Description: Maritime Security: Challenges of the 21. Century 15th January 2012 90% of the world‘s commerce sails across the sea. Disruptions of these sea lanes can have a vast impact on the economies of the world. Thereby the acitivities of Somali pirates, who are constantly expanding their area of operations, hurt not only those taken [...]
Continue Reading →Description: The inaugural Counter Terror Expo US will debut May 16-17, 2012, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in our nation’s capital, Washington, DC. We invite you to attend this first-of-its-kind expo and conference that will bring together our nation’s complete counter-terror community – including federal and state agencies, Department of Defense (DoD), police and first responders along [...]
Continue Reading →Towing Vessel Inspection Rule
The initial heavy lifting is done, and now the U.S. Coast Guard and the industry are getting down to the devilish details of the historic towing vessel inspection rule unveiled in August.
Differences of opinion are to be expected over a document that was seven years in the making and is one of the most significant regulations for the towing industry since operators were required to be licensed in 1972.
Aimed at improving safety on the nation’s waterways, the proposed rule will cover 5,208 vessels belonging to 1,059 companies and cost operators an estimated $14 million to $18 million annually over a 10-year phase-in period. It would exempt vessels less than 26′ unless they’re towing barges carrying oil or other hazardous cargo.
Sentiment at hearings held in the fall strongly favored safety management systems audited by a Coast Guard-approved third party rather than an option for an annual Coast Guard inspection. In addition, operators opposed electrical and mechanical requirements that make them fix what’s not broken, suggested compliance cost estimates were way off base, and sought better definitions of terms like “major conversion.”
The Coast Guard also raised some hackles with its request for comment on the topic of crew endurance and manning as it considers establishing hours-of-service standards. Operators generally oppose including requirements in the proposed rule, but some mariners favor regulatory protection.
In general, many of those who weighed in echoed Jeff Parker, vice president of operations at Allied Transportation Inc., a Norfolk, Va. tug-and-barge company, who said, “I applaud the Coast Guard for getting this rule mostly right.”
Nevertheless, they want some changes to a regulation that likely will cause some barge operators to fold because they are unable or unwilling to comply.
Operators say a safety management system ensures uniform standards for all and can be scaled to the size of a company. But they want to be sure that companies can’t pit one third party auditor against another and that the Coast Guard begins qualifying auditors well in advance of the final rule. They also were skeptical that the Coast Guard would have enough of its own people to perform audits.
All vessels would need a certificate of inspection issued
Continue Reading →An August article in Proceedings laid out “Ten Realities for the New CNO.” Here, the new CNO offers his vision of the Navy 15 years hence, which touches on several of those same issues.
The Navy Support Activity in Bahrain may not be the first thing one thinks of when considering the Navy of 2025. Our operations from that small Persian Gulf island may seem like a holdover from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars—something that will end as we complete those conflicts and enter an era of fiscal austerity. Nothing could be further from the truth. Bahrain has been a steadfast U.S. partner for six decades, and our presence there exemplifies some of the key and enduring attributes of the U.S. Navy, whether the year is 1825 or 2025. Our sailors and Marines in Bahrain, and their complement of helicopters, strike-fighters, patrol aircraft, minesweepers, and coastal patrol ships, are forward, ready, and focused on warfighting.
In 2025 the Navy will operate from a larger number of partner nations such as Bahrain to more affordably maintain our forward posture around the world. Our future Fleet will remain ready, with the maintenance, weapons, personnel, and training it needs, although it may be smaller than today as a result of fiscal constraints. Our sailors and civilians will remain the source of our warfighting capability, and the Fleet of 2025 will be even more dependent on a motivated, relevant, and diverse force. The ships and aircraft of 2025 will predominantly be the proven platforms of today, but with greater reach and persistence thanks to new payloads of unmanned vehicles and weapons. The future Fleet will maintain our current advantages in the electromagnetic spectrum and cyberspace, but will fully operationalize them as warfighting domains. We will remain dominant under the sea, but the capability of our submarines will be expanded as they become part of a network of platforms, unmanned systems and sensors.
Continue Reading →The Oceanology International Education Programme is free for all attendees to the event. It represents an excellent opportunity via its extensive technical programme to showcase the latest developments and thinking from the marine science and ocean technology industry. For 2012 the programme will feature six one-day conferences on the key technology areas as well as the [...]
Continue Reading →Description Underwater Intervention is the combined annual conference of the Association of Diving Contractors International and the The Marine Technology Society’s ROV CommitteeUnderwater Intervention © In 1993, Underwater Intervention was introduced as the combination of the ROV Intervention Conference and The ADCI Diving Symposium. The success of those early years has continued with Underwater [...]
Continue Reading →Description Founded in 2008, DIMDEX is the only specialized maritime defence exhibition in the Middle East bringing together companies representing the very latest technologies to meet the maritime security challenges of the 21st century. Official Event Website: http://www.dimdex.com/en/home.aspx
Continue Reading →Description 3rd Maritime Security & Anti-Piracy Conference (MSAPC) will bring together government officials from the United States, European Union, North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the Horn of Africa regional states, senior decision-makers from the shipping industry, and latest products and technologies suppliers. These handpicked speakers and distinguished delegates will help all stakeholders in adopting a practical, [...]
Continue Reading →Description The Asia-Pacific OPV market is experiencing considerable growth with huge investment by regional governments to counter shifting security concerns such as piracy, terrorism and smuggling, as well asprotecting territorial assets. Building on 6 years of success organising the largest OPV conference in the world, in 2011 we launched Asia’s regional OPV event, and brought together 100+ Navies, [...]
Continue Reading →Description: Welcome Remarks Since its establishment in July 2004, the ISPS code has strengthened the security of maritime transport and established an international regime of cooperation between Governments, the shipping and port industry, to prevent incidents related to the security of ships and port facilities. National Maritime College of France and Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port Authority [...]
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