PHOENIX

Bibby Marine has launched its new battery-first electric commissioning service operation vessel (eCSOV) at Armon Shipyard in Vigo, Spain, ahead of its planned delivery in 2027.The vessel, which will carry the name Staffordshire, entered the water on October 10 and will undergo further outfitting at the shipyard over the coming months, including the installation of its battery systems.Unlike conventional hybrid-assist designs, the eCSOV is designed to use its energy storage system as the primary source of power rather than as a supplementary propulsion system.

The U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command is a critical part of the United States’ national security equation, as any navy only goes as far as its supply chain allows. RADM Benjamin Nicholson, Commander, U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command, visited with Maritime Matters: The MarineLink Podcast, for a deep discussion on MSC, including changes in mariner pay and benefits that will enable it to attract and retain the seafarers it wants and needs.Military Sealift Command occupies an unusual position in the U.S. Navy enterprise.

TOTE Services, LLC, a U.S. maritime services company specializing in vessel construction management and ship management, signed a contract with the U.S. Department of Transportation - Maritime Administration (MARAD) to serve as vessel construction manager (VCM) for the Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel (MRIV) program. The MRIV will support the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in advancing national security.  Immediately following this award, TOTE Services also executed a shipyard subcontract with Hanwha Philly Shipyard (HPSI) to construct the first MRIV. This ship will be the first in a planned series of vessels for MDA.The MRIV program was announced this summer by U.S.

Anduril Industries plans to invest $3.7 billion in a new Maryland shipyard to manufacture Virginia-class submarine components and other subsea systems, alongside a U.S. Navy contract worth up to $2.9 billion tied to production targets.The Arsenal-2 facility will be built at Tradepoint Atlantic in Sparrows Point, Baltimore County, with permitting and site preparation beginning immediately and initial operations expected in 2030.The combined public and private investment totals $6.6 billion, with Anduril set to build and operate the site. The U.S.

ABS and the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding to advance modern commercial nuclear technology at sea. The agreement spans floating power solutions, nuclear-powered vessels and the development of the ports, shipyards and industrial base needed to build and sustain them.Key priorities include concept and feasibility studies for floating nuclear power and nuclear transportation corridors, and support for developing a U.S. shipbuilding sector capable of building and operating nuclear-powered assets safely. ABS will also coordinate related work through the U.S. Maritime Administration’s (MARAD’s) U.S.