Snooper News 20090107
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THE ZAC SUTHERLAND UPDATE
Zac's Blog
My name is Zac Sunderland and I am 17 years old. I departed 14th June 2008 from Marina del Rey, California in an attempt to become the youngest person to circumnavigate the world alone by yacht.
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Further tales from our long haired solo sailor !
No Update received.
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Visit www.zacsutherland.com
YouTube Videos http://www.youtube.com/zacsvideos
Blog http://www.zacsunderland.com/blog/
Email zacsworldadventure@yahoo.com
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Mike Perham aged 16, the youngest person to sail across the atlantic solo now has his eye's on an even more adventurous challenge.
To become the youngest person to sail around the world solo in an open 50 racing yacht.
Sunsets and Salty Decks - 05 01 09
I've just been perched outside on top of the coachroof watching the sun set and disappear over the horizon. I simply sat there for around about an hour, taking everything in. The way Totallymoney.com was moving through the water so gracefully without any resistance, the way the sun was setting behind all the clouds and lighting up the sky, the way there was a small wisp of bright pink cloud just above the boat as if it were there especially for us.
I was sat outside earlier today, around noon, on my beanbag in the shade reading a book and listening to music. I stopped reading and stared out to sea and watched Totallymoney.com glide effortlessly along, almost as if she really knew exactly where she was going. After what felt like no time at all, I checked my watch and was amazed to see that ten minutes had flown by without me even noticing. It’s incredible how you can just lose yourself in something so beautiful.
I arrived at my all-important line up point for the Doldrums this morning and gybed south pretty soon after. I'm now going to stay pretty much on this gybe the whole way down to the Equator by which point I will be getting south-easterlies.
I have to admit I'm looking forward to seeing a few rain clouds as Totallymoney.com really needs a good clean of all the salt that has built up and there's even still some Saharan sand on her from sailing so close to Africa!
I don't seem to be able to find any suncream on the boat! Something I remember us getting but where did it go? Who knows…Up until now I've been able to gradually acclimatise to the heat but it's really getting scorching now, so I have to stay in the shade even more. Oh well, no one around to see the tan anyway.
Visit : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/
Blog : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/?cat=5
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New senior appointments at Transnet Port Terminals
Due to the restructuring of its Chief of Operations (COO) role in October 2008 and the subsequent appointment of three sector-specific divisional executive managers reporting to a single COO, Transnet Port Terminals has made several new management appointments at three of its terminals. These have been effective since December 1.
Nikki Mbengashe, formerly the business unit executive (BUE) at Saldanha multipurpose terminal (MPT), has been appointed BUE at Richards Bay MPT. This follows the October promotion of Victor Mkhize from BUE at Richards Bay MPT to divisional executive manager for the multipurpose and automotive sectors.
Louis Du Toit replaces Mbengashe as BUE at the Saldanha MPT, having transferred from his recent position as BUE at the Transnet Academy School of Port Operations in Durban.
Hector Danisa, former BUE of the Port Elizabeth terminals, has assumed the equivalent role at the Ngqura Container Terminal. This follows the appointment of the terminal’s former BUE Siyabulela Mhlaluka as divisional executive manager for the container sector in October last year.
The BUE role at the Port Elizabeth terminals is still vacant but will be advertised to identify a suitable candidate.
Story By : Joy Orlek
Date :1/6/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7099
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Container fleet hits 13-m mark
The world liner fleet reached the 13-million TEU mark last week, for a total tonnage of 176-million tons deadweight, according to ALS Alphaliner.
The figure includes all types of ships effectively deployed on liner trades, and 6 078 ships are involved.
The cellular ships contribute to 94.4% of this figure, and the remaining 5.6% is shared by non-celled container ships, multipurpose tonnage and ro-ro ships.
“We expect that the 14-m TEU mark will be reached in August 2009,” the report added.
Story By : Alan Peat
Date :1/6/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7108
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Suez Canal tolls unchanged in 2009 as world crisis bites
11 hours ago
CAIRO (AFP) — The Suez Canal has opted against increasing tolls in 2009 because of uncertainty in the shipping industry caused by piracy and the global credit crunch, a canal authority official said on Monday.
"Tolls for crossing the canal remain unchanged," Canal Authority President Ahmed Ali Fadel told journalists, admitting that the canal is in "a crisis" because fewer boats are passing through.
The Canal Authority will "continue to follow the consequences of the world financial crisis, he said, suggesting tariffs could be raised in future, depending on the situation.
He predicted that the number of boats using the canal will sink by seven percent this year if the global slowdown continues.
The authority increased fees by an average 7.1 percent in March 2008 for different classes of ship.
The announcement of 2009 tolls was delayed from January 1, because of "big fluctuations in the shipping market and world commerce," a canal official said at the time.
Fadel predicted then that they would be kept the same or even cut because of the impact on traffic of the economic slowdown and the threat from piracy in the Gulf of Aden.
Arms manufacturers in particular have rerouted their shipping round the Cape of Good Hope in recent months to avoid pirates preying on vessels en route between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean.
The canal is Egypt's third-largest source of revenue after tourism and remittances from expatriate workers.
The government last year raised more than 5 billion dollars in tolls from ships passing through the canal.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jgC3V6LUKkCoyBI7_fAneie30Wmw
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January 5, 2009 6:00 AM PST
Military challenge: Make spy data more accessible
Posted by Mark Rutherford
Action spy dramas increasingly feature a computer geek character who accesses everything from satellite imagery to floor plans to convenience store security cameras, then feeds the data to his team, saving the day. This type of work, it turns out, is easier said than done.
Two agencies are trying to make it easier to access and blend Web-based snoop-scoop. The U.S. Joint Forces Command and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency are sponsoring an annual demonstration called Empire Challenge, which "seeks to improve interoperability of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance activities" among end users.
One of last year's Challenge participants, the Open Geospatial Consortium, or OGC, has already demonstrated a common interface that allows "analysts to detect and access sensors from different sources."
"Let's say you're an analyst, and you want (to find) out what's going on in Bellingham, Wash., and you don't know what sensors are available in Bellingham," said Sam Bacharach of OGC. "Is there a Predator with an electrical-optical camera overhead? Maybe there are Washington State Patrol cameras on the interstates. Right now, just to know all those things exist, you have to go through an exhausting process to find them."
And we're not just talking traffic cameras. OCG aims to enable real-time integration of virtually any Web-connected device; examples cited include flood gauges, air pollution monitors, stress gauges on bridges, mobile heart monitors, assorted robots, and the usual space- and airborne-imaging devices.
"In a perfect world, in the world we're trying to enable, all of the sensors may come online," Bacharach said. "They would be put in a catalog so the operator could then come in and type in Bellingham, and magically get a map of all the sensors and all the data that is available covering Bellingham, Wash."
Joint Forces Command hopes lessons from this year's demonstration will allow it to integrate OGC's interface capabilities into the Distributed Common Ground System-a classified architecture used to share sensor information within the intelligence community.
The goal is to shorten the time it takes to collect and analyze intelligence, and disseminate it to troops on the battlefield.
The Empire Challenge is open to government agencies, private industry, and academia; in case you want to channel Marshall J. Flinkman in helping track the Enemy of the State.
Mark Rutherford is a West Coast-based freelance writer. He is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and is not an employee of CNET. Email him at markr@milapp.com.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-10130634-42.html
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Chinese crew evades pirates
January 06, 2009
Article from: Agence France-Presse
A CARGO ship with 32 Chinese crew aboard evaded an attack by four pirate boats in the piracy-plagued Gulf of Aden, China's state media reported.
The attack took place yesterday as the Sierra Leone-registered vessel was heading to Djibouti in northeast Africa, Xinhua news agency said, quoting the China Maritime Search and Rescue Centre.
The report did not say how the crew managed to evade the pirates or provide any other details.
The incident occurred as three Chinese naval ships were due to arrive in the area to help thwart attacks by pirates from lawless Somalia.
About 100 ships, including several Chinese vessels, have been attacked by Somali pirates since the beginning of last year.
China warned Somali pirates last month it was prepared to use force to combat rampant piracy that has disrupted international shipping routes heading to and from the Suez Canal.
Two Chinese destroyers and a supply ship set sail last week - the first time in recent history that China has deployed ships on a potential combat mission well beyond its territorial waters.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24880289-2703,00.html
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Northrop Grumman's Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration UAV program receives prestigious U.S. Navy Test Team award
SAN DIEGO, 5 Jan. 2009. The U.S. Navy's Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 20 named Northrop Grumman's RQ-4 Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) team as the Test Team of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2008.
The Northrop Grummanteam won the award for their impressive achievements during the first half of the year.
"The GHMD test team has laid the operational, tactical, and doctrinal foundation for future unmanned maritime surveillance systems and is an outstanding example of a dedicated team supporting the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) mission of providing the best possible weapon system to the warfighter," says Capt. Bob Dishman, program manager of Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PMA-262) for NAVAIR. "Their willingness to go above and beyond all expectations as evident in their long list of successes is commendable."
The team's accomplishments included performing more than 1,000 hours of flight operations over an 18-month period, troubleshooting issues with the communications system, integrating the automatic identification system into the aircraft, conducting tests with the ocean surveillance initiative, and developing tactics and guidelines for unmanned patrol systems.
"From integrating the Navy Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft into national airspace to providing hurricane and fire support surveillance missions, the GHMD team is having yet another triumphant year demonstrating the system's flexibility and persistence," says Terry Barefoot, GHMD program manager for Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector. "With the first class of Navy pilots currently training alongside Air Force pilots at Beale Air Force Base, Calif., we will be better prepared for future extended missions and sustained deployments."
From January to June 2008, the team also supported various operational activities, including the Southeastern Anti-Submarine Warfare Initiative 08-2, the USS Iwo Jima Group Sail, and the Commander Carrier Strike Group 8. The team's successes during this period culminated with the Trident Warrior exercise in June when the team flew more than 113 hours over a five-week period, including a scheduled 25.5-hour maritime mission off the coast of California and Hawaii from a ground station at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., and an unplanned 23-hour humanitarian mission in which a GHMD was re-tasked to assist in the Northern California wildfires.
Capable of soaring up to 65,000 feet for more than 35 hours, a GHMD system was deployed to Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, Calif., in late May to support Trident Warrior and the ensuing Rim of the Pacific 2008 fleet exercise in July when the system completed four missions totaling more than 92 hours. To date, the two GHMD aircraft have flown more than 1,350 hours.
The principal Global Hawk team members include: Aurora Flight Sciences in Bridgeport, West Va. (V-tail assembly and other composite structures); L-3 Communications in Salt Lake City (communication system); Raytheon in Waltham, Mass. (integrated sensor suite and ground station); Rolls-Royce Corp. in Indianapolis, Ind. (engine); and Vought Aircraft Industries in Dallas (wing).
http://mae.pennnet.com/display_article/349244/32/NEWS/none/none/1/Northrop-Grumman's-Global-Hawk-Maritime-Demonstration-UAV-program-receives-prestigious-US-Navy-Test-Team-award/
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Nigeria: Single Hull Tankers - Country Works Out Modalities for Imo Compliance
Godfrey Bivbere
5 January 2009
In a bid to ensure compliance to the International Maritime Organisattion (IMO) convention on the phasing out of Single Hull Tankers, the Nigerian government is working out modalities to beat the 2010 deadline of the international body.To this end, the nation through its apex maritime regulatory agency, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), is partnering with indigenous ship owners under the aegis of Indigenous Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (ISAN) to ensure that the country beats the deadline.
The agency in a meeting with ISAN in Lagos, a joint technical committee to harmonise the modalities for the implementation of the International Maritime Organisation, IMO, Regulation 13G which borders on the Phase-out of Single Hull Tankers from Nigerian waters, was constituted.
According to a statement signed by the agency's Head of Public Relations, Hajie Lami Tumaka and made available to Vanguard, the 10-man Committee with five (5) members each from NIMASA and ISAN was inaugurated shortly after the meeting with a mandate to resolve grey areas in the implementation of the IMO, Regulation 13G which borders on the Phase-out of Single Hull Tankers. The committee is expected to submit its report within six weeks.
The Director-General of NIMASA Dr. Ade Dosunmu restated his commitment to consultation in the implementation of local and international policies in the Nigerian maritime sector.
According to him, this is to ensure that regulatory policies are effectively implemented in Nigerian waters, without necessarily jeopardising the interest of indigenous operators. In the Director-General's words,"I believe that it is imperative for us to work together and critically examine the implications of the deadline date for implementing the phase out of single hull tankers in our country and draw up a programme for its effective implementation."
In his response, the Chairman of ISAN, Chief Isaac Jolapamo commended the NIMASA DG for scheduling the meeting which he believed would go a long way in ensuring the protection of the interests of indigenous operators in the Nigerian maritime sector bearing in mind the stiff competition provided by foreign companies in Nigeria.
The agency had in line with Nigeria's obligation under the MARPOL 73/78 Convention on the phasing out of Single Hull Tankers issued a deadline of 2010 as the final phase-out date. This had prompted a rejoinder from ISAN requesting NIMASA to employ the Condition Assesment Scheme System (CASS) to enable Nigeria Flagged Single Hull Tankers operate till 2015 or to enable the 25 years age limit as provided by IMO for vessels on foreign trade amongst other demands.
The shift to tankers with double hulls is in line with IMO's determination to reduce pollution incidents to the barest minimum and ensure cleaner oceans and the safety of navigation, cardinal objectives for which the organisation was established.
http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200901051243.html
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Pirates attack French vessel off Nigerian coast
The Associated Press
Posted: 01/05/2009 03:11:49 PM PST
PARIS—Pirates hijacked a French boat and took its nine crew members hostage in the latest attack in some of the world's most dangerous waters off oil-rich southern Nigeria, the boat's owner said Monday.
The captain of the Bourbon Leda was able to speak with the boat's owners Sunday and said that all nine crew members were unharmed, according to a statement by the company, Bourbon, which provides specialist boats for the oil and gas industry. It said in the statement Monday that it was working to free the crew.
Piracy is rampant in the waters off Nigeria with attacks and hostage-taking linked to militants pressing the Nigerian government to send more oil proceeds to the region.
Bourbon spokeswoman Stephanie Elbaz said she believed the nine—five Nigerians, two Ghanaians, one person from Cameroon and one from Indonesia—remained on the supply vessel. She said she had no information about the number of pirates or their demands.
It was the second time in just more than two months that a boat owned by Bourbon was attacked and those aboard taken hostage.
Seven French and three African oil workers seized Oct. 31 from a tugboat off the coast of Cameroon were freed 11 days later. French officials said no ransom was paid then.
The latest attack comes as pirate attacks increase, particularly off the coast of Somalia. A French navy vessel thwarted two attacks Sunday by heavily armed Somali pirates on cargo ships in the dangerous Gulf of Aden and captured 19 of them.
In 2008, pirates attacked 111 ships in the Gulf of Aden, hijacking 42 of them, and receiving tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.
http://www.mercurynews.com/nationworld/ci_11373092
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Taiwan's Evergreen Marine to build 100 container ships
Asia-Pacific News
Jan 6, 2009, 1:22 GMT
Taipei - Taiwan's Evergreen Marine Corp, expecting recovery of the global economy by 2012, plans to order 100 container ships and boost its competitiveness, a newspaper reported Tuesday.
The Economic Daily News cited Evergreen Marine owner Chang Jung-fa as saying that Evergreen plans to order the new ships to expand its fleet and to replace 30-year-old ships.
Evergreen, Taiwan's largest and the world's fourth-largest container shipping operator, has 178 container vessels, out of which 100 are self-owned and the rest rented.
Chang expects the global slump to bottom out in the latter half of 2011 and recovery to begin in 2012.
As steel prices are expected to fall in 2011, Evergreen plans to place orders with Japanese and South Korean shipyards, starting about 2012. The total cost of the 100 ships will be 5.5 billion US dollars.
Under Evergreen's ship-building plan, 40 per cent of the new ships will be 5,500 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) ships, 30 per cent will be 8,000 TEU, and the rest will be 2,800-3,900 TEUS, the Economic Daily News reported.
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/asiapacific/news/article_1451727.php/Taiwans_Evergreen_Marine_to_build_100_container_ships_
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China sails into new world order
FRANK CHING
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
January 6, 2009 at 12:00 AM EST
This week, three Chinese vessels join an international task force operating in the Gulf of Aden to protect shipping from attacks by Somali pirates, marking the first time since the 15th century that Chinese warships have sailed so far from home.
This reflects a marked strengthening of Chinese military capabilities since the country shifted its focus three decades ago from supporting revolutionary movements around the world to the development of its economy.
The decision to send two destroyers and a supply ship could not have been taken lightly. China had been accused of being a free rider, relying on Washington to keep open sea lanes for China-bound ships carrying oil and other cargo from Africa and the Middle East. The U.S. has exhorted China to be a "responsible stakeholder" and the Chinese, in explaining their decision to send warships to the Gulf of Aden, said they're just discharging their responsibility. Their decision was announced after the United Nations Security Council authorized international forces to combat piracy and, indeed, to pursue pirates on land.
China has long had a policy of non-interference in other countries' internal affairs, but its anti-piracy effort does not violate that principle because Somalia has welcomed its participation. But China knew that, by sending three ships, it would revive fears of a "China threat." That's why Beijing is trying to depict its action as that of a responsible power.
In the end, China really had no choice. In the past year, seven cases of hijacking by Somali pirates involved Beijing, either because the ships were owned by China or had Chinese crews. (One Chinese ship is still being held by Somali pirates.) Moreover, the day before Beijing disclosed its decision, a Chinese ship was attacked by pirates. The attempt was thwarted by Malaysia. It would be difficult for China to explain why tiny Malaysia could contribute forces to protect international shipping when a large country such as China stayed passive.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said the purpose of the mission was "to ensure the safety of Chinese ships and personnel on the route and protect vessels of international organizations carrying humanitarian materials." This is a rather narrow definition. After all, if Malaysia can help a Chinese ship under attack, there is no reason why Chinese forces should not be deployed to assist non-Chinese ships.
It is very likely that, once the Chinese ships begin their patrols, they will find it advantageous to co-ordinate their actions with warships from other countries. This in itself would be a positive development since it would, in effect, revive a military-to-military dialogue with the U.S. that China suspended to protest against arms sales to Taiwan.
While Washington has welcomed Beijing's contribution to the anti-piracy effort, there are undoubtedly mixed feelings as China moves slowly from a coastal navy to a blue-water navy. The U.S. has little to fear at present, but competition from China will increase.
The same week that China announced the dispatch of its warships, its Defence Ministry confirmed it was giving serious consideration to building aircraft carriers. The spokesman quickly added that China "has a long coastline and the sacred duty of China's armed forces is to safeguard the country's marine safety and sovereignty over coastal areas and territorial seas."
Given the Taiwan context, the U.S. has to consider the implications of China's rise as a naval power. Similarly, Japan, which has disputes with China over energy resources in the East China Sea, cannot afford to be complacent.
But the bottom line is that China is not only integrated into the world economy but also into all aspects of global life. Protecting its shipping is part and parcel of China's participation in the new world order.
Frank Ching is author of China: The Truth About Its Human Rights Record.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090105.wcochina06/BNStory/specialComment/home
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Fine for tug takeover slip-up
05/01/2009 19:02 - (SA)
Oslo - A national prosecutor has ordered the Norwegian company, Bourbon Offshore Norway AS, to pay a 5 million kroner (R6.88 million) fine for a 2007 accident that killed eight people, including the captain's 14-year-old son.
The six-month old anchor-handling tug supply vessel, Bourbon Dolphin, capsized off the coast of northern Scotland while hoisting an offshore oil rig's 330 tonne anchor and chain on April 12 2007.
Public Prosecutor Bjoern Soknes says he ordered the fine because the company failed to give the ship's new captain enough time to learn about the vessel, its crew and the complex operation.
The captain only had 90 minutes to take over.
He died in the accident with his son, who was visiting.
The company can appeal Monday's order. It has refused immediate comment.
- AP
http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_2448859,00.html
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French firm confirms nine crew seized off Nigeria
Mon 5 Jan 2009, 18:10 GMT
PARIS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - French oil services firm Bourbon confirmed on Monday one of its vessels was hijacked and nine crew members were taken hostage off the Nigerian oil terminal at Bonny Island in the early hours of Sunday.
Security sources in Nigeria had reported the attack on Sunday. Bonny Island, where a major crude export terminal and a liquefied natural gas plant are located, is in Nigeria's southern Niger Delta where piracy and kidnapping are common.
The company said the Bourbon Leda, a Fast Supply Intervention Vessel, was seized by gunmen who also captured all nine crew members -- five Nigerians, two Ghanaians, one Cameroonian and one Indonesian.
"Bourbon received on Sunday Jan. 4 a call that allowed it to be in contact with the captain of the Bourbon Leda, who confirmed that all crew members are safe and in good health," the firm said in a statement posted on its website.
It said it had informed the families of the crew and set up a crisis team to secure their release as soon as possible.
Security sources in Nigeria had said the vessel was on its way to a Royal Dutch Shell offshore oilfield at the time of the attack.
The Niger Delta, a vast network of mangrove creeks opening into the Gulf of Guinea, is home to Africa's biggest oil and gas industry but supplies have been crippled by a wave of attacks that began in early 2006.
Militants who say they are fighting for a fairer distribution of the delta's oil wealth have blown up pipelines and kidnapped oil workers, shutting down about a fifth of Nigeria's output.
Criminal networks have taken advantage of the insecurity to carry out kidnappings and hijackings for ransom. Hundreds of foreigners have been seized over the past three years, but most have been released unharmed after a financial settlement.
Ten crew members of another Bourbon vessel that was hijacked on Oct. 31 last year off Cameroon, just south of the Niger Delta, were released unharmed on Nov. 11. (Reporting by Estelle Shirbon; Editing by Giles Elgood)
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL5285948.html
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Crew member missing
A CREW member of Japan’s controversial whale-hunting fleet was missing and presumed dead Monday after he apparently fell overboard in freezing Antarctic waters south of New Zealand, officials said.
Japan’s coast guard requested New Zealand’s help after the whaling vessel Kyoshin Maru No. 2 reported that a 30-year-old Japanese national had fallen overboard, according to Mike Roberts of New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Center.
However, authorities decided that no boats or planes could reach the remote waters several thousand miles (kilometers) south of New Zealand in time to save the sailor, who had by then been missing for at least six hours.
“After speaking to the master of the vessel, we were able to establish the missing man was only wearing overalls when he went into the water,” Roberts said.
The water temperature was about 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius), he said. “Maximum survival time in those conditions is an hour.” The missing sailor was identified as Hajime Shirasaki, 30, who worked as an oiler in the ship’s engine room, New Zealand Press Association reported.
It was the second fatality in Japan’s whaling fleet in two years. In 2007, a sailor died in a fire aboard a whale processing factory ship in New Zealand’s Ross Sea.
The six-vessel Japanese fleet plans to harvest up to 935 minke whales and 50 fin whales this year under International Whaling Commission rules, as long as the mammals are killed for research and not commercial purposes.
Opponents say the research expeditions are simply a cover for commercial whaling, which was banned in 1986.
Last month, the whaling fleet came under attack by the anti- whaling group Sea Shepherd. Activists lobbed 25 bottles of rotten butter at the fleet in protest of the whale harvest but denied Japanese assertions that their boat, the Steve Irwin, rammed a Japanese ship.
http://www.dispatch.co.za/article.aspx?id=283562
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Poland to Buy Naval Strike Missile from Kongsberg
By andrew chuter
Published: 5 Jan 10:48 EST (15:48 GMT)
Poland has struck a deal with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to purchase a ground-launched version of the company's Naval Strike Missile.
It's the first export customer for the Norwegian-developed weapon.
The Polish military plans to use the missile to defend its Baltic Sea coast. First deliveries of the weapon system are scheduled for 2011with the final handover of systems due by the end of 2012.
Contract value is initially put at 800 million kronar ($116 million), but Kongsberg officials said there is an option for further weapon deliveries.
The deal will see Norway's leading defense contractor supply the NSM in conjunction with a command and weapon control system similar to the NASAMS air defense system.
NASAMS uses Raytheon's AIM-120 AMRAAM missile and is in service with Norwegian and export customers.
State-owned Polish company Przemyslowy Instytut Telekomunikacji (PIT) will supply the radar for the coastal artillery batteries. Polish contractors also will provide the communications and the trucks that will carry the missile launch ramps.
Norwegian officials said that although it is not part of the deal, it is possible they will include the PIT supplied radar in future export efforts with the ground-based NSM system.
The NSM is in series production for the Norwegian navy. First deliveries resulting from a 2007 deal worth 2.7 billion kronar are slated for next year. The missile is destined for deployment on the new Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen-class frigates and Skjold-class missile boats.
The Norwegians also are adapting the weapon for air launch applications. A Joint Strike Missile variant is being developed for possible use on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The aircraft recently was selected by Norway to replace its aging F-16s by the middle of the next decade.
NSM is a fourth-generation missile with a range in excess of 150 km. The sea-skimming weapon can handle littoral and open-sea anti-ship roles and can be used as a land-attack cruise missile.
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=3886768&c=EUR&s=TOP
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USN Signs Major Virginia Sub Contract
Jan 5, 2009
By Bettina H. Chavanne
A major new U.S. Navy production contract for eight more Virginia-class submarines marks the most successful year yet for the high-profile submarine, as well as the importance of its Washington and New England advocate communities.
The U.S. Navy has signed a five-year, $14 billion contract with Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Electric Boat for eight Virginia-class submarines (Aerospace DAILY, Dec. 23). In official statements late Dec. 22 and a teleconference call with reporters early Dec. 23, executives and lawmakers were ebullient with the milestone.
General Dynamics Electric Boat’s press conference on the announcement drew congressional heavyweights. Sens. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) were joined by Reps. James Langevin (D-R.I.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.).
Dodd said the Navy’s contract announcement is the “culmination of decades of work. This didn’t happen miraculously.”
The contract immediately provides for $2.4 billion to fund construction of SSN-784, to be the USS North Dakota, as well as advanced procurement for SSN-785 and funding to purchase materials and parts for multiple boats at one time.
The Navy said that to reach its cost-cutting goal, the program followed a three-prong strategy. The first element, which accounts for half of the supposed savings, involved increasing production to two ships annually in a multiyear procurement (MYP) contract to spread the shipyards’ overhead costs over more ships. Industry has long argued that they could achieve more savings per sub if the Navy and Congress ordered more subs sooner.
Meanwhile, the rest of the savings stem from a $600 million investment to redesign portions of the ship for more efficient production and to improve construction processes, thereby reducing the construction span from 84 to 60 months, the Navy said.
Along those lines, the most extensive cost-reduction modification involves the replacement of the traditional sonar sphere with a Large Aperture Bow (LAB) Array and the 12 vertical launch tubes with two large Virginia Payload Tubes (VPT). The LAB and VPT, along with more than two dozen associated modifications, save $40 million per submarine, beginning with the FY ’12 ships, according to the Navy.
In a Dec. 18 announcement, Rear Adm. William Hilarides, the Navy’s program executive officer for submarine, said all Virginia subs now under construction are on track to be delivered between eight and 12 months early compared with their the contract delivery dates.
http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story.jsp?id=news/VIRG010509.xml&headline=USN%20Signs%20Major%20Virginia%20Sub%20Contract&channel=defense
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Nuclear cruiser denied entry to Cape Town
6 January 2009, 11:50
By Michelle Jones
The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has denied the Russian nuclear cruiser Pyotr Veliky entry into Cape Town next week for not meeting certain requirements.
The regulatory body had received an application from the South African Navy on December 5 for a Nuclear Vessel Licence for the nuclear-powered vessel to visit Cape Town harbour from January 9 to 15.
However, there appeared to be some confusion as the advert appearing in local newspapers last week had the dates as January 12 to 17.
The law requires that the applicant advertise in local newspapers that it had applied for a licence for a nuclear vessel to visit Cape Town. The public thereafter has 30 days to comment.
It is international practice that nuclear ships have to comply with certain requirements before countries allow them into their ports.
The requirements include an emergency plan between the city council and the vessel, a 30-day period of public comment, a safety report supplied by the vessel, and a letter from the country of origin stating it would be liable for nuclear damage in the event of an accident.
NNR spokesperson Gino Moonsamy said on Monday the body was not in a position to grant a nuclear vessel licence as applied for by the SA Navy.
A letter of refusal was sent to the Navy on Friday.
Moonsamy said there was not enough time in terms of public participation and the application didn't comply with various other criteria.
SA Navy spokesperson Greyling van den Berg said it was under the impression the NNR would not grant the licence "at this stage", but it had not been denied outright.
Once outstanding documentation had been given to the body, the NNR would review the application, Van den Berg said.
"If they were to comply with the criteria, the application could be reviewed," Moonsamy said.
But he added the time-frame for the visit would then be affected. Adverts would again have to be placed and an additional 30-day public participation period undertaken.
Moonsamy said the publication of the application in the Government Gazette was first made on December 12. The 30-day period for the public to make representation would extend beyond the date of entry of the vessel on January 9. A certified safety assessment on the docking of the vessel in South African territorial waters had not been provided by an independent Russian regulatory authority.
The statement in the diplomatic note dealing with the strict liability for any nuclear damage was inappropriate. The application had also not been supplemented with a comprehensive emergency plan.
Named after Russian leader Peter the Great, the vessel is said to displace more than 25 000 tons and travels at a top speed of 30 knots.
It carries 20 Granit anti-ship missiles, including nuclear-tipped missiles, 96 S-300F long-range surface-to-air missiles, 96 Kinzhal (Dagger) short-range surface-to-air missiles, a 130mm twin mounting, other short-range anti-aircraft and other weaponry, and three helicopters.
michelle.jones@inl.co.za
This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on January 06, 2009
http://www.capetimes.co.za/?fSectionId=&fArticleId=vn20090106063705649C665589
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The mystery of Antarctica's speeding glacier
The 30 trillion litres of the Pine Island Glacier are melting far faster than the rest of the western Antarctic. Now a British team are sending a robot submarine under the ice to discover precisely why
By Richard Gray and Richard Alleyne
Last Updated: 6:55PM GMT 05 Jan 2009
With the possible exception of the ice that covers Greenland, the West Antarctic ice shelf is the most important body of water in the world. If it thaws, the results will be disastrous for millions, raising sea levels and flooding coastal cities such as London, New York, Tokyo and Calcutta. So it is understandable that scientists are alarmed as to why one particular section of it - Pine Island Glacier - is melting so much faster than the rest.
Pine Island, which contains around 30 trillion litres of water, is slipping into the sea at an ever accelerating rate, a development that alone could raise sea levels by as much as 10cm over the next century. Starting at an altitude of 2,500m, the glacier is 95 miles long and 18 miles wide, reaching the sea as an ice wall 750m high. Even before it began to speed up, it was one of the fastest-flowing glaciers in the world, at nine yards a day.
Scientists believe that the thinning of the glacier, and its acceleration, are due to unusual melting under the base as it enters the ocean. This is caused by either global warming or a hitherto unknown factor, such as an underwater volcano.
Finding proof of either, however, has been problematic. The mountain glaciers in the west of the Antarctic have the worst blizzards and some of the harshest temperatures on the planet. The zone is too hostile for any research station, so scientists have to base information on satellite studies and aerial surveys.
Now, though, a team of British scientists plans to attack the continent's "weak underbelly" – the watery realms below the massive glaciers. Using a robot submarine nicknamed "Autosub", researchers from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) hope to explore this previously inaccessible part of the glacier, to discover what is happening.
The unmanned submarine, seven metres long and painted bright yellow, will use sophisticated sonar scanners to map out the underside of the ice, while measuring changes in water temperature, pressure and salt content beneath the glacier.
"We believe that something about the ocean around where the glacier ice moves from being grounded to floating has changed, and this is driving the thinning and accelerating ice flow," explains Dr Adrian Jenkins, who is leading the BAS research. "But we really have very little idea of what is actually going on beneath the ice, as we have not been able to see through it – it is more than a kilometre thick in places. The only way is to send in our instruments to get measurements."
The submarine, which has a maximum range of 248 miles and is powered by 5,000 ordinary D-cell batteries, will navigate its way for 40 miles underneath the glacier ice, until it reaches the point where the ice meets the land – a journey that will take 20 hours.
Using its sonar, the Autosub will pick its way through the water, while creating a three-dimensional map that the scientists can later use to determine the areas most prone to melting.
The submarine will follow a pre-programmed course, but can find its way around any obstacles.
The mission is risky – a previous Autosub was lost as it was exploring the Fimbul ice shelf in another part of Antarctica, while another mission in 2003 had to be abandoned due to poor weather. But its importance is clear.
"In the space of just two seasons, the ice was moving 6.4 per cent faster, which is exceptional," says Dr Julian Scott of the BAS, who placed GPS trackers on the ice to measure its movement.
"The glacier is out of balance, as more ice is being lost to the sea than can be replaced by snow falling. This imbalance means
the glacier is contributing more and more to the sea level rise."
One explanation is that the acceleration is the result of changes in the temperatures underneath. Warm water from the North Atlantic is driven into the southern oceans by strong currents, where it sits as a dense layer beneath the much colder surface water.
The warmer water occasionally spills on to the high seabed shelf that stretches out from the Antarctic landmass. The scientists believe that deep grooves in the seabed have been channelling warm water underneath the glacier, where it melts the ice.
"This is the only area of West Antarctica that is changing really rapidly," says Dr David Vaughan, an expert in glacial retreat at the BAS.
"It is vital that we understand why this is happening so we can predict how the ice will change in the future and how much it will contribute to sea level change."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/scienceandtechnology/4126979/The-mystery-of-Antarcticas-speeding-glacier.html
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Chinese naval fleet starts anti piracy mission, as pirates fail to hijack a ship
08:31 GMT, January 6, 2009 China's anti-piracy naval fleet sailed into waters off Somalia on Tuesday, starting a three-month mission to protect passing ships against pirates, and to escort the China Shipowners' Association, Beijing said on Tuesday.
Chinese media has been reporting that three Chinese naval fleet reached in the Gulf of Aden on Tuesday, where they will protect any kind of pirate attacks.
The Chinese convoy, alongside other international warships, will patrol the area near the Gulf of Aden, a busy shipping lane leading to and from the Suez Canal.
According to China Morning Post newspaper, several cargo ships from mainland China and one from Hongkong have already filed applications for escorting. They are awaiting the arrival of three ships of the convoy to the north of Sokotra Islands (Yemeni territory in the Indian Ocean).
During the present mission China does not plan to carry out operations against the land bases of the pirates or, in general, launch offensive actions. The naval ships are ready to open defensive fire with a view to protecting Chinese cargo ships.
Mean while a cargo ship with 32 Chinese crew aboard evaded an attack by four pirate boats in the piracy-plagued Gulf of Aden, China's state media reported. Xinhua news agency quotes that the attack took place yesterday in the Gulf of Aden.
The report did not say how the crew managed to evade the pirates or provide any other details
About 100 ships, including several Chinese vessels, have been attacked by Somali pirates since the beginning of last year.
This should be the first-ever cruise for the Navy of the People's Liberation Army of China to patrol in a foreign country's territorial waters. The mission is expected to last several months -- an exact timeframe has not been determined so far.
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4662/
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Of Jointness and Turf Wars
About the British CVF programme for the construction of two large STOVL carriers and the the Joint Strike Fighter
06:58 GMT, January 5, 2009 One of the most significant trends as regards the organisation, the formulation of operational doctrines, and the equipment of modern armed forces is without doubt the extraordinary emphasis being placed on jointness. The Services are increasingly expected to be “colour blind” as regards their own uniforms, and to plan and act as the “brothers in arms” they ought to be. In a broader context, military operations shall be designed and carried out with the flexible and coherent use of all available resources and assets, irrespective of who owns what.
Jointness does indeed makes eminent sense and guarantees the best results for a given investment in defence. This remains true, even if on occasions politicians tend to be carried away, and force upon the military joint procurement programmes, which nearly invariably result in either “jack of all trades, master on none” solutions, or/and in the very expensive development of Service-specific variants and versions – the F-35 JSF being but the most recent such case.
But there unfortunately also are cases, whereby jointness actually provides but the convenient fig leaf for truly ferocious turf wars, with the Services at each other’s throat in a merciless fight for the control of key operational assets and thus a larger slice of the defence budget pie.
Something along these lines appears to be underway in the UK. The recent announcement by the Defence Secretary, John Hutton to the effect that the Carrier Vessel Future (CVF) programme (now also known as the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers) for the construction of two large STOVL carriers will be delayed “by a year of two” (ostensibly in order to implement some short-term savings), actually conceals a much more serious threat (see: http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4405/). There are reasons to fear that the Royal Navy, after having deliberately relinquished operational control over its own Fleet Air Arm in order to protect the carrier programme, will end up losing both.
In order to properly understand what is going on, and why, one has to look back several decades. Back in the 60s of the past century, the Royal Navy formulated an ambitious programme for the construction of a large CTOL aircraft carrier, HMS “Furious” (CVA-01) that was to start replacing the ships of WW2 vintage then in service. The Royal Air Force, however, saw it fit to launch an all-out campaign against the Navy’s programme, involving not only Whitehall circles but also Treasury and the public opinion. Aircraft carriers are utterly useless, maintained the light blue uniforms; our own fighter aircraft, using bases in the Commonwealth countries, are perfectly able to ensure protection to warships and merchant vessels alike anywhere in the world (and in order to demonstrate this point, the RAF did famously produce a map, where Australia had conveniently been moved several hundred miles westward). The money to be saved by cancelling the useless carrier should rather be reassigned to the programme for the new TRS.2 strike bomber for the RAF, which is what the nation really needs.
The RAF did win its precious little turf war, and in 1966 the British government cancelled the “Furious”. But this was the mother of all Pyrrhic victories, because soon afterwards the government threw the TRS.2, too into the dustbin.
The whole affair did teach the Services a bitter lesson or two about the risks inherent with fratricide battles. But it would appear that it did little to change the RAF’s deeply-rooted perception to the effect that, to say it with Hermann Göring’s immortal worlds, “Alles was fliegt, gehört mir” – everything that flies, it belongs to me”.
In view of the operational requirements of the Gulf War, the Royal Navy did eventually build the three small STOVL carriers of the “Invincible” class. In a truly astounding example of “political correctness”, these ships could not even be called “carriers”, and the Newspeak-like definition of “through-deck cruisers” was invented for them. The “Invincibles” had a main role of ASW operations in the UK-Iceland Gap and the North Atlantic, using their shipboard helicopters; however they also carried a small number of Sea Harrier STOVL aircraft to provide a certain degree of air defence against the expected attacks by the long-range anti-shipping bombers of the redoubtable Soviet Naval Aviation.
But then the Falklands War erupted. Had the Argentine Junta waited for a few extra months, leaving enough time for Ms. Thatcher to complete her plans to sell HMS “Hermes” to India and HMS “Invincible” to Australia, and to scrap the two “Invincibles” then under construction, the islands would today be called Malvinas. It was only thanks to the few Sea Harriers onboard the two carriers that the landing operation and the subsequent reoccupation became possible at all. In stark contrast, all the RAF could contribute to the operation was a single bombing raid by a single bomber – a mission with a modest psychological impact, but no tactical or strategic significance whatsoever. As a result, the Air Force was completely cut off the prestige and the halo of glory that welcomed the return of the victorious fleet. That was arguably a very bitter pill to swallow.
In a more serious context, the Falklands War did provide an extremely clear demonstration of the significance and importance of naval shipboard aviation as a superb tool for power projection, whenever and wherever this might be necessary and totally independent from the availability of own or friendly bases conveniently located in the region.
With the end of the Cold War, and the emergence of new operational scenarios that put an emphasis on power projection missions (variously camouflaged as “peace support”, “humanitarian intervention”, “democracy export” and the like), is was thus completely logical for the RN to resurrect its half a century-old plans for a new class of large attack carriers. In view of the “Furious” experience, however, the Navy apparently decided to seek, as its very first move some form of tacit understanding and a gentlemen’s agreement with the RAF, that would prevent yet another disastrous turf war.
The “Strategic Defence Review” document, unveiled in 1998 contained amongst other things a decision to merge the Fleet Air Arm’s Sea Harrier squadrons with the RAF’s Harrier units, giving birth to the Joint Force Harrier under Air Force’s operational control. The merger was officially described as being intended to “contain costs” and “simplify logistics”, but there is little doubt that it did in fact underline an “I’ll scratch your back and you’ll scratch mine” pact. The RN graciously ceded operational control of shipboard fixed-wing aviation, and in exchange the RAF would not raise any protest against the new carrier programme – and for reason, as the carriers would effectively become floating bases for the Air Force’s aircraft.
Needless to say, this was a compromise and as such far from representing the best solution in operational terms or/and the most efficient return for a given investment in taxpayer’s money. In fact, the whole idea was strictly dependent of the JFH scheme being maintained for the next generation, whereby both the RAF and the RN would acquire the very same aircraft – i.e. the F-35B STOVL version of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). This “jointness” shall be maintained, even though the RAF, after the end of the Cold War no longer has any logical requirement for a STOVL combat aircraft, and even though the size of the planned CVFs would easily enable them to operate the vastly more capable, and cheaper to boot F-35C (the same CTOL version as intended for the US Navy carriers). “Jointness” in this case means for the British Services being effectively forced to “select” a less performing yet more expensive aircraft.
But despite these inherent limitations and wastage, the above compromise did nonetheless represent an acceptable solution for the nation as a whole, and in any case was to be preferred to yet another fratricide war. The Navy would get its long-cherished attack carriers, the Air Force would automatically have a key air power role in any future operation, and the UK would receive a very efficient power projection tool up to contemporary requirements.
They all lived happily together thereafter, then - or so it seemed. Because there are strong indications that the RAF is not happy, and wants more. To put it simply, it wants all.
The original agreement for the creation of the Joint Force Harrier called for a RN admiral to be assigned a position within the RAF’s leadership. Less than two years later, and “internal reorganisation” eliminated that position – which the Navy, fearful of any disagreement that might come to undermine the carrier pact, accepted without a whisper. The next move has seen the RAF’s decision to withdraw prematurely, and without any real necessity the air defence Harrier FRS.2s that the Fleet Air Arm had contributed to the Joint Force Harrier, and to reorganise the Force to operate but the RAF’s GR.7/9 ground attack versions. This effectively ensures that at least until the future arrival of the JSFs, a Falklands-style operation could never be repeated. This major blow, too, the Royal Navy accepted in its desperate desire to protect the carrier programme at all cost.
Combat operations over the past couple of years have shown both the undeniable advantages and superb flexibility inherent with the jointness concept, and the subtle but potentially deadly risks this concept conceals. On repeated occasions, most not to say all combat-ready aircraft in the JFH were deployed for land-based mission in Afghanistan – thus leaving the two surviving “Invincibles” with no aircraft onboard, and forcing the Navy into the highly embarrassing position of having to ask the Italian Navy, the Spanish Navy or the Marines for the temporary assignment of a few of their respective Harriers so as to allow the carriers to take part in major NATO exercises. In a sense, this is jointness in full action; given that there is no air threat against the fleet, it is certainly logical and advantageous to concentrate all available combat aircraft where they are really needed. On the other hand, however, in different conflict scenarios the choices would not be that self-evident, and the fundamental question as to who shall be empowered to implement these choices accepts no easy answer.
But all of this might soon become meaningless. If persistent rumours are to be believed, the RAF intends to leverage two factors – the global financial crisis, that is already focussing the beancounters’ attention onto the need to “implement savings”; and the presence of an Air Force officer, Air Chief Marshal Sir Jock Stirrup as Chief of Defence Staff,- to close in for the kill.
Observers expect ACM Sir Jock Stirrup and the Chief of Air Staff, ACM Glenn Torpy to soon table a proposal for “substantial savings” to be achieved through the disbandment of Joint Force Harrier and the anticipated withdrawal of all its aircraft within the next five years, i.e. well before the planned arrival of the first JSFs. Now such would apparently be a truly extraordinary sacrifice by the Service to the benefit of the nation’s finances, the more so in that it would leave the RAF temporarily with no ground attack capabilities (the Jaguars have all since been withdrawn, mostly in order to create an urgent requirement for the F-35 JSF). In reality, however, the move seems to conceal a number of very clever goals, to bring the six decades-long inter-service war to a final victorious conclusion.
To start with, the disbandment of the JFH would free the RAF from the Procrustes’ bed of the senseless “requirement” for the F-35B, and would enable the Air Force to reformulate its procurement programme around the much more logical solution of the F-35A (incidentally, at substantially lower unit costs – Treasury will be absolutely de-light-ed). Further, when in two years’ time a final decision would need to be taken as regards the carrier programme, the Navy will be forced to put the bill for the re-establishment of a Fleet Air Arm and the procurement of the relevant aircraft on top of the already substantial price tag for the ships themselves. It is virtually certain that costs will sky-rocket to absolutely prohibitive levels, thus leading to the whole programme being folded down. And, I would bet my skirt that suggestions will be heard for these “savings” being redirected towards financing Tranche 3 of the Eurofighter programme.
It is to be stated quite clearly that such a „victory” for the RAF would actually translate into a very grave loss for the nation. The UK would lose any autonomous capability for even modest power projection or simply military presence missions in areas, where the US is not involved and there is no friendly local state to make immediately available a modern air base with all its relevant installations. Such a capability was at hand, but it will be sacrificed on the altar of parochial Service interests.
Now if someone could please dismiss all the above as baloney, and convincingly show that I’ve written but nonsensical comments without a single grain of truth to it, then believe it or not I would be mightily relieved. Nothing could please me more than having these notes classified as a prominent example of the unfortunate results of drinking too much poor quality wine during the holiday season. Unfortunately, however, I don’t count on this. I’m notoriously fastidious as regards fine wines.
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/209/
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Piracy Report 30 December 2008 - 5 January 2009
Suspicious crafts
None reported
Recently reported incidents
28.12.2008: 1950 LT: Posn: 12:01.9S - 077:11.1W, Callao anchorage, Peru.
Ten robbers boarded a bulk carrier at anchor. They took hostage one duty crew and tied his hands and legs. Robbers stole ship's stores and property and escaped. Port control informed. A coast guard boat came and patrolled the area.
26.12.2008: Posn: 12:53.5S – 38:41.15W Bahia de Todos Os Santos, Itaparica marina, Brazil.
Two armed robbers boarded a yacht at anchor and assaulted the two crew members.
Robbers stole ship’s properties, cash and crew properties before escaping. The two
injured crew were given shore medical treatment. Authorities are investigating.
03.01.2009: 0305 LT: Posn: 03:49.6N – 077:09.4W, Buenaventura anchorage, Colombia.
One robber was sighted near the forward cargo compartment on a bulk carrier at anchor. Master raised alarm and mustered ship’s crew. Master reported to the coast guard. Later the man jumped overboard and escaped. Coast guard boarded for investigation.
04.01.2009: 05:40 UTC: Posn: 13:3.0N – 048:42.5E, Gulf of Aden.
Six pirates in one white coloured speed boat attempted to board a bulk carrier underway. Three of these pirates were armed with machine guns and opened fire on the vessel. Master carried out evasive manoeuvres and contacted a coalition warship. Within 15 minutes a helicopter arrived at the location. The speed boats moved away on seeing the helicopter. No injuries to the crew and no damages to the ship.
02.01.2009: 0807 UTC: Posn: 13:42N - 050:39E, Gulf of Aden.
Pirates in three skiffs attacked a tanker underway. They fired upon the tanker and attempted to board. Master raised alarm, contacted coalition warships, increased speed and took evasive manoeuvres. A coalition helicopter arrived and the pirates aborted the attempt.
02.01.2009: 0427 UTC: Posn: 13:11N - 047:32.5E, Gulf of Aden.
Pirates in speed boats approached a tanker underway. One speed boat was spotted four nm and the other two were drifting seven nm ahead of the tanker. Master raised alarm, increased speed, took evasive manoeuvres and crew activated anti-piracy measures. The first speed boat came within two meters of the stbd quarter and fired upon the tanker. Master saw five pirates armed with machine guns. Coalition warships contacted. Pirates aborted the attempt after five minutes.
01.01.2009: 0747 LT: Posn: 13:55N - 047:58E, Gulf of Aden.
Armed pirates attacked and hijacked a general cargo ship underway. 28 crewmembers taken hostage.
01.01.2009: 1230 UTC: Posn: 13:53N - 049:29E, Gulf of Aden.
Four pirates in a speed boat attacked a bulk carrier underway. They fired upon the ship with automatic weapons and attempted to board. Master raised alarm, increased speed and took evasive manoeuvres. Pirates aborted the attempted attack.
01.01.2009: 0337 UTC: Posn: 13:05N – 047:03E: Gulf of Aden.
Two skiffs approached a tanker underway and opened fire with automatic weapons. Master increased speed and made evasive manoeuvres, and sent a distress message via VHF radio. A warship and a helicopter were sent to assist the tanker. Upon seeing the warship and helicopter the skiff moved away.
31.12.2008: Posn: 13:8.0N – 47:27.0E: 1330 UTC: Gulf of Aden.
A bulk carrier underway was chased and fired upon by pirates in speed boat. Naval warships informed and attack was prevented. Further report is awaited.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=308:weekly-piracy-report&catid=32:weekly-piracy-report&Itemid=10
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Terminator of the depth
Rollout of the SEAHAKE torpedo DM2A4 mod 4 Torpedo
08:18 GMT, December 8, 2008 Just after leaving the production facility in Wedel near Hamburg, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK handed over the first SEAHAKE torpedo DM2A4 mod 4 to the German Navy on 3 December 2008. The heavyweight torpedo is designed for the German U-214A submarine, however, will also be included in other foreign submarine projects.
At the ceremonial rollout of the first series torpedo, the Chairman of the ATLAS Management Board, Dr. Ralf Kube, spoke to about 100 representatives of the German Navy, the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement (BWB) and other authorities as well as ATLAS personnel: “ATLAS is setting a new standard in torpedo technology. With the DM2A4 for the German Navy, the world’s most modern and effective torpedo is now going into series production. Once more, ATLAS has shown that it is one of the internationally leading systems suppliers for naval electronics and naval weapons. The staff members of ATLAS have every right to be proud of this achievement in again proving to be a valuable partner for the German Navy.”
Ralf Kube went on to say: “With the DM2A4, ATLAS has achieved a quantum leap in torpedo technology. The possible battle range, the speed, the considerably increased resistance against torpedo countermeasures and the decisive enhancement in agility are unmatched worldwide. This success was only possible through the close and constant teamwork between ATLAS and its partners at the German Navy, the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement, and the Bundeswehr Technical Centre for Ships and Naval Weapons.”
In his speech, Ministerialdirigent Christian Fischer, Head of German Naval Armaments, thanked all those who had participated in the development and testing of the DM2A4. In his address, he mentioned the extreme technical challenges ATLAS ELEKTRONIK had faced in the development of the DM2A4, emphasizing that, despite the difficulties that were encountered, the German authorities had never lost its confidence in either the company or the product. With the words “The German Navy now commands the world’s most modern torpedo for the world’s most modern non-nuclear submarines, namely the class 212A,” Fischer formally handed over the first series torpedo to the Director of Naval Armaments and Logistics, Rear Admiral Hoops.
Rear Admiral Henning Hoops of the Naval Office in Rostock declared the U 212A weapon system to be complete and ready for action: “With the torpedo DM2A4 SEEHECHT [German for SEAHAKE], the most modern conventional submarine of the class 212A with its great detection range will also carry the most powerful heavyweight torpedo.”
ATLAS ELEKTRONIK is one of the world-leading industries involved in the design and manufacturing of heavyweight torpedoes. Navies of 15 countries use German torpedoes to weapon their submarines.
According to ATLAS, now a joint company of ThyssenKrupp and EADS, some 100 vessels around the world are fitted with their torpedoes. The company has built and delivered more than 1.600 torpedoes in the last twenty years. Several international Navies appreciate the state-of-the-art technology of the torpedo from sensors, gear, and control, to the effectiveness of the warhead, which are unmatched by any other European or U.S.-build such product.
The DM2A4 differs to an appreciable degree from the predecessor model, the DM2A3. The innovations include the extremely powerful electrical propulsion system, the control and data transmission via fibre-optic instead of copper cable, the replacement of the mechanical gyro by a strap-down system using fibre-optic gyros, and the wake homing sensors.
To torpedo is expected to be fully introduced by the German Navy till October 2010. Beyond that the Turkish Navy has already procured this torpedo and introduced it on its submarines.
Development
German torpedoes production has a long tradition. Since 1959 German companies built torpedoes for the German Navy of the Bundeswehr. Today's torpedoes do not need to shrink from the technological comparison with other high-tech weapon systems from land and air.
A torpedo moves just as an airplane, suspended in a three-dimensional area and thereby stressed by a whole set of physical and element-specific conditions, which can have a substantial effect on the weapon system. Additionally, the noise immunity of the sonar seeker of the torpedo must be prepared against opposing defence and disruptive action.
With the use of ever better electronic components and sensor systems the efficiency by heavyweight torpedoes could strongly be improved in the last 25 years, whose employment in offshore areas against surface and underwater targets makes particularly high demands.
The modular structure of the German torpedoes helped to increase the combat effectiveness easily and thus increase also the lifetime of the entire weapon.
Loading DM2A4 Torpedo on Italian 212 A class SCIRE. (Photo:ATLAS)
Technical requirements and features of the DM2 A4 torpedo
11:23 GMT, December 15, 2008 On December 3, 2008 ATLAS ELEKTRONIK handed over the first SEAHAKE torpedo DM2A4 mod 4 to the German Navy. On this occasion defpro.daily presents a Special (in three parts) of this heavyweight torpedo designed for the German U214A submarine.
Requirements for Torpedoes
The technological requirements for a modern, efficient heavyweight torpedo are enormously high. Heavyweight torpedoes needs among other things a large engagement range, an ignition system optimized for use against both surface and underwater targets, a warhead with high effect upon the target, a sonar sensor system compatible with both deep and shallow water conditions, as well as substantial fail-safe margin.
Another important requirement is for the torpedo to be able to compare the target data, as supplied by the launching submarine through a wire link with those detected by its own sensor system. This way the torpedo can continuously adjust and optimize the information during its run to the target. Should the wire communication between the submarine and the torpedo be cut off for whatever reason, the torpedo must be able to autonomously acquire its target and continue on the engagement sequence until its successful conclusion. This must remain possible even in the presence of active disturbing and deception measures, such as noise-producing buoys or other counter-sonar technologies that the target can deploy once it realizes it is under attack.
As already indicated, heavyweight torpedoes must be capable to be used both near the coasts and in marginal seas (“Brown Waters”) as well as in the oceans (“Blue Water”). This involves both the sensors as well as the ignition system and the working mechanism of the warhead, in order to enable the engagement of very deep-diving submarines.
Torpedo SEEHECHT (Seahawk)/DM 2 A4
The process of procuring a modern and very efficient heavyweight torpedo system for the German Navy took a long time. Back in the 80's the German Navy decided to introduce a new torpedo for the then planned submarines of the 212A class in two steps. The first step covered the modernization and enhancement of combat capabilities of the existing torpedoes DM 2 A1 and their reconstruction to the configuration DM 2 A3. During this project the drive unit and the warhead were taken from the predecessor torpedo DM 2 A1, while all sonar sensors, the ignition mechanism, the data link between boat and torpedo, and the entire electronics were replaced by new developments.
Since the 90's these technologically advanced torpedoes are in the service on the German Navy U206A class submarines and in an export version in numerous other navies.
The second development step to the new heavyweight torpedo DM 2 A4 (known as Seahake on the export market) was initiated 1997 by the German Navy. The new type of torpedo received a completely new and modular drive system with very high power output and range, and furthermore the original copper guidance wire was replaced by a glass fiber unit. Additionally, the mechanical gyroscopes were substituted by a “Strap down” state-of-the-art system which includes fiber-optic gyroscopes. An additional wake sensor was installed as well as a digital signal processing system.
These technical innovations shall enable the German submarine flotilla to have a modern, state-of-the-art and efficient torpedo system during the next thirty years.
Batteries and engine
The main driver for the development DM 2 A4 Seahake was to design a modular weapon system which could be technically adapted to the various employment needs and tactical requirements.
One of the substantial innovations in this regard is the modular zinc-silver-oxide batteries (ZnAgO), which can be connected in series. With four partial batteries installed, the DM 2 A4 torpedo has the largest engagements range and speed; it is however also possible to equip the torpedo with only one or two batteries and thus adapt the engagement range and available maximum speed to different operational conditions. The ZnAgO batteries have an extremely high performance and are thus able to supply the totally sound-enclosed permanent magnet driving motor of the torpedo with the necessary energy for a very long period. This is also necessary due to the fact that the DM 2 A4 is the fastest and most efficient design amongst all electrically powered heavyweight torpedoes, as currently available on the market.
The concept of the modular power supply is also new for this torpedo class and for the first time built in series.
The DM 2 A4 is driven by a 300 kW permanent magnet engine which allows using the power of the engine in two opposite directions simultaneously through a planetary gear. The driving power of the electric motor is transferred to two drive propellers turning in opposite directions, and carrying seven and nine blades respectively.
This newly developed drive system reduces radiated noise by 50% when compared to its predecessor and minimizes cavitation, which makes detection of the torpedo very difficult. The high-efficiency permanent magnet motor can vary its rotation speed continuously and without any steps over the entire range from slow to extremely fast drive, and the variation is virtually noiseless.
The optimized propeller construction allows the submarine to fire the torpedo without producing any bubbles at the surface, this eliminating any risk of betraying the submarine’s position. Directly behind the propellers are the rudders, which help to increase the maneuverability of the torpedo.
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/203/
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Pirates hijack Yemeni ship
11:30 GMT, January 6, 2009 A Yemeni coastal ship has reportedly been hijacked by pirates.
Details are very sketchy, but the vessel was carrying 2,000 tonnes of diesel from Aden to Mukalla when it was taken on Saturday, the Hindustan Times reported.
The pirates have been identified as Somali, an unnamed Yemeni security source told the local media outlet Almotamar.
The vessel was said to have been seized near Jabal Al Kalb off the Bir Ali coast. The ship was said to belong to Al Aysie Navigation, although this has not been confirmed.
Meanwhile, the International Maritime Bureau confirmed that hijackings in the Gulf of Aden have dropped.
“Attacks have continued, but these have been by and large unsuccessful,” Noel Choong, head of the Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur, told Fairplay after a hijacking attempt was foiled yesterday.
Increased naval presence has played its part, but pirates have also been thwarted because ship crews now heed repeated warnings from IMB to maintain a constant vigil, Choong said.
For example, a cargo ship with 32 Chinese crew on board evaded an attack yesterday by four pirate boats in the Gulf of Aden. It was carrying more than 10,000 tonnes of silicate and oil equipment from Singapore to Djibouti.
And a French warship foiled two pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden on Sunday. Jean de Vienne captured 19 pirate suspects when they tried to hijack a Croatian ship and a Panamanian vessel.
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4669/
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RAAF Buys FLIR Systems for Patrol Aircraft
09:50 GMT, January 6, 2009 PORTLAND, OR | FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced today that it has received notification from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) of its intent to exercise a contract modification option under a prior $13.5 million contract. Under the terms of the contract modification, FLIR will supply Star SAFIRE® HD imaging systems to be fitted on AP-3C maritime patrol aircraft for surveillance and search and rescue missions. The original contract was signed during the third quarter.
The Star SAFIRE® HD is the only electro-optic infrared system in its class to provide full digital high-definition video from all its imaging sensors -- with output video that meets U.S. Department of Defense and NATO specifications for HD acquisition. The Star SAFIRE® HDs will replace existing Star SAFIRE® III systems to enable the RAAF's transition to HD technology for their operational needs.
Work will be performed in FLIR's facilities in Wilsonville, Oregon. Deliveries are expected to begin in the 1st quarter of 2009 and be completed within 12 months.
"This contract award represents a milestone in FLIR Systems' continuing relationship with the Royal Australian Air Force," said Earl Lewis, CEO of FLIR Systems, Inc. "We are pleased that the RAAF has chosen to procure the Star SAFIRE® HD for its AP-3C aircraft imager needs. This system will provide the Royal Australian Air Force with unparalleled vision in its long-range surveillance and maritime patrol missions."
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4664/
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Bad times ahead for Somali pirates
14:45
31/ 12/ 2008
MOSCOW. (RIA Novosti political commentator Andrei Fedyashin) - The next year will be a bad one for the Somali pirates, as on December 16, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution giving special forces of its member countries the right to track and detain pirates on the sea and on land.
This surgical operation will not cleanse the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean of the pirates overnight, but it is a good start. Experts have been saying that you can successfully fight pirates only on land, with victory on the sea as an additional bonus.
Another important change is that China has agreed to join the multinational force against the pirates. In early January, China's best missile destroyers, Haikou and Wuhan, and the supply vessel Weishanhu, with over 800 sailors and 70 Marines on board, will reach the Gulf of Aden. They will coordinate their operation with the warships of other countries that are already in the Gulf or headed for it.
Some 1,200 Chinese merchant vessels pass by Somalia every year, and the pirates attack approximately 20% of them.
This is the first time in 600 years that Chinese warships will travel this far away from their home shores. The last time China sent its ships to the Arabian Peninsula was in the 15th century, when Admiral Zheng He commanded the Ming dynasty's fleet of immense merchant vessels.
Like everything else in China, the anti-pirates voyage has a symbolic meaning. "Apart from fighting pirates, another key goal is to register the presence of the Chinese navy," China Daily quoted Prof. Li Jie, a naval researcher, as saying.
The U.S. and Britain are not pleased with China's advance onto the world's naval scene. When the Chinese destroyers reach the Gulf of Aden, all five permanent members of the UN Security Council will be represented in this highly dangerous part of the world.
This year alone, pirates attacked 124 commercial and private vessels there, hijacked 60 of them, and received between $20 million and $40 million in ransom. They are still holding 19 vessels, including their largest trophies to date, Saudi Arabia's oil tanker Sirius Star, which was carrying $100 million worth of crude to the U.S., and Ukraine's cargo ship Faina, carrying 33 Russian-built T-72 tanks and a substantial quantity of ammunition and spare parts.
With nearly two dozen warships and a host of military boats and support vessels from the navies of Italy, Greece, Denmark, Britain, France, Germany, Spain (the EU has pledged to send 10 warships to the Gulf), Turkey, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Japan, Russia, and the U.S., life will be difficult for the Somali pirates next year.
Some of these warships are already patrolling the Gulf, while others are waiting for parliamentary approval of their voyages. The U.S. will send warships from its 5th Fleet to fight the Somali pirates.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.
http://en.rian.ru/analysis/20081231/119292146.html
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Business Times - 06 Jan 2009
Daewoo expects fewer orders
(HONG KONG) Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co, the world's third-largest shipyard, expects to receive fewer orders this year as the global recession weakens demand for vessels.
Orders may exceed US$10 billion compared with US$11.8 billion in 2008, the Seoul-based company said in a regulatory filing yesterday. The shipyard plans to invest about 500 billion won (S$560 million) this year, it said.
The worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression has dried up capital markets, making it difficult for shipping lines to get loans for new vessels and pay for the ones they've ordered. Daewoo Shipbuilding and bigger rival Hyundai Heavy Industries missed their 2008 order targets.
'The order target set for this year will not be easy to achieve given the global economic situation,' Nam Sang Tae, president of Daewoo Shipbuilding, said yesterday in his New Year's speech to employees, according to a copy e-mailed to reporters.
Daewoo Shipbuilding gained 2.8 per cent to close at 18,150 won in Seoul. The stock has fallen 63 per cent in the past year, compared with a 37 per cent decline in South Korea's Kospi index.
The shipyard expects 2009 sales to reach more than 13 trillion won, it said in the statement. Sales last year may exceed its target of a record 9.9 trillion won, it said without giving more details.
The company will add a 900-ton crane and its fourth floating dock this year to increase output, Mr Nam said. Daewoo Shipbuilding expects demand for offshore units, including drill ships and floating production and storage vessels, to increase this year, he said\. \-- Bloomberg
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg:80/sub/storyprintfriendly/0,4582,312787,00.html?
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Saudi Warships Participate In Fight Against Somali Pirates
Three modern Saudi frigates have been patrolling the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea since the middle of last month, to protect Saudi and commercial shipping from attacks by Somali pirates.
The frigates carry helicopters for a rapid response for help from threatened ships, in cooperation with other navies.
Source: Al-Khaleej, UAE, January 5, 2009
http://www.thememriblog.org/blog_personal/en/12707.htm
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INS Viraat to turn fifty, Navy plans celebration
N C Bipindra
New Delhi, Jan 4 (PTI) India's solitary aircraft carrier, INS Viraat, will turn 50 this year and the Navy plans a befitting celebration to mark the warship's golden jubilee.
"Yes, we intend to mark the golden jubilee of INS Viraat's naval service with celebrations planned for early part of this year," a Navy officer told PTI here today.
The celebrations would take place soon after the warship, which is currently docked at the Cochin Shipyard for repairs and maintenance, gets sailing again, he said.
On May 12 this year, INS Viraat would complete 23 years of its service with the Indian Navy. Taking into account its British Royal Navy service in its earlier avatar as HMS Hermes, the warship will complete 50 years on November 18 and hence the celebration.
The Indian Navy had acquired the Centaur Class aircraft carrier in 1987 from the British after it had served them for nearly 28 years (first inducted on November 18, 1959) and re-christened it as INS Viraat.
Consequently, the British Navy too would be requested to join the events to celebrate the warship that has served both countries so well.
In fact, after the current round of repairs, India is likely to make the aircraft carrier labour on till 2015.
By then, the 28,000-tonne warship would have completed 55 years of service, over twice and way beyond its estimated sailing life of 25 years. PTI
http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/D9D73715D862288365257534002014C1?OpenDocument
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Russian warplanes to exercise in Greek airspace
Warplanes from a Russian aircraft carrier are to conduct exercises in Greek airspace.
Last Updated: 11:40PM GMT 02 Jan 2009
Greek defence officials granted permission to the Russian navy for its aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov to use Athens-controlled airspace for "training missions" over the course of the next week.
The war games will take place south of the Greek islands of Rhodes and Crete.
Greek officials said that their military would have no involvement in the training, but that the Russian navy would be using airspace controlled by Athens air traffic controllers.
"The Kuznetsov, which is sailing in the southeast Mediterranean, asked Greece's civil aviation authority to operate within the Athens Flight Information Region," the ministry said in a statement. "The request was granted."
Greek defence officials said that Russian Sukhoi 25 and Sukhoi 33 fighter aircraft would take part in the operations, as well as Kamov helicopters.
They are the first such war games to take place in the Nato member's territory.
The decision could prove controversial with Greece's European Union partners following a series of provocative sorties by Russian aircraft in Western Europe. Moscow has also sent its warships to conduct exercises off Venezuela and Cuba, in moves designed to irritate Washington.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/greece/4077941/Russian-warplanes-to-exercise-in-Greek-airspace.html
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Deployment of the Iranian regime's IRGC in the Port of Assab in Eritrea
Sunday, 04 January 2009
By: Reza Shafa
According to obtained reports, the mullahs’ regime has recently deployed military forces and equipment in one of the ports of Eritrea.
The African Affairs branch of the terrorist Qods Force is an organ that implements the regime’s goals of exporting fundamentalism to Africa. One of the targeted countries in northern Africa is Eritrea.
According to intelligence reports, in recent weeks, the mullahs’ regime has installed long-range and anti-aircraft missiles, and has deployed a number of members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the outskirts of Eritrea’s Port of Assab near the Red Sea. This initiative by the mullahs takes place in the context of agreements the regime had signed in Asmera with the government of Eritrea.
These forces and equipment have been transferred to the region using the regime’s submarines. The agreement and the deployment of forces and long-range missiles in the Port of Assab have been carried out under the guise of renovating the port’s oil refinery (which is an old facility). The mullahs’ regime is operating there under the cover of refining crude oil in the port’s refinery. It has also crafted phony documents in this regard.
But, the question remains: What does revamping an old refinery have anything to do with the deployment of missiles? This was the question that prompted doubts and suspicions regarding the regime’s actions. Some intelligence sources indicated that by installing military equipment and forces in Eritrea’s Port of Assab, the mullahs’ regime actually intends to exert control over the Bab-el-Mandeb strait, situated 3 km from Eritrea and Yemen.
The Bab-el-Mandeb strait (“Gate of Tears”), is the closest spot to the Gulf of Aden, which connects the Suez Canal and the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean, and is in fact the passageway for oil tankers and cargo ships in the African and Southwest Asian regions. As such, this area is of exceptional strategic importance. The regime’s objective is to cause disturbances and sabotage oil tankers of oil-rich countries of the region, such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and African countries, in the event that during a potential military conflict, the Strait of Hormuz is closed off to oil tankers of the Persian Gulf.
This passageway is significant because some African countries like Nigeria, Sudan, Gabon, South Africa, New Guinea, and the vast desert between Angola and Nigeria are very rich in oil, and American oil companies are competing with each other for presence in this area. Some reports estimate that the discovery of oil in recent years has led the US to obtain 25% of its oil from this continent, essentially transported though the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.
Eritrea’s political opposition had previously warned about making deals with the mullahs’ regime and had announced that this act is tantamount to giving a military presence to the regime in a strategic location, which bears significant risks, and is analogous to playing with fire. In addition to the vital significance of this region for the US, the Port of Assab is also close to the French navy base at Djibouti, a place where a large number of NATO soldiers and US fleet are located.
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Reza Shafa is an expert on the Iranian regime's Intelligence networks, both in Iran and abroad. He has done extensive research on Iranian Ministry of Information and Security (MOIS) also known as VEVAK, Intelligence Office of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Qods Force among others. Currently he is a contributor to NCRI website.
http://ncr-iran.org/content/view/5938/1/
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Business Times - 06 Jan 2009
Somali pirates keep up attacks
(KUALA LUMPUR) The first days of 2009 have seen at least five pirate attacks off Somalia, but the bandits are becoming desperate as the international community cracks down, a maritime watchdog said on Saturday.
An Egyptian cargo ship with 28 crew on board was hijacked on New Year's Day, while four other vessels were threatened but managed to escape, some with the help of warships and aircraft belonging to nations patrolling the region.
'There have been a lot of attacks in the past few days, but many of these attacks have not been successful,' said Noel Choong, head of the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) piracy reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur.
'The pirates are now beginning to be more desperate because it's harder to hijack ships than before,' he said.
More naval warships are patrolling the Gulf of Aden, and the European Union has implemented a convoy system under which merchant vessels are escorted in groups, he said. 'But that doesn't mean that they (pirates) can't attack the ships. The warships can't be everywhere at the same time, it's just too huge an area. So the pirates are finding places where warships are absent and choosing to attack there.'
Mr Choong said that because of the threat to their lucrative business, pirates were becoming more aggressive.
'As soon as the pirates spot the ships they fire their weapons - they are really trying their best to get hold of the ships.' The IMB's reporting centre has confirmed five attacks so far this year, all in a small area with a 60-mile radius and suspected to be carried out by one or more groups of pirates.
The first was on New Year's Day when a Malaysian warship helped Indian seamen fight off heavily-armed bandits attempting to board an oil tanker.
The second came just an hour later, when attackers managed to hijack the Egyptian-managed cargo ship which is carrying a load of fertiliser. Several hours later a Greek bulk carrier was fired on, but the captain took evasive measures and managed to escape, Mr Choong said.
Then on Jan 2, at least five pirates attacked a German-managed tanker, firing their machine guns at the ship which had 21 crew on board.
'The captain increased the ship's speed along with other manoeuvres and managed to escape,' said Mr Choong. -- AFP
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg:80/sub/storyprintfriendly/0,4582,312807,00.html?
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China uses ports to protect trade lanes
A port being built in southern Sri Lanka near the main shipping route across the Indian Ocean is part of a Chinese effort to project influence and protect vital trade lanes, according to a US military study, Asia Pulse reported.
The study lists the commercial-shipping container port at Hambantota being built by Chinese contractors as part of China's so-called "string of pearls" strategy to gain political influence and be able to project power in the Indian Ocean region.
The report, "Joint Operating Environment 2008," was produced by the Norfolk-based US Joint Forces Command.
It lists China as the main emerging nation-state threat that US forces could confront in a future conflict, along with potential threats from Russia, the Middle East and other places in Asia.
Other facilities listed in the report are Pakistan's Gwadar port, near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, as a naval base and surveillance facility, and the Woody Island airfield in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea.
These are listed as being useful to China as part of the Chinese shipping-lane-protection strategy.
The US military report identifies China as the most significant potential threat for the American military in the future.
The paper said the report discloses new details of what it describes as Beijing's efforts to build political influence and military power along the strategic oil-shipping route from the Middle East to China, a so-called "string of pearls" strategy.
But the Washington Times also quoted a US Chinese Embassy spokesman Wang Baodong as calling the idea of China having a "string of pearls" strategy a "fantasy."
"It's true that China is conducting cooperation with some Asian countries in various fields including ports developing, but it's justifiable business for China and the joint ventures are for commercial purposes only," Wang was quoted as saying.
"People should see China's activities with a sensible and more balanced approach. As facts have proven, China's activities are for mutual benefit and peaceful purposes, constituting no threat to anyone else."
Construction work on the port in Hambantota is ahead of schedule.
It is being built mainly with a Chinese loan and by two Chinese construction firms.
It is envisaged first as a bunkering facility and later a port for general cargo vessels and eventually to tranship containers.
Hambantota was chosen as the site for the new port because of its proximity to the main shipping lane across the Indian Ocean.
http://www.cargonewsasia.com/secured/article.aspx?id=3&article=18059
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Australia struggling with deep-sea rescues
by Staff Writers
Canberra, Australia (UPI) Dec 27, 2008
Submariners in Australia face a slim possibility of deep-sea rescue because the government has been unable to create an adequate system, experts say.
Global safety assessor Det Norske Veritas has not offered a safety certificate to the Australian submarine rescue system, Remora, because the naval deep-sea plan doesn't meet its requirements, The Australian reported in its Saturday edition.
A defense representative said while the government attempts to find a long-term solution to its deep-sea rescue shortcomings, a British rescue system will serve as a stopgap solution.
"The commonwealth will use the UK-based LR5 submarine rescue system as a contingency whilst addressing cost effective and robust systems as future options," the unidentified official said. "The commonwealth is committed to an indigenous submarine rescue capability and is considering all future options."
But there has been skepticism regarding the efficacy of using the British system in relation to how long it would take to deploy the overseas vehicle in an emergency rescue situation, The Australian said.
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Australia_struggling_with_deep-sea_rescues_999.html
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Sea trials of “Yury Dolgoruky” have been postponed
2009-01-02
Yury Dolgoruky Sevmash
Sea trials of Russia's first Borey-class strategic nuclear submarine “Yury Dolgoruky” have been postponed until spring 2009. The reasons are said to be the accident on the submarine “Nerpa” and the recent failed launch of the new “Bulava” sea-based intercontinental ballistic missile.
A high-ranking Navy source told news agency RIA Novosti that there still are issues with the placement of a nuclear reactor on board the “Yury Dolgoruky”. Sea trials have been postponed until 2009 so that Sevmash specialists could deal with the remaining problems.
Sevmash and Northern Fleet specialists conducted successful testing of the submarine's nuclear reactor on December 16, but Russia's state nuclear power corporation Rosatom has introduced heightened safety measures due to a recent accident on board the nuclear-powered submarine “Nerpa” and the failure of the test launch of a Bulava missile.
The accident on board the Akula-class submarine “Nerpa” occurred during sea trials in the Sea of Japan on November 8, and caused the deaths of some twenty sailors and injury to twenty-one others. A fire suppression system discharged gas in the bow of the sub, suffocating civilian specialists and navy crew members.
The failed submerged launch of the Bulava ICBM took place on December 23 from the strategic nuclear-powered submarine “Dmitry Donskoy” in the White Sea. Russia earlier planned for the Bulava to enter service with the Navy in 2009. Now more test launches from the “Dmitry Donskoy” have to be conducted before any launches from the “Yury Dolgoruky” can be made.
http://www.barentsobserver.com/sea-trials-of-yury-dolgoruky-have-been-postponed.4540758-16149.html
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China to start construction of 1st aircraft carriers next year
BY KENJI MINEMURA, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2008/12/31
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BEIJING--China will begin construction of the country's first domestically produced aircraft carriers in Shanghai next year, with an eye to completing two mid-sized carriers by 2015, military and shipbuilding sources said.
Beijing is also expected to complete work on a never-finished former Soviet aircraft carrier moored in the northeastern port of Dalian, to provide training for carrier-based pilots and crew.
The two 50,000- to 60,000-ton carriers will rely on conventional propulsion systems, not nuclear power. They will be assigned to the People's Liberation Army Navy south sea fleet, tasked with patrolling the South China Sea, sources said.
China's carrier ambitions and the build-up of its blue-water fleet have long been of interest to Pacific nations.
National defense ministry spokesman Huang Xueping recently commented that China might build its own aircraft carriers.
However, this is the first time the goals of Chinese naval planners have been clarified in such detail.
If China does bolster its naval combat capabilities by deploying aircraft carriers, it could significantly impact the delicate military balance in East Asia.
According to sources close to Shanghai municipal authorities, one of the world's largest shipbuilding facilities was completed this fall on Changxingdao island at the mouth of the Changjiang river near Shanghai.
One of the four docks there is for construction of the aircraft carriers, they said.
Shipbuilding sources said there are plans to import electrical control parts from Russia and that orders have already been placed with domestic military suppliers.
If procurement goes as planned, the carriers could be completed about two years earlier than planned.
Meanwhile, shipbuilders in Dalian are nearing completion of the 60,000-ton former Soviet Kuznetsov-class carrier Varyag, as a training ship for carrier-borne aircraft pilots and crew. The ship, which was about 70 percent complete at the time of its purchase, was first acquired by a Macao tourism firm in 1998. Since 2002, it has been under construction by a Dalian-based shipbuilder with ties to the navy.
A ranking Chinese navy officer told The Asahi Shimbun that as China increasingly relies on Mideast oil, the aircraft carriers would likely see duty guarding sea lanes in the Malacca Strait and in the Indian Ocean. The officer contended that because the ships will be smaller than U.S. carriers they will not pose a threat.
Ikuo Kayahara, a professor of security studies at Takushoku University and a former research department director at the National Institute for Defense Studies, said China's plan to build aircraft carriers is a "key pillar to enhancing its naval capabilities."
"China hopes to broaden its buffer zone to protect its coasts from a perceived threat from the United States," Kayahara said.(IHT/Asahi: December 31,2008)
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200812310046.html
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Bush Creates World's Largest Set of Marine Sanctuaries
By Christopher Pala
ScienceNOW Daily News
5 January 2009
President George W. Bush has designated three national monuments around 11 Pacific islands, White House officials said today. The marine preserves, which include the Mariana Trench, the Rose Atoll in American Samoa, and several islands in the central Pacific, spans 505,000 square kilometers--about the size of Spain--making it the largest area ever protected in one swoop.
The move, which has become known as Bush's Blue Legacy, tops his 2006 designation of 360,000 square kilometers of ocean off the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands as a national monument. It bans commercial fishing in waters 92 kilometers off these islands, which are already patrolled by the Coast Guard. But the monument falls far short of the 2.2 million square kilometers that many marine biologists had called for. That expanded area would have encompassed the islands' entire exclusive economic zones, which currently allow fishing by only U.S. vessels and reach out 370 kilometers offshore.
The Central Pacific monuments were proposed jointly by the Marine Conservation Biology Institute and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Marine biologist Jane Lubchenco of Oregon State University, Corvallis, a board member of EDF, has been nominated to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If confirmed, she will oversee how these monuments are managed.
Several species will benefit from Bush's actions, says Jim Maragos, a marine scientist specializing in the pacific at the Fish and Wildlife Service. Blue-water fish such as yellowfin, bigeye tuna, and marlin--all in decline--will be big winners because they breed in these waters. So will sharks, birds, turtles, and dolphins accidentally caught by the tuna long-line fleets. And, notably in the Marianas, volcanic formations that mimic the effects of ocean acidification will be preserved for research. The islands themselves will get little added benefit from the preserves, as they are already protected.
Further details of the plan will be provided Tuesday afternoon when Bush formally announces the designations.
"This move, coupled with the strong team the Obama Administration is putting in place, gives the ocean a fighting chance," said Vikki Spruill, president of the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C.
http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2009/105/1
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Regards …… Snooper …………NNNN
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