Page 6: of Marine News Magazine (June 2018)

5 7

EDITOR’S NOTE he topic of port security arguably encompasses a wide range of topics and issues. If that’s true, then the deeper subject of global maritime security is a yawning, gaping hole of a

T chasm that simply can’t be covered by one magazine; certainly not within a single issue.

I won’t even try. Deciding which aspect of this important part of the global supply chain is of most immediate concern to MarineNews readers – that’s a bit easier. That’s because, and as the 600-foot warship being used as the primary maritime security vehicle goes the way of Tier 2 propulsion, it can be said that the era of the small, littoral combat and patrol craft has arrived.

The most compelling aspect of the trend toward smaller, faster and more agile craft is that domestic builders are not only meeting demand with innovation and quality, they are also competing – and winning – on the international stage. Sure: some of that output is a function [email protected] of federal FMC contracts. Much of it is not. The sheer volume of U.S. built patrol, combat and security vessels being exported to foreign buyers not only shows well for these builders, it also augers well for a sector that needs to