GovernmentNews

Maersk Boxship Delayed due to EU Migration Debate

By MarEx 2018-06-24 17:21:45

The container ship Alexander Maersk has been delayed off Sicily with 113 maritime migrants aboard as Europe's debate over maritime migration continues. The delay confirms an earlier warning from the International Chamber of Shipping about the dispute's effects on merchant ships,...

China Becomes World's Biggest Natural Gas Importer

By MarEx 2018-06-24 15:45:48

China has outpaced Japan to become the world's largest importer of natural gas, a welcome sign for the developers of liquefaction plants in the Pacific Basin and beyond. Chinese buyers purchased 34.9 million tons of imported gas for the year...

Chinese, U.S. Coast Guards Team Up for Driftnet Bust

By MarEx 2018-06-22 19:10:49

While Chinese and American maritime interests may not always align, that hasn't stopped their respective coast guards from teaming up to fight maritime crime. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley and an embarked team from the China Coast Guard recently...

Former Flag Officer Censured as GDMA Scandal Continues

By MarEx 2018-06-22 17:58:47

This week, U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer issued letters of censure to three officers for past misconduct related to a sprawling bribery and fraud case. Spencer censured Rear Adm. Richard Wren (ret'd.), Capt. Timothy Conroy (ret'd) and Capt. Charles...

White House Proposes Shifting Corps Dredging to DOT

By MarEx 2018-06-22 14:17:40

On Thursday, the White House Office of Management and Budget released a sweeping proposal to overhaul the organization of the federal government, including the nation's maritime agencies. The proposal - titled "Delivering Government Solutions in the 21st Century" - calls...

U.S. Navy Seeks to Reduce its Missile Defense Mission

By MarEx 2018-06-20 16:56:39

At a U.S. Naval War College forum last week, the Navy's highest officer said that he wants to hand the mission of long-term ballistic missile defense coverage over to shore-based units. At present, the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet provides allies...

Navy Drops Homicide Charge Against USS Fitzgerald's CO

By MarEx 2018-06-19 17:44:48

On Tuesday, the U.S. Navy announced that it will drop a charge of negligent homicide against Commander Bryce Benson, the commanding officer of the destroyer USS Fitzgerald at the time of her collision with the merchant vessel ACX Crystal. Cmdr....

Video: Coast Guard Cutter Campbell Offloads $200M in Cocaine

By MarEx 2018-06-17 14:24:09

On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Campbell returned to her homeport in Kittery, Maine, Friday after an 80-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific. Campbell's crew intercepted six narcotic smuggling boats, seized about six tonnes of...

Secretary Mattis Calls on USMMA Grads to Lead

By MarEx 2018-06-17 13:04:38

On Saturday, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point graduated 187 new merchant marine and military officers in the Class of 2018. Secretary of Defense James Mattis delivered the keynote address before a crowd of about 4,500, including family...

USNS Trenton Transfers Migrants to Italian Coast Guard

By MarEx 2018-06-17 10:56:08

On Sunday, the crew of the USNS Trenton transferred 41 maritime migrants to Italian coast guard vessels off the coast of Lampedusa, Italy, ending a standoff over how and where the survivors would be brought to shore. The crew of...