ships

the mother of all the ships ro-ro

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The oceans are full of monsters. Of steel monsters, specifically, such as huge containers and Ro-Ro ships. These ships, also known as ‘Roll on-Roll off’, are giant parkings that serve to move large amounts of vehicles between countries. The SAIC company is one of the most powerful in the Chinese automotive industry and MG ownersone of the best -selling brands in Spain. And, just one year after the inaugural trip of His previous Megabarcothey have a new Trojan horse to continue flooding Europe with their cars. It’s called Anji Ansheng, and it’s a mole with space for up to 9,500 MG cars. Need. The Chinese manufacturers They have been expanding to other territories for years, but it has been more recently when large firms have begun to invade external markets. Europe is one of the most sweet customers of these companies (despite tariffs), but also We have Latin America in the equation. Although some Chinese brands already begin to harvest the fruits of your strategy of Factories abroadmost continue to export large volumes from China. In the case of SAIC, in 2024 they reached the brand of more than 5.5 million vehicles distributed in external markets And, during the SShanghai International Auto Alon This year, they announced the beginning of phase 3.0 of their strategy to launch 17 new models abroad. That implies that they need to carry many, many cars by boat from their Factories in China And Thailand, and that is where his new ro-ro comes into play. New Saic Anji. Baptized Like Anji Ansheng, we are talking about a monster that has become the world’s largest bake. That honor was the Changsha Byd 219 meters in length, 37.7 meters wide and capacity for 9,200 cars. The Anji Ansheng exceeds everything with a 228 -meter length, a 37.8 -meter sleeve and a whopping 9,500 cars. These dimensions and, above all, their capacity, leave the anhi sincerity and its capacity for 7,600 cars in the background. The ANSHENG is currently making its inaugural trip to Europe with several thousand MG in its interior parking colossal, with the aim of exceeding 243,400 cars sold in Europe by the company during 2024. One more. Within how imposing the new ship is, it is a piece in the SAIC strategy for Continue exporting cars. The company has 35 ships focused on that vehicle transport, among which there are 11 river ships to carry cars from interior factories to large international ports, 9 ocean ships for national trade and 15 for foreign trade. The plans are expansionists and, facing next year, Saic wants to have 22 ships for foreign trade to reinforce routes in Western Europe and the Mediterranean, but also to prop up markets such as Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, South America and Mexico. There they will have to compete against the national cheap cars. And the competition? It is not far behind, of course. Like Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia they are immersed in the Battle of skyscrapersSaic and Byd are involved in the battle to see who creates a larger car transport ship. As we say, Byd with his Changsha was the one who was at the head of this particular competition, but although Saic has created a larger ship, the strategy of his great Chinese rival also takes into account the size of his fleet. Because Changsha is the Shenzhen twin, and the idea is that three other twin ships are added to the fleet throughout the coming months, thus counting with five really huge ships that will have the capacity to Place more than 67,000 cars Out of China. Your goal? Being not only the brand that sells the most in China, but to overcome Chery and Saic, and precisely having a fleet of your own ships is one of the keys to these companies. One of the byd beasts They do not depend on paying rent for ships, it is cheaper to send cars outside their borders and it is the mode of, Despite tariffscontinue to maintain a constant flow of vehicles in the foreign market at very competitive prices. And it only remains to land the rest of the brands. Xiaomi included. Images | Byd, Saic In Xataka | Europe has focused on stopping Chinese electric cars. The true threat is in its cars with combustion engines

Before the lack of steel, the ships of World War II began to be built with an unusual material: concrete

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Close your eyes and think about the main material of a ship. Quite possibly Wood is the first Let it come to mind, and it is normal: we have millennia sailing in wooden ships, and we continue to do so. But it is also logical that the steel that dominated the XX and XX shipsand the Current marine monstersit is around ideas. And most likely you have not thought of another material: the concrete. But yes, for 150 years we were creating concrete ships, and far from crazy, it was the most logical idea. And even used in the first and Second World War. A Frenchman. A good day from the mid -nineteenth century, a French man named Joseph-Louis Lambot It occurred to him to build a boat. Not anyone: one of reinforced concrete. There was a problem: in 1848, they had no idea what reinforced concrete was. This material, basically, is the mixture between concrete and steel. Both combine to create something with much greater structural resistance and has been since their invention the basis of the most imposing, dams and almost any construction of the last century. Well, it was Joseph-Louis that came up with the two materials. At least, I know attribute The invention of reinforced concrete to this man. As always, there is controversy with the dates, with whom he patented the reinforced concrete, who built the first slab, etc. But well: Lambot wanted to prove his invention and built a small boat less than four meters with the aim of exhibiting it in the Universal Exhibition of Paris of 1855. Enough advantages. Basically, the interior was wire mesh covered by cement and Lambot’s idea was to completely replace the wood. The invention liked it, but it really did not attract the attention of ship manufacturers. Some barges were created for European channels, but little else. Everything changed when the Italian engineer Carlo Gabellini built the Liguria in 1896. It is the one we consider as the first reinforced concrete ship designed to navigate on the high seas. And, really, it made sense to create reinforced concrete ships. It is a material that has great corrosion resistance, so the marine environment does not damage the helmet, reducing maintenance (that also has it) and extending its useful life. It offered good thermal insulation, so perishable resources could be transported in better conditions and there were no fire problems. The Namsenfjord In the absence of bread … A few years later, the construction of these concrete ships expanded and other countries began to build, especially freighters. But of course, we are in 1914 and that means something happened: the World War I. And beyond the advantages of concrete against other materials, the world was forced to create concrete ships for a very simple reason: There was no steel. The militarization and industrialization of the belligerent forces caused a situation of Steel shortage. The ships were important, since the naval supremacy It has always been a determining factor in a conflict, but with the steel necessary for a destroyer you could create many other things. And the problem is that they had to continue building ships because there were resources to move worldwide. World War I. The revolution came with the Namsenfjorda Norwegian ship that, in 1917, showed that self -propelled concrete ships could be made. It was 26 meters in length and weighed a whopping 400 tons and most importantly: the United States saw that there was a potential in these ships beyond serving as charges propelled by an auxiliary ship. Thus, they created the Emergency Fleet Corporation program with the aim of producing 24 concrete ships. It was a failure: those who completed themselves, did it after the war, so it had to be allocated in other things. One was the SS FAithwhich was going to serve in the war, but in the end it remained to be used in transport work in the United States. It was thrown in 1919, it was in service until in 1921 it was sold to Cuba and had a length of 97.54 meters. A year after Faith, the SS Selmaa huge reinforced concrete mole of 129.54 meters in length that was launched just the day when Germany signed the Treaty of Versaillesending the First World War. It ended up using as a oil tanker in the Gulf of Mexico. With candles and a secondary support motor Demolish disadvantages. With the finished war, interest in the construction of concrete ships deflated. It still had advantages, because building them was much cheaper than making them in steel or iron, but if we mentioned a series of advantages, it is important to know the disadvantages (which exceed them, and by far). To match the resistance of a steel helmet, the concrete is thicker, which has several limitations. On the one hand, it weighs more, so it also has a major draft, the displacement of the ship is slower and more fuel is needed. That is thicker implies that there is less interior space for load, since the useful volume is reduced. That weight makes engines must be more powerful and that fuel tanks are also greater, so the investment in this part is greater. The dike to build it must also be monstrous because you cannot weld parts, such as steel, and then there is resistance to impacts. Second World War. The metal breaks, yes, but it has a greater elasticity than the concrete. This material, however, is much more fragile to impacts. A collision causes a crack in the helmet, and this on a ship that weighs so much is a conviction. That is why, after the great war, the concrete ship project was abandoned, leaving its construction practically limited to the loading barges, but then World War II arrived, and the steel needs of the previous one were repeated. However, the US program was not as ambitious as the one that began 20 years before and yes, concrete ships were … Read more

The house is getting so expensive that in the United Kingdom there are already people opting for a plan B: living in ships

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In the United Kingdom there are hundreds of people who do not live in houses, buildings or urbanizations. Nor do they have neighbors. Not at least in the conventional sense. In a country that has seen how housing It was more expensive until it turns Privatethere are those who choose to reside in river channels and rivers. They do it aboard barges of several meters that, although they are not cheap and carry their own costs, remain much more affordable than The apartments Of the big cities. And there are reasons to think that over the years your number It has been increasing. Living between ducks and fish. Sounds romantic, but that is the lifestyle for which thousands of British who reside aboard barges have opted. And there are some data that suggest that their number has increased over the last years. A few months ago The Economist public An article in which he remembers that the last census of Canals and Rivers Trust (CRT) shows that at least 2022 there were 35,000 vessels With a license to operate in 3,200 km of river routes distributed by England and Wales, a third more than in the last two decades. The case of London. Moreover, in London, where the “navigators” stand out between 25 and 34 years, their number has almost doubled in a matter of a decade. In Your report The Economist It does not specify how many of these barges are used as the main residence, but slides that it is probably a good part. In 2021 The Guardian I was A little further And he pointed out that Canals and Rivers Trust surveys show that, at least at that time, the proportion of people who lived aboard their vessels was 25% at the national level (in 2011 they were somewhat less, 15%), although the percentage would be higher in London. Is there more data? Yes. And although the figures vary depending on the source that is always consulting in the same direction. Although the British who have decided to change conventional apartments and houses for barges continue to represent a minority, in February Sky News placed their number in about 15,000. And growing. According to Boats.com the number would be even superior. Your data They estimate the census of permanent residents in barges docked in the rivers, channels and coasts of the United Kingdom in around 30,000 people. Price issue. The big question is … why? Why change the comforts of an apartment in the center of Bristol, Manchester or London for a boat moored to a channel? Analysts answer those questions with Several keysbut there is one that is usually repeated: the price. A narrow barcaza and in good condition with which to move along the country’s river paths can cost near 50,000 pounds. It is a considerable figure (of course there are much cheaper), but that is far from what an apartment costs on the United Kingdom metropolis. Reviewing figures. According to official data, in January the average price of a home in the country was 268,500 pounds. If we talk about London, that reference is triggered until the 600,000 tires are touched through a house in a room, which makes the British capital one of the most expensive cities on the planet to become a owner, based on The data of Global Property Guide. In 2023 the London mayor spoke directly about “housing crisis” and crossed out “scandal” that there were dozens of houses and unused floors. Is it cheap to live on a ship? Depends. Yes, if you compare the cost of buying a barge with that of acquiring an apartment in London. But that does not mean that changing the streets, urbanizations and blocks through the channels is available to all pockets. First because their owners pay navigation licenses. Second, because a boat has certain expenses rigged. Recently the tenant of a United Kingdom barge confessed To the Sky News chain that spends around 4,500 pounds annually in invoices, including insurance, hubs, coal, fuel and navigation permits. If you want to keep your home in good condition every three or four years you must also get it out of the water and paint the helmet, which costs you approximately 1,200 pounds. Money … And something else. Although money is a key factor, it is not the only one that explains that in the United Kingdom there are thousands of people passing (at least) most of the year aboard boats. At stake they enter otherssuch as the influence of pandemic, the rise of teleworking, the interest in traveling along the British coasts or a simple issue of taste, either as a permanent or temporal vital option. After all, in life aboard a barge, not all are idyllic moments. “I wanted so much a ship that I didn’t care to live without shower, wearing a cube as toilet the first months or running cold,” Elizabeth Earle recallsfreelance writer and illustrator who chose to leave the comforts of an apartment to live in a barge. Now reside in a centenary floating house of about 20 meters. “I have no one to bother me and if I want to leave this place I can do it tomorrow. You are always covered with bruises and soot, and there is a lot of mud, but you also think ‘go, I can make fire’ and load 25 kg of coal.” An option with challenges. Navigation, maintenance or supply are not the only challenges facing the tenants of the barges. Elizabeth does not pay mooring as such, but that has its ‘face B’: when opting for the “Continuous Cruiser” Your floating house must change location from time to time. In a similar situation you can see the rest of British navigators who have no right (or paid) permanent moorings and are forced to move between squares along the same river, or beyond, every 14 days. “We pay a license that does not equals a rent, but rather to the municipal … Read more

22 years later, ‘Master and Commander’ is still obsessed with men. And it has little to do with ships or sea

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2003 was the year of ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’that of the first movie of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’, ‘Terminator 3’ and The double of ‘Matrix’ on the billboards with the launch of ‘Reloaded’ in May and ‘Revolutions’ months later. In the middle of that Thaquillazos drizzle With millionaire collections, movie theaters welcomed another great success of success much more discreet (although success after all): ‘Master and Commander’the tape of Peter Weir in which a russel crowe freshly raised by ‘Gladiator’ Encarna Captain Jack Aubrey. His box office box touched the 212 million of dollars, enough to cover the budget (150) and leave a good mattress, but not to encourage producers to bet on a second part or (Still, at least) a prequel. With the time ‘Master and Commander’, however, something much more complicated has achieved: becoming a classic with a good community of followers (many of them men) fascinated by their plot and character. And it makes all the meaning. When time helps. There are films that the passage of time feels like a bathroom with bleach. It dazzles and corrode. And then there are others that win the varnish of the classics. ‘Master and Commander’ is one of the last. Not for a simple matter of subjective criteria. No. It comes quickly for Google, X or Reddit To verify that almost 22 years after its premiere (they will be fulfilled in November) it continues to generate conversation, with a large legion of fans who continue to review the film to get new readings. Click on the image to go to Tweet. It’s cinema … and it’s philosophy. It is not just that his level of approval in Rotten Tomatoes for example exceed 80% or occasionally News arise On the plans to roll a prequel. Throughout the last years Peter Weir’s film has starred in broad analysis in media such as GQ, The conversation, The Guardian, Den of Geek either Literally Hub (the latter with a February piece) that go beyond the technical aspects, the actions or the plot of the film to focus on its background, especially in its representation of masculinity, friendship and leadership. The key was given by Gabriella Paiella in A broad article Posted in 2023 in GQ With the title “Why are there so many boys obsessed with ‘Master and Commander’?” The answer was recently given in X (confirming his premise) David French, columnist of New York Times: “Because it is perfect and amazing and everyone should see it 100 times.” French is not alone in that opinion. Even today, 22 years after the premiere of the film in theaters, they are Recent references and comments praiseful In X. Why’s that? For several reasons. The main one is probably the readings and messages that advance in parallel to the plot. Recall: ‘Master and Commander’ is an epic movie that adapts the novels of Patric O’Brian And he tells us how, with the Napoleonic wars as a backdrop, the British frigate HMS Surprise looks for the French ship Acheron in the Pacific Ocean. Crowe embodies Jack Aubrey, captain of the frigate of the British Royal Navy. The other key character is his friend, the naturalist and doctor Sthepen Maturin, played by Pablo Bettany. But above all the real attraction of the film, beyond its action or landscape scenes, is the environment that recreates and the relationships between its protagonists. Moreover, there is who says That at times the tape becomes “a pure study of characters”, in which the persecution of the Acheron ship is in the background in favor of what is really important: friendship between Aubrey and Maturin. A ship movie … and friendship. In 2023 Matilda Hatcher, of the Australian National University (ANU) summarized it clearly in An essay About the movie. What attracts so many spectators more than 20 years later is the link of Aubrey and Maturin and the representation of masculinity. “They are not necessarily nautical adventures that attract men, but healthy and affectionate male relationships,” Comment. That message connects With people who saw the movie in his day, being a teenager, and now he faces a new vital stage, advanced thirty or fulfilled 40, in which the film brings him new valuesand readings. “The interpretation that Crowe and Bettany make of the friendship between two men is up to this art (…). Much of the lasting attractiveness of the film lies in that representation of the male closeness,” agrees Martin Pengely in The Guardian. “In my opinion, a middle -aged man whose most intimate friends live more than 5,000 km, ‘Master and Commander’ presents an inspiring vision of vital relations for health and happiness.” A concept: “positive masculinity”. That is probably the other great key to the popularity of ‘Master and Commande’, a film in which otherwise there are no more relevant female characters, with the perhaps exception of the bow mask and a female face seen fleetingly against the coasts of America. In a tape of this type, life in Altamar, sailor rough and with a classic male hero, the representation of masculinity stands out. “At 20 years, Weir’s work remains a captivating historical drama and an emblem of healthy masculinity,” Defend Hatcher. At the time of Handsfsera And between messages that advocate hard masculinity and the “shark mentality”, ‘Master and Commander’ transmits a different message: it clings to positive masculinity, the classic archetype marked by duty, sacrifice, the search for justice and especially companionship, without egolatries or arrivals. A comfortable, soft, universal reading that goes beyond generations and is defined by values ​​that are not conflicting. Or like summarize it Paiella: “A sign of positive masculinity.” In Xataka | It is not your thing, your friends are probably more popular than you: it is the paradox of friendship

Before the lack of crew, South Korea is developing ships with AI. And the US has already taken their eyes

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We have the whole day in the mouth. If a product does not have ia, it is not fashionable, and Despite loud recent failuresit seems that artificial intelligence It has come to stay and conquer it practically everything. A segment in which it has a lot of potential is in the improve autonomous capabilities of vehicles, especially in countries in which human workforce is increasingly scarce. This is the case of South Korea, which is promoting Autonomous ships up to ia To replace the lack of crew. But there are already those who look with sweet eyes thinking about applications in the military industry: United States. Samsung with Ia. Now in ships. South Korean national pride is Samsung, a company that recently presented its smartphones Galaxy S25 and that has been uploaded on the artificial intelligence ship. Samsung is a giant company that makes consumption technology much more. Both the main company and its subsidiaries have businesses in sectors such as construction or biotechnology, and one of them specializes in ships. Samsung Heavy Industries, or SHI, is one of the three large ship builders in the world, focusing on the construction of ships for special tasks such as ultragrandes ships, very specific transport ships, offshore platforms and navigation systems. One of the last projects in which it is involved is that of construction with ships equipped with autonomous navigation system thanks to AI. Ok, catamaran! Conducts. How can we read in Nikkei Asiain November last year, Shi tried a 12 -meter -long catamaran on Geoje island, south of South Korea. This ship could transport 12 people and its crew had a task: give voice orders to the ship. After scoring the route, he was dedicated to following the ‘line of points’ and details such as speed or obstacles were shown in real time on a screen. From the control center you can monitor your parameters thanks to the installed cameras, as well as make adjustments, but the AI ​​developed by sister Samsung Electronics is the captain of the ship. Government facilities. A wall against which there were companies like Samsung or Hyundai when trying autonomous vessels is the law. According to the Asian media, the regulations made it difficult for companies approved A law that precisely facilitates obtaining permits to perform tests in the real world. The reasons were not specified, but having South Korea one of the most alarming demographic situations on the planet And facing –Like Japan-, to the lack of workers in certain positions, an autonomous or semi -autonomous vehicle sounds like a good idea to alleviate the situation. Realizing Japan again, we have already seen even Robots with chainsaws to set the train tracks. Taxi! We mentioned Hyundai, since it is another of the great South Korean and, through Hyundai Heavy Industries, this year they will test an autonomous aquatic taxi in Busán. The idea is that the passenger introduces the destination, at which time the system will look for the ideal route and begin to travel it. Apart from the systems to recognize the environment thanks to 3D cameras, the idea is that you go accurately at the destination dock, ready to release a passenger and receive another. Returning to Samsung, the next steps of this project include tests to avoid collisions, as well as Improve satellite communication To be able to develop this pilot as something on a large scale. Satellite communication is another technologies that seem important to the company. The US looks carefully. Samsung has a key advantage: you can design and build these ships from scratch, integrating its own autonomous navigation technology. That is, with their naval experience, they can design a ship from scratch that includes the autonomous navigation systems that they provide from Samsung Electronics, being a more accurate solution than to place those navigation systems on a ship that is not specifically designed for it . And who is already looking closely at these advances is the United States, but not any aquatic taxi department, but the Department of Defense. In one call From Trump al, now dismissed, South Korean president Yoon Yeol, President Electro recognized the capacity of South Korea in the construction and maintenance of ships. Clue. South Korean ports are becoming a key to the US presence in the South China Sea and local media claim that contracts between South Korean and US companies have increased recently. It is a fundamental strategic enclave, especially in a scenario in which China is performing maneuvers that their adversaries watch closely. Beyond this, and seeing that Samsung is not the only one who is betting on autonomous ships, it is expected that we see a flourish of this implementation of AI in this type of vehicles in the coming months. Image | Shi In Xataka | This is the Zhu Hai Yun, the new ship of China: capable of navigating without crew and full of aerial and sailor drones

How US ships repelled the red sea drones without shooting a single shot

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In recent months, several news in those points of the planet where there are tensions or directly some kind of armed conflict, they gave us the first clues. The war that was fought until very recently has given way to a very different one where the human loses importance in the first line of the contest. That’s why United Kingdom has sent the P8 Poseidon to protect your submarine cables, or In Ukraine an optical fiber is worth more than some ammunition. Now, a document has revealed to what extent the war is different. Non -kinetic weapons. I told Business Insider a few hours ago through secret documents that have obtained from the intelligence of the United States. Apparently, during the American mission to counteract the attacks of the Hutis rebels in the Red Sea, The destroyers of the United States Navy such as the USS Mason and the USS Serly, managed to repel all drone attacks without firing Missiles or conventional ammunition. We talk about A period that covers between November 2023 and March 2024space in which these ships used non -kinetic capabilities, technology that includes advanced electronic warfare systems to deactivate enemy drones through electromagnetic interference and cyber attacks, instead of traditional defense methods. The electronic war revolution. The documents obtained by the medium reveal that these ships used advanced technologies such as the AN/SLQ-32 (“slick-32”) and the so -called Ship’s Signal Exploitation Equipment (SSEE)both designed to detect, interfere and neutralize the signs of enemy drones and missiles. These systems allow interrupt communications and guidance mechanisms of drones, leaving them inoperative without the need to physically destroy them. This technique, although it is part of the naval doctrine for years, had never been used with the intensity that is currently made against drone swarms in a real conflict. In fact, something similar in Ukraine is happening, The “mother of all battles between drones”. Strategic benefits in non -kinetic weapons. The use of electronic war for naval defense represents a crucial advance, in this specific case for the United States Navy, in front of attacks such as those perpetrated by the hutis, who They have launched about 500 drones against ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Adén since October 2023. Here The key advantages of these systems are several. From the savings of ammunition, since, instead of spending expensive missiles in each enemy drone, non -kinetic weapons offer a cheaper and more efficient alternative, until sustainability in combat, since by avoiding the exhaustion of the arsenal, ships can stay in the theater of operations without the need for frequent refueling. Plus: greater tactical adaptabilitysince the electronic war allows to counteract threats in real time, without revealing the location of the ship with shots or generating traces of heat. A change in the naval strategy. If you want also, the success of these systems in the Red Sea conflict marks a turning point in the Maritime War doctrine. In this regard, experts such as Bryan Clark, ex -official of the Navy and defense analyst at the Hudson Institute, highlight that this is The first time that the United States faces a massive use of aerial drones in anti -ribous attackswhich has forced the Navy to develop more sophisticated tactics. The experience obtained in these clashes not only strengthens the defensive capacity of US ships, but also provides key lessons for future conflicts, in which electronic war and non -kinetic weapons could play a predominant role. Exactly the same that happens in Ukraine where The battle has moved to another completely different level to other conflicts. A fact before finishing to understand the importance of this new paradigm shift: last year and in just two days, 1,600 aircraft in Europe had problems with GPS. He guilty: Electronic War. Image | US Navy In Xataka | United Kingdom will display the “Frankenstein” of the electronic war to protect its submarine cables: the P8 Poseidon In Xataka | The war in Ukraine has become totally deranged: there are drones throwing drones to attack other drones

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