Tuesday, January 06, 2026
Media Kit
Mobile launch track for fighter drones aboard Zhong Da 79 (Chinese social media)

Chinese Container Ship Gets Mobile Launch Track for Drone Fighters

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Magnet defense

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...

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USCG ice breaker on Great Lakes

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...

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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

Published Jan 6, 2026 3:16 PM by The Maritime Executive

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...

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containership in the Arctic

South Korea Formulates Plans for Trial Arctic Voyage with Containership

Published Jan 6, 2026 2:16 PM by The Maritime Executive

South Korea is pushing forward with its plans to become the first Western-aligned country to launch regular trans-Arctic shipping. The government has set a priority on developing operations to take advantage of Russia’s Northern Sea Route as it looks to increase South Korea’s global trade. The president of South Korea, Lee Jae-myung, has described the importance of building the country’s economic ties and looks to the Northern Sea Route as a critical advantage. South Korea looks to rival China, which...

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Offshore

offshore wind farm

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...

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Shipbuilding

tanker launch

China’s Hengli Claims Industry First Floating Four VLCCs Simultaneously

The rapid rise of China’s Hengli Heavy Industry into one of the leading global shipbuilders took a new step with an event on January 4, which the company claims as an industry first. The shipyard launched four 306,000 dwt very large crude carriers (VLCC) simultaneously. Founded in 2022, Hengli Heavy Industry has emerged rapidly on the scene as the successor to the former STX Dalian Shipbuilding. Hengli Group, which in turn is a subsidiary of Guangdong Songfa, has quickly built...

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Environment

Coral

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...

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Business

HMM containership

Bankrupt Retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond Files Sixth FMC Complaint on Carriers

The estate of former retailer Bed, Bath & Beyond continues its efforts to blame the shipping industry and the problems moving containers during and after the COVID pandemic as a contributing factor in its collapse. Last week, it filed a new complaint with the Federal Maritime Commission, its sixth action, and this time it is targeting HMM. The company, today known as DK Butterfly-1, continues to seek reparations for injuries it says it suffered in the form of higher costs...

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