Marine Technology Reporter Blogs - images: seabotix

Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) statistics for 2011 have been published by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) as an information note (IMCA R 05/12). The statistics, intended to record personnel and vehicle levels, are collected twice a year in February and August. The 2011 figures show that IMCA members had fewer ROV personnel at work in 2011 than in 2010, and that ROV personnel numbers reported in August 2011 exceeded those in February 2011 by about 25%. In February 2011 a total of 2,410 personnel was reported to be involved in worldwide ROV operations (2373 ROV superintendents, supervisors and pilot techs; and 37 other offshore ROV support personnel) compared with 3,018 in August 2011 (with the breakdown being 2923 and 95).

RIMPAC, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise. RIMPAC is held during June and July in Honolulu, Hawaii. With RIMPAC the United States Pacific Command seeks to enhance interoperability between Pacific Rim armed forces, as a means of promoting stability in the region to the benefit of all participating nations. The Pacific faces several potential conflicts, which the United States Department of Defense believes may require naval force-on-force engagements. These include the possibility of the Peoples Republic of China invading Taiwan in the event of its declaration of independence, North Korean aggression toward South Korea, the US, and Japan.