Monday, January 19, 2026
Media Kit
Vice Admiral Monde Lobese and Captain Emad Nejad Moridi, Commander Nedaja 103rd Flotilla discuss the week’s events (Press TV)

South Africa Probes Unauthorized Iranian Participation in Naval Exercise

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Past instances of Chinese fishing vessel gatherings have occurred in the Spratly Islands, as above, but at smaller scale (PCG file image)

Chinese Fishing Boats Assembled in Vast Formation Near Taiwan

Published Jan 18, 2026 9:24 PM by The Maritime Executive

Last month, ship-tracking data consultancy Starboard Maritime Intelligence detected something unusual in the East China Sea. In partnership with remote-sensing analysis firm ingeniSpace, its systems detected the simultaneous convergence of more than a thousand Chinese fishing vessels into a tight, coordinated line formation. The sudden, choreographed movement would serve little purpose for fishing, but could be useful for arranging a blockade. The first instance occurred on December 23-25, with the formation fully formed and in place on Christmas Day. 1,700...

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Chinese trawlers

Power Struggles Over the Ocean’s Resources Call for Creative Diplomacy

Published Jan 18, 2026 4:08 PM by The Conversation

[By Jonas Gamso and Hossain Ahmed Taufiq] Oceans shape everyday life in powerful ways. They cover 70% of the planet, carry 90% of global trade, and support millions of jobs and the diets of billions of people. As global competition intensifies and climate change accelerates, the world’s oceans are also becoming the front line of 21st-century geopolitics. How policymakers handle these challenges will affect food supplies, the price of goods and national security. Right now, international cooperation is under strain,...

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Fleetzero

Houston-Based Battery Power Startup Gets Backing From Maersk

Published Jan 18, 2026 4:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

Many shipping-industry analysts have downplayed the potential of hybrid or battery-electric propulsion for long-distance ocean routes, since the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is low relative to other power storage methods. The batteries are heavy and bulky, this line of thinking goes, and the sheer mass could use up all the deadweight that the ship needs for cargo. But a recently-founded pioneer in the space, Fleetzero, thinks that it can make it work commercially - and it has attracted serious...

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offshore wind farm

Vattenfall Finalizes Investment for Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Project

Published Jan 18, 2026 2:32 PM by The Maritime Executive

Offshore wind energy developer Vattenfall confirmed that it is moving forward with the Nordlicht offshore wind cluster. With construction due to start later this year, the two-phase project will become the largest wind project for Germany and a key contributor as the country struggles to accelerate development in the offshore wind energy sector. The permit issued by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has become irrevocable, making the final step to move forward with the project. Vattenfall had announced...

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Offshore

offshore wind farm

Vattenfall Finalizes Investment for Germany’s Largest Offshore Wind Project

Offshore wind energy developer Vattenfall confirmed that it is moving forward with the Nordlicht offshore wind cluster. With construction due to start later this year, the two-phase project will become the largest wind project for Germany and a key contributor as the country struggles to accelerate development in the offshore wind energy sector. The permit issued by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has become irrevocable, making the final step to move forward with the project. Vattenfall had announced...

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Shipbuilding

A new P-17A class frigate, Mahendragiri, at launch at Mazagon Dock (Gov't of India)

Report: India Wants to Ramp Up its Warship Exports

India is reportedly working to expand warship exports as part of the ongoing push to revamp its shipbuilding industry. The Ministry of Defense (MOD) has already issued directives to the state-owned shipyards, instructing the facilities to build their capacities for export orders. According to a report by the defense news site Indian Defense Research Wing, the MOD’s directive covers expansion of docking and manufacturing infrastructure in the shipyards. In addition, the shipyards are expected to customize their blueprints for naval...

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Environment

wing sail on MR tanker

HMM and HD KSOE Start Demonstration and Testing of Wing Sail on Tanker

South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering and HMM are starting a demonstration and test period for Korea’s first domestically developed wing sail for wind-assisted propulsion. The shipbuilder has been developing its version of the technology as part of its efforts to advance value-added, green ship designs and technology. The wing sail was recently installed on the product tanker Oriental Aquamarine (50,000 dwt). The vessel was built in 2020 and has been owned by HMM since 2023. Registered in...

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Business

Electric car plant, Vietnam, 2023 (Taofast / CC BY SA 4.0)

Vietnam is Winning the Trade Wars

[By Roland Rajah] Vietnam has again emerged as the apparent winner of Donald Trump’s trade wars, as was the case during his first presidency. Vietnam’s exports have boomed, despite facing US tariffs (now at 20%) and having to compete with surging Chinese exports. Vietnam exported $474 billion worth of goods in 2025, up almost $70 billion on 2024. As my colleagues and I argued in a recent paper, this export strength could prove relatively durable – driven by Vietnam’s sheer...

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