Please Note
Yer, I missed a day .....
Wind Howling ……. Where did I put my kite ?
Regards
Snooper
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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 !
Photo : Jen Edney,
Caption : Well, that be ME !!!
Monday, January 19, 2009
On to Mossel Bay
The next weather window has arrived in Port Elizabeth. I am off again heading west towards Mossel Bay with a small chance at running all the way to Cape Town.
Thanks to everyone who has helped me to understand the weather: David Morris, Rob Jordan, Bryan Mitchell, Clearpoint Weather and my mom back home.
Here are a shot of the weather:
This is the current weather with the wind turning to be more from the south and eventually the south east.
This is the forecast for 2 days from now with the wind shifting to come from the dreaded south west again. The light blue on the chart is the continental shelf. I won't be leaving the shelf like on my other legs as it is too far offshore. All the more important not to get caught out in a southwesterly!
I am traveling with 2 other boats both headed to Mossel Bay and then Cape Town.
Hoping to be in in less than 40 hours.
Cheers,
Zac
posted by Zac at 9:56 AM
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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.
No Update to site.
Visit : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/
Blog : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/?cat=5
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New rail line to ease Mombasa port congestion
The governments of Kenya and Uganda are soon to begin the construction of a new standard gauge railway line to help with congestion at the Mombasa port and improve transportation on the Northern Corridor.
The construction of the railway line is expected to cut delays of cargo at the port of Mombasa by 70%, according to East African Business Week.
The port, currently handling in excess of 16-million tonnes of cargo per year, is projected to reach 30-mt by 2030.
The feasibility study projected the cost of the new railway to be about R80-million for Kenya and R20-m for Uganda. The project is expected to be completed and ready for use by 2017.
Story By : Alan Peat
Date :1/20/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7234
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UK’s Procurement Programmes
The Royal Navy's Astute Class submarine is a nuclear-powered attack submarine.
08:29 GMT, January 19, 2009
On January 12 British State Secretary for Defence John Hutton, and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence Quentin Davies together made statements on several major defence procurement programmes and on military operations during a debate in the House of Commons.
Regarding the Astute Class nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs), Hutton said: “The lessons learnt from the Astute programme are being applied to the design and build phase of the successor programme. Any opportunities arising from the successor programme that may benefit the Astute Class will be considered as part of normal business between closely related programmes,” he said.
He also pointed out that the Trident II D5 ballistic missile is the delivery system for the UK’s nuclear deterrent that is carried by Vanguard-class submarines. It is an evolutionary development of the Trident IC4 missile that the UK originally planned to procure but was superseded by a decision in 1982 to procure the Trident II D5 missile. Hutton said that they are participating in a programme to extend the life of the Trident II D5 missile until around 2042.
“With regard to the new class of submarines to replace the Vanguard-class, as we have previously stated, the first of class is forecast to enter service in around 2024. Also, as explained in the December 2006 White Paper, a final decision on the number of submarines that will be procured will be made when we know more about their detailed design. That decision will determine the timetable for entry into service of further submarines,” Hutton concludes.
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4950/
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China pledges continued support for Africa – despite economic squeeze
China has vowed not to allow the current economic squeeze to put the brakes on its Africa investment plans.
According to a recent announcement by China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, it will continue to provide assistance to African countries.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting in Cape Town last week with his counterpart Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Yang stressed his country’s commitment to strengthening ties between the two countries. It was their fourth meeting in the past 12 months.
Story By : Joy Orlek
Date :1/20/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7231
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Shipbuilders Urged to Cut the Fat
1/18/2009 1:45:34 PM
According to a Jan. 16 report from the Newport News Daily Press, a group of the U.S. Navy's top officials on Jan. 15 continued to emphasize that the service needs to reach its goal of a 313-ship fleet and urged shipbuilders to find innovative solutions on driving down costs.
(Source: Newport News Daily Press)
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214180
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Weekly Piracy Report - 13 January 2009 - 19 January 2009
Suspicious crafts
None reported
Recently reported incidents
15.01.2009: 0145 UTC: 06:05.37N - 001:15.68E, Lome anchorage, Togo.
Seven, armed robbers in a motor boat attempted to board a bulk carrier at anchor. Duty officer raised alarm and crew prepared fire hoses. Upon seeing crew alertness the robbers aborted the attempted attack. Port control informed.
15.01.2009: 0235 UTC: 06:05.37N - 001:15.68E, Lome anchorage, Togo.
Four robbers in a motor boat attempted to board a bulk carrier at anchor. Duty officer raised alarm and crew activated fire hoses. Upon seeing crew alertness the robbers aborted the attempt. Master heaved up anchor and proceeded to open sea for drifting.
12.01.2009: 0340 LT: Anchorage, Port Au Prince, Haiti.
Three robbers in a small boat approached a RORO ship at anchor. One of the robbers attempted to board via side ramp. Duty A/B shouted at the robber and raised alarm. The robber jumped off the ramp and escaped with his accomplices.
10.01.2009: 2300 LT: Fortaleza port, Brazil.
Four robbers in a boat approached a product tanker at berth. One of the robbers boarded the tanker using a hook attached to a rope. Duty A/B noticed the robber and raised alarm. The robber jumped overboard and escaped with his accomplices and ship's stores..
15.01.2009: 0415 LT: Posn: 10:14.97N - 107:04.02E, Vungtau outer anchorage, Vietnam.
Two robbers boarded a bitumen tanker at anchor. Duty A/B noticed the robbers and raised the alarm. The ship's whistle was sounded and crew mustered. Upon hearing the alarm, robbers jumped into the water and escaped with ship's stores in a small boat.
14.01.2009: 1245 UTC: Posn: 13:02.18nN- 046:41.06E, Gulf of Aden.
Eight pirates armed with guns in two boats attempted to attack a tanker underway. Master raised alarm, sent distress message, contacted coalition warships and took evasive manoeuvres. A coalition warship responded and was ready to dispatch a helicopter. Pirate boats slowed down and aborted the attempt upon noticing the British security team at the bridge wings armed with axes.
13.01.2009: 0810 UTC: Posn: 12:24.5N – 044:57.7E, Gulf of Aden.
One boat with six pirates armed with guns / RPG chased a container ship underway. Pirates open fire with RPG. Two warships in the vicinity provided assistance to the vessel. After half an hour the attack was abandoned. The Russian warship chased the pirate boat but was instructed by Aden control not to interfere.
08.01.2009: 0030 LT: Posn: 01:44.58S - 041:29.7E, Kiunga, Kenya.
Heavily armed pirates in a speedboat came alongside a fishing vessel at anchor. They boarded the vessel and tied up all crewmembers. They stole cash, some valuable equipment and forced three crewmembers into their speedboat and escaped. Some of the crew swam ashore and reported the incident to the local police. The fishing vessel was brought back to Mombasa. Kenyan police are investigating the incident.
04.01.2009: 0335 UTC: Posn: 13:24N - 048:15E, Gulf of Aden.
Five pirates, in a speed boat, armed with machine guns attempted to board a tanker underway. Master raised alarm and the contacted coalition warships. The crew activated anti-piracy measures. Pirates came close to the tanker but were unable to board her due to running waters from the fire hoses. Pirates aborted the attempt.
02.01.2009: 0440 UTC: Posn: 13:13N - 047:32E: Gulf of Aden.
Two speed boats with pirates armed with guns and RPG chased a general cargo ship underway. The ship immediately contacted the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre for help. Duty officer at the, 24 hour manned, IMB Piracy Reporting Centre advised master to take evasive manoeuvres to delay and prevent boarding and then immediately contacted coalition naval forces for help. Two warships were dispatched. Meanwhile ship’s crew used various preventive measures and prevented boarding. Later, pirates aborted attempt and moved away.
02.01.2009: 1120 LT: Gulf of Aden.
Armed pirates in a boat approached a general cargo ship underway. Master raised alarm, took evasive manoeuvres and contacted coalition warships. Pirates fired upon the ship with rockets and guns. Ship's crew fired rocket flares at the pirate boat which caught fire. Five pirates were apprehended by a coalition helicopter which arrived and shot at the pirate boat.
01.01.2009: 0730 LT: Posn: 14:21N – 050:34E: Gulf of Aden.
One skiff with six pirates approached a bulk carrier underway. Owners contacted IMB Piracy Reporting Centre for assistance. Duty officer immediately contacted the coalition naval forces to render assistance to crew and vessel. Meanwhile, ship’s crew enforced preventive measure and master reported sighting automatic weapons and RPGs in the skiff. Attack was aborted.
01.01.2009: 1405 LT: Posn: 14:47N - 051:47E: Gulf of Aden.
Two skiffs approached the bulk carrier from aft. Pirates in both skiffs were armed with automatic weapons and RPGs. Ship made evasive and preventive measures to prevent boarding. Pirates opened fire with automatic weapons at ship. One skiff came very close to ship’s port side. Due to aggressive preventive measures, the pirates aborted the attempted boarding. A warship arrived at location and detained the pirates who claimed that they were fishermen. Pirates threw their weapons into the water. Warship contacted vessel to obtain concrete evidence against the pirates.
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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Chilean Navy’s New Nav Simulator
1/18/2009 1:55:11 PM
The Chilean Navy’s Naval School, Arturo Prat, has inaugurated their newly installed Transas NTPRO 4000 Navigation Simulator.
The opening ceremony was presided by the Navy’s Teaching Director, Commodore Rafael González Rosenqvist, joined by the Naval School Director, Cap. Osvaldo Schwarzenberg Ashton, staff officials, professors, cadets, Transas Contract Manager, Mr. Francisco Palumbo and Sales Manager of the Transas Chilean representative, Naval Radio, Mr. Andrey Goriachev.
The simulator represents a step into virtual teaching methods for the Chilean Navy, utilizing simulation databases specific to their operations.
The installed simulator includes five Navigation modules allowing the simultaneous training of up to twenty-five cadets in navigation and tactical maneuvers, and in the use of realistic ECDIS and ARPA/Radar systems, in real time. Simulator functionality includes a suite of capabilities specific to Naval Operations.
An Instructor room has also been included in the delivery, whereby five navigation bridges may be controlled, supported and viewed, via a suite of software Instructional tools, and a remotely operated camera system. The Instructor has a range of interactive capabilities to adjust exercise parameters to check and confirm trainee actions when facing situations and technological components that are similar to those likely to be encountered aboard Chilean Naval vessels.
Each of the bridges includes a chart table and navigational instruments to enable trainees to learn to effectively navigate the vessel using both traditional and modern methods. Hands-on controls include propulsion and steering equipment, and an industrial joystick and trackball system for course and RPM control. Finally, the facilities have a Meeting Room where the simulation scenario may be displayed at the Instructor’s request, in order to carry out pre and post briefings of each exercise.
After the blessing of the facilities, the Navy Training Director cut the three colored ribbon, while Cadets performed a demonstration exercise conducted by Captain Roberto Leniz Drapela, who is in charge of the Navigation Simulator.
Naval Radio, the Transas representative in Chile, is a privately-owned limited company based in Valparaiso. The company specializes in the installation, repair, maintenance, inspection and certification of marine systems, logistics, and electronic, electrical and computer consultancy.
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214188
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Royal Navy Catches a Virus… from Russia, With Love?
19-Jan-2009 17:25 EST
Cyber-security is an ongoing issue for any enterprise these days, but the defense sector is more of a target than most. Britain’s Ministry of Defence has been finding this out the hard way lately, as a string of announcements have placed its security under a spotlight. The recent use of cyber-attacks as part of conventional warfare has even prodded the USA into both a National Cybersecurity Initiative related to government IT operations, and a Trust in Integrated Circuits initiative that may be even more challenging.
The first bit of bad news was confirmation that just 27% of UK MoD computer systems meet current data security standards for holding classified information and personal data, another 31% meet some standards, and the rest are still being evaluated. A January 2008 scandal, wherein a stolen laptop held unencrypted personal data related to 600,000 people who had either expressed an interest in, or joined, the armed services, drives home the risks.
This was followed by news that the Royal Navy would be relying on Windows XP as the basis of its new Submarine Command System Next Generation. SCSNG is being retrofitted to British submarines, including the nuclear missile armed Vanguard Class. BAE Systems was reported as saying that elements of Windows that were prone to security flaws “were tended to during the modification.” Microsoft’s own ability to perform this task has often been a problem.
The final punch came when the Ministry of Defense acknowledged that problems with computer viruses had affected email systems and internet access to Royal Navy ships, which are handled by Navystar/ N* systems from Fujitsu. The UK MoD stressed that it has not jeopardised war-fighting systems, said that the lack of e-mail communication was due to the computers being shut down as a security measure rather than to viral damage, and added that no classified or personal data was compromised. Subsequent reports, however, have cast doubt on the claim. A whisleblower has apparently informed a Tory MP that email traffic from some RAF stations was sent to a server in Russia, and some of the RAF stations reportedly hit by the virus are used to scramble fighter aircraft to head off Russian bombers testing British air defenses. The virus was also blamed for damaging IT systems on 75% of the Royal Navy fleet, including the carrier HMS Ark Royal; commanders have reportedly been forced to use mobile phones to relay orders with officials in the UK.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Royal-Navy-Catches-a-Virus-from-Russia-With-Love-05256/
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Dover braced for timber adrift at sea
The Dover Coastguard helicopter
Dover coastguard is still keeping track of the 1,500 tonnes of wood that has been adrift in the Dover Strait since yesterday morning.
At first light a spotter plane will survey the situation in the Channel.
A Russian ship lost the wood in rough weather and is now anchored off the Isle of Wight.
It is thought the wood will come ashore at Dungeness tomorrow night or Thursday morning.
http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default.asp?article_id=55291
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Secure Semiconductors: Sensible, or Sisiphyean?
19-Jan-2009 15:11 EST
The May 2008 IEEE spectrum magazine, in “The Hunt for the Kill Switch”:
“Feeding those dreams is the Pentagon’s realization that it no longer controls who manufactures the components that go into its increasingly complex systems. A single plane like the DOD’s next generation F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, can contain an “insane number” of chips, says one semiconductor expert familiar with that aircraft’s design. Estimates from other sources put the total at several hundred to more than a thousand. And tracing a part back to its source is not always straightforward. The dwindling of domestic chip and electronics manufacturing in the United States, combined with the phenomenal growth of suppliers in countries like China, has only deepened the U.S. military’s concern.
Recognizing this enormous vulnerability, the DOD recently launched its most ambitious program yet to verify the integrity of the electronics that will underpin future additions to its arsenal. In December, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Pentagon’s R&D wing, released details about a three-year initiative it calls the Trust in Integrated Circuits program…. Three years ago, the prestigious Defense Science Board, which advises the DOD on science and technology developments, warned in a report that the continuing shift to overseas chip fabrication would expose the Pentagon’s most mission-critical integrated circuits to sabotage. The board was especially alarmed that no existing tests could detect such compromised chips, which led to the formation of the DARPA Trust in IC program.”
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Secure-Semiconductors-Sensible-or-Sisiphyean-04928/#more-4928
Additional Readings
DID (Oct 7/08) – Counterfeit Chinese Electronics Inside American Defense Equipment?
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Counterfeit-Chinese-Electronics-Inside-American-Defense-Equipment-05103/
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Updated Tuesday, January 20, 2009 4:09 pm TWN, By Dune Lawrence, Bloomberg
China security improved in 2008 with Taiwan ties
TAIPEI, Taiwan -- China's security improved in 2008 as relations across the Taiwan Strait warmed, a Ministry of National Defense spokesman said, as the government released a
report showing the slowest defense budget annual growth in three years.
The People's Liberation Army, the world's largest with 2 million soldiers, spent 417.8 billion yuan ($61.1 billion) last year to relieve natural disasters, modernize its weaponry and fight terrorism, according to ministry's annual white paper, released today. Last year's increase was 17.5 percent, slower than the 19 percent in 2007 and a record 20.4 percent increase in 2006.
“Relations across the Taiwan Strait have seen unprecedented and tremendous changes,” Defense Ministry spokesman Senior Colonel Hu Changming told reporters at a press conference in Beijing. Military exchanges “can help the two sides to reduce concerns about military security and promote the stability across the Taiwan Strait.”
The easing of tensions with Taiwan, a conflict that has been the central focus of China's military development since its inception, coincides with an expanded role for the armed forces in supporting China's international standing, through operations such as anti-piracy operations off Somalia.
China still has more than 900 missiles along its southeastern coast aimed at Taiwan, which the mainland claims as its territory. Hu declined to say whether China plans to reduce troop numbers in provinces near the island or to withdraw some of the missiles in light of improved ties.
Security Threats
China, which shares 21,000 kilometers (13,000 miles) of land border with 13 countries, still faces domestic security threats from “separatist forces” in Taiwan, Tibet and its western region of Xinjiang, according to Hu.
“These separatist forces affect the fundamental interests of the people and of the nation,” he said today. “We will never compromise on these matters. The PLA will always maintain our sacred mission to honor the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our nation.”
China in late December deployed two destroyers to the Gulf of Aden, where commercial shipping has been disrupted by pirates. As of today, the naval force has performed six escort missions for a total of 16 ships, according to Colonel Cai Huailie, a military official responsible for strategic planning and operations.
The country's growing military sophistication, including likely plans to build an aircraft carrier, have sparked concern that it may begin to rival Western countries. Officials today downplayed that idea, saying China still has a long way to go to catch up to the West.
'Lags Behind'
“The overall level of our armaments still lags behind developed countries and still cannot meet 100 percent the demands for maintaining national security and honoring our international obligations,” said Colonel Fan Jianjun at the press conference.
China in January 2007 unveiled the Jian-10, a fighter jet developed by China Aviation Industry Corp. using proprietary technology, complete with a new generation of air-to-air guided missiles. The navy has also been enhancing its equipment, building at least one 094-type missile submarine and two 093-type nuclear-powered attack submarines, according to a March 2007 report by the Yazhou Zhoukan magazine.
In December, the Ministry of National Defense said that China is seriously considering building aircraft carriers to beef up its navy and reflect its growing power.
http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/china-taiwan-relations/2009/01/20/192932/China-security.htm
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South Korean Navy to join fight vs. pirates
The Cabinet yesterday approved a government plan to send a naval ship to waters off Somalia to protect commercial vessels from pirates operating in the East African region, the Defense Ministry said.
Cabinet officials ratified the plan to dispatch a Navy destroyer -- the Ganggamchan -- and about 310 troops to the waters off the Gulf of Aden, ministry officials said.
The government plans to present a motion to the National Assembly's February extraordinary session.
With the motion, the Navy will send the 4,500-ton Ganggamchan that will be carrying three high-speed boats, along with a helicopter. The mission, expected to cost around 28 billion won ($20 million), would end by Dec. 31 next year. Extensions may be possible, officials said.
It would mark the first time that Korea participated in an international naval operation.
The Korean forces would be taking part in the maritime security operation under the guide of the United States-led Combined Maritime Forces.
"The government endorsed the dispatch plan to join the international efforts for fighting pirates and to ensure the safe passage of Korean ships," said Jeon Jae-guk, the ministry's policy chief. "The naval forces will be sent as soon as possible."
The Foreign Ministry first proposed sending naval forces to the Somali waters in August last year, citing the series of ship hijackings, especially near the Gulf of Aden.
But the decision was stalled mostly out of security concerns that the dispatch of a destroyer might hamper the Navy's capability of defending waters surrounding the Korean peninsula.
Last week, North Korea issued a message bitterly denouncing the Lee Myung-bak administration. The message also indicated that Pyongyang may take military action in the West Sea, where lies the disputed inter-Korean maritime border.
"We have closely observed the military defense posture, and we have decided there is no reason to believe that sending the ship may result in a security vacuum," Jeon said.
Cost was another contentious issue, which led to the delay in submitting the plan to the Assembly. The Defense Ministry said it has minimized the expenses to bring it down to half the originally envisioned 45 billion won.
Since Seoul would be joining a global security effort, the government said the Navy forces may be involved in other crime-fighting missions, such as illegal weapons trade and drug trafficking.
The United States and a number of European nations, Russia, India and China are operating ships in the Somali coast to safeguard the area, which is cited as one of the world's most crucial shipping routes. Japan is also considering sending ships.
Last month, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution authorizing international land operations against "audacious, armed pirates" operating from Somalia. The resolution, co-sponsored by South Korea, Belgium, France, Greece and Liberia, authorized the states to "take all necessary measures
that are appropriate in Somalia" to suppress "acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea."
Somali pirates attacked a record 42 international cargo ships, including South Korean vessels, last year.
By Kim Ji-hyun
http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/data/html_dir/2009/01/21/200901210023.asp
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Maersk Line, Achieves 7yr Safety Milestone
1/18/2009 1:52:26 PM
M/V LTC John U.D. Page, one of two Maersk Line, Limited-operated ammunition prepositioning ships in Military Sealift Command's Prepositioning Program, marked a safety milestone on December 28, 2008, as the ship's crew celebrated seven years of operations without suffering a lost time accident (LTA).
An LTA is defined as an accident that results in a crew member sustaining an injury requiring him or her to miss at least one shift of work. The number of LTAs occurring aboard a ship are a maritime industry standard for measuring safety performance.
M/V Page is named for LTC John U.D. Page, a U.S. Army officer who earned the Medal of Honor for his actions at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War in 1950.
Extended time periods operating LTA-free are a key safety goal among the ships in the MLL fleet. Page’s sister ship, M/V SSG Edward A. Carter, JR, the other MLL-operated ammunition prepositioning ship in MSC's Prepositioning Program has been operating for six years without an LTA. Carter and Page are among the seven MLL owned or operated ships that have been operating for at least six years without an LTA, including: USNS Effective (7 years), USNS Impeccable (6 years), M/V CPL Louis J. Hauge (6 years), M/V Maersk Rhode Island (6 years) and M/V Maersk Tennessee (6 years).
Preventing LTAs through constant care, awareness, and safety education is a key component of MLL's company-wide safety program, "Drive to Zero." The program's name is derived from its stated goal of ensuring shipboard safety by striving to eliminate all accidents. MLL operates more than 50 ocean-going ships compiling more than 20,000 ship-days of operations annually.
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214185
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US Navy crew teaches skills to Equatorial Guineans
West African nation is security ally with U.S.
By Sandra Jontz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The world should take notice of up-and-coming Equatorial Guinea, a West African nation that has made huge developmental strides and partnered with the U.S. Navy to better its security, U.S. officials said.
"The country really has utilized its revenue from oil and gas to help benefit its development in ways that are not being recognized," Anton Smith, the U.S. charge d’affaires, said in a telephone interview Friday as he sailed aboard the frigate USS Robert G. Bradley in the Gulf of Guinea.
On Thursday, the Bradley became the first U.S. Navy ship to anchor off the mainland city of Bata as part of the Navy’s Africa Partnership Station initiative.
Equatorial Guinea’s government has pumped oil revenue into building up hospitals, schools, roads, bridges, electrical grids, sidewalks, ports and airports — improvements "across the board," Smith said.
Private U.S. companies have invested more than $15 billion in the gas and oil sector of the nation roughly the size of Maryland, Smith said.
"Equatorial Guinea is bigger than it looks on the map," Smith said.
"It’s the third largest oil- and gas-producer in sub-Saharan Africa, with a significant foreign investment footprint. ... One of the primary strategic goals for the U.S. Embassy is to improve and enhance security" in the country.
That’s where, in part, the U.S. Navy steps in.
The APS, as it’s called, started in November 2007 and is a Navy initiative designed to provide security training to participating African nations to help them combat regional problems, like drug smuggling, piracy, illegal fishing and human trafficking.
In the course of about six weeks, the Bradley has visited the nations of Cape Verde, Senegal, Benin, Sierra Leone, and now Equatorial Guinea. U.S. sailors help teach African partners seafaring skills, from how to board and search a ship to firefighting and basic maintenance, said Cmdr. Clint Carroll, the Bradley’s commanding officer.
"APS is a year-round, ongoing effort and this is a great opportunity to continue the program and the U.S. Navy’s long-term commitment to our partners," Carroll said.
"The crew just completed a great visit to Malabo and is ready to work with other members of the military here in Bata. We’re building relationships that are the bedrock of maritime safety and security in the region."
After a few more West African visits, the ship is slated to visit Eastern Africa, with stops in Tanzania and Kenya.
The rising phenomenon of piracy that has plagued vessels transiting off Eastern Africa has shown signs of migrating to the West Coast, and piqued African partnership nations’ interest in seeking U.S. help, Carroll said.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60125
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New Navy Contracts
1/18/2009 1:58:09 PM
Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding Inc., Northrop Grumman Corp., Newport News, Va., is being awarded a $373,511,932 cost plus fixed fee contract for the construction preparation efforts for the second aircraft carrier of the Gerald R. Ford class (CVN 79). Efforts under contract will include engineering, detail design, test and evaluation, logistics support and the procurement of long lead time material. Special performance incentives are also included under the contract. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to be completed by October 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-09-C-2116).
WTAK-1 Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded $49,650,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1019) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Sgt Matej Kocak. WTAK-1 Inc., which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term contract for Kocak, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Co., as shipowner and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1984. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 civilian mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp., Mobile, Ala. Kocak is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009 and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Braintree V Maritime Corp., North Quincy, Mass., is being awarded $48,585,495 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1036) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Sgt. William R. Button. Braintree V, which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term charter for Button, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust Company as shipowner and Fifth Household Finance as Beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1986. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by American Overseas Marine Corporation of North Quincy, Mass. Button is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning Ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
WTAK-3 Inc., Mobile, Ala., is being awarded $45,650,000 to exercise an option under a previously awarded firm, fixed price contract (N00033-82-C-1023) for the purchase of Maritime Prepositioning Ship Maj. Stephen W. Pless. WTAK-3 Inc., which held Military Sealift Command's (MSC's) previous long-term contract for Pless, is executing the sale on behalf of Wilmington Trust as shipowner and UPB Leasing Ventures as beneficiary. The ship has been under long-term charter to MSC since 1985. The ship will remain crewed by about 30 U.S. merchant mariners employed by Waterman Steamship Corp., of Mobile, Ala. WTAK-3 is an affiliate of Waterman Steamship Corp. Pless is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning ships that strategically preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, making the cargo readily available to warfighters who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 15, 2009, and will continue to operate worldwide. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Military Sealift Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Marinette Marine Corp., Marinette, Wis., was awarded on Jan. 12, 2009 $5,793,158 for a firm fixed price contract option item under the previously awarded "rotable pool" spares provision of the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) production contract (N00025-03-C-0002) for the acquisition of one warping tugboat. The work to be performed provides for the boat building of a single warping tug, which is for maneuvering other INLS modules into place during amphibious landings. Rotable pool spares may be ordered in addition to full rate production quantities of INLS watercraft. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $398,711,010. Work will be performed at the co., shipyard in Marinette, Wis. Delivery of this boat will be in Dec. 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Headquarters, Wash., D.C., is the contracting activity.
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214191
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Glasgow-managed tanker attacked off Nigeria
And eight crew of tug kidnapped...
Gunmen attacked a Frontline VLCC, the FRONT CHIEF on Sunday along with at least two tugs in the vicinity of an oil terminal near Bonny, Rivers State in Nigeria say reports.
According to reports the gunmen swooped on the tanker and two tugs, reportedly killing one of the crew on an as yet un-named tug whilst capturing eight Nigerian crew on the LAMNALCO WAXBILL.
The export terminal is run by Royal Dutch Shell Plc.
The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta claimed that one of its 'affiliates' had carried out the attack to send a message to oil companies in the region that the military could not protect them.
According to the BBC the militants used the WAXBILL to make an assault on the FRONT CHIEF, boarding the VLCC and ransacking it whilst the crew of the tanker took refuge in the hold. Reportedly the militants threatened to blow the ship up.
They left the vessel after stealing some 'equipment' said the BBC after seeing a Shell security briefing.
However local press reports tell a rather different story. According to the Nigerian online newspaper, Punch:
"A security source said the gunmen, who came in speedboats, stormed the platform at about 10.pm and opened fire on an oil tanker, “Front Chief,”...
"The source said despite the gunfire that was unleashed on the vessel, the crewmen, braved the situation and refused to allow the militants to come on board."
The 311,224 dwt FRONT CHIEF is commercially managed by V.Ships UK's Glasgow office at Elliot Place and chartered by Frontline.
http://www.shippingtimes.co.uk/item_10230.html
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White paper: China endeavours to build strong navy
www.chinaview.cn 2009-01-20 10:13:17
BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- China takes informationization as the "strategic priority" of its Navy's modernization drive, and endeavors to build a strong navy, says a white paper on China's National Defense in 2008 issued here Tuesday.
The white paper, issued by the Information Office of the State Council, says the Chinese Navy has innovated training programs and methods, highlighting training in maritime integrated joint operations. The integrated combat capability in conducting offshore campaigns and the capability of nuclear counterattacks has been strengthened.
There are three fleets under the Navy, namely, the Beihai Fleet, Donghai Fleet and Nanhai Fleet, which are headquartered respectively in Qingdao of Shandong Province, Ningbo of Zhejiang Province, and Zhanjiang of Guangdong Province.
Each fleet has under its command fleet aviation, support bases, flotillas, maritime garrison commands, aviation divisions and marine brigades. So far the Navy has eight educational institutions, according to the white paper.
Through nearly six decades of development, the Navy has become a modern force consisting of combined arms with both nuclear and conventional means of operations.
The Navy focuses on the integrated training of joint operations elements in conditions of informationization and explores methods of training in complex electromagnetic environments, says the white paper.
It organizes in a scientific way operational training, tactical training, specialized skill training and common subject training, and actively participates in bilateral and multilateral joint training exercises, it says.
Upgrading weaponry and equipment, the Navy endeavors to build new types of submarines, destroyers, frigates and aircraft, forming a preliminary weaponry and equipment system with second-generation equipment as the core and the third generation as the backbone.
The submarine force possesses underwater anti-ship, anti-submarine and mine-laying capabilities, as well as some nuclear counterattack capabilities, says the white paper.
The surface ship force has developed a surface striking force represented by new types of missile destroyers and frigates, and possesses maritime reconnaissance, anti-ship, anti-submarine, air-defense, mine-laying and other operational capabilities, it says.
The aviation wing has developed an air striking force represented by sea-attack aircraft, and possesses reconnaissance, anti-ship, anti-submarine and air-defense operational capabilities.
The Marine Corps has developed an amphibious operational force represented by amphibious armored vehicles, and possesses amphibious operational capabilities, according to the white paper.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/20/content_10688141.htm
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Thales to supply Satellite Communications System to the Norwegian Fridtjof Nansen class frigates
15:16 GMT, January 19, 2009 Thales has been awarded by the Norwegian Defence Procurement Division a contract to deliver a new satellite communications system for the five Norwegian Nansen class frigates.
This very comprehensive contract will significantly enhance the effectiveness of the Nansen class frigates, enabling them to communicate over secure, high bandwidth satellite links, both with other national and allied force elements.
Thales will deliver a complete SATCOM solution for the Nansen class frigates, including state-of-the art military SHF and an advanced dual band Ka/Ku solution engineered to give the best trade-off between performance and installation constraints on-board the frigates. The Thales solution is based on the sea-proven SURFSAT Naval SATCOM family, with leading-edge multi-band and stabilised system, using multiple transmission systems ensuring seamless on-board integration.
The terminals will be fitted with a range of modems including M21e, the most advanced SATCOM Electronic Protected Measures (EPM) modem from Thales. Based on the EPM modems product line already selected by NATO, M21e is a software modem fully compliant with NATO STANAG 4606 ensuring interoperability among allied forces. It provides a futureoriented full IP adaptive waveform and on-board Electronic Support Measures (ESM) compatibility, in a very compact housing easy to integrate on-board. The Norwegian Navy will thus benefit from high data rate SATCOM links enhancing the availability, confidentiality and integrity of voice and data information against potential jamming, interference and intrusion threats.
“The contract confirms Thales as a leading provider of naval SATCOM system solutions, and will strengthen Thales’s partnership with the Norwegian Defence", states Glenn Pedersen, Managing Director of Thales Norway. In line with Thales’s multi-domestic strategy, Thales Norway will rely upon the expertise of Thales worldwide to rapidly deliver a world-class, secure, innovative and cost-effective SATCOM solution for the Nansen class frigates.
defpro.news
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4959/
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EU pledges navy patrols to prevent Gaza smuggling
LEIGH PHILLIPS
19.01.2009 @ 09:24 CET
European Union states have engaged in a flurry of diplomatic activity following the announcement of a ceasefire by Israel and Hamas declaring its own truce over the weekend, with the EU's big three pledging naval support to prevent the delivery of weapons into Gaza.
On Saturday (17 January) at midnight, Tel Aviv declared a unilateral ceasefire, saying its objectives of degrading Hamas' ability to fire rockets into Israel had been achieved.
Hamas on Sunday followed with an announcement of a truce, giving Israel seven days to leave the occupied territory and open all border crossings to permit the entry of humanitarian aid and basic goods.
Six EU leaders - the chiefs of France, Germany and the UK, alongside the Italian, Spanish and Czech prime ministers - then descended upon Sharm al-Sheikh in Egypt for a summit to discuss the crisis, where they committed to work to prevent arms smuggling, a key demand of Israel.
Specifically, they offered troops and technological assistance in co-operation with the US and Egypt to execute the task.
Neither Israel nor the governors of Gaza attended the meeting, but the leaders subsequently met with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Jerusalem.
Ahead of the summit, France, Germany and the UK furthermore offered support of naval patrols to monitor against weapons shipments, according to Reuters.
The leaders also called on Israel to lift the blockade.
"Israel should state immediately and clearly that if rocket fire will stop, the Israeli army will leave Gaza. There is no other solution to achieve peace," said French President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Announcing an additional €22m (£20m) in humanitarian aid to Gaza, UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown criticised Israel for the extreme violence of its offensive.
"We are yet to discover the full scale of the appalling suffering," he said, according to the Guardian. "But what is already clear is that too many innocent civilians, including hundreds of children, have been killed."
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi meanwhile offered support to the Jewish state, pointing out that he was proud to have been the one to push for the inclusion of Hamas on the EU's terror list, according to Israeli daily Haaretz, adding that he will work to see Israel welcomed as a member of the European Union.
"When I heard about the rocket fire at Israel, I felt that it was a danger to Italy, and to the entire West," the paper reports the Italian leader as saying.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel also backed the provision of technical and training assistance to prevent arms deliveries via the Sinai peninsula, saying: "The two-state solution is the sole possibility [for peace]."
The Czech Republic, currently chairing the EU's six-month rotating presidency, also welcomed the ceasefire in a statement.
"The priority now is to ensure that no more civilians die as a result of this conflict. It is vital, therefore, that all required humanitarian assistance, including food, fuel and medical aid, is freely and rapidly delivered into, and distributed within Gaza," it read, calling for a renewal of the peace process.
"The EU stands ready to help establish an independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian state, living side by side with Israel in peace and security," it continued.
The EU's executive body, the commission, expressed relief at the apparent end of the fighting.
"It was indispensable to have a ceasefire," said external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.
"I call on Hamas to refrain from any violence in order to allow for an end to the terrible human suffering. It should also allow the EU and other donors to deliver much needed humanitarian assistance."
"Our priority is a durable peace. I hope we will soon see the regular opening of the Gaza crossings and the withdrawal of all Israeli troops from the Gaza strip," she added.
The peace nevertheless remains fragile. Some 20 rockets were fired across the border following the Israeli ceasefire had been announced, while Israel responded with additional bombing. It is unclear who perpetrated the rocket barrage.
Over 1,300 Palestinians were killed during the three-week war, mostly civilians, including hundreds of children, according to Gaza medical sources. A total of 13 Israelis were killed.
http://euobserver.com/9/27429/
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Indonesia ends search for sunken ship victims; 300 feared dead
www.chinaview.cn 2009-01-20 16:10:40
JAKARTA, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia will stop searching for hundreds of people missing from a sinking ferry nine days ago in waters off Sulawesi island in central of the country, head of the rescue team said on Tuesday.
According to manifest, more than 220 passengers and crews of Teratai Prima ship are still missing and could have been dead, but officials said that many other passengers were on board without registration, which could bring the total number to more than 300.
The 700-ton ship was sunk on Jan. 11 when it had sailed over 30 miles (50 kilometers) off the coast of western Sulawesi and went down in five minutes after a 3-meter wave hit the ship. The ship was on route from Parepare town of South Sulawesi province to Samarinda city of East Kalimantan province.
"We will halt the search this evening," head of South Sulawesi province rescue team Wahyudi Suparman told Xinhua over phone from the island.
According to the procedure, the search must be carried out for 7 days and could be prolonged.
"We have searched in line with the procedure and have extended it for three days," he said.
After searching for nine days, not many victims of the ferry were found. Wahyudi said that many of them might be trapped inside the ferry.
So far, rescuers have found 34 survivors including the captain and 4 out of 17 crews, and nine dead bodies have been found, the head of port administrator at Parepare of the island Yetasa Saritatold Xinhua over phone from the port.
"According to the survivors, many passengers were sleeping soundly when the ship sank as it was after midnight," said Wahyudi.
"Besides, the ship doors were small and so do the windows, which make the hundreds of passengers be difficult to escape should they wake up," he said.
Wahyudi said that based on information from survivors and relatives as well as analysis of documents, he predicted the missing victims could be more than 300 people.
Indonesian police has declared the captain of the ferry Sabir as suspects due the charge of ignorance which cause the loss of hundreds of lives. The captain dismissed warning from the meteorology agency of dangerous weather, according to transport ministry.
Indonesian Transport Minister Jusman Syafi'i Djamal said last week that a preliminary investigation showed the ferry capsized after it was smashed by huge waves, but there would be an investigation into why the captain set sail despite warnings. The National Transport Safety Committee would probe whether possible overloading of passengers could have contributed to the sinking.
Police also investigate additional people, including the port administration, to see if they had any involvement in the disaster.
Ships are a major form of transportation in Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands. Poor enforcement of safety regulations and overcrowding causes accidents that claim hundreds of lives each year.
In December 2006, a crowded Indonesian ferry broke apart and sank in the Java Sea during a violent storm, killing more than 400 people.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/20/content_10690355.htm
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First RBS15 Mk3 Missile heavy anti-ship missile assembled
08:41 GMT, January 20, 2009 The first RBS15 Mk3 heavy anti-ship missile was assembled and tested in December 2008 at the Maasberg premises of Diehl BGT Defence in Germany. This is the very first RBS15 missile round, which has been built outside Sweden in order to verify the production process.
An agreement between Diehl BGT Defence and Saab Bofors Dynamics on the joint development, production and marketing of RBS15 Mk3 envisages the assembly of all missiles for worldwide demand by Diehl.
It is planned to equip all German K130 class corvettes with this missile system in the course of 2009.
Despite its classical shape the latest Mk3 version of the Saab Bofors Dynamics–designed RBS15 is one of the most advanced heavy surface-to-surface missiles available today, featuring a Ku-Band Radar target seeker with a unique target detection and classification capability and very high countermeasure resistance. A precise inertial navigation system supported by GPS provides land target capability
The highly efficient blast-fragmentation warhead has proven to penetrate any modern ship hull. The RBS15 Mk3 missile has a flight range of more than 200 km, providing high tactical flexibility in mission planning.
Besides the missile’s outstanding performance the user-friendly missile engagement planning system MEPS was the German and Polish Navy’s major reason to decide for the procurement of RBS15 Mk3.
Germany, Poland and Sweden have decided to introduce RBS15 Mk3. Currently negotiations are being conducted with additional interested countries. Independently of who is the prime contractor, the work share between the companies remains unchanged.
Taking into account additional growth potential, Diehl and Saab are offering the German Navy the weapon system as the future armament of its frigates. Thus RBS15 Mk3 could replace the aging missiles Exocet and Harpoon.
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/4978/
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Soldiers in line for laser eye surgery
DND keen on 'enhanced operationally fit status'
Tom Blackwell, National Post
Published: Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Related Topics
Canada's military is moving toward surgically enhancing the vision of its soldiers, sailors and airmen, hoping to better equip them for combat and other demanding jobs -- without the hassle of eyeglasses or contact lenses.
The Department of National Defence recently issued a tender for contractors to develop a detailed laser eye surgery program, noting that corrected vision is particularly important in certain military trades.
The operation would give troops in the field an advantage over having to wear spectacles or contacts, said Dr. Walter Delpero, who was the Canadian Forces' chief of opthalmology until he retired from military service in 1996.
"The big question is, what happens if you lose your corrective vision," said Dr. Delpero, who is now in private practice and teaches at the University of Ottawa.
"How would you manage without your appliance? You've hurt yourself, you've fallen, you've been involved in a scuffle, whatever the case is, and you lost your contacts. How would you be able to take care of yourself, take care of your crew?"
The navy is particularly interested in the treatment, as a splash of seawater over a sailor's glasses can significantly reduce his or her visibility, he said.
In fact, most other NATO countries have already started offering the surgery, said the opthalmologist. Dr. Delpero said Canada has taken its time studying the procedure and its side effects, a "prudent" approach designed to ensure the operation would do no harm to troops.
A National Defence spokeswoman stressed that the department has made no final decisions on whether to offer the surgery, which carries a price tag for civilians in the range of $3,000-$6,000, and would not comment on the project.
However, the tender documents suggested a decision had already been made, following a 2005 recommendation by the Forces' surgeon-general, and approval by two key internal bodies: the armed forces council and standard-of-care committee.
"It was felt that refractive eye surgery would elevate certain serving members to an enhanced operationally fit status, eliminating some of the drawbacks that corrective eye wear has in an operational setting," the posting said.
The tender calls for development of a program that would cover everything from choosing appropriate candidates to dealing with any complications or liability issues.
It is unclear whether the procedure would be performed only on those in combat-type roles, or offered more widely.
Dr. Delpero said it would likely be rolled out first to those at the "sharp end of the stick" -- troops most likely to be operating in the field.
But if it turns out instead to be a perquisite available to any member of the Forces, that would be a questionable use of money, suggested one retired army officer and military critic.
"If this is to be done for operational reasons, why not? If this is going to give someone bionic vision to kill a Taliban a hundred miles away, do it," said Michel Drapeau, an Ottawa lawyer and retired infantry colonel. "But if it's going to be a discretionary benefit, where anybody [can get it] ... I have a problem with that."
Laser-eye refractive surgery is most commonly used to correct such vision problems as near-sightedness, far-sightedness and astigmatism: distorted vision at any distance.
Surgeons use a laser to make permanent changes to the shape of the cornea. Complications, including infection, night glare, under-or overcorrection and scarring, are known to occur in less than 1% of cases, said Dr. Delpero, who does not perform the surgery himself.
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=1196189
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Fishermen saved off Australia after 25 days at sea
In this image provided by the Australian Customs Service, two men believed to be from Myanmar floating in an ice box in the Torres Strait Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009.
The pair, aged in their 20s, were rescued from the Torres Strait by a helicopter on Saturday and taken to an Australian hospital on Thursday Island off the coast of Queensland state, Australia. They told authorities they had spent 25 days adrift after their fishing boat sank with the loss of 18 other crew members, an official said Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Australian Customs Service, HO)
By ROD McGUIRK – 1 hour ago
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Two desperate, dehydrated men found bobbing in an ice box off Australia told authorities they spent 25 days adrift after their fishing boat sank, officials said Tuesday. There was no sign of 18 other crew members.
Authorities were amazed that the men, from the Southeast Asian nation of Myanmar, were spotted by a routine customs service flight that patrols for far larger craft such illegal trawlers and people-smugglers in Australia's northern waters.
Monsoon rains in recent weeks may have prevented the pair from dying of thirst.
The men, 22 and 24, were rescued from the Torres Strait by a helicopter Saturday and flown 57 nautical miles (66 miles; 106 kilometers) southeast to a hospital on Thursday Island off Queensland state, Maritime Safety Authority spokeswoman Tracey Jiggins said.
A photograph taken from the patrol plane shows both men standing shirtless in their pink ice box — a waist-high container barely larger than a bathtub and often used to store freshly caught fish — and waving frantically.
"These two people being spotted is miraculous in itself in the huge expanse of ocean after drifting for 25 days," Jiggins said.
Authorities have not said what the men ate or drank during their ordeal. Media reports have said they survived on fish chunks that had been stored in the cooler before the boat sank and rain water that pooled on the floor.
Greg Edwards, a Thursday Island commercial boat operator, said there had been a lot of rain in Torres Strait since Christmas, and 50-knot (58-mph; 93-kph) gusts that chopped up the seas.
"It's been pretty miserable weather," Edwards said.
The men told police they had been aboard a 30-foot (9-meter) wooden fishing boat that sank Dec. 23 with a total of 20 crew from Thailand and Myanmar, also known as Burma.
Jiggins said the men found refuge inside a large insulated box that held ice on the boat. "At the time of the sinking, the two survivors also witnessed other crew in the water with no flotation devices," she said.
One of the rescuers, pilot Terry Gadenne, told Seven Network television that each man drank about four pints of water within seconds of being hoisted aboard the helicopter.
"They were dehydrated, there's no doubt about it, and very keen to get out," Gadenne said.
The men were treated for dehydration at Thursday Island Hospital and released Tuesday.
Immigration Department spokesman Sandi Logan said the men would likely be kept under department supervision while officials determined their identities. Neither man had identity documents.
The Myanmar Embassy in Canberra said it had not contacted the men and did not intend to make a public statement about the incident.
Officials did not know why the fishing boat sank, Jiggins said, but the two men said the vessel had been taking on water for some time before it went down.
The survivors were not able to provide accurate details of where the boat sank. Australian authorities did not plan to search for other survivors.
"We've made an assessment ... that the remaining crew members would not be able to survive 25 days in the water without any form of flotation device," Jiggins said.
Graeme Reberger, director of the Australian ice box manufacturer Techni Ice, said the men appeared to have been in one of his company's 800-liter (210-gallon) models manufactured in Thailand.
"I'm just surprised that they were able to stay in it without it tipping over," Reberger told Nine Network television news.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iEhVefBktNPBawpRkP5m6-Nkh18QD95QOOG00
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Report to criticise cargo looting
A report into the beaching of the MSC Napoli cargo ship off Devon exactly two years ago is expected to criticise the way its aftermath was handled.
After the grounding of the 62,000-tonne vessel in January 2007 containers washed ashore at Branscombe beach.
Thousands of people rushed to scavenge the contents before the area was eventually sealed off by police.
The Napoli Inquiry Chairman, Professor Ian Mercer CBE, will announce its findings in full later.
Items washed up at Branscombe ranged from disposable nappies to motorbikes.
Professor Mercer said: "Sadly it will be the scenes and reports of the looting mayhem played out on the beach at Branscombe in east Devon that will last in people's memories, rather than the helicopter rescue crew, or the skill of the salvers who towed the MSC Napoli to a safer haven.
"This committee's report aims to help authorities improve their emergency plans to be better prepared for such incidents again in future."
The inquiry is expected to call for a new system to "command and control" land operations in major emergencies caused by shipwrecks and pollution.
Salvage operation
The MSC Napoli was en route from Antwerp to South Africa and was carrying 2,400 containers and 3,664 tonnes of fuel oil and marine diesel when its hull was cracked during a storm off Cornwall.
Amid fears the English Channel could be polluted if the ship broke up at sea, it was decided to deliberately ground it off the Dorset and Devon World Heritage Coast.
Since then work has been under way to salvage the wreck.
The hull has already been removed but work to lift the 3,800-tonne stern section will get under way in June and is expected to take two months to complete.
The estimated cost of the total salvage operation is thought to be in the region of £50m.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/england/devon/7839226.stm
Published: 2009/01/20 08:32:00 GMT
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Napoli inquiry findings made public today
Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 08:00
THE findings of the inquiry into the grounding of the MSC Napoli will be made public later today – the second anniversary of the incident.
Devon County Council staged the inquiry – under chairman Professor Ian Mercer – after the Government refused to hold a public investigation.
It is thought that recommendations include the creation of a command and control for land operations in major emergencies caused by shipwrecks and pollution.
The report is thought to be critical of the handling of the public disorder after the beaching of the Napoli off Branscombe on January 20, 2007.
Prof Mercer said: "Sadly, it will be the scenes and reports of the looting mayhem played out on the beach at Branscombe in East Devon that will last in people's memories, rather than the helicopter rescue crew or the skill of the salvers who towed the MSC Napoli to a safer haven.
"This committee's report aims to help authorities improve their emergency plans to be better prepared for such incidents again in future."
The probe heard evidence from a number of witnesses about the grounding of the 62,000-tonne container ship.
The vessel, which had been bound for South Africa, issued a distress call when she was 50 miles south of Cornwall's Lizard peninsula, and the 26-strong crew were rescued after taking to liferafts.
She was being towed to Portland in heavy weather when the condition of the hull worsened. Fearing the Napoli might sink, the decision was taken to beach her off Branscombe.
During the operation, dozens of containers were lost, sparking chaotic scenes on the beach at Branscombe as people frantically tried to salvage high-value goods.
Much of the inquiry focused on how the incident was handled on shore by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Devon and Cornwall Police and local authorities.
Prof Mercer gave some clues to his thinking during the inquiry when he criticised councils, the emergency services and Government agencies for their actions. No-one had taken control of the situation on land "for a few days".
The inquiry was told by East Devon District Council chief executive Mark Williams that the response was "inadequate" to the situation as it materialised. "That is why we had up to 48 hours of relative mayhem," he said.
Dozens of witnesses gave evidence to the inquiry, including Assistant Chief Constable Bob Spencer, who is now retired, and Plymouth-based maritime law expert Charles Hattersley.
In its 103-page report to the inquiry, the MCA explained why the British-registered ship ended up in Lyme Bay.
"A number of possible locations were assessed by both the French and British authorities for a place of refuge on both sides of the Channel; however, the south coast of England provided better options," it said. "The conclusion was that the least environmentally risky option was to tow the vessel to a place of refuge in UK waters."
Prof Mercer, who led the independent investigation team set up by Devon County Council, will present his report at Larkbeare, Exeter, at lunchtime.
Two years on, only the stern of the Napoli remains, submerged a mile off the coast. The final salvage work is not expected to conclude until August.
http://www.thisiswesternmorningnews.co.uk/news/Napoli-inquiry-findings-public-today/article-626522-detail/article.html
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UN inches towards Somalia force
The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution agreeing in principle to a peacekeeping force in Somalia.
It also renewed the mandate of the current African Union force but delayed a decision about a UN force until June.
The US and AU have been pushing for a UN presence but finding troops to participate has been difficult because of the dangers in Somalia.
Meanwhile, huge crowds in Mogadishu have been celebrating the withdrawal of Ethiopian troops from the capital.
Ethiopian forces are pulling out of Somalia, two years after they intervened to try to oust Islamists from Mogadishu.
But their mission to prop up the interim government is widely regarded as a failure as various Islamist groups have recently advanced and once more control much of the country.
Thousands of people gathered on Friday at Mogadishu's football stadium, a former Ethiopian base, where Islamist and clan leaders called on Somalis to solve their own problems and not resort to more violence.
'No peace to keep'
The UN Security Council resolution comes as talks continue in Djibouti between the government and moderate Islamists on power-sharing.
They are trying to agree on the formation of an expanded parliament - from 275 seats to 550 - to include the opposition, and how to select a new president.
Abdullahi Yusuf resigned as president last month after falling out with Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein over attempts to negotiate this peace deal.
The opposition is split into various factions, and the more hardline groups do not support the peace process.
Only about 3,600 Ugandan and Burundian peacekeepers, from an intended 8,000-strong AU force, are deployed in Mogadishu.
Last month UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said few countries were willing to send troops to Somalia, as there was no peace to keep.
Analysts had feared the withdrawal of the Ethiopians would lead to a power vacuum and fighting between rival Islamist factions.
But at the moment all factions - whether they back the peace process with the government or not - seem to be working together.
Somalia has not had an effective national government since 1991, since when various militias have been battling for control.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7834429.stm
Published: 2009/01/16 19:38:50 GMT
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Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Barack Obama's First Act: Send the Navy to War
I was disappointed when I read Thomas Ricks strategic assessment regarding the Navy's approach to piracy.
Tom Ricks is an astute observer of military strategy, and if he sees the pirate situation off Somalia as simply a way to take a cheap shot at the disaster called naval shipbuilding strategy, then I'm afraid nobody in the media may understand what is and has happened. I'd like to welcome Thomas Ricks to the blogosphere by suggesting that when it comes to maritime strategy as it relates to the issue of Somali piracy, he doesn't appear to know what he is talking about.
Thomas Ricks writes:
Better late that never to be going after the Somalia pirates. To me, this is a strategic issue. Keeping the sea lanes open, especially for oil, should be a top priority for the U.S. military. Instead we seemed to defer to the Indians, Chinese and others, letting them take the lead. The Navy may feel that all its special operators -- the guys trained to board and take over ships -- are busy in Iraq and Afghanistan. So, admiral, does that tell you that you probably need more ship boarders, and maybe fewer aircraft carriers or anti-missile systems? You think maybe?
I noted that Yankee Sailor left a comment on the thread. I'm betting Thomas Ricks has no idea who Yankee Sailor is, nor why Yankee Sailor's opinion is more informed. We know better. I have a lot of problems with the assessment Tom is making here, starting with what the top priority for the US military should be. If the top priority of the US military, including the Navy, isn't winning the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, then something is wrong. There is a reason why there are more sailors deployed on land in the CENTCOM area of operations than at sea, and that reason is absolutely valid.
This is a strategic issue as Tom contends, but with the assertion of "better late than never" and the suggestion that "Indians, Chinese and others" taking leadership roles is somehow representative of a failure of maritime strategy, Tom Ricks is essentially admitting to me that he has never actually read the US Navy's maritime strategy.
I couldn't agree more with Thomas Ricks regarding his implied assessment of naval shipbuilding, as I have stated in the past, in no case can we exercise control of the sea with battleships alone. Our collective opinions regarding force structure however do not translate into analysis whether the Navy has the right equipment to address piracy, nor does it hold any bearing on whether the strategic approach the Navy, indeed the nation, has taken to address piracy off the coast of Somalia has been effective. By turning his assessment of the US strategy towards the Somali piracy issue into a force structure debate, Tom Ricks is making an apples and oranges comparison.
But when it comes to naval forces and the US Navy's approach to Somalia, I'd suggest that even on this specific point Tom is inaccurate. I see the use of the LPD-17 platform as an afloat forward staging base (AFSB) as a brilliant approach to addressing irregular littoral challenges like piracy. While no one is suggesting the LPD-17 is the only solution towards a challenge that requires a network of naval vessels, the LPD-17 platform represents a central node in that network in a lot of the analysis I've read on the subject. It isn't an accident the Navy is using the USS San Antonio (LPD-17) as a command ship for CTF-151, and don't be surprised when the USS New Orleans (LPD-18) becomes the next command ship for CTF-151. In this regard, I see the analysis of Thomas Ricks regarding what means to use to execute maritime strategy off Somalia as flawed as well.
Tom's point raises the question whether the US Navy needs to retool long term for fighting challenges like piracy. I would contend that Somali piracy is indeed a test case that answers those kinds of questions.
All strategies have an expiration date, because with any new policy comes a new strategy. As signaled by Admiral Gortney last week in the Pentagon press conference, all indications are that a new policy is soon to emerge, meaning the current strategy for addressing Somali piracy is about to expire. With that the case, we can now evaluate whether the current strategy to date has been successful or not.
What has been the Navy's strategy? The ends of strategy has been two fold. First, to build an international approach towards the shared international security problem of Somali piracy. Second, to develop the political and legal framework to enable action against Somali piracy. If we judge the success or failure of strategy by whether the ends of strategy are achieved, then I would suggest the Navy has done a brilliant job.
Even a casual reading of the Cooperative Maritime Strategy for 21st Century Seapower notes that by placing emphasis on taking cooperative approaches to shared problems, the Navy will always be taking a "diplomacy first" approach in executing maritime strategy. Building coalitions is by definition political, and using the time frame discussed by Admiral Gortney in the press conference, comparing the situation in the region in August to the situation today, clearly the conditions have been shaped towards the ends of strategy in terms of building international participation. Could the US Navy have taken ownership or leadership in the fight against piracy? Absolutely, but they wisely, intentionally avoided doing so, because the absence of the US Navy was the enabling condition that built the international military response to date, and allowed the political process led by the European and Asian economic powers in the United Nations to develop towards our strategic goals.
The conditions for using military power today are not the same as they have been in the past. Those conditions are influenced heavily by how previous military actions taken by the Bush administration have been seen globally. Dealing with this condition change has, in the specific case of Somali piracy, required the US Navy to do nothing about piracy off Somalia in order to build an international diplomatic and military response. For those who seek more clarification regarding the strategic environment we will build strategies in after Bush, I encourage you to read Great Powers: America and the World After Bush by Thomas Barnett set to be released on February 5, 2009.
Admiral Gortney told the media in the press conference that sometime in the next week the State Dept would finalize an agreement with one of the nations in the region to prosecute pirates, and once that happens there will be a change in the Navy's rules of engagement. The implication is, because all strategies expire with policy change, a new strategy in regards to Somali piracy is soon to emerge with a new proactive policy, and the implications of a new policy are historic in regards to the timing.
The nations maritime strategy towards Somali piracy, by emphasizing a diplomacy first approach, has resulted in 1) a United Nations driven mandate for military action (still evolving as recently as today towards a multinational land action btw) 2) built on international consensus 3) to address a complex international security problem resulting 4) in the largest collection of international warships off the coast of Africa since WWII with 5) a legal framework to take action. By taking a patient approach, largely consisting of military inaction while implementing a diplomacy first solution with allies towards building this large international presence, the diplomats have developed the desired international legal framework necessary for the Navy to take action, and do so in the exact conditions desired and expressed in the Navy's own maritime strategy.
The execution of maritime strategy to date has been brilliant in my opinion. The timing isn't "too late" as Tom Ricks contends, the timing is perfect.
When was the last time a President of the United States, acting as Commander in Chief, has entered office and on the first week has instructed the US Navy to take military action? In the history of our country, this has never happened, ever! And yet the strategy towards Somali piracy has been executed so well that Barack Obama will enter office this week, and one of his very first acts as Commander in Chief will be to send the US Navy to war against pirates off the coast of Somalia.
With all due respect to Thomas Ricks, he may need to write a new book to adequately explore the dynamics of just how successful the US diplomatic and maritime strategy for dealing with Somali piracy has been. When a strategy is implemented so masterfully that both the media and all the partisans in the US completely miss that Barack Obama's first act as Commander in Chief will be to go to war on a third front, and by taking this action, the international community is excited that one of the first actions by the President replacing George Bush is to commit military power in the Middle East region...
...clearly someone, somewhere, is doing something right.
It will be interesting to see what strategy emerges to carry out the upcoming policy change in regards to Somali piracy. Everyone knows the solution to piracy is on land. It is also noteworthy that the symptoms of Somali piracy are the same as the symptoms creating the terrorism issues that have long driven US policy towards Somalia under the Bush administration. The challenge is now that the US has found a way to align the strategic interests of the international community with US strategic interests in Somalia, can the political process develop an international solution to both problems? I don't know, but I bet the success of that process will be diplomatic, not military, and may even require naval forces to fail to stop piracy at sea to be achieved.
cross-posted at the United States Naval Institute Blog
Posted by Galrahn at 12:00 AM
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2009/01/barack-obamas-first-act-send-navy-to.html
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Monday, January 19, 2009
China White Paper on National Defense 2008
The Chinese State Council Information Office published a white paper entitled China's National Defense in 2008 today. The document consists of 14 chapters and six appendixes, describing China as an actively adapting military force embracing new trends in world military development and modernizing its national defense and armed forces. The full text (English) of the white paper can be found here, including a download .rar file that can be decompressed to retrieve a PDF.
http://www.china.org.cn/government/central_government/2009-01/20/content_17155577.htm
Chapter five regarding the Navy reads as follows:
V. The Navy
The Navy is a strategic service of the PLA, and the main force for maritime operations. It is responsible for such tasks as safeguarding China’s maritime security and maintaining the sovereignty of its territorial waters, along with its maritime rights and interests. The Navy is mainly composed of submarine, surface ship, aviation, Marine Corps and coastal defense wings.
History of Development
The Navy was founded on April 23, 1949. From 1949 to 1955 it set up the surface ship force, coastal defense force, aviation, submarine force and Marine Corps, and established the objective of building a light maritime combat force. From 1955 to 1960 it established the Donghai Fleet, Nanhai Fleet and Beihai Fleet, successively. From the 1950s to the end of the 1970s the main task of the Navy was to conduct inshore defensive operations. Since the 1980s, the Navy has realized a strategic transformation to offshore defensive operations. Since the beginning of the new century, in view of the characteristics and laws of local maritime wars in conditions of informationization, the Navy has been striving to improve in an all-round way its capabilities of integrated offshore operations, strategic deterrence and strategic counterattacks, and to gradually develop its capabilities of conducting cooperation in distant waters and countering non-traditional security threats, so as to push forward the overall transformation of the service. Through nearly six decades of development, a modern force for maritime operations has taken shape, consisting of combined arms with both nuclear and conventional means of operations.
Structure and Organization
In time of peace, the Navy adopts a leadership system which combines operational command with building and administration, and which mainly consists of the Navy Headquarters, fleets, test bases, educational institutions, and an armaments academy. There are three fleets under the Navy, namely, the Beihai Fleet, Donghai Fleet and Nanhai Fleet, which are headquartered respectively in Qingdao of Shandong Province, Ningbo of Zhejiang Province, and Zhanjiang of Guangdong Province. Each fleet has under its command fleet aviation, support bases, flotillas, maritime garrison commands, aviation divisions and marine brigades. At present, the Navy has eight educational institutions, namely, the Naval Command College, Naval Engineering University, Naval Aeronautical Engineering College, Dalian Naval Academy, Naval Submarine College, Naval Arms Command College, Naval Flying College and Bengbu Naval School for Non-commissioned Officers.
The submarine force is equipped with nuclear-powered strategic missile submarines, nuclear-powered attack submarines and conventional submarines, all organized into submarine bases and submarine flotillas. The surface ship force mainly consists of destroyers, frigates, missile boats, mine sweepers, landing ships and service ships, and is organized into flotillas of destroyers, speedboats, landing ships and combat support ships, as well as maritime garrison commands. The aviation wing mainly consists of fighters, fighter-bombers, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft, patrol aircraft and helicopters, all organized into aviation divisions. The Marine Corps is organized into marine brigades, and mainly consists of marines, amphibious armored troops, artillery troops, engineers and amphibious reconnaissance troops. The coastal defense force is mainly organized into coastal missile regiments and antiaircraft artillery regiments, and mainly consists of shore-to-ship missile, antiaircraft artillery and coastal artillery troops.
Force Building
In line with the requirements of offshore defense strategy, the Navy takes informationization as the orientation and strategic priority of its modernization drive, and is endeavoring to build a strong navy. It deepens reforms and innovations in training programs and methods, highlights training in maritime integrated joint operations, and enhances integrated combat capability in conducting offshore campaigns and the capability of nuclear counterattacks. It organizes in a scientific way operational training, tactical training, specialized skill training and common subject training, focuses on the integrated training of joint operations elements in conditions of informationization and explores methods of training in complex electromagnetic environments. It also attaches importance to MOOTW, training and actively participates in bilateral and multilateral joint training exercises.
Upgrading weaponry and equipment, and optimizing the weaponry and equipment system. Efforts are being made to build new types of submarines, destroyers, frigates and aircraft, forming a preliminary weaponry and equipment system with second-generation equipment as the core and the third generation as the backbone. The submarine force possesses underwater anti-ship, anti-submarine and mine-laying capabilities, as well as some nuclear counterattack capabilities. The surface ship force has developed a surface striking force represented by new types of missile destroyers and frigates, and possesses maritime reconnaissance, anti-ship, anti-submarine, air-defense, mine-laying and other operational capabilities. The aviation wing has developed an air striking force represented by sea-attack aircraft, and possesses reconnaissance, anti-ship, anti-submarine and air-defense operational capabilities. The Marine Corps has developed an amphibious operational force represented by amphibious armored vehicles, and possesses amphibious operational capabilities. The coastal defense force is represented by new types of shore-to-ship missiles and possesses high coastal defense operations capability.
Optimizing the logistical support system, and improving maritime integrated support capabilities. Aiming at enhancing its integrated logistical support capabilities, the Navy has preliminarily built a logistical support system with shore-based logistical support as the foundation and sea-based logistical support as the mainstay, and meshes the two into an integrated whole. It has stepped up the building of ship bases, berthing areas, supply points, docks and airfields. As a result, a shore-based support system is basically in place, which is coordinated with the development of weaponry and equipment, and suited to wartime support tasks. The Navy has gradually deployed new types of large integrated supply ships, medical ships and ambulance helicopters, and succeeded in developing many types of maritime support equipment and a number of key technologies, leading to significant progress in the modernization of the maritime support force.
Enhancing the capabilities and quality of naval officers and men, and training qualified military personnel. The Navy has adopted a personnel training model in which commanding officer candidates receive integrated education for academic credentials and separate pre-assignment education, and is making efforts to improve the pre-assignment training system for officers. The personnel training of the Navy highlights the uniqueness of the service, and stresses the cultivation of practical capabilities. To raise officers’ competence for handling their assignments, the Navy is striving to improve the personnel training programs of its educational institutions and implement assignment-oriented curricula. It is also endeavoring to expand the scale of training for NCOs and foster intermediate and senior NCOs qualified for technically complex posts.
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2009/01/china-white-paper-on-national-defense.html
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Israeli Navy Hunts Hamas During Gaza Siege
Yaakov Katz
January 19th 2009
Jerusalem Post correpondent
"Fire. Fire. Fire," shouts Capt. Yoni into his two-way radio, before a typhoon cannon on the deck of the Shaldag ship lets off a burst of gunfire toward the Gaza coast.
"There was an indication that rockets were being fired from that location at Ashdod and Ashkelon," explains Yoni, the commander of the naval vessel.
Earlier, Yoni and his troops had scouted the coastline with an advanced thermal camera to ensure no IDF troops were in the area. Suddenly, as the camera zooms in on a hotel under construction on the Gaza coast, one of the soldiers says, "Wait. There's someone there."
The camera zooms in on the location and spots nothing more than a pack of dogs.
It's the 13th night of Operation Cast Lead and we're sailing on Yoni's ship some 2.5 kilometers off the Gaza coast. It is the first time a reporter has joined naval forces since the start of the operation. From the ship, capable of up to 45 kilometers an hour, we see a Tarshish naval vessel, Sa'ar 4.5, which is also part of operations against Hamas.
Since the start of the military campaign, the bulk of the credit for hitting Hamas infrastructure has gone to the air force, which has conducted hundreds of sorties over Gaza. However, the navy has also been operating since the first day of the operation, and has hit some 200 Gaza targets with its various weapons.
The ship gets its orders from the navy's war room, where a group of officers look at a wall lined with television screens showing the sea, the location of Israeli forces and rocket launches from Gaza. On one screen in the middle, the officers watch Al-Jazeera.
"We are guarding Israel's coastal borderline, including Gaza fishing areas, in order to prevent a terrorist infiltration into Israel," explains Maj. Tzur.
The navy has two main advantages over the air force. First and foremost, its weapons aren't weather restricted - the ships can hit a target even in extremely cloudy conditions.
In addition, battleships can fire shells with maximal precision. On several occasions, they have even managed to fire a shell through a window of a building after armed Palestinians were spotted there.
"We get to places no one else can get to," a senior naval officer explains. "We have weapons with great precision, the ability to remain in the battlefield for long periods and we have no problem with clouds."
The navy is tasked, among other things, with imposing the sea blockade on the Strip, preventing weapons smuggling to Gaza via the Mediterranean and thwarting terror attacks. The navy has a significant force and maintains a constant presence near the Gaza coast. Several other Israeli naval vessels sail in the area, including Sa'ar 4.5s, hunting Hamas terror cells and backing up ground operations.
"The navy joined the military campaign on the first day," explains the senior officer. "Since then, we have attacked launchers, bunkers and have backed up ground forces operating in the Strip, helping them open routes and clear out suspicious regions and houses from which gunmen have opened fire."
During the campaign, there has been an unprecedented level of cooperation between naval and ground forces, he said.
"There is direct contact between regiment commanders and naval commanders," he explains.
Palestinian police boats have also been hit during naval operations, and according to the officer, Hamas naval forces have been dealt a severe blow. The officer said that there had been attempts to fire at Israeli naval ships, mostly with light arms and anti-tank missiles.
Ships like Yoni's, anchored off the Gaza coast, hunt for terrorists and rocket launching cells. In a single day, 10 Hamas terror operatives were killed by naval forces.
There have also been attempts by Palestinian boats to approach Israeli naval vessels, and the IDF suspects that they are trying to perpetrate a terror attack similar to that carried out on the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000, when a small boat rammed into the vessel, blowing it up. There have also been attempts to smuggle arms via the sea into the Strip.
"All the time, there are attempts to approach us…they are dying to hurt us," said the officer. "There is now a naval blockade so anyone who is in the sea is considered suspicious."
Despite the fact that the navy is seemingly far from the rocket-hit Israeli towns, some of its members live in the South. Felipe, who immigrated to Israel from Argentina with his family 12 years ago, now lives in Beersheba, in the range of Hamas's Grad rockets. "What is happening at home is a little frightening," says Felipe. "On the other hand I'm happy to be here defending my home because that's the reason I joined the army."
Yaakov Katz is a veteran correspondent for the Jerusalem Post from where this story was adapted. For more news and information on Mideast affairs, go to www.jpost.com.
http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=1035&pageid=89&pagename=Features
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http://www.shipping.nato.int/
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As Piracy Slows in Somalia, EagleOne Notes Why
Gulf of Aden Wind Chart (19 Jan 09)
The frequency of piracy attacks off the Horn of Africa appears to be down in January 2009, and while governments may be tempted to suggest the attacks are down due to a growing international naval presence in the region, EagleOne is noting a more realistic set of circumstances that can explain unfolding events, by noting the weather.
I could be wrong, but the way I read that chart above is that the sea winds in the Gulf of Aden are running 10 -25 knots - a little steep, I would think, for the small boats operated by the pirates. I don't think I'll be drinking any champagne over the success of the counter pirate operations just yet . . .
Eagleone posts a chart of wind patterns to go along with his analysis, check it out. In the comments, Mr. Michael Murrell, Director of Operations, Training and Deployment for International Ships Support Group (ISSG), a maritime security company that provides security services to insure best practices for protection for shipping companies, notes another valid reason. There have been a number of ships released by pirates over the last several days.
Both points in conjunction explain a lot. Weather, in particular wind and sea state, make it very difficult for pirates to get in position to hijack a ship, as control of the attacking vessel is critical to the tactics of scaling a ship. Eagleone cites information from an ONI report from October that further discusses the influence of weather on pirate operations.
But Mr. Michael Murrell's point is also important, and he is observing patterns in motion. We have seen a pattern in the past that upon the release of ships a downtime period occurs followed by a surge in attacks. It is speculation as to why the downtime occurs, but some have speculated the reasons range from a 'lessons learned' period where pirates actually share lessons with one another to develop better tactics, while others have noted the downtime is assoicated with a spending period where pirates seek out ways to spend their new cash, sometimes in the black market in Somalia for better equipment to execute their pirate trade.
The combination of poor weather conditions off the Horn of Africa and a number of ships being released better explain why there is a small lull in pirate activity off Somalia. The increase in naval force does not explain it, there have been very few instances where naval activity has resulted in either an action that uses lethal force or capture of pirates that would deter pirate activities, so until pirates are either being killed or captured, it is difficult to suggest the coalition naval forces are having impact... yet.
It would appear there is a Reuters reporter reading Eagleone, because the analysis today notes weather being a factor even as the article does not explain why or how they came to that conclusion. The article isn't a loss though, it notes that the pirates in the Central region have grown from six companies to nine companies, and suggests they have scouts out monitoring coalition warships as they develop tactics. This is interesting, because in last weeks Pentigon press briefing from 5th Fleet, Admiral Gortney noted the expanding capabilities of the pirates in Northern Somalia as being primarily responsible for the increase in attacks. If both Reuters and Admiral Gortney are discussing two different groups of pirates, which appears to be the case, we are soon to see an expansion of pirate attacks to coincide with the next surge, meaning it is about to get ugly out there.
When one observes the timing of the various events taking place, I think we potentially on the verge of major naval operations off the coast of Somalia, and it will be interesting to see how long CTF-151 consists of only 3 ships. I would expect that number to grow, not only in the form of coalition ships but in the number of US Navy ships as well.
Posted by Galrahn at 11:33 AM
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2009/01/as-piracy-slows-in-somalia-eagleone.html
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Drop in crude tanker demand
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
DEMAND for crude tanker shipping is expected to contract by 13% this year as the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) cuts oil production. According to the latest CIMB Research sector update report, the drop in crude tanker demand would be further compounded by average ship supply that could grow by 7% this year. It said this would reflect an excess supply of 47.8 million dead weight tonnes (dwt) or 160 very large crude carriers (VLCC). One of MISC’s very large crude carrier, Bunga Kasturi Empat. The Baltic Dirty Tanker index (BDTI) could fall as much as 51% year-on-year (y-o-y) to just 750 points or lower.
The BDTI is the average rate on dirty tanker routes. Large tankers generally carry “dirty” (black oil or crude oil) cargo as opposed to clean tankers that ship refined products such as petroleum, diesel fuel, jet fuel or chemicals.
The most recent cut in Opec production quota by 2.2 million barrels per day came into effect on Jan 1 but most likely had not been implemented in full, suggesting that tanker rates would see more pressure ahead, the report said.
“We conclude that Opec production cuts alone are enough to force VLCC and suezmax tankers demand for this year to fall as much as 13% y-o-y, while aframax tanker demand could fall by 9% y-o-y,” it said.
Over the past few months, Opec has responded to the sharp drop in oil prices by targeting large output cuts, which will be reflected more clearly in months ahead.
On Sept 10, Opec announced 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) cut in output, followed by a 1.5 million bpd cut on Nov 1, and the latest 2.2 million bpd cut effective Jan 1.
The report said the impact on the crude tanker shipping markets would be significant because the Opec cuts were borne primarily by Middle East and West African producers, which typically ship their cargoes on long-haul journey to markets in the Far East, North America and Europe.
“The negative tonne-mile impact on shipping demand will therefore be larger than if the output cut had been borne by producers which are proximate to the main consuming nations, such as Latin/South American or North Sea producers,” it said.
For instance, it takes 82 days to ship crude oil from the Arabian Gulf to the US Gulf, 75 days to Rotterdam in Europe, and 45 days to Chiba in Japan.
West African voyages take 60 days to the Far East and 42 days to US Gulf. In contrast, voyages from the North Sea to Rotterdam only take eight days, while Venezuelan oil takes 15 days to arrive at Texas City in the United States.
Compounding the lower oil demand, the tanker fleet was anticipated to grow at almost 12% this year, the report said.
This is due to the increase in newbuilding deliveries only to be offset by a modest amount of scrapping.
“More than 70% of the crude tanker orderbook is with South Korean and Japanese yards, where the prospects of shipyard failure or delivery delays are minimal and only less than 30% of tankers were ordered from Chinese yards.
“We do not expect any conversion removals (tankers to bulk carriers) this year because of the collapse in dry bulk rates, a key reason why our current fleet growth forecast for this year is almost three percentage points higher than the prior expectation.
“We have assumed that 15% of single-hull ships will be scrapped this year, followed by another 75% in 2010 because of International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol) mandatory phase-out rules.
“The scrapping will offset most of the 2010 newbuilding deliveries, resulting in only 1.4% net fleet growth and setting the stage for a rebound in crude tanker rates,” it said.
However, according to the report, MISC Bhd’s tanker business was expected to remain profitable under the tough conditions.
“This is due to its 50% term contract protection and low capital costs. The company’s earnings are also on the defensive mode due to stable liquefied natural gas as well as growing offshore engineering businesses,” said the report.
MISC is the biggest tanker owner and operator in the country with 11 VLCCs and 28 aframax vessels.
Source: The Star
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32850&Itemid=95
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01/20/09 15:01
Some 110 Indonesia`s Navymen to join UN in Lebanon
Surabaya (East Java) (ANTARA News) - Some 110 members of the Indonesian Navy`s Eastern Fleet Command (Koarmatim) will leave for Lebanon by the n warship KRI Diponegoro-365 early February 2009 to join the UN Peace Mission.
The Indonesian Navy would also send one helicopter to Lebanon.
The Navy personnel were currently undergoing a one-month training course, especially about the latest developments on Lebanon and Palestinian issues, Lt Col Toni Syaiful, a Koarmatim spokesman, said here on Tuesday.
"They get information on the situation (in Lebanon) and experience in joining the UN Peace Mission from various institutions such as the foreign affairs ministry, ICRC, UNHCR, Unicef, the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) and others. Hopefully, they will be fully ready for their task," he said.
The TNI`s sources speaking to the Navy`s members in the course include the Indonesian defense attache in Egypt, military officers of the Center for Maintaining Peace Mission (PMPP), the TNI and intelligence unit.
The PMPP`s military officers have experiences in international assignments. They share their experiences with Koarmatim`s naval officers on how to face situations in the field," he said.
The 110 naval officers among others consist of 88 crew members of KRI Diponegoro, 22 helicopter crew members, doctors, divers, amphibious soldiers, communication personnel, an information officer, and weaponry technicians.
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2009/1/20/some-110-indonesias-navymen-to-join-un-in-lebanon/
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More newbuilding cancellations on the road, as ship owners look for some "damage control"
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Another Hellenic shipping company, this time from the private ones, Costamare Shipping, owned by Cpt. Vassilis Konstantakopoulos, moved forward with its plans to axe part of its new building programme. Costamare, one of the most reknowned companies of the container shippping sector, which has been hit even worse than dry bulk shipping by the recent financial crisis, is set to cancel new building orders for three containerships. The order had been placed with China’s Hudong and was of an estimated value of $480 million. It involved the building of four containerships of 4,800-TEUs each. If the report is confirmed three out of four vessels won’t reach the sea, at least for Costamare. As for the remaining vessel it will be built with a nine-month delay, which will bring its scheduled delivery at the beginning of 2010. One of the reasons for this delay could be the fact that Costamare hasn’t yet managed to secure the ship’s employment with any charterer. Of course, Costamare still remains the largest Hellas-based shipping company of the container sector, controlling a fleet of about 60 vessels.
The Constantakopoulos family is also involved in one of the country’s biggest tourism developments which are currently underway. The project is ran by TEMES, an affiliated entity, and involves the development of four large plots in the region of Messinia, the family’s homeland. It will include a number of golf courses, luxurious hotels, housing, marinas and related amenities.
Besides Costamare, a number of Hellenic shipping companies have already announced plans to axe part of their new building programmes, with most of them being publicly-traded like Navios Maritime of Angeliki Fragou, Stealthgas of Harry Vafias and Genco Shipping of Mr. Peter Georgiopoulos. Among the private ones one can include Metrostar of Theodore Angelopoulos, Target Marine of Mr. Komninos and Brave Maritime of the Vafias family.
Nikos Roussanoglou, Hellenic Shipping News
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32752&Itemid=93
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Regards
Snooper
NNNN
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