A previous U.S. strike on a smuggling boat target, Dec. 22 (U.S. Southern Command)

U.S. Counter-Smuggling Operation Hits its First Land Target

French Navy Intercepts $142M of Illicit Drugs During Arabian Sea Patrols

Published Dec 29, 2025 5:24 PM by The Maritime Executive

Two French Navy frigates, operating as part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, one of five Combined Maritime Forces operating in the Middle East region, recently seized illegal narcotics with a combined value of more than $142 million from multiple vessels in the Arabian Sea. It is part of the ongoing mission focused on maritime security in the region for CTF 150, which is currently under the leadership of Saudi Arabia. “Just last month, we saw Pakistan warships PNS...

China Launches Massive Naval Drill Simulating Blockade of Taiwan

Published Dec 29, 2025 4:33 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Chinese military has launched a sweeping exercise simulating an assault and blockade of the island of Taiwan, a forceful response to recent U.S. and Japanese measures that support the territory's continued self-governance. In an announcement Sunday, China's PLA Eastern Theater Command announced that it would hold mass military drills around the island to send a message, including simulated "sea-air combat readiness patrol, joint seizure of comprehensive superiority, blockade on key ports and areas, as well as all-dimensional deterrence outside...

Japan Suspends Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Submarine Engine Data Fraud

Published Dec 29, 2025 4:19 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Japanese Ministry of Defense announced a series of steps it is taking after investigations confirmed that Kawasaki Heavy Industries had supplied fraudulent test data on its engines and provided inappropriate gifts to a number of naval personnel over the past 40 years. Kawasaki Heavy Industries had first announced in 2024 that it was investigating after information surfaced showing a long-term pattern of falsifying test data to ensure engines were delivered on time under their contracts. Kawasaki Heavy Industries is...

U.S. Coast Guard Saves (And Detains) Two Migrants Who Jumped Off a Barge

Published Dec 29, 2025 3:48 PM by The Maritime Executive

A U.S. Coast Guard response team rescued two migrants who jumped into San Juan's harbor from a commercial barge, marking the latest in a series of incidents involving stowaways attempting to reach Puerto Rico. The incident unfolded around mid-morning when a Coast Guard response vessel received an alert from the tug Southern Dawn's crew, who suspected that unwanted passengers might be concealed on board the barge, the Charlotte bridge. The migrants then leapt from the barge in an apparent escape...

Shipping

The Maritime Executive's Most Popular Editorials of 2025

Guest posts and opinion pieces are an important part of the content we share with readers at The Maritime Executive. We are grateful to our guest authors for contributing their stories. Here are the most popular editorials of 2025, with topics ranging from naval developments to geopolitical confrontation to shadow tankers. Read on to find out more about the news and views that maritime professionals were most interested in hearing about this year. The editorials of 2025 that drew the...

Tugs & Salvage

Firefighters climb atop one of the burning buildings in an attempt to control the blaze (PMFD)

Three-Alarm Fire Damages Working-Waterfront Businesses in Portland, Maine

dA fire along the waterfront in Portland, Maine last weekend seriously damaged four businesses and multiple boats, causing hardship for more than a dozen lobstermen. At about 1730 hours on Friday, a fire was reported at downtown Portland's Custom House Wharf. Despite a rapid response, the blaze spread to four neighboring business establishments, burning their roofs off and causing extensive damage before the fire was put out at about 1920 hours. A maritime antique store, a nautical-themed bag shop, and...

Government

U.S. Counter-Smuggling Operation Hits its First Land Target

The U.S. military has repeatedly attacked suspected drug-smuggling boats in international waters off South and Central America over the past few months, including a new strike announced Monday. But it has held off on striking land targets - at least, until last week. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump said that American forces had hit a dock allegedly used by smugglers. "There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the boats up with drugs," Trump said,...

Corporate News

ABS Approval for SHI Floating Nuclear Power Plant Design

[By: ABS] A Floating Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) designed by Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI), known as the FSMR, featuring two small modular reactors (SMRs) developed by the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) has received ABS Approval in Principle. The design, which initially features two SMART100 SMRs, introduces a compartment approach separating the reactor and power generation functions, ultimately allowing the use of a variety of different SMR types. The design also features a modular reactor and safety system within...

Cruise Ships

Judge Lets Hawaii’s “Green Fee” Tax on Cruises Go Ahead

A judge in U.S. District Court in Hawaii rejected a lawsuit by the cruise industry and vendors seeking an injunction against extending for the first time Hawaii’s tax on transient visitors to cruise ships. Known as the “Green Fee,” the state in May enacted an increase to the tax and for the first time included cruise ship passengers, saying the state needs more tools to deal with climate change. Hawaii asserts that Act 96 of 2025 establishes the Green Fee,...

Ports

Laid Up MSC Cargo Ship Breaks Free During High Winds in Baltimore

Commercial tugs and the Baltimore Fire Department reported they were responding to a laid-up U.S. cargo ship that broke free from its moorings during high winds in Baltimore on Monday afternoon. The calls for emergency assistance were issued around 3:00 p.m. Baltimore time as the 951-foot (290-meter) RoRo cargo ship Cornelius H. Charlton (ex. USNS Charlton) was ripped free of its moorings in South Baltimore harbor and began drifting. The National Weather Service was warning of gale-force winds that could...

Shipping

The Maritime Executive's Most Popular Editorials of 2025

Tugs & Salvage

Three-Alarm Fire Damages Working-Waterfront Businesses in Portland, Maine

Government

U.S. Counter-Smuggling Operation Hits its First Land Target

Corporate News

ABS Approval for SHI Floating Nuclear Power Plant Design

Cruise Ships

Judge Lets Hawaii’s “Green Fee” Tax on Cruises Go Ahead

Ports

Laid Up MSC Cargo Ship Breaks Free During High Winds in Baltimore

Offshore

A rendering of Empire Wind 1, a planned wind farm currently under a halt work order from the Trump Administration (file image courtesy Equinor)

Could Northeast States Trade Pipeline Access for Offshore Wind Permits?

In mid-December 2025, the Trump Administration halted offshore wind projects from New England to Virginia, placing development on an indefinite pause. Just weeks earlier, I spoke at a conference in New England and had numerous side conversations with officials and stakeholders from across New England and New York about the outlook for maritime and energy policy. The timing was telling. The Northeast is arguably the center of the universe for offshore wind, and the perspectives expressed in those discussions ran...

Shipbuilding

Russia Delivers First Domestically-Built Arc7 LNG Carrier

Russia’s Sovcomflot and Zvezda shipyard heralded the delivery of its first LNG carrier, the Alexey Kosygin. They are saying it is the first of a new series of domestically-built LNG carriers that will be able to operate year-round on the Northern Sea Route and help to meet the goal of tripling LNG exports. The vessel with a capacity of 172,600 cbm was officially commissioned and handed over to Sovcomflot on December 24. It is years behind schedule due to sanctions...

Environment

large gas carrier designed for ammonia shipping

JERA Advances Plans to Ship Ammonia Produced in Louisiana to Japan

Japan’s largest power generation and energy company, JERA, is advancing its plans to ship low-carbon ammonia from a production facility in Louisiana to Japan to fuel a power generation plant. The project, working with shipping companies NYK and Mitsui O.S.K., is expected to become the first commercial-scale effort to import ammonia fuel to Japan. The companies announced that they have signed contracts which will lead to the development of very large gas carriers designed specifically for ammonia transport. Mitsui O.S....

Business

Japan Suspends Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Submarine Engine Data Fraud

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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

U.S. Counter-Smuggling Operation Hits its First Land Target

French Navy Intercepts $142M of Illicit Drugs During Arabian Sea Patrols

China Launches Massive Naval Drill Simulating Blockade of Taiwan

Japan Suspends Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Submarine Engine Data Fraud

U.S. Coast Guard Saves (And Detains) Two Migrants Who Jumped Off a Barge

The Maritime Executive's Most Popular Editorials of 2025

Three-Alarm Fire Damages Working-Waterfront Businesses in Portland, Maine

U.S. Counter-Smuggling Operation Hits its First Land Target

ABS Approval for SHI Floating Nuclear Power Plant Design

Judge Lets Hawaii’s “Green Fee” Tax on Cruises Go Ahead

Laid Up MSC Cargo Ship Breaks Free During High Winds in Baltimore

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

The Maritime Executive's Most Popular Editorials of 2025

Three-Alarm Fire Damages Working-Waterfront Businesses in Portland, Maine

U.S. Counter-Smuggling Operation Hits its First Land Target

ABS Approval for SHI Floating Nuclear Power Plant Design

Judge Lets Hawaii’s “Green Fee” Tax on Cruises Go Ahead

Laid Up MSC Cargo Ship Breaks Free During High Winds in Baltimore

Could Northeast States Trade Pipeline Access for Offshore Wind Permits?

Russia Delivers First Domestically-Built Arc7 LNG Carrier

JERA Advances Plans to Ship Ammonia Produced in Louisiana to Japan

Japan Suspends Kawasaki Heavy Industries for Submarine Engine Data Fraud

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

Join the conversation.

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events