OCEAN: Nuclear-Powered Submarines & more – 30th Dec 2025

Ahoy from BA! This is the Rorshok Ocean Update from the 30th of December twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the 70% surface of the Earth covered in saltwater.

Kicking off this edition, on Thursday, the 25th, North Korea revealed its construction site of a nuclear-powered submarine.

The nuclear-powered submarine, weighing 8,700 tons and equipped with missile launch capabilities, marks a new naval era and reflects North Korea’s efforts to modernize its armed forces. The country’s official photos show a nearly complete ship, indicating reactor installation is well advanced, though tests and fuel loading remain.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un urged accelerating production of nuclear submarines and attack destroyers, as it is essential amid global tensions.

Other countries also have plans for submarine construction. South Korea’s Hanwha Group has announced that its Philly Shipyard in the U.S. is prepared and capable of building nuclear-powered submarines for the U.S. Navy once the government approves it.

Hanwha’s strategy aligns with U.S. plans to revive and expand its shipbuilding industry under President Trump, including a massive South Korea-backed investment to modernize U.S. yards. The company is hiring submarine-experienced talent and exploring dock and land expansion to support future demand.

Hanwha was recently assigned to help build U.S. Navy frigates as part of this broader collaboration.

Meanwhile, in South America, Venezuela's parliament passed a law on Tuesday, the 23rd, setting prison terms of up to twenty years for anyone who promotes, finances, supports, or participates in piracy, blockade, or other international crime actions.

The legislation, named the Law to Guarantee Freedom of Navigation and Commerce Against Piracy, Blockades and Other International Illicit Acts, was introduced amid escalating tensions after the U.S. seized multiple Venezuelan-linked oil tankers and ordered a blockade of sanctioned vessels in Caribbean waters, which we covered in previous shows.

Venezuelan officials say the measure defends economic and maritime trade.

Speaking of the US, the government ordered its military forces to focus almost exclusively on enforcing a quarantine on Venezuelan oil exports and imports for at least the next two months.

The term quarantine is used instead of blockade to avoid the legal implications of an act of war. U.S. officials prefer using economic measures, like restricting oil exports, instead of direct military action to encourage Venezuela to make concessions.

In more news on the US, the government ordered a pause on five major offshore wind projects under construction along the East Coast this week, citing national security concerns, including potential radar interference from turbines.

The projects affected are valued at over ten billion dollars, employing thousands and capable of powering more than 2 million homes. The immediate stop-work orders have put capital and labor in uncertainty. Critics, such as unions and state officials, warn that these suspensions threaten jobs, grid stability, and invested funds. Companies anticipate legal disputes and negotiations with federal agencies as they aim to resume work.

Next up, on Wednesday, the 24th, the Ukrainian farmers’ union said that the country’s agricultural exports are at risk after intensified Russian drone and missile attacks on key Black Sea ports.

Near-daily strikes this month have damaged infrastructure and reduced export capacity, particularly for wheat, corn, and sunflower oil. At least one large deep-water port has shut down or operated at only 20% capacity. The river port routes to the Danube, which previously helped compensate for the loss of major seaports since the start of the war against Russia, have also been disrupted. As a result, some exporters have started postponing or rerouting shipments.

Ukraine reported that total export volumes in December were significantly below targets when compared to last year.

Since we mentioned Russia, in addition to the eight nuclear-powered icebreakers we mentioned last week, the country has also begun using an advanced ice-class ship for Arctic shipping.

Russia has delivered its first domestically built ice-class liquefied natural gas or LNG tanker to Russia’s largest shipping company Sovcomflot on Wednesday, the 24th. This ice-capable vessel is designed to transport LNG year-round via the Northern Sea Route, which is one of the Arctic routes.

Sanctions-related equipment restrictions delayed the construction. The delivery marked a milestone for Arctic LNG exports amid Western sanctions.

Sovcomflot expects at least two more similar tankers next year to expand its Arctic fleet.

More on Russia, as oil strategist Julian Lee wrote in the news agency Bloomberg, that, although Russia’s crude exports have increased to their highest level in over two and a half years, a significant amount of Russian oil remains stranded at sea instead of reaching its destination.

The main offloading delays occurred at Asian ports, particularly in China and India. Since late August, oil held at sea has increased by approximately 48%, with at least twenty tankers waiting for government approval to dock and other vessels taking months to unload their cargoes.

Sanctions on major Russian producers and concerns among shippers have increased the delivery difficulties, causing vessels to wait, divert, or conceal their destinations from tracking systems.

Shifting gears, on Wednesday, the 24th, Chinese authorities said two Taiwanese citizens led a smuggling operation involving a vessel that damaged subsea cables earlier this year.

In June, a Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of a Togo-registered ship to three years in prison for intentionally breaking a cable in February.

After interviews with seven Chinese crew members on the Togo-registered ship, Chinese authorities found out that two Taiwanese individuals operated multiple vessels to smuggle frozen goods into China. China has issued wanted notices and rewards for the Taiwanese suspects.

Taiwan strongly rejected the accusations, calling them cross-border political manipulation.

Tensions between China and Taiwan have escalated. On Monday, the 29th, China launched its largest and closest military exercises to date around Taiwan.

The exercise involved warships, fighter jets, artillery, rockets, and other forces conducting live-fire exercises, simulated assaults, and blockades of Taiwan’s main ports to encircle the island and simulate strikes on land and sea targets.

Taiwan’s military was on high alert, deploying rapid responses and coast guard vessels, calling the exercises a threat to regional security.

On Thursday, the 25th, the defense news and analysis site TWZ published a set of photos, which revealed a Chinese commercial cargo ship equipped with numerous modular, containerized missile launchers and advanced sensors. The ship appears to carry dozens of container-style vertical launch systems, along with radar arrays and close-in defense weapons, suggesting an experimental arsenal ship concept rather than a standard freighter.

Since Chinese commercial ships were used as improvised helicopter carriers and ferries were moved to support island invasions in previous exercises, analysts believe this ship might be a prototype or demonstrator. It could be testing how quickly commercial hulls can be adapted for military purposes.

Iran accelerated its efforts against fuel smuggling this year. Iranian forces announced the seizure of another foreign-crewed oil tanker suspected of smuggling fuel near the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.

The unidentified tanker was carrying about four million liters (1 million gallons) of fuel, which Iranian authorities say was meant for illegal transfer to another ship in the Gulf of Oman. Iran has detained all sixteen crew members and guided the tanker into Iranian waters for further investigation. Iranian officials have decided to seize the vessel along with its cargo, which is valued at over five million dollars.

And to close this edition, Europe’s largest shipbuilder Fincantieri urged the EU to standardize vessel design specifications across member states, arguing that varied national requirements drive up costs and weaken competitiveness.

The CEO of Fincantieri said that the customized design requirements of each country and market for warships and military vessels, like frigates and submarines, reduce the efficiency of shipbuilders. The long-term legal framework for joint defence procurement and supply chain security in the EU improved the EU’s defence industry and technological advancement, and promoted urgent collaboration among member states.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

t want to wish you an awesome: 2026

See you next week!