Naval & Maritime Defence

Admiral Paul Zukunft, the commandant of the US Coast Guard (USCG), has expressed concern about the lack of ice-breaking capabilities the US boasts as the importance of the Arctic continues to expand and activity in the region increases. Full Article »

Captain Charles “Chuck” Gunzel of the US Office of Naval Research (ONR) updates us on the need for US offshore patrol vessels to remain flexible, modular and interoperable. He discusses the emphasis on open architecture and testing, and explains the ongoing and future priorities for cost-effective platforms. Full Video »

With this year's event being held in Dublin, Rear Admiral Mark Mellett of the Irish Defence Forces (and the conference chairman), explains to Defence IQ the reasoning behind the introduction of the new Samuel Beckett-class OPVs in this new podcast. He also discusses the construction of the vessel with an eye towards climate change, cost-efficiency in a complex maritime environment, meeting emerging threats, and reveals his key to working effectively with industry partners and shipyards. Full Podcast »

Dag Pike began his career as a merchant captain, went on to test RNLI lifeboats, and took up fast boat navigation, winning a string of trophies for powerboat races around the world, including navigating Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Challenger on the record-breaking fastest Atlantic crossing by powerboat. He is now a navigation and powerboat journalist in demand all round the world. Full Sector Report »