[The following are exerpts and paraphrasing from testimony given by Matthew O. Paxton, President of the Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), to Congress on the morning of February 26, 2025.]While maritime strength and shipbuilding historically have been a cornerstone of global power, shifting times and geopolitical pressures impact readiness and output.
Kraken Robotics Inc. announced the passing of founder and former CEO, Karl Kenny on February 11, 2025, at the age of 64. Karl founded Kraken in 2012 and was instrumental in building the company into a leading player in subsea robotics over his 10-year tenure, before retiring in December 2022.
HMNZS Manawanui grounded and sunk off the coast of Samoa as a result of human error, an interim Court of Inquiry report shows.The Royal New Zealand Navy ship grounded on a reef on the southern side of Samoa, on October 5, 2024, while conducting survey operations.Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Garin Golding stood up a Court of Inquiry following the incident.
A Royal New Zealand Navy vessel ran aground and sank off Samoa but all 75 crew and passengers on board were safe, the New Zealand Defence Force said in a statement on Sunday.Manawanui, the navy's specialist dive and hydrographic vessel, ran aground near the southern coast of Upolu on Saturday night as it was conducting a reef survey, Commodore Shane Arndell
Cruise passengers are to set sail from Belfast on Monday on a three-and-a-half-year world voyage after being stranded in the city for months as the ship underwent unexpected repair works. Some plan to make it their forever home.Passengers of the Villa Vie Residences' Odyssey, described as the world's first continual cruise
The Canadian Coast Guard has called off a search for a crewmember believed to have gone overboard from one of its icebreaker vessels off Newfoundland's northeast coast. The CCGS Vincent Massey crewmember, who was reportedly last seen aboard the ship on Sunday evening, was reported missing at 8:15 a.m. on Monday when the vessel arrived in St. John's.
The U.S. Navy on Friday announced it has placed a $6.75 billion order with San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO for up to eight John Lewis Class (TAO-205) Fleet Replenishment Oilers. The ships are scheduled for delivery through January 2035.The Navy, which has been looking for ways to reduce costs and increase efficiency across its shipbuilding and repair programs
Offshore drilling contractor Seadrill is looking to buy more assets or create a larger player by merging with peers, the company's CEO said on Wednesday.Norwegian-born billionaire John Fredriksen lost the control of the company, once the world's largest driller by market cap, to its creditors over two debt restructurings since 2014.
A U.S. nuclear-powered submarine will undergo maintenance in Australia for the first time on Friday, a key step by AUKUS partners to deter aggression in the Indo-Pacific, the defense ministers of Australia, Britain and the United States said.Australian personnel trained with the United States and Britain over the past year ahead of the submarine maintenance at HMAS Stirling in Western Australia
The pilot of a towboat that struck an industrial cargo pier near Saint Rose, La., last year had fallen asleep, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said Wednesday.The pilot of the Marquette Transportation owned and operated towing vessel John 3:16 was experiencing the effects of fatigue during his watch on September 12, 2023, while navigating the Lower Mississippi River.
Shipbuilding group Austal on Thursday announced that its inaugural chairman, John Rothwell, is retiring from his position of Chairman of the company to serve on the Austal board as a non-executive director.Former U.S. Secretary of Navy Richard Spencer will replace Rothwell as Chairman, and will also join the board of Austal USA.
Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) on Friday held a launch and christening ceremony for the ferry Long Island at its Allanton Shipyard in Panama City, Fla.Scheduled to be delivered later this year, the new Subchapter H passenger and auto ferry is being built for Bridgeport & Port Jefferson Steamboat Company, a subsidiary of McAllister Towing, for operations between Bridgeport, Conn.