The U.S. is expanding its icebreaking fleet to strengthen Arctic and domestic access, and support commercial shipping, seabed resources, subsea cables and fisheries. Current plans include 1–3 heavy Polar Security Cutters (PSCs), 11 medium Arctic Security Cutters (ASCs), seven Homeland Security Cutter (HSC) HSC-L (light) icebreakers, 11 HSC-Ms (medium) and one additional heavy HSC-H (heavy).
The “Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional” (BRIN), Indonesia’s national agency for research and innovation, has commissioned the French shipbuilder PIRIOU to design and build two research vessels:a multimission offshore hydro-oceanographic vessel (ORV – Ocean Going Research Vessel) and a coastal research vessel (CRV – Coastal Research Vessel).
Since the Iranian Revolution and overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979, the Strait of Hormuz has been a geographic constant as a choke point for which closure has been threatened from time to time but never truly closed. The longstanding assumption of the continued openness of the strait collapsed on February 28, 2026.
Concerns grew on Monday that the ceasefire between the United States and Iran might not hold after the U.S. said it had seized an Iranian cargo ship that tried to run its blockade and Iran vowed to retaliate.Efforts to build a more lasting peace in the region likewise appeared to be on shaky ground, as Iran said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the U.S.
The Dutch-flagged cargo ship Minervagracht was ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, a day after being hit by an explosive device, its operator and the EU maritime mission Aspides said.Yemen's Houthi militants claimed responsibility on Wednesday for the attack, saying it was carried out by a cruise missile.
Dutch marine services firm Boskalis has christened the Windpiper, which it describes as the world’s largest subsea rock installation (SRI) vessel, following an 18-month conversion project.The 227-meter-long and 40-meter-wide vessel was officially christened on July 3 by Ms. Jones-Bos, a member of the Boskalis Supervisory Board, Boskalis said.
Vessev, a technology company designing and building electric passenger vessels, announced the launch of a new hydrofoiling network in Hobart, Australia, marking a step in using waterways as an efficient, scalable, zero-emissions layer of urban transport.Fly Derwent, a new clean energy transport venture, will launch the network on the Derwent River
New Zealand marine technology company Vessev has announced its expansion into the Australian market, with the Enautic Group set to introduce Vessev's electric hydrofoiling passenger vessels to Western Australia. There are currently only three commercially-certified electric hydrofoiling vessels in operation anywhere in the world, two of which are Vessev VS-9s
According to Veson Nautical’s 2025 End-of-Year Market Report, a report which breaks down prevailing trends in all major oceangoing shipping sectors globally, these are the prevailing trends shipowners should watch in 2026.1. Routing Normalization vs. Geopolitical RealityMuch of 2025’s earnings strength—especially in containers
Norwegian offshore vessel owner Solstad Maritime has sold its Normand Clipper construction support vessel (CSV) to Global Maritime Group.Global Maritime Group, the current charterer of the vessel, declared the purchase option for the Normand Clipper, with the deliver of set to take lace at the end of the firm contract period on June 1, 2026.
Royal IHC and Floorganise B.V. have expanded their partnership to establish the conditions for digital supply chain collaboration within the Dutch shipbuilding ecosystem. This collaboration aligns with the Dutch Maritime Masterplan and contributes to accelerating the renewal of the national fleet.
Vessev announced the VS–Drive, a podded propulsion system that stands to redefine electric marine performance. As the latest innovation from Vessev, which designs and builds commercial-grade electric hydrofoiling vessels, the VS–Drive is a submersible motor that combines advanced active cooling with custom direct-drive brushless motors in a modular design.