Security – Page 3 – Professional Mariner

11 Oct

MarAd advisory: Global disruptions to maritime GPS, AIS

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — GPS disruption affects maritime navigation in various parts of the world. Mariners are encouraged to take the following precautions: • Develop plans for responding to GPS disruptions that affect safe navigation of vessels prior to getting underway. • When a GPS outage occurs, incidents should be reported as soon as safely possible to the U.S. Coast Guard Navigation…

09 Oct

MarAd advisory: Threats to IT systems, automated cranes

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Ports, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — This advisory from the U.S. Maritime Administration (MarAd) seeks to alert maritime stakeholders of potential vulnerabilities to maritime port equipment, networks, operating systems, software and infrastructure. Foreign companies manufacture, install and maintain port equipment that creates vulnerabilities to global maritime infrastructure information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) systems. In the past few years, the U.S. government has…

19 Sep

Newly issued MMCs include verification scan code

Professional Mariner StaffLicensing & TrainingSecurity, U.S. Coast Guard

(MARTINSBURG, W.Va.) — On Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard began issuing merchant mariner credentials (MMCs) with an embedded credential verification scan quick-response (QR) code. The QR code, located in the upper-right corner of each MMC photograph/personnel page, can be scanned using a smartphone camera. The unique code, when scanned, will open the Coast Guard’s Homeport credential verification page of the…

09 Sep

MarAd advisory: Combat threat in Black Sea, Sea of Azov

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in late February 2022, commercial vessels have reportedly been struck by projectiles and experienced explosions in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. There have also been reports of moored and drifting naval mines. While some past actions may have targeted specific commercial vessels due to their association with certain countries…

05 Aug

Canada’s Davie plans to invest in U.S. shipbuilding

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, Security, shipbuilding

(LEVIS, Quebec) — Davie, Canada's largest shipbuilder, has announced its intention to make a significant, long-term commitment to the American shipbuilding industry. Pending final site and partner selection, the commitment would include a major investment in a U.S. shipyard. Davie’s decision coincides with a series of actions announced by the U.S. government to boost the efficiency, resilience and competitiveness of…

12 Jul

U.S., Canada, Finland to partner on polar icebreakers

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsIcebreakers, Security, shipbuilding

(WASHINGTON) — The leaders of the United States, Canada and Finland on Thursday announced their intent to create the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact, which is a trilateral arrangement to collaborate on the production of polar icebreakers and other capabilities, alongside United States’ allies and partners, labor and industry. This collaboration is intended to strengthen the shipbuilding industry and…

01 Jul

Carpenter: U.S. must renew its commitment to maritime

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime Newsbrownwater, Jones Act, Security, Tugboats and towing

By Jennifer Carpenter The United States must renew its commitment to a strong, reliable American maritime capability to confront emerging threats. China’s aggressive shipping expansion poses significant challenges to the United States and our allies. Global tensions have highlighted the vulnerability of maritime supply chains, and our domestic waterways remain a potential pathway for increasingly belligerent adversaries to cause harm.…

24 Jun

MarAd advisory: Crew kidnappings in Gulf of Guinea

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsMarAd, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Over the past year, pirates, armed robbers and kidnapping for ransom (KFR) groups are known to have operated in the Gulf of Guinea off Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Ghana and Togo. During this period, they targeted a variety of vessels including tankers, containerships, general cargo vessels and passenger vessels. These groups have boarded vessels up to 300 nautical…

19 Apr

MarAd update: Ongoing threats to ships, crews in Mideast

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsLicensing and training, Security, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — Regional conflict, military activity, terrorist attacks and piracy pose significant threats to commercial vessels operating in the following geographic areas: Southern Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Somali Basin, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf. The U.S. government is continually assessing the maritime security situation in the region…

15 Apr

U.S. strongly condemns Iran’s seizure of containership

Professional Mariner StaffMaritime NewsSecurity, shipping

(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. State Department has strongly condemned Iran’s seizure of a containership, MSC Aries, near the Strait of Hormuz and urged Tehran to immediately release the vessel and its crew, VOA News reported. A State Department representative told VOA’s Persian Service that the vessel, flying the Portuguese flag and owned by Britain, was seized in "international waters," and…