into effect. It is the first tax of its kind imposed on tourists to contribute to the state’s costs of addressing environmental issues. Two judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court granted on New Year’s Eve (December 31) a last-minute request for an injunction in a suit brought by the cruise industry...

Ports

Latvia Investigates New Cable Damage Incident in the Baltic

Latvian authorities confirmed they are investigating damage to a subsea optical cable that happened at the end of last week in the Baltic. The authorities suspect a vessel might have been involved. Countries along the Baltic, along with NATO, have remained on high after for more than a year after possible sabotage efforts by vessels sailing in the Baltic. After several incidents of anchor dragging and damage to cables were confirmed, patrols have been increased. Latvia launched its investigation after...

Shipping

World’s First Large LCO2/Multi-Gas Carrier Delivered to Capital

Tugs & Salvage

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Nine From Grounded Fishing Vessel in Bering Sea

Government

U.S. Coast Guard Augments Border Surveillance With Monitoring Buoys

Corporate News

Stena RoRo Enters Into 5 year Charter Contract with Marine Atlantic, Canada

Cruise Ships

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Ports

Latvia Investigates New Cable Damage Incident in the Baltic

Offshore

Connecticut and Rhode Island File Suit in Support of Revolution Wind

The states of Connecticut and Rhode Island are the latest to join the growing list of court cases filed against the Trump Administration’s suspension of work on five offshore wind farm projects. The states filed suit on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in support of the Revolution Wind project, which is being developed by Ørsted and a division of BlackRock. It is the second time the two states have joined the legal battle to...

Shipbuilding

Japan Will Build World’s Largest Liquefied Hydrogen Carrier

A new project supported by the Japanese government is designed to provide the foundation for the future hydrogen supply chain. Four years after Japan demonstrated the world’s first liquified hydrogen carrier, the new project seeks to construct the next vessel on a commercial scale. The Green Innovation Fund Project is supported by Japan’s New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO). The project has a budget of approximately $2 billion and is designed to demonstrate the entire supply chain for...

Environment

Researchers Say the Oceans Have Passed a Milestone for Acidification

[By Anna Napolitano] The past 12 months have been worrying for researchers who study the chemistry of the ocean. More and more evidence has been published showing that human activities are fundamentally altering this chemistry in an acidic direction. At the end of 2025, it seems clear ocean acidification is pushing the largest habitat on Earth into a risky zone. Ocean acidification is part of the global carbon cycle. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it forms carbonic acid. This...

Business

Two commercial divers place rigging during an Army Corps of Engineers construction project (USACE file image)

Along the U.S. Gulf Coast, Dive Contractors Predict a Busy Year

All along the newly-renamed Gulf of America, U.S. waterfront infrastructure is getting attention after decades of deferred maintenance, and the businesses of marine salvage and ship’s husbandry are on the uptick. Industry leaders like Brady Teasely, the HSE Manager for Leviathan Offshore LLC, are looking forward to an upcycle for diving contractors. His presentation at Underwater Intervention 2025 emphasized projected growth through 2033. Leviathan Offshore is diving into 2026 expecting a year of full asset and labor utilization. Leviathan had...

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Select any month to view events: January February March April May June July August September October November December

Connecticut and Rhode Island File Suit in Support of Revolution Wind

Rheinmetall, MBDA to Build Laser Weapon for Germany's Navy

World’s First Large LCO2/Multi-Gas Carrier Delivered to Capital

Autonomous Vessel Company Buys Metal Shark

US and Canadian Coast Guard Ice Breaking Underway for Great Lakes Shipping

World’s First Large LCO2/Multi-Gas Carrier Delivered to Capital

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Nine From Grounded Fishing Vessel in Bering Sea

U.S. Coast Guard Augments Border Surveillance With Monitoring Buoys

Stena RoRo Enters Into 5 year Charter Contract with Marine Atlantic, Canada

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Latvia Investigates New Cable Damage Incident in the Baltic

California Protects Blue Whales and Blue Skies With Historic State Law

One Event. World Of Maritime. This February, Copenhagen is the Place to Be

Drew Marine Insights Tour: Connecting Expertise with Shipboard Challenges

World’s First Large LCO2/Multi-Gas Carrier Delivered to Capital

U.S. Coast Guard Rescues Nine From Grounded Fishing Vessel in Bering Sea

U.S. Coast Guard Augments Border Surveillance With Monitoring Buoys

Stena RoRo Enters Into 5 year Charter Contract with Marine Atlantic, Canada

Appeals Court Suspends Hawaii’s “Green Fee” for Cruise Ships Pending Appeal

Latvia Investigates New Cable Damage Incident in the Baltic

Connecticut and Rhode Island File Suit in Support of Revolution Wind

Japan Will Build World’s Largest Liquefied Hydrogen Carrier

Researchers Say the Oceans Have Passed a Milestone for Acidification

Along the U.S. Gulf Coast, Dive Contractors Predict a Busy Year

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Join the conversation.

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events