Fincantieri Marine Group - Experts & Thought Leaders

The Department of Defence announces that Fincantieri's US subsidiary, Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM), has been awarded a contract worth over 1 billion US dollars to build the fifth and sixth Constellation-class frigates for the US Navy.  The contract for the lead frigate and 9 options, signed in 2020, has a cumulative value of 5.5 billion US dollars, including post-delivery availability support and crew training. FREMM frigate platform Fincantieri secured this high-profile tender, distinguishing itself among several major U.S. shipyards Fincantieri secured this high-profile tender, distinguishing itself among several major U.S. shipyards thanks to a project considered the most innovative and cutting-edge. The Group's proposal is based on the FREMM frigate platform, globally recognised as the most technologically advanced, and the backbone of a 10-unit program for the Italian Navy which Fincantieri is completing at present at its Italian shipyards. Frigate construction Construction on the first frigate, the future USS Constellation, is currently ongoing at the newly revamped Wisconsin shipyard in Marinette. FMM is the spearhead of Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), which controls two other shipyards also located in the Great Lakes (Wisconsin) - Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding and Fincantieri Ace Marine. The company serves commercial and government customers in the US. FMM is committed to the Littoral Combat Ships programme for the US Navy and the Multi-Mission Surface Combatants (MMSC) programme for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as part of the US Foreign Military Sales plan. 

Mark W. Barker, the first new U.S flagged Great Lakes bulker in almost 40 years, has successfully completed sea trials and will now begin trading throughout the freshwater lakes and river networks, with oil-free propeller shaft bearings from Thordon Bearings. Built in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, United States of America (USA), by Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding (Fincantieri Marine Group) for The Interlake Steamship Company, Thordon Bearings’ scope of supply includes a water lubricated RiverTough bearing, Nickel-Chromium-Boron (NCB) alloy liner for a propeller shaft diameter of 445 mm (17.5 in), and two Thordon Water Quality Packages. RiverTough Bearing for Mark W. Barker bulker Advanced Sealing Technology worked with the ship owner to get the RiverTough package specified Thordon Bearings’ authorised distributor in Ohio, USA, Advanced Sealing Technology worked with the ship owner to get the RiverTough package specified. Designed to transport salt, iron ore, stone, and other bulk cargoes throughout some of the narrowest rivers in North America’s Great Lakes region, including the tight bends of the Cuyahoga River, the single screw Mark W. Barker is the 6th Interlake Steamship vessel that Thordon Bearings’ proprietary polymer bearings have been installed. Propeller shaft bearings “Interlake has had a lot of success with our propeller shaft bearings,” said Jason Perry, Thordon Bearings’ Regional Manager - North America, adding “Their vessels operate in some of the region’s narrowest, shallowest waterways, which means vessels are unable to turn and instead must reverse using bow and tunnel thrusters. When operating at lower shaft speeds, the RiverTough polymer formulation reduces friction and bearing wear. The material can also withstand operations in highly abrasive, very sandy environments.” Wear rates for RiverTough Bearing are typically less than half that of rubber bearings, based on ship owner feedback. Offering increased resilience, easier shaft alignment and less edge loading, lubricants in the polymer material reduce friction levels during nearly-dry starts, significantly eliminating stick-slip and vibration at low shaft speeds. Results from ship owners have shown wear rates of 0.075 mm to 0.100 mm (0.003 in to 0.004 in) in 6000 to 7000 hours of annual use. Interlake Steamship Company - Thordon partnership Commenting on The Interlake Steamship Company’s long-term relationship with Thordon Bearings, Ian Sharp, the Director of Fleet Projects at The Interlake Steamship Company, said “From the outset, Thordon always responds quickly to our requirements with its bearing expertise, technical know-how and customer service. Having multiple RiverTough bearings in operation with proven reliability, made it a very simple decision to choose the same Thordon bearing for our new ship.” The 28,000dwt River-class bulker is powered by a pair of 400HP main engines With a hull optimised for energy efficiency, the 28,000dwt River-class bulker is powered by a pair of 400HP main engines, driving a single controllable pitch propeller through twin-input, single out-put reduction gearbox. It is the first ship to operate on the Great Lakes with engines that meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards. EPA Tier 4 standards EPA Tier 4 standards entered into force in January 2017, requiring marine engines rated at 600kW and above to be fitted with technologies capable of significantly reducing nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SOx) and particulate matter (PM). Craig Carter, the Vice President of Business Development at Thordon Bearings, said “Mark W. Barker is truly a milestone ship for Interlake and we are proud to be associated with what is arguably one of the most advanced, energy efficient self-unloading bulkers, to operate on the Great Lakes.” Craig Carter adds, “Our relationship with Interlake Steamship and Bay Shipbuilding dates back to 1998, when we installed propeller shaft bearings to the 25,000dwt Kaye E. Barker. Since then, we have enjoyed a very productive, collaborative relationship with both owner and yard and look forward to working together on future projects.”

A ransomware attack at a commercial and defence shipbuilder in Wisconsin highlights the vulnerabilities of manufacturing operations, including shipbuilders, to the threats of cybersecurity.  Fincantieri Marinette Marine was targeted by a cyberattack in the early morning hours of April 12, 2023. Large segments of data on the shipyard’s network servers became unusable because of the efforts of an unknown professional group. In ransomware attacks, offenders encrypt information on a server and then set terms, including monetary payments, to provide a ‘key’ to unlock the data. Computer numerical control Systems impacted at Marinette Marine included data that drives the shipyard’s computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing machines, knocking them offline. CNC machines translate specifications developed using design software into instructions to operate manufacturing devices such as welders, cutters and other computer-controlled tools. CNC machines translate specifications developed using design software into instructions Fincantieri Marine Group “Immediately isolated the systems, reported the incident to relevant agencies and partners, and brought in additional resources to investigate and to restore full functionality of the affected systems,” says the company. Industrial control systems The company’s email and other networked operations remained off-line for several days. “This [incident] highlights the potential impact of cyber-attacks on industrial control systems and the need for robust detection mechanisms to identify and respond to such threats promptly,” comments Carol Volk, Chief Marketing Officer of BullWall, a cybersecurity solution provider specialising in ransomware containment. “Even if data theft did not occur, the disruption caused by the attack can have significant operational and financial implications,” says Volk. The shipyard in Wisconsin builds the U.S. Navy’s Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship and the Constellation-class guided missile frigates. The yard is currently under contract to build four combatants for Saudi Arabia and three frigates for the U.S. Navy. First visible risk The implications for a possible broader impact of the attack on the U.S. Navy is a concern The implications for a possible broader impact of the attack on the U.S. Navy is a concern. “In addition to seeing ransomware groups with financial gain as their main goal, we also see ransomware applied as a way to divert attention when attackers are creating a ‘smoke screen’ with different objectives in mind,” says Roy Akerman, Co-Founder and CEO, Rezonate, another cybersecurity firm. Other objectives include propagating through the network and creating backdoors for other, more lucrative motivations. “Especially here, in the case of the U.S. Navy, there is an increased risk of ransomware being the first visible risk while other true intentions remain stealthy,” adds Akerman.  Employee personal information Fincantieri Marine Group is part of Fincantieri SpA, based in Trieste, Italy. However, the cybersecurity incident was limited to U.S.-based locations and systems, which include shipyards in Marinette, Sturgeon Bay and Green Bay, Wisconsin. However, the cybersecurity incident was limited to U.S.-based locations and systems The locations combined employ about 2,300 people, but there is no indication that employee personal information was compromised. A cyberattack, as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is a digital attack that targets an organisation to disrupt, disable, destroy, take information, or take control of computers, networks or digital systems. Detection and containment capabilities Lockheed Martin, the Freedom-class prime contractor, issued a statement on the incident: “We face threats every day from sophisticated adversaries around the world, and we regularly take action to increase the security of our systems and to protect our employee, customer and program data.” “While preventative measures are crucial, it is important to acknowledge that motivated cybercriminals are constantly evolving their tactics and can often stay one step ahead,” adds Volk. “As such, detection and containment capabilities should be considered as ‘must have’ defences in addition to preventative measures.”