Royal Navy Retires Aging Ships Due to High Maintenance Costs

UK Denies Bail to Chinese Captain of Detained Shadow Fleet Tanker

Published Jul 17, 2026 4:53 PM by The Maritime Executive

The UK is setting the stage for the trial of a Chinese national who was the captain of the first shadow fleet tanker the UK detained. The captain made his second appearance in court on Thursday, July 16, where he was denied bail, and the trial date was set for December 15. The tanker Smyrtos (106,969 dwt) was the first, and so far only, tanker that the UK has stopped, although it said it planned to increase enforcement of regulations...

Missile tracking vessel on training ship hull

Philly Shipyard to Build Missile Tracking Vessels Under New MARAD Contract

Published Jul 17, 2026 4:04 PM by The Maritime Executive

During the christening ceremony for the fourth U.S. Maritime Administration training ship, Lone Star State, it was revealed that the Trump administration plans to award construction contracts to TOTE Services and the Hanwha Philly Shipyard for two missile tracking ships. The shipyard has been lobbying for work from MARAD and the U.S. Navy since its acquisition by South Korea’s Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Ocean in December 2024. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and White House Office of...

Russia Strikes Mykolaiv as Ukraine Continues Unrelenting Shipping Attacks

Published Jul 17, 2026 2:46 PM by The Maritime Executive

Russian drones struck the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv for the second time in recent days on Friday morning, July 17, as the two sides continue to intensify the attacks on commercial shipping. Ukraine is 12 days into its campaign against shipping transporting oil, fuel, and cargo to occupied Crimea. The Mykolaiv Regional Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation after three commercial vessels docked in the port were struck this morning. It said the port area was attacked by Shahed-238 type drones....

Pirates Seize Small Product Tanker off Yemen

Published Jul 17, 2026 12:38 PM by The Maritime Executive

A small chemical tanker sailing near Yemen issued a distress call on Friday morning, July 17, and it appears to have been boarded by up to seven armed pirates. The authorities in Somalia and elsewhere are investigating the incident as the vessel appears to be heading toward the Somali coast. Reports are identifying the tanker as the Asana, apparently managed from South Korea and registered for a company in the Marshall Islands. The ship’s details are unclear, with Equasis listing...

Shipping

The MASS Code

[By Priyatham Sanjeeva Reddy, Ramidi] On 1 July 2026, the International Code of Safety for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) enters its first operational phase. That date will not suddenly empty bridges or dispatch uncrewed container ships across every ocean. It does, however, mark a decisive change in the autonomous-shipping debate. The industry is moving from asking whether autonomy is technically possible to asking whether it can be governed safely at scale. The International Maritime Organization adopted the non-mandatory MASS...

Tugs & Salvage

One Dead, Three Missing in Tragic Capsizing in San Francisco Bay

The U.S. Coast Guard has called off the search for three people who went missing in the capsizing of a cabin cruiser in San Francisco Bay, a tragedy that started out as an outing for a memorial service. On Tuesday afternoon at about 1530 hours, the Coast Guard received notification of a "fire" aboard the cabin cruiser Volare, a 49-foot boat operating just off Alcatraz Island. There were 20 adults aboard the vessel, all present for a ceremony to scatter...

Government

USCG Resumes Monitoring of Chinese Research Vessels Entering the Arctic

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that it has again begun monitoring as Chinese research vessels entered the Bering Sea and transited through U.S. and international waters. Last year, the USCG also reported similar operations in response to what it said was a dramatic increase in Chinese activity in the region. The Chinese research ship Xue Long transited north this week through the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and over the U.S. extended continental shelf (i.e., continental shelf beyond 200 nautical...

Corporate News

ABP Southampton Welcomes Record-Breaking Vehicle Carrier Glovis Lighthouse

[By ABP Ports] The Glovis Lighthouse called at ABP Southampton on the 14th of July. It is the largest vehicle carrier to call at the Port of Southampton by capacity. The vessel is making its maiden voyage, with Southampton being its first port call in Europe. Glovis Lighthouse can carry up to 10,800 car equivalent units (CEU) and measures 230 metres in length, making it among the largest class of car carriers available to date. The vessel called at Southampton's...

Cruise Ships

The Eight-Hour Test: How Cruise Ships Complete a Turnaround Day

A cruise ship's turnaround day is often viewed from the passenger side as the end of one holiday and the beginning of another. For the vessel's crew and technical teams, however, it is one of the most demanding operational periods of the entire voyage cycle. Within a compressed window, thousands of passengers disembark, thousands more embark, luggage moves in both directions, provisions arrive, waste is discharged, inspections may take place, fuel or lubricants may be supplied, contractors may board, crew...

Ports

U.S. Intensifies Attacks on Iranian Ports on Sixth Day of Bombing Campaign

U.S. Central Command is confirming that it undertook a sixth consecutive night of bombings targeting infrastructure in Iran. It reported attacks on the southern port complex of Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari, while other reports also said the U.S. has increased attacks in and around Bandar Abbas. Iran has been cooperating with India for the past 20 years on the operation of Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari as a regional center. It was also used to open overland trade routes into Afghanistan....

Shipping

The MASS Code

Tugs & Salvage

One Dead, Three Missing in Tragic Capsizing in San Francisco Bay

Government

USCG Resumes Monitoring of Chinese Research Vessels Entering the Arctic

Corporate News

ABP Southampton Welcomes Record-Breaking Vehicle Carrier Glovis Lighthouse

Cruise Ships

The Eight-Hour Test: How Cruise Ships Complete a Turnaround Day

Ports

U.S. Intensifies Attacks on Iranian Ports on Sixth Day of Bombing Campaign

Offshore

Sweden Permits Two Offshore Wind Farms, Denies 11 Due to Defense Concerns

While saying that Sweden needs to develop new power sources and critically green power to remain competitive, the government had nonetheless decided to deny 11 pending applications. It was the latest move by the government, which also denied 13 applications in 2024, citing defense concerns. “The government assesses that the applied for activities would, among other things, have an unacceptable impact on our defense capabilities,” said the Ministry of Climate and Enterprise. “However, the decisions do not mean that the...

Shipbuilding

Philly Shipyard to Build Missile Tracking Vessels Under New MARAD Contract

Environment

Proving Phase

For years, ammonia has held a strange place in shipping's transition – promising, commercially uncertain, operationally uncomfortable. It carries no carbon atoms, can be made from renewable hydrogen and nitrogen, and may eventually serve deep-sea trade routes that batteries cannot reach. But it's also toxic, corrosive, and unforgiving. "Ammonia slip," where unburned ammonia escapes through combustion or exhaust, is a real concern when injection timing and combustion pressure are poorly controlled. The question is no longer whether ammonia can work....

Business

JPMorganChase Provides $24M to Strengthen Philadelphia’s Naval Shipbuilding

Leading U.S. investment firm JPMorganChase will provide $24 million to help strengthen Philadelphia’s shipbuilding and maritime manufacturing sector. The combination of loans, investments, and philanthropic grants comes as the Trump administration continues to struggle with its plan to revitalize the American merchant marine and naval shipbuilding capacity. The program was announced by well-known CEO Jamie Dimon, reporting that the company will make $18 million in investments and loans, and provide $6 million in philanthropic grants. He said the focus is...

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Royal Navy Retires Aging Ships Due to High Maintenance Costs

UK Denies Bail to Chinese Captain of Detained Shadow Fleet Tanker

Philly Shipyard to Build Missile Tracking Vessels Under New MARAD Contract

Russia Strikes Mykolaiv as Ukraine Continues Unrelenting Shipping Attacks

Pirates Seize Small Product Tanker off Yemen

The MASS Code

One Dead, Three Missing in Tragic Capsizing in San Francisco Bay

USCG Resumes Monitoring of Chinese Research Vessels Entering the Arctic

ABP Southampton Welcomes Record-Breaking Vehicle Carrier Glovis Lighthouse

The Eight-Hour Test: How Cruise Ships Complete a Turnaround Day

U.S. Intensifies Attacks on Iranian Ports on Sixth Day of Bombing Campaign

The Hidden Operational Value in Your Emissions Data

New Reality of Tanker Ops: Why Onboard Blending and Cargo Control Matter

New Digital Platform Connects Shipowners Directly With Seafarers

The MASS Code

One Dead, Three Missing in Tragic Capsizing in San Francisco Bay

USCG Resumes Monitoring of Chinese Research Vessels Entering the Arctic

ABP Southampton Welcomes Record-Breaking Vehicle Carrier Glovis Lighthouse

The Eight-Hour Test: How Cruise Ships Complete a Turnaround Day

U.S. Intensifies Attacks on Iranian Ports on Sixth Day of Bombing Campaign

Sweden Permits Two Offshore Wind Farms, Denies 11 Due to Defense Concerns

Philly Shipyard to Build Missile Tracking Vessels Under New MARAD Contract

Proving Phase

JPMorganChase Provides $24M to Strengthen Philadelphia’s Naval Shipbuilding

Maritime Industry Conferences and Events

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Maritime Industry Conferences and Events