Professional Mariner – January 2026

Major carriers modernize fleet connectivity

One of the world’s largest container shipping lines, A.P. Moller-Maersk, has partnered with Inmarsat Maritime to upgrade satellite communications services across its fleet of roughly 340 containerships — a fleet-wide, centrally managed rollout that advances a global shift toward high-bandwidth, data-driven vessel operations. The upgrades, scheduled for rollout between 2025 and 2026, will expand capacity under Inmarsat’s Fleet Xpress service,…

Coast Guard awards Rozema major contract for new surf- capable rescue boat

A small Pacific Northwest shipyard celebrating 70 years of continuous operation has been awarded a major contract by the U.S. Coast Guard to replace a fleet of its surf-capable vessels. The Coast Guard has awarded a nearly $71 million contract to the Washington-based Rozema Boat Works to build up to six of its next-generation 64-foot special-purpose heavy-weather craft. The new…

New autonomous navigation systems move closer to commercial deployment

Two new autonomy platforms — one for docking and surface maneuvering, the other for compact high-precision navigation — show how quickly automation technology is migrating from research projects and luxury boats to the commercial maritime sector. Simrad Marine Electronics, part of Brunswick Corporation’s Navico Group, has launched AutoCaptain, an autonomous docking and low-speed maneuvering system that provides 360-degree situational awareness…

ABS chief calls for IMO ‘timeout’ on net-zero framework

The head of the American Bureau of Shipping is calling on the International Maritime Organization to pause and reconsider its framework for reaching net-zero emissions, warning that current timelines are too ambitious relative to the industry’s practical ability to comply. ABS Chairman and CEO Christopher Wiernicki made the remarks during the launch of the 2025 ABS Sustainability Outlook at the…

MarAd warns of cyber risks linked to Chinese port equipment

In October 2025, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) warned maritime operators and port stakeholders about potential cyber vulnerabilities tied to foreign-made port equipment and logistics systems that may expose critical U.S. infrastructure and shipping data to exploitation. The Oct. 6, 2025, advisory replaced a prior post in April; MarAd said that equipment and digital platforms manufactured or maintained by China-based…

Standard Horizon rolls out next-gen integrated comms platform

A longtime manufacturer in the marine electronics market has introduced a new suite of communication systems aimed at bringing professional-grade connectivity and control to light commercial craft. Standard Horizon, a division of Japan’s Yaesu Musen Co., has released three products signaling a modern iteration of VHF technology: The GX2410 Matrix Series fixed-mount VHF radio integrates GPS, AIS receiver, DSC communication…

Coast Guard orders next generation of trailerable buoy-tending boats

The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded a contract to Inventech Marine Solutions of Bremerton, Wash., to build up to 89 new trailerable aids to navigation boats, or TANB II, replacing a first-generation fleet that entered service in 2006. Announced by the Coast Guard Office of Boat Forces on Aug. 27, the contract will modernize one of the service’s most versatile…

Smarter radar uses AI to reshape situational awareness, with autonomy on the horizon

Marine radar, long considered the most mature and least glamorous of bridge technologies, is amid one of its most consequential evolutions yet. What was once a single-purpose collision-avoidance tool, which used a magnetron-powered spinning antenna that painted echoes on a display, is now becoming a high-fidelity data source for machine learning, augmented reality and, eventually, autonomy. Across the maritime industry,…

MarAd still lacks permanent leader as nomination shifts continue

Nearly a year after President Donald Trump returned to the White House, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) remains without a permanent leader — a prolonged vacancy that underscores both the agency’s unusual position within the federal bureaucracy and shifting political priorities around maritime policy. In March, the administration nominated Brent Sadler, a retired Navy submarine captain and senior fellow at…

Evolution rather than revolution: IHO’s S-100 is navigation game changer

Digital marine data will take a major step forward in January 2026 when ships will have access to the new S-100 Universal Hydrographic Data Model in their Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems. Developed by the International Hydrographic Organization, the S-100 standard will first be legal to use on a voluntary basis. Starting in 2029, the International Maritime Organization will…