Source: New York Times
In the middle of tomorrow, a great ribbed ghost has emerged from a distant yesterday.
On Tuesday morning, workers excavating the site of the underground vehicle security center for the future World Trade Center hit a row of sturdy, upright wood timbers, regularly spaced, sticking out of a briny gray muck flecked with oyster shells.

Obviously, these were more than just remnants of the wooden cribbing used in the late 18th and early 19th centuries to extend the shoreline of Manhattan Island ever farther into the Hudson River. (Lower Manhattan real estate was a precious commodity even then.)

Source: Associated Press
With no assurances it will be allowed to join the Gulf of Mexico oil spill cleanup, a Taiwanese-owned ship billed as the world's largest skimming vessel was preparing to sail Friday evening to the scene of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

The ship -- the length of 3 1/2 football fields and 10 stories high -- is designed to collect up to 500,000 barrels of oily water a day through 12 vents on either side of its bow. It was docked in Norfolk en route to the Gulf from Portugal, where it was retrofitted to skim the seas. The ship and its crew of 32 left Virginia waters Friday evening, June 25.

The owners of the "A Whale" said the ship features a new skimming approach that has never been attempted on such a large scale. They are anxious to put it to its first test in the Gulf.

Source: naval-technology.com
Jamaran is the first indigenously built Mowj Class multi-purpose guided missile frigate of the Imperial Iranian Navy. Currently being built by the Marine Industries Group of Defense Industries Organization (DIO), the vessels are locally referred to as destroyers.

Source: CNN
For the first time, a submarine will be combating the rising tide of piracy in the seas off the East African coast.
The Dutch navy is deploying the submarine in September, the Dutch defense minister announced on a visit to monitor operations off Somalia on Tuesday.

Eimert van Middelkoop said the vessel will primarily be used to monitor communications between pirate vessels and their warlord masters on shore while remaining undetected itself.

The ship will be part of NATO's Ocean Shield anti-piracy mission, aiming to keep the busy shipping channels there safe from attack.

The fleet has been successful in disrupting pirate operations off the East African coast, forcing marauding ships to attack farther out to sea.

Source: Russian Navy
Perspective 4th generation diesel-electric submarine St. Petersburg which flag-hoisting ceremony was held early May is under state trials in the Baltic Sea, said Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov, Baltic Fleet (BF) Commander.

"Submarine St. Petersburg is presently in the Baltic Sea passing state trials. In accordance with the schedule, various tasks are being performed; in particular, testing of the sub's hydro-acoustic features, operation of power plant, etc.", pointed out the fleet commander.

Source: India Press Information Bureau
The second of the three follow on Talwar-class stealth frigates being built by Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia was ceremoniously launched on 23 Jun 10 by Mrs Ramma Dewan, wife of Vice Admiral D K Dewan, the Vice Chief of Naval Staff.

The launching ceremony was attended by Governer of Kaliningrad Region, the Commander-in-Chief of Baltic Fleet of Russian Federation and other senior dignitaries from the Russian side in addition to Senior Indian Navy officers posted in Russia.

The frigate, christened ‘Tarkash’ during the ceremony, belongs to the elite Talwar Class of ships, three of which namely Talwar, Trishul and Tabar are already in service with the Indian Navy. The first follow on ship, christened ‘Teg’ was launched on 27 Nov 09.

Source: Patria
The Finnish Minister of Defense has on 23 June 2010 authorized the Finnish Navy to sign a contract with Patria concerning upgrade of Rauma Class Fast Attack Crafts built in the beginning 1990. The contract will be signed on 30 June 2010. The total worth of the contract is EUR 64.7 million.