Please Note
Weekend coming …….
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,
No Update.
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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.
Repairs and a Trip to Table Mountain - 04 02 09
It's been another busy two days on shore. Yesterday was spent on examining the rudder bearings. But as this was mostly left to the experts, dad and I took a fantastic trip up Table Mountain. It was a truly breathtaking view over the Cape. The sun was ducking in and out of the clouds, lighting up the ocean and keeping us nice and warm, despite the height.
That afternoon, with the help of a few fantastic guys and a great tow we got Totallymoney.com over to Elliot Basin. Manoeuvring her is pretty tricky thanks to her tiny engine and small twin rudders and when the moment of berthing came, a good blow suddenly came. It was a tense few minutes as we fought to squeeze her into a very tight spot, battling against the wind on our beam. Funnily enough, as soon as we’d berthed, the wind vanished!
We were hoping to crane Totallymoney.com out today but the local south easter decided to pick right up to a steady 40knots, which meant it was far to dangerous to lift her out safely. Her keel’s almost 4m, so she has to go up pretty high to get into the cradle.
So, with the lift called off for today, we made our way down to Cape Point right at the tip of Africa to see the cape being battered by the south easter. It really was stunning seeing the rocks offshore kicking up huge plumes of spray as the sea shot across them. I can’t wait to get back out there again.
We’ve taken the opportunity of hiring Southern Spars, a fantastic rigging company, to come over and take a really good look at the mast. I'm definitely going to make the most out of my stop here - once I leave it's going to be quite a while before I hit land again!
Visit : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/
Blog : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/?cat=5
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Teenage solo circumnavigators meet
Three solo sailors met in Cape Town earlier this week as they all head in different directions. Teenagers Mike Perham and Zac Sunderland, who are rivals in their bids to become the youngest to sail alone round the world, found themselves in the same port by coincidence and had lunch yesterday.
Also in Cape Town is Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty, who retired here in his IMOCA 60 Maisonneuve after autopilot and halyard problems in the Vendée Globe. Dejeanty is making repairs before returning to France.
Mike Perham, 16, is from Hertfordshire in the UK, and is five months younger than Californian Zac Sunderland. The two are sailing very different boats. Sunderland is sailing a 36ft cruising boat, while Perham is sailing a powerful Open 50.
After meeting Zac Sunderland and his father, Mike Perham writes in his blog: 'We have so much in common, they're such down-to-earth people and we shared several funny stories. I showed Zac around Totallymoney.com and I hope to have a look around Intrepid, Zac's boat later this week.
'We also met up with Jean-Baptiste Dejeanty.. Jean-Baptiste has been really kind; he even gave me some of his food, as this trip is taking a little longer than expected. I was in awe when I took a look around his fantastically powerful boat. Afterwards we went out for a couple of drinks and some dinner, had a long chat and a few laughs.'
http://www.ybw.com/auto/newsdesk/20090104154740ywnews.html
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One View of Hybrid Sailors
When I read this, I immediately contacted CDR Curt Renshaw to get permission to post it on the blog. In regards to every comment made about the human environment on LCS, the description within describes exactly what I observed while on USS Freedom (LCS 1). This is very accurate in that regard. With his permission...
Why JOs Should Want To Serve in LCS
By CDR Curt Renshaw, USN
Commanding Officer, LCS 2 Independence Blue
LCS is the "Special Forces" of Surface Warfare:
Designed for asymmetric threats
Fast and agile (achieve in excess of 40 kts in a 420 foot ship with a 100 foot beam and the volume of two FFGs)
Concentrated Lethality via focused mission packages (e.g. 57mm gun, 2x30mm guns, 60 N-LOS missiles, armed helo, VTUAV and 11M RHIBS in SUW Package)
Mission Oriented (take what you need for the mission and self-defense and quickly transit to/from the littoral battlespace)
Flat, task-oriented organization of crew - Only 40 core and 75 total crew with significant cross-training (hybrid). No more pyramid/hierarchical organization. When you own a task, you own all the people on the ship for it. When you don't, you work ISE or for another task leader. (i.e. sometimes everyone works for you and sometimes almost no one does...the ability to know when is key).
Great People:
Quality - ties into Special Forces model. Everyone is a contributor. No bit-players and no room for those who aren't proven in previous tours.
Don't have 6 months as a UI. Step onboard and are immediately on the watchbill (produce of proven performers and rigorous training pipeline).
The 10 percent who take 90 percent of the time aren't there. That time is left for the mission and innovative thought (which is necessary).
Sailors in general can be grouped into three categories - Some in the Navy can't seem to follow instructions. Most, fortunately, know and follow the manual and spend much of their time training those who cannot. Only a small few are able to take a current process or manual and understand it in enough detail to re-write it to achieve the same high standards, but via a different method. LCS is blessed with many of the latter types of Sailors and absolutely NONE of the first group.
Innovation is a must:
Paperwork and admin is not the focus of your job, it is the means. LCS is operationalized with much of the admin burden shifted to ashore. (No admin ratings and few supply ratings onboard. PMS sked ashore. Many low-skill tasks done by others).
Completely different watch organization. OOD hands-on and drives four waterjets with a joy-stick. Two-man bridge watch and one of them is the "EOOW".
Key platform for the future of warfare. Unmanned systems include UUVs, USVs, and UAVs to complement manned aircraft and systems. Building not only how we operate ships, but how we fight.
At the turn of the last century, DDs were introduced to counter the torpedo boats asymmetrical threat to battleships (sounds familiar). Within a few years, they also became the platform of choice for ASW (sounds familiar again). They were also used in various versions during both World Wars to counter mines. They evolved into the workhorse of the 20th century and were flexible enough to evolve for threats that developed. Destroyers have themselves now almost become capital ships with TLAM and TMD missions. LCS is a new platform to counter asymmetric threats (mines, diesel subs, FAC/FIAC and also counter-drug, counter-piracy, SOF, USMC-support missions) and offers the flexibility to be the workhorse in the future.
Large mission bay, flight deck and true open architecture system to support both manned and unmanned systems is the field of dreams for warfare.
Bottom-line is that this is a fast-paced environment on many levels with a focus on trimming the fat and one in which every JO will be a key operator and warfighter. They will also be surrounded by nothing but highly skilled, top-notch sailors all of whom are required to think and not just blindly follow. JOs should be clamoring to be a part of that.
A lot of SWO's are not very happy with the idea "hybrid sailors" would suggest themselves to be the "Special Forces" of the SWO community. It is a fact that is not lost on anyone who spends anytime on a LCS that the human side of the LCS program is different than anywhere else. Here is my take.
The littorals are a nasty place, and I think the hybrid sailor program got it exactly right by taking the most capable, best trained, more experienced volunteers and preparing those sailors for the littoral environment. I believe that when it comes to the LCS, the sailor selection, training, and development aspect of the Littoral Combat Ship program is the very best part of the entire LCS program. While I believe the hybrid sailor system will evolve with more experience, I was and remain very impressed with the way it has begun.
Due to the nature of small crews and high requirements, Hybrid Sailors will always be a small portion of the SWO community, but I do agree with CDR Renshaw completely. The JOs in the LCS program will move light years ahead of their peers once these ships are deployed, but I would also suggest this is a great place where qualified enlisted sailors can go and do more at sea than anywhere else in the Navy. The Hybrid Sailor program scales to any platforms developed to operate in the littorals, meaning regardless how the specific LCS technology works out the Navy has done very well building the foundation right when it comes to sailors... and that is much more important than the technology.
Posted by Galrahn
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2009/02/one-view-of-hybrid-sailors.html
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Seacom says part of undersea cable now in the water
By: Christy van der Merwe
4th February 2009
Updated 30 minutes ago
TEXT SIZE
Portions of the highly anticipated Seacom deepwater fibre-optics cable, which will link South Africa with Europe and India, were now resting on the seabed of the Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea.
“The cable has been laid from the edge of the South African waters to Mozambique, and cable laying is also proceeding in the Red Sea from Egypt towards the coast of Yemen,” Seacom reported on Wednesday.
A third ship was currently being loaded with the remainder of Seacom’s deepwater cable, which would be deployed from India towards Africa, where these three cable segments would be joined.
“We are delighted to have actual cable in the water and the count-down to June has begun. We have made tremendous progress since our groundbreaking in Mozambique last November and we can now sense a real level of excitement for Seacom’s arrival,” commented Seacom president Brian Herlihy.
In parallel to the marine installation, Seacom was also busy with land-based construction.
“The high-performance optical transmission equipment, which connects customers to inland terrestrial networks, has been installed in the Maputo, Mumbai and Djibouti cable landing stations. Construction of the cable station in Kenya will be complete in early February, followed shortly by the Tanzanian and South African stations,” the company said.
Equipment installation in these locations, and in Egypt, would be complete in April, added Seacom.
At each site, Seacom has taken special precautions to assure the construction activity is consistent with environmental policy and regulations. In particular, in South Africa, Seacom recently transferred protected plant species from the cable station site to the Umlalazi National Park, with the help of the KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife rangers.
Seacom noted that it has also been preparing to provide services to customers by June this year, and has recruited more than ten experienced local telecommunications professionals from India, Kenya, Mozambique, South Africa and Tanzania, to operate and maintain the cable stations.
Many of these personnel have already been trained at the Seacom Network Operations Centre in India, and were now participating in the testing of the system, as it was being installed.
A complementary set of personnel, who would also work with the landing partners’ operators in Egypt and Djibouti, was being recruited and would start training in March.
“Seacom is pleased to have been able to tap into the huge resource of talented young African telecommunication professionals, who are now ready to provide customers with the required support from June onwards,” the company stated.
“I am pleased with our recruitment successes and the fact that Seacom was able to source the necessary skills to operate the cable from African talent. We are inundated with highly qualified candidates and hiring almost all of our employees from African labour pools,” added Herlihy.
Telecommunications industry players in South Africa keenly await June 2009, when the under-water cable was expected to become operational, and when southern and eastern Africa would become truly connected to international broadband networks.
Plentiful and readily available bandwidth was expected to result in lower telecommunications costs and new opportunities across many sectors, including the call center and business process outsourcing industries. Other life-enhancing disciplines such as educational, clinical and scientific research, which rely on the real-time sharing of data around the world, would also become a reality for many African organisations.
“Through my travels, I continuously meet people who speak about the many ways they intend to exploit the world of broadband which is about to reach Africa,” Herlihy concluded.
Edited by: Mariaan Webb
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/seacom-says-part-of-undersea-cable-now-in-the-water-2009-02-04
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Cyprus says UN to decide on Iran suspect cargo
Wed Feb 4, 2009 10:20am GMT
NICOSIA, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Cyprus will let the United Nations decide whether a ship with a suspect cargo on board infringes resolutions on Iran banning weapon exports, officials said on Wednesday.
The Cyprus-flagged Monchegorsk has been docked off the Mediterranean island for almost a week as authorities check its cargo. The United States, which earlier boarded the ship in the Red Sea, said its navy found weapons on board which it could not confiscate for legal reasons.
Cyprus filed a report to a United Nations sanctions committee on Tuesday and would await a verdict before taking further action, Foreign Minister Markos Kyprianou said.
He declined to specify what the Cypriot report said, saying it was confidential.
"There is an issue because of the origin of the cargo, and there should be an assessment on whether the specific cargo falls within the prohibitions of the (Security Council) resolutions. That is where we are expecting guidance from the United Nations," Kyprianou told reporters.
He said the vessel, anchored off the southern port of Limassol from Jan 29, would remain there until a definitive decision is taken.
The Monchegorsk had been sailing from Iran to Syria. A western diplomatic source said U.S. navy inspections had found arms-related material including propellant and other casings for artillery and tank rounds, as well as shell casings.
Cyprus, which has friendly relations with Arab states as well as Israel, has refused to give details on inquiries. But Kyprianou said: "Almost everything written and published about this issue is wrong."
Israeli media had reported the vessel was suspected of carrying weapons to arm Hezbollah in Lebanon or Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and that its foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, had asked Cyprus to confiscate the cargo.
"I don't want to go into any detail, but no government has told Cyprus what to do," Kyprianou said. (Writing by Michele Kambas, editing by Dominic Evans)
http://uk.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUKL4307569
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Last updated February 4, 2009 2:54 a.m. PT
Poland to end 3 military missions to save money
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WARSAW, Poland -- Poland plans to end its military missions in Lebanon, the Golan Heights and Chad as it cuts spending due to the global economic crisis, the defense minister said Wednesday.
Other Polish deployments, such as those in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Bosnia, are unaffected by the decision.
Poland is trying to cut its defense spending this year by about 2 billion zlotys ($56 million) as its economy, the largest among the European Union's new ex-communist members, shows signs of a significant slowdown.
Poland has about 500 troops in a U.N. force in Lebanon, 360 troops on U.N. duty on the Golan Heights - a territory captured by Israel from Syria in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war - and about 400 in Chad on a European Union mission that is to become a U.N. mission in March.
"These three missions will be scrapped," Defense Minister Bogdan Klich said. "Due to spending cuts but also because ... U.N. missions are lower down among our security policy priorities."
Klich did not say when the deployments would end. The government's plan needs approval from parliament and from President Lech Kaczynski, who is the supreme commander of the armed forces.
The planned defense savings are part of wider government efforts to cut spending by some 19.7 billion zlotys this year.
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1103ap_eu_poland_military_missions.html
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Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Ministry of Defence
India and Maldives to tackle sea-borne terrorism
13:58 IST
India and Maldives will work together to meet the threat of sea-borne terrorism. This emerged during a meeting between the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony and the visiting Minister of Defence and National Security of Maldives, Mr. Ameen Faisal in New Delhi on Tuesday, February 03, 2009. Mr. Faisal is leading an 8-member Maldivian delegation on a visit to India from 1-5 February, 2009.
Shri Antony assured the Maldivian leader of India’s continued support to the island nation in meeting all its security and development needs. He said that the strategic interests of India and Maldives are interlinked and that New Delhi was keen to strengthen and expand the defence relations between the two countries in the coming years. The two leaders agreed that we have a joint interest in the security of the sea lanes of communication. They also decided to enhance training and joint exercises.
The Indian Army conducts a joint exercise ‘Ekueuvrin’ with the Maldivian National Defence Forces on counter-terrorism. The Indian Coast Guard also conducts an exercise on maritime rescue operations and patrolling of seas around Maldives called ‘Dosti’.
PK
http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=47230
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Iran's New Missiles Add to Europe's Nuclear Worries
Iran named its new satellite Omid, which means Hope
Iran alarmed the international community this week by using newly-developed missile technology to launch a satellite into space. Envoys from six countries are meeting in Germany on Wednesday to plan a response.
Envoys from six major powers are finding themselves confronted by a new twist in their attempt to get Iran to drop its nuclear weapons program: Iran has already developed the technology it would need to launch long-range missiles at Israel or southern Europe despite United Nations sanctions.
Iran announced on Tuesday, Feb. 3, that it had launched a rocket-propelled satellite into space, causing alarm on both sides of the Atlantic.
"In the case of Iran, one of the biggest concerns we've always had is that any country that can put a satellite into orbit has thereby demonstrated that they can send a nuclear weapon to intercontinental distances," Rick Lehner, a spokesman of the US Missile Defense Agency, told AFP.
Countries sharpen criticism of Iran
Officials reacted by threatening more sanctions and even military action, if necessary. Iran is already under three sets of UN sanctions over its nuclear program. But that apparently has not stopped the country from developing its rocket technology and many experts fear Iran is similarly increasing its nuclear capabilities.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the satellite launch "does not convince us that Iran is acting responsibly to advance stability or security in the region."
The United States, he added ominously, has pledged to use "all elements of our national power to deal with Iran."
If Iran's reports of the launch were correct it would be a "worrying development and a disturbing sign," Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier warned Tuesday as he met with his counterpart Hillary Clinton in Washington.
The West suspects Iran of wanting enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies, claiming its nuclear work is for peaceful energy purposes.
A blow for diplomacy
"We have been trying for years to stop Iran from developing its own nuclear program and its own nuclear weapons. So far we have not succeeded," Steinmeier said.
Yet finding a way forward will not be easy. The timing couldn't have been worse for Western allies hoping to start a dialogue with Iran on nuclear issues.
The announcement of the satellite launch came just a day before a long-planned meeting of senior diplomats from United States, Britain, Germany, France, China and Russia. They are in Frankfurt Wednesday to discuss Iran's nuclear program.
And the launch came less than a week before an important international security conference in Munich where many had hoped that the United States would talk directly to Iran, something which has not happened in 30 years.
While President Obama had signaled his willingness to support direct diplomacy with Iran over the nuclear issue, if Tehran does not abide by UN resolutions "there must be consequences," Clinton said Tuesday.
A technology leap
The technology for launching satellites "is very similar to ballistic (missile) capabilities," said French foreign ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier.
"We can't but link this to the very serious concerns about the development of military nuclear capability," Chevallier told reporters.
Experts agree that the launch was a way for Iran to show off its rocket technology.
"In the face of world opposition and sanctions, Iran has joined a very exclusive club: those countries that have managed to orbit a satellite," Geoffrey Forden, research associate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, wrote on armscontrolwonk.com.
Based on data released by the US space agency NASA and reports from amateur observers, Forden said it appeared the satellite was successfully sent into a relatively low orbit. But not all rocket technology is created equal. It remains unclear if Iran used a three-stage rocket similar to Soviet-era Scud missiles or if it had developed a two-stage rocket, Forden told reporters. Forden said some amateur observers believe Iran used a two-stage rocket, although there is no official confirmation.
One unnamed US official who works in national security told reporters that he did not find the satellite launch overly alarming.
"It's certainly something to keep an eye on but it's not ringing any alarm bells," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Satellite technology is not new, and there are different levels of sophistication and I wouldn't put this in the category of advanced satellite technology at all," the official said.
Europe, Israel threatened
If Iran has long-range rockets, it means that the country could theoretically hit Israel or southeast Europe, experts say.
"If it was a two-stage missile then they had a huge jump in technology and that would be very scary," MIT's Forden said.
Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that any diplomacy between the US and Iran must be limited in time and backed up by "harsh sanctions and readiness to take action," if needed.
Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reacted defiantly to the suggestion that the satellite launch served military goals, saying it carried a message of "peace and brotherhood" to the world.
"This is a scientific and technical achievement and has no military aims," foreign ministry spokesman Hassan Ghashghavi told reporters.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4001129,00.html
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Coast Guard copters show teeth in war game
Petty Officer First Class Mike Conrad handles the machine gun mounted inside a U.S. Coast Guard armed helicopter during a training exercise over San Pablo Bay. (Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/02/BA5L15LTT1.DTL
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Coast Guard copters show teeth in war game
Carl Nolte, Chronicle Staff Writer
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The U.S. Coast Guard is deploying armed helicopters to head off a possible terrorist raid on Bay Area waters.
In what looked like one of those action movies on late-night television, the Coast Guard showed off its new weapon Monday in a simulated air-and-sea, small-boat gunbattle in the choppy and windy San Pablo Bay in a training exercise.
Two small black boats, manned by crews dressed all in black and carrying simulated rocket-propelled grenades, were intercepted by an orange-colored Coast Guard H-65C Dolphin helicopter. The sinister-looking black boats were "playing the role of the adversary," a Coast Guard officer said - pretending to be terrorists on a raid against a cruise ship, a tanker or one of the bay bridges.
The Coast Guard helicopter was out to stop them. The black boats twisted and dodged, throwing up clouds of spray, and the helicopter swooped down on them like a bird of prey. A marksman aboard the copter fired blank rounds, the sound echoing across the water: rata-tat-tat.
It looked like great fun, but the exercise was deadly serious.
"The terrorist raiders in Mumbai in November came by sea," said Cmdr. Sam Creech, the officer in charge of the Coast Guard's Air Station San Francisco.
"An attack by a small boat on a cruise ship, or a tanker, or one of the bridges here could be devastating."
The Coast Guard's biggest fear is terrorists on a small boat coming out of a marina and firing a missile at a cruise ship carrying thousands of passengers, or a loaded tanker, causing a huge oil spill.
Or an attack on one of the famous bridges - "hitting an icon like the Golden Gate Bridge, for example," he said - "could cause a lot of damage to the American psyche."
The trick, of course, is to have advance intelligence of a possible attack and then intercept it. "America expects we should be able to do more than shake our fists at them," Creech said. "If we could prevent an attack, we could save lives."
One of the anti-terrorist weapons is the Coast Guard's Dolphin helicopters. There are four stationed at the San Francisco International Airport, and more at other Coast Guard locations at major ports.
The helicopters have been equipped with 7.62mm machine guns and what Creech called "a precision firing rifle." The machine guns, said Creech, "would kill everybody " on the boat being attacked from the air. The rifle is for "selective" targets.
He said the Coast Guard training exercises include "judgmental training." This is the key question that has haunted military personnel for centuries: when to open fire.
The helicopters have also been given some protective armor, but Creech would not describe how much armor or other defensive equipment the copters carry.
Within months of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in 1991, the Coast Guard deployed a fleet of 25-foot patrol boats armed with machine guns. It has taken longer to deploy the armed helicopters. San Diego and Port Angeles, Wash., were the first cities to have them.
San Francisco's helicopters were armed in January.
The 87-foot Coast Guard cutter Tern acted as a floating headquarters for Monday's exercise. San Pablo Bay, which is wide, fairly shallow and relatively free of ship traffic, is usually used for blank ammunition training.
The Coast Guard also trains in the Pacific Ocean using live ammunition, and Creech said the service conducts surveys in advance to ensure that no marine animals are harmed.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/02/02/BA5L15LTT1.DTL
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Rampant piracy attacks push up premiums
Wednesday, 04 February 2009
THE rampant piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden have caused a hike in shipping insurance premiums for vessels plying that area. The Maritime Institute of Malaysia centre for the Straits of Malacca research fellow Capt Rakish Suppiah said despite the increased efforts by the task force of naval powers from various countries, the piracy threats against merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden remained active.
“The recent entry by China marks the largest ever naval existence in an area of water to suppress piracy.
“The situation in the Gulf of Aden has caused insurance premiums to rise in recent months,” he said in a statement.
According to Rakish, the hike in insurance premiums has prompted many ship owners to look for alternatives to maintain their profits during the current economic crisis.
“Many have resorted to reducing liner services and shortening transshipment via feeder vessels from the Mediterranean to the Middle East or North East Asia.
“Such efforts have shown remarkable cost-benefit for both the ship-owner and the consignee.
“CMA CGM recently announced it would divert its liner service around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid Suez Canal transit fees,” he said.
He added that with the price of fuel dropping down below US$50 a barrel, a longer route would not add to the cost but would instead provide security and cost efficiency for most shipowners.
“The cost of transit fee for a 9,000 20ft equivalent vessel via Suez Sanal is about US$600,000.
“By adding another seven days’ transit through the Cape of Good Hope, the owner indicated that there is not much change in the cost,” he said.
He said CMA CGM also indicated that sailing around the Cape of Good Hope had resulted in about US$300,000 in savings in the cost of crew and insurance.
“With the price of insurance at 0.5% of the ship value, there is a possibility that more shipowners would resort to other alternatives of re-routing their ships with the recent downturn in the fuel price,” he said.
Source: The Star
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34691&Itemid=79
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Indian-Russian Ties Are Chilling
For most of the Cold War and beyond Russia has been the prime arms supplier to India, especially with respect to naval ships, aircraft, and weapon systems. That relationship now appears to be cooling down with India even buying maritime patrol aircraft -- the new Boeing P-8 Poseidon -- from the United States. (They will replace Tupolev Tu-20 Bear aircraft.)
The two major ship acquisition projects of the Indian Navy have now been substantially delayed: The first is the "indefinite" delay in the delivery of the first Project 971M nuclear-propelled attack submarine (SSN) -- known in the West as the Akula II. A Russian newspaper has reported, "The pre-delivery trials have been postponed by the Amur Shipyard as it has no trial crew and is running short of cash."
This follows the 8 November 2008, accident in which 20 members of the shipyard’s trials crew were killed during an accident while underway in the Sea of Japan. Other crewmen were injured when fire-fighting chemicals were accidentally released into the craft. Some accounts say that other crewmen have refused to sail in the submarine. Apparently a new trials crew will not be ready before March of this year and will have to undergo a lengthy training process before it is ready for submarine trials and to train the Indian crew.
The Indian Navy was to have received the first of two SSNs on lease from Russia last year, but prior to the accident the schedule for the lead submarine was changed to an August 2009 delivery. That schedule has now been set back perhaps a year or more.
These SSNs are being acquired to train the Indian crews for the indigenous nuclear submarines being constructed under Advanced Technology Vessel (ATV) project. This project, undertaken with Russian technical assistance, will make India the sixth nation to have constructed nuclear submarines after the United States, Soviet Union, Britain, France, and China. However, India earlier leased a Project 670–known in the West as Charlie -- nuclear-propelled cruise missile submarine (sans missiles), from January 1988 to January 1991.
The reactor plant for the ATV project is being developed at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research at Kalpakkam. The development of a submarine reactor plant began in the 1970s. According to some sources, the shipyard at Vishakapatnam will launch the ATV submarine later this year, but the Akula II accident will undoubtedly delay completion beyond the previously estimated 2010 to 2012. There are reports that India is planning to produce five such SSNs, which could be armed with nuclear land-attack cruise missiles.
The delay in the Indian submarine is accompanied by further delays in the Indian acquisition of the Soviet-built aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov. Delivery of the carrier, now being modified and modernized at the Russian shipyard Sevmash at the northern city of Severodvinsk, will be delayed several years.
The original US $1.5-billion contract signed in 2004 called for delivery of the carrier -- renamed Vikramaditya -- about 2008. The Russians have advised the Indian government that the carrier’s delivery will be delayed four or five years beyond that date, with Russian officials claiming that they underestimated the amount of work required. They are demanding another US $1.2 billion to finish the ship -- almost the same amount as the original contract cost.
In addition to rebuilding the 45,000-ton ship, originally completed in December 1987, the Russian government is to provide MiG-29K Fulcrum fighter-attack aircraft and Ka-27 Helix-A and Ka-31 Helix-B helicopters as part of the agreement.
In Indian service the Vikramaditya will replace the ex-British carrier Hermes, a VSTOL carrier that had a key role in the 1982 conflict in the Falklands, and is some 50 years old. While India is building a carrier in its own shipyards, having already paid Russia $500 million of the original contract price, and needing the Gorshkov before its indigenous ship could be delivered, the Indians are stuck with the Russian deal. . . which certainly marks a cooling in Russian-Indian relations.
-- Norman Polmar
February 3, 2009 08:56 AM
http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004671.html
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OPEC cuts 'largely theoretical'
Wednesday, 04 February 2009
Oil stockpiled in consuming countries, including stock held in floating storage, is having a greater impact on the oil markets than OPEC's agreed production cuts, according to a leading analyst. Nicholas Sarkis, director-general of the Arab Petroleum Research Centre (APRC), said the "exceptionally high level of stocks" in consuming countries was weighing "far more heavily on the balance of supply and demand." He said the OPEC cuts were anyway "largely theoretical.”
In an article published in the APRC's monthly magazine, Sarkis said that global supply surplus has led to a sharp jump in industry stocks in industrialized countries, which reached an estimated level of fully 2,707 million barrels at the end of November, equivalent to more than 57 days of forward consumption and five days more than the average of 52 days that are regarded as “normal”.
That had helped push crude oil prices down, together with “the fact that the latest reductions remained ink on paper until January 1 and the previous cut of 1.5 million bpd was not fully enforced, with the rate of compliance by its members not exceeding 55%,” said Sarkis.
Sarkis said Saudi Arabia's decision in the middle of last year to increase output in an attempt to slow what were then sky-rocketing prices had “resulted in additions to stocks of some 45 million barrels.”
“Just to return to a level of stocks that can be regarded as more normal, which is to say to soak up a stock surplus corresponding to five days' consumption, or some 240 million barrels, OPEC countries would now have to start applying absolutely strictly the cumulative reduction in output of 4.2 million bpd for a period of nearly two months,” he said.
“Provided, of course, that world demand did not decline further, especially in the run-up to next spring, when world needs could decline by 0.9-1 million bpd relative to the first quarter of 2009.”
According to Sarkis, OPEC's latest decisions have been greeted by the oil markets with "widespread skepticism". He said it was attributable "to the partial compliance with the 1.5-million bpd cut that was due to take effect on November 1.”
“It can also be explained by the contradictory attitudes adopted by different OPEC members and by the absence or inadequacy of clear signals sent to the market regarding the determination of OPEC producers to reverse the downward trend in oil prices and bring them back up to a specified level within a specified time through the implementation of specific measures,” he said.
Source: Tankerworld
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34765&Itemid=79
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Chinese Oil Refineries Post Loss of $21.8 Billion
Wednesday, 04 February 2009
China’s oil refineries posted a loss of 149.3 billion yuan ($22 billion) in the first 11 months of last year, compared with a profit of 10.8 billion yuan a year earlier, because of higher raw material costs. China had an energy shortage in the first half though fuel supplies became ample in the second half as the economy slowed, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in a statement on its Web site yesterday. The Chinese government controls fuel prices to limit their impact on inflation, restricting refiners’ ability to pass on rising crude oil costs, which reached a record in July last year. The price of benchmark crude oil in New York averaged 49 percent higher in the first 11 months of last year compared with the same period a year earlier.
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp., Asia’s biggest refiner, said last month that it expects 2008 profit to drop more than 50 percent because of higher crude oil costs in the first six months.
Fuel stockpiles at the nation’s two largest oil companies, China Petrochemical Corp. and China National Petroleum Corp. rose to a record at the end of 2008, the National Development and Reform Commission said in a separate statement today.
Oil Explorers
China’s oil and gas explorers, led by PetroChina Co., had a profit of 456.6 billion yuan in the first 11 months of last year, the ministry said. The country’s coal-fired power plants had a net loss of 39.2 billion yuan. State power producers’ coal stockpiles more than doubled to 43.32 million tons by the end of 2008, enough for more than 20 days of consumption, the commission said.
The coal industry earned 200 billion yuan between January and November, it said.
In December, the country’s oil-processing volume fell 7.4 percent to 27.16 million metric tons as the economic slowdown sapped demand, the biggest drop since at least 2003, according to the China Mainland Marketing Research Co., which compiles data for the National Bureau of Statistics in Beijing.
Oil refining in 2008 rose 3.7 percent to 342 million tons, compared with a 6.4 percent expansion in 2007, according to China Mainland Marketing.
Source: Bloomberg
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34766&Itemid=79
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Indian submarine, Chinese ship in standoff near Somalia: Chinese media
Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, February 04, 2009
First Published: 16:08 IST(4/2/2009)
Last Updated: 17:11 IST(4/2/2009)
An Indian submarine and two Chinese warships on an anti-piracy mission were recently locked in a tense standoff in the waters off Somalia, Chinese media reports said on Wednesday. The Indian Navy said none of its submarines were in the area.
In a rare reporting of the incident, Qingdao Chenbao, a Chinese daily, said the Indian submarine "stalked" the Chinese warships and they were "locked in a tense standoff for at least half an hour" after which the Indian submarine was forced to surface.
The submarine and the two warships were involved in several rounds of manoeuvring during which both sides evidently tried to test each other's sonar systems for weaknesses. The incident occurred Jan 15 in the waters near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait.
An Indian Navy spokesperson told IANS in New Delhi that "no Indian submarine surfaced in the area".
The Chinese report, which first appeared on Tuesday, had been picked up by numerous mainland Chinese websites a day later. Chinese warships have been patrolling in the waters off the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest sea routes, to prevent piracy attacks.
China has not officially commented on the incident, which reportedly ended when the Indian vessel left without further confrontation.
The Chinese ships had picked up sonar signals of an unidentified submarine, which the Chinese navy identified as a submarine armed with around 20 torpedoes belonging to the Indian navy, the South China Morning Post said in its report on the incident.
The submarine moved into deeper waters but was tracked by an anti-submarine helicopter, cornered and forced to surface. The submarine had been trailing the Chinese ships since they entered the Indian Ocean on its way to the Gulf of Aden, the paper said.
The waters around the Gulf of Aden have turned extremely hazardous for commercial shipping following attacks by Somalia-based pirates. India is among several countries, including the US, Britain, France, Iran, South Korea and China, that have sent warships to patrol the sea lanes in the area to prevent attacks by pirates.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=Cricket&id=43fa0d19-eea0-40b9-8675-097f20aaa6d0&&Headline='Indian+submarine%2c+Chinese+ship+in+standoff+near+Somalia'
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Japan to dispatch 2 destroyers on anti-piracy mission off Somalia
www.chinaview.cn 2009-02-03 16:05:50
TOKYO, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) said Tuesday that it will dispatch two destroyers on an anti-piracy mission off Somalia once receiving the order from the defense minister.
To be sent on the mission are the 4,650-ton Sazanami and 4,550-ton Samidare of the 8th Escort Division of the 4th Escort Flotillain Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, the MSDF said.
On Wednesday Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the Maritime Self-Defense Forces (MSDF) to prepare for the mission in a bid to protect Japanese and Japan-linked ships from pirates' attacks.
In line with Article 82 of the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) Law, which governs policing action on the seas, the MSDF will dispatch the two destroyers, according to an outline of the operational guidelines for the MSDF released on Jan. 27.
Under the maritime policing provision, the MSDF will protect only Japan-related vessels, including Japanese-registered ships and foreign vessels with Japanese nationals or shipments aboard.
The dispatch of the MSDF, the first overseas military deployment under the SDF law, is expected to take place in March at the earliest after training and other preparatory work is finished.
Editor: Yang Lina
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-02/03/content_10757224.htm
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Suez Slowdown
Wednesday, 04 February 2009
In recent years, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has enjoyed record revenues, thanks in part to high levels of trade and increased transit rates. However, both the shipping slowdown, following the global financial crisis, and the increase in piracy off the Horn of Africa threaten what has been a steadily-growing source of income for the past 140 years. In the 2007/2008 fiscal year the canal contributed 3.3% of Egypt’s gross domestic product (GDP), making its earnings the third-highest source of foreign currency revenue, after tourism and remittances from nationals working overseas. Year-end revenues for the canal totaled over $5.4 billion (LE 29.7 billion) the SCA’s highest-grossing year yet and a dramatic increase from the $2 billion (LE 11 billion) collected at the end of 2002.
The growth comes largely as a result of increased trade volumes to Asian markets, as well as capacity problems with alternative routes, such as the Panama Canal.
Part of the increased revenue is attributed to the SCA’s fee increases, which have grown sizeably as traffic through the canal has exploded. In April 2008, the SCA increased fees by 7.1%, a 16.7% increase compared to the previous year. Rates for container ships rose by 5.7% while charges for oil tankers increased by 7.3% and 10.5% for vessels carrying natural gas. This increase came after the SCA raised fees by an average of 2.8% in 2007. While the fee raises caused some complaint amongst shipping companies, traffic volumes remained steady, with the canal benefiting from the summer’s high oil prices as exporters sought to minimize fuel consumption and delivery time. In fact, in spite of the increased cost of using the canal, the number of vessels passing through the canal rose from 9,800 in the first eight months of 2007 to 10,497 over the same period in 2008.
In early January, however, in response to the slowing growth, SCA Chairman Ahmed Ali Fadel confirmed an indefinite freeze on transit fees. According to statements from the SCA, ship owners may even be able to negotiate for considerable discounts, perhaps slicing bills by a quarter or more.
The SCA is directing the additional revenue to finance new infrastructure upgrades for the canal, including a set of new dredging projects to increase the canal’s capacity. Deepening the canal will help it to retain its competitive advantage over alternative shipping conduits, including the Panama canal, which has grappled with capacity issues and long delays. The newest class of container ship, which has a draft of over 12 meters, is known as post-Panamax, due to the fact that it is too large for the trans-American waterway. While Panama is working to expand its canal to accommodate ships with more than 12 meters of draft, the Suez can already handle 16 meters of draft, a result of the six enlargements it has undergone since it opened in 1869.
The Panama Canal Authority is working on an expansion project to install new locks and reduce congestion, but the Suez is benefitting from the slowdowns. As waiting times at the Panama Canal jumped 56% in the second quarter of 2008 from the previous year, the Suez increased its control of world trade to 8%.
In spite of its current advantage, however, the SCA is preparing for even larger ships. To keep up with the ever-expanding size of bulk vessels, the SCA is working on one deepening project set to finish in 2009, and is planning another to follow in 2010 to accommodate loaded supertankers. The first project, which will deepen the waterway from 19 meters to 20 meters and add a new bypass to the four existing ones, was scheduled to be completed in 2007, but heavy traffic left little time for the dredging work to be carried out, so it is estimated that it will finish in early 2009. The second effort will cost $5 billion (LE 27.5 billion) and will deepen the canal to allow for the passage of supertankers, without the time-consuming business of offloading into the Sumed pipeline. The five year project will let vessels carrying 350,000 tons pass security by deepening the canal to 22 meters.
Egypt’s efforts to bolster its status as a destination port for Mediterranean trans-shipment and cargo handling have also increased traffic through the region. The Suez Canal Container Terminal (SCCT), the leading terminal serving the canal, which holds 20% of the market share in the Mediterranean, is expanding its facilities at East Port Said. “The expansion of the terminal will cost around $490 million,” says Jens Flow, the SCCT’s managing director. It will double its total size by its projected completion in 2010. The terminal’s present capacity is 1.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) per annum. Sokhna Port, located at the southern entrance of the canal, is also expanding, adding another five basins to its present capacity by 2020, allowing it to handle 4 million TEUs of containers by that date.
Given the current decline in trade, however, the expansion plans for both the SCA and the SCCT do seem increasingly ambitious. While Fadel cited official estimates of a 7% dip in traffic in the coming fiscal year, there are indicators that December 2008’s figures may be down by as much as 20%.
Certainly, 2009 looks like it is shaping up to be a challenging year for the shipping industry. As more markets start to see growth rates falter, trade volumes are beginning to suffer. The global economic crisis has already led to an overall reduction in international trade, with the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) – a composite index for bulk shipping rates for various types of cargo such as iron ore, crude oil and grain shipments – declining from 8,756 points at the beginning of 2008 to 733 points at the end of November.
The Suez Canal is also suffering from the recent surge in piracy in the Gulf of Aden. Pirates have seized about 40 vessels this year, convincing some shipping companies to avoid the canal all together. While diverting boats around the Cape of Good Hope does lengthen the voyage by up to two or three weeks, at least two major companies have decided that the additional expense is worth the reduced risk. Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk, Europe’s largest shipping firm, has ordered its slower ships to take the southern route, while Odfjell, a Norwegian shipping company which operates a fleet of more than 90 tankers, is staying away from the Gulf of Aden entirely. Similarly, the rapid decline in shipping rates since summer has reduced the cost of transporting goods by some 90% from $150,000 per day to about $15,000 per day, making it significantly easier for firms to cover the additional cost of the longer route.
The challenges the Suez Canal faces have prompted an assertive response from Egyptian authorities. Certainly, with the canal contributing such a sizable amount to Egypt’s GDP, and combined with the exogenous complications of the financial crisis and dropping oil prices, Egypt is looking to take a more decisive approach to protect one of its most reliable revenue streams. While the external hurdles of the global economic situation and crude prices are more difficult to address, Egypt is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to address the problems of piracy and address regional maritime security. A November meeting in Cairo brought together representatives from around the region, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Sudan, Yemen and the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia to discuss the situation. While no concrete decisions were made, a number of feasible measures were proposed, including the establishment of a piracy monitoring center, joint maneuvers by Arab navies and warning systems. Currently, US, India, Russia and the EU have already dispatched naval forces to the Horn in an attempt to reduce pirate attacks.
In spite of the challenges, however, the canal’s strategic position means that it will continue to be one of Egypt’s primary revenue earners. Its reform agenda may be difficult to finance on the initial time-frame, given the slowing growth, but the dredging and expanded port network will lay the groundwork for additional traffic in the future, as the financial situation stabilizes and normal trade levels resume.
Source: Business Today
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34787&Itemid=79
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Intelligence - The NSA Is Still Listening
February 4, 2009: Palestinian terrorist Khalid al Jawary is about to be released from a U.S. prison, after serving half (time off for good behavior) his 30 year term for terrorism. He was convicted of planting three car bombs in New York City in 1973, but they did not go off. Al Jawary had already left the country when the NSA decrypted, on March 6th, a message from the Iraqi UN delegation to Baghdad, reporting that al Jawary had planted the bombs on March 4, 1973. The FBI and New York police were notified, but two of the car bombs left on busy 5th Avenue, had already been towed away by police (for parking violationss) the day before. The third one was parked at La Guardia airport, and a NYPD bomb technician deactivated the detonator.
The FBI and CIA kept tabs on al Jawary, and caught him in 1991. He was returned to the U.S. and tried for his bombing attempt. His fingerprints were all over the bombs, and there was other evidence as well. However, the NSA (National Security Agency) decryption was never entered into evidence, as the NSA and the State Department likes to keep that sort thing secret. For one thing, if you let a country know you are decrypting their secret communications, they will go looking for a stronger cipher that you might not be able to decrypt, or do so as quickly. The State Department does not like dealing with the complaints from foreign nations whose secret diplomatic messages have been decrypted by the NSA.
The decrypt disclosure just sort of slipped out, which the NSA also doesn't like. In 1973, Saddam Hussein was running Iraq on a day-to-day basis (he was still the number two guy). But he saw to it that Palestinian terrorist groups were given all possible support. Like the use of Iraqi diplomatic communications from individual terrorists, and their bosses headquartered in Iraq.
The 63 year old al Jawary apparently kept his mouth shut, and he is supposed to be deported after his release this month. But it's not been announced which country will take him. Probably Syria, which several Palestinian terrorist groups still call home. And, as far as we know, the NSA is still listening.
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htterr/articles/20090204.aspx
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US Navy Producing Scaled-Down Rail Gun Naval Weapon
03-Feb-2009 12:52 EST
Back in March 2006, BAE Systems received a contract for “design and production of the 32 MJ Laboratory Launcher for the U.S. Navy.” Some hint of what they are talking about can be gleaned from the name. The project is an electro-magnetic rail gun that accelerates a projectile to incredibly high speeds without using explosives.
The attraction of such systems is no mystery – they promise to fire their ammunition 10 or more times farther than conventional naval gun shells, while sharply reducing both the required size of each shell and the amount of explosive material carried on board ship. Progress is being made, but there are still major technical challenges to overcome before a working rail gun becomes a serious naval option. This DID FOCUS article looks at the key technical challenges, the programs, and the history of key contracts and events.
http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/bae-producing-scaleddown-rail-gun-naval-weapon-01986/#more-1986
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Erria expands fleet with nine tankers
Wednesday, 04 February 2009
In a time with every shipping company trying to reduce their fleets as much as possible, the Danish shipping company Erria moves in the opposite direction. The shipping company has contracted an agreement on taking nine new chemical tankers into commercial management. The new chemical tankers will become part of the fleet of the shipping company as they are delivered from shipyards in Turkey. Thus, the tanker branch of Erria will by the end of 2010 reach 31 ships in commercial management. Since autumn 2008 the shipping company has made contract on taking 17 ships into commercial management.
The announcement of the new ships comes only a few days after the shipping company succeeded in cancelling an agreement on a contracted chemical tanker in a Turkish shipyard. However, the shipping company will continue to receive two other chemical tankers from the same shipyard.
The expansion continues, now with a fleet marked by increasingly greater weight on ships in commercial management, which will limit the risks of the shipping company.
Erria's speciality is chemical tankers that constitute 75 percent of the fleet. The last fourth is feeder ships.
Erria, which was stock registered in 2007, expects a surplus close to 13 million DKK in 2008.
Source: Erria
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=34788&Itemid=79
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Information Warfare - Guarding The Home Front
February 4, 2009: The U.S. Department of Defense is now providing free anti-virus software, including regular updates, for the home computers of all its personnel (uniformed and civilian). That's over three million computers. The Department of Defense itself has over six million PCs already protected by anti-virus systems. The decision to protect members home computers came about because of the increasing number of viruses that can spread via CDs or memory sticks. Thus if someone takes some work home, to an infected computer, some of these worm type programs can slip into the memory stick, and then infect the work PC. From there the worm can spread its hacker payload throughout the military networks (the Department of Defense has over 12,000 networks.)
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htiw/articles/20090204.aspx
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Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding profits nearly quadrupled in 2008
Wednesday, Feb 04, 2009
Emirates Business reported that the Abu Dhabi Shipbuilding saw its net profits nearly quadrupled in 2008 to their highest level since it was created 14 years ago.
ADSB said that net earnings leaped to AED 103.1 million (28,078,107 US Dollar) in 2008 from around AED 26 million (7,080,803 US Dollar) in 2007. The surge was a result of a sharp growth in contracts as its net operating income shot up to AED 86.3 million (23,502,819 US Dollar) from AED 14.7 million (4,003,377 US Dollar) while total revenue nearly doubled to AED 842.2 million (229,363,545 US Dollar) from AED 448.2 million(122,062,148 US Dollar). At the end of 2008, its shareholders equity swelled to AED 280.7 million (76,445,437 US Dollar) from AED 151.7 million (41,313,761 US Dollar).
ADSB said in a statement released at the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange that "Revenue, profits and earnings per share are all at the highest levels in the company's history thus far. This comes as a result of success in winning new projects as well as through better than anticipated performance on its existing projects. ADSB is also continuing to expand its technical capabilities and capacities to support further growth for the future."
ADSB has won several defense contracts for the UAE armed forces since it was set up in Musafah outside Abu Dhabi in 1995 as a JV between Abu Dhabi government, Mubadala Development Company and other shareholders.
It is one of the largest contracts involved building six corvettes under a USD 750 million deal awarded by the armed forces in 2004. Most of them have been completed and the last vessel is due for delivery this year.
ADSB is the only specialist naval shipbuilder in the Gulf and builds vessels in steel, aluminum and composite materials. Other recent new building contracts include 64 meters and 42 meters steel Naval Landing Craft, 34 meters Composite Patrol Craft, 16 meters Sea Keeper Composite Fast Landing Craft and Aluminum Fast Troop Transport Boats and Fast Supply Vessels.
http://www.yourindustrynews.com/abu+dhabi+shipbuilding+profits+nearly+quadrupled+in+2008_22999.html
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Cyprus hands over findings of inspections on ''Monchegorsk'' to UN
February 04, 2009 - by Apostolis Zoupaniotis (CNA)
Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the UN Minas Hadjimichael handed over on Tuesday to President of the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee, Japanese Ambassador Yukio Takasu, the findings of the inspections on the Cypriot-flagged ship ''Monchegorsk.''
According to a press release issued earlier on Tuesday by the Cypriot Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a team of experts from the Republic of Cyprus proceeded with two inspections of the cargo of ship ''Monchegorsk'' on January 29 and February 2.
According to diplomatic sources, Cyprus requests from the UN Sanctions Committee to assess whether the findings of the inspections lie within the provisions of the Security Council Resolutions on Iran (1696/2006, 1737/2006,1747/2007 and 1803/2008), and seeks its recommendations on how to proceed with the issue.
It has been alleged that the Cypriot-flagged ship, of Russian interests, which originated from Iran, was carrying arms and it was forced by a US military vessel to dock at Limassol port to have its cargo inspected, in order to establish whether there has been a breach of UN Security Council sanctions, as claimed.
http://www.financialmirror.com/News/Cyprus_and_World_News/13865
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Pirates of Puntland and The World Press
Wed, Feb 4, 2009
Somalia diary: a day in Boosaaso, the capital of Puntland’s pirate coast
From: telegraph.co.uk
It may look like a poor and sleepy African port, but Boosaaso in Somalia is a land of opportunity to anyone with piracy in mind.
From the airport, we head off into town, having picked up a group of Kalashnikov-toting gunmen en route, for whose services we’re paying $20 a day each.
They are actually employees of the Puntland Ministry of Security, although this doesn’t mean they’re exactly Special Branch standard. Dressed in shabby brown fatigues and aged about 16-60, they make us look pretty much like any other African militia outfit as we bump down the pot-holed road into town in two pick-up trucks.
It’s hard to have great confidence in them. On that kind of money, I suspect they’ll just melt away should we get attacked. The only thing worse than that would be for them to stand and fight, in which case we would probably end up in a blood bath. Yet few people I know who’ve been to Somalia have ever visited without this kind of full-scale VIP escort. It is, I suspect, as much a job creation scheme as a genuine security measure.
Boosaaso is one of the more prosperous Somali cities, because of the relative stability that Puntland has enjoyed over the last decade or so. Largely free of the interfactional warlordism that has blighted the rest of the country, its population has grown from around 50,000 to 500,000 in the last 10 years as people have fled the fighting in the capital, Mogadishu.
Many of the émigrés who come here see it as the local answer to America, the Land of Opportunity, although it isn’t exactly flourishing. The town itself is dirt poor and much of it looks like a refugee camp, with hardly any proper roads and many people living in thatched lean-tos on street corners. Foreign investors are understandably reluctant to come, and at the moment the only industry is the export of boatfuls of hardy livestock that sail out of the port - goats, camels and sheep, plus sacks of dried shark meat. It’s no wonder, then, that a spot of piracy is for many Somalis one of the Land of Opportunity’s more tempting prospects.
Our hotel, called “The International Village”, is a heavily-guarded villa on the outskirts of Boosaaso, patrolled by numerous armed guards and also a large and belligerent ostrich, which snaps irritably at anyone who comes too close. Locals refer to the International Village as Boosaaso’s answer to the Sheraton, and while there is no hot water in the shower, it’s pleasant enough. Which is just as well, given that we are confined here at all times whenever our two carloads of armed guards aren’t around.
Luckily, this is also where anybody who’s anybody in Boosaaso hangs out. In the car park I bump into the Puntland interior minister, while having a cup of tea on the verandah is the minister for travel and tourism. Both of them I collar for a quick grilling on the subject of piracy. It’s a pleasant change from my normal trips abroad, where getting an audience with any high-up invariably requires endless faxes, phone calls and general brown-nosing. We’ve barely been here an hour and we’ve interviewed half the cabinet already.
http://somalilandpress.com/2058/pirates-of-puntland-and-the-world-press
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Rheinmetall details new Multi-Purpose Missile Launcher for small naval vessels
Artists impression and wooden mock-up of the MPNL (defpro.daily)
11:32 GMT, February 4, 2009 During the company s traditional Defence Talks at the end of last week, Johannes Höggemeier, Vice-president Sales Air Defence at Rheinmetall Defence Electronics detailed the company s latest development for missile air defence - the so called Multi-Purpose-Naval-Launcher (MPNL).
MPNL is a derivate of the company’s short range air defence (SHORAD) system, using a modernized and modified version of the former ASRAD missile launcher. The turret is remotely controlled and will be able to launch fire-and-forget missiles as well as guided missiles to different guidance principles. MPNL uses the well-proven sensor kit of the MLG27 light naval gun system which is in service since 1998. Other parts and the software are taken from the company s Multi-Purpose Combat System (MPCS).
Höggemeier said that the system is especially designed to meet naval requirements and will provide full functionality during day and night. The entire turret is fully stabilized and uses own surveillance and tracking capacities.
MPNL was first presented as a wooden mock-up at Euronaval 2008. The standard configuration weights just 217 kg without launcher and is thus well suitable for small vessels with lengths of 20m and even smaller. The system s low weight and reduced volume allows a flexible Installation of components over or below deck, as well as a flexible installation of Thermal Imager and E/O-Package.
In addition to different types of air defence missiles, the system would also accept ATGWs such as Spike and Milan thus giving it an additional surface-to-surface capability.
According to a Rheinmetall official, the system is being developed for an unnamed customer who wish to also include a 12.7mm MG. Several other customers have shown interest in the system which will also be shown at this year s IDEX in Abu Dhabi.
Future derivates of the system will also include a Vertical Launcher, Höggemeier said.
http://www.defpro.com/daily/details/238/
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Unmanned Vehicles Transforming Warfare
A Scan Eagle launches from the Navy Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren test range. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
07:24 GMT, February 4, 2009 PEARL HARBOR | Unmanned vehicles, especially a new generation of highly technical machines, are proving themselves in hostile environments, according to the commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in his Rat-Pac Report podcast posted Feb. 4.
Remotely controlled aerial, surface and underwater unmanned vehicles (UAVs, USVs and UUVs), which reduce risk to Sailors and other operators, are part of the Navy's arsenal and "continue to prove themselves in the Middle East," said Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Adm. Robert F. Willard.
"We're witnessing the birth of a whole new generation of unmanned vehicles across all the domain," he added.
Willard, an F-14 aviator, has served as a leader in a variety of fighter squadrons and aircraft carriers. He was operations officer and executive officer of Navy Fighter Weapons School.
"As a pilot, I've watched the evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles with great interest. While some would maintain that they threaten a pilot's existence – the future may hold a time when aircraft are inherently unmanned in performing their duties remotely – the fact is that we see it a little differently. We see environments where unmanned vehicles have a great advantage over a manned vehicle," Willard said.
"When you think about it, there are times when unmanned vehicles may be more affordable and simpler and still meet our needs, and therefore obviate a necessity for manned platforms."
Willard advises Sailors to learn more about unmanned vehicles when they have the opportunity.
"Undoubtedly, many of us that are in technical roles in the Navy will come in contact with unmanned vehicles that are either servicing our needs in gathering intelligence and supplying information in conducting research, or we'll be operating them ourselves," he said.
"I think UAVs, UUVs, USVs, all the family of unmanned vehicles, are here to stay and here to continually evolve to help us perform our missions across the Navy."
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By Bill Doughty, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs (NNS)
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/5294/
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French Naval vessel offers to help in relief delivery
Source: Solomon Islands People First Network (PFnet)
Date: 04 Feb 2009
A visiting French Naval vessel has offered to help deliver relief assistance to the victims of the current flooding on the North West of Guadalcanal.
The National Disaster Management Office's media officer, Julian Maka'a says the French patrol boat has offered assistance to deliver relief supplies such as food, clean water and tents.
Mr Maka'a says collection and loading of the materials is in progress.
Mr Maka'a says about one thousand 800 people between Tamboko and Maravovo area are in need of relief assistance.
He says as soon as loading of the goods is completed, the vessel will sail to deliver the supplies at different places.
Mr Maka'a says a number of charitable organisations have been helping in relief program.
He says in addition to the eight confirmed cases of deaths in north west Guadalcanal, an Asian worker was reported to have gone missing while crossing Poha River to go to work yesterday morning.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/MYAI-7NX55K?OpenDocument
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Harrier dispute between Navy and RAF chiefs sees Army 'marriage counsellor' called in
The Defence Secretary John Hutton has been forced to call in an Army general to act as a “marriage counsellor” to resolve a bitter dispute between the heads of the Royal Navy and RAF over the future of the Harrier jump jet.
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 6:47AM GMT 04 Feb 2009
Harrier jump jet, Air Marshal Torpy suggested that the Ministry of Defence could save £1 billion if the Harrier was phased out of service. Photo: PA
The relationship between the First Sea Lord, Sir Jonathon Band, and the Chief of the Air Staff, Sir Glenn Torpy has become “poisonous” due to a disagreement over the aircraft that is jointly run by both services.
Frustrated at the lack of compromise between the two military leaders, Major General Paul Newton, an Army officer with no flying background, has been appointed to resolve the dispute.
Air Marshal Torpy suggested that the Ministry of Defence could save £1 billion if the Harrier was phased out of service within the next five years with the closure of Joint Force Harrier with its 50 Navy and RAF pilots.
This would have signalled the end of the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm, regarded as the most professional of all air forces, despite the two new aircraft carriers entering service by the end of the next decade.
Admiral Band was incensed by the proposal, which would have meant there would be no Navy pilots to fly off the carriers, and threatened to resign.
But Air Marshal Torpy is thought to have the backing of the Chief of the Defence Staff Sir Jock Stirrup, who was also an RAF pilot.
“Relations between Torpy and Band have become very bitter and very poisonous,” claims a defence source. “General Newton is being used as a marriage counsellor to ensure that the rowing does not become public.”
Major Gen Newton, Director of Development, Concepts and Doctrine in the MOD, is expected to agree with the Navy that a small force of sea-going pilots is vital to Britain’s interests if it wants to project power abroad when he presents his report to a meeting of MoD chiefs today (weds).
There is a suggestion now that Air Marshal Torpy will resign if the Navy wins the bitter turf war, according to Whitehall sources.
The Naval Strike Force will probably become the main Harrier force preparing pilots to fly the ‘fifth generation’ Joint Strike Fighter made in America.
The sticking point for the RAF is that only half of the 150 British JSF are likely now to be ordered with the Navy getting the majority. This would mean the RAF would struggle to get a full replacement for fourth generation Eurofighter Typhoon leaving them without a cutting edge aircraft
A senior Army officer described the dispute as “a bunch of overgrown school boys arguing over who gets to play on a new toy”.
The internecine battles being fought between the Services over a limited defence budget are said to be at the most bitter since the “east of Suez” defence cuts of the Sixties.
The RAF argues that with Afghanistan land-locked and the new carriers not coming into service until at least 2016 there is no current need to have carrier-borne fighters. Once the ships become operational, the RAF would be able to fly off them.
The savings would come through the maintenance contract that has yet to be signed with BAE Systems and by closing RAF Cottesmore when the Harrier force is based.
An MoD spokesman said: “The First Sea Lord and Chief of the Air Staff are committed to working together for the benefit of the Armed Forces and will continue to do so in the future.”“During any planning round a number of options are considered to ensure our spending plans are matching our priorities and delivering value for money. But we do not provide a running commentary on this process. At this stage no decisions have been made.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/defence/4448256/Harrier-dispute-between-Navy-and-RAF-chiefs-sees-Army-marriage-counsellor-called-in.html
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LTTE plans to abduct Indian fishermen, boats
S Raja
First Published : 04 Feb 2009 01:51:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 04 Feb 2009 11:46:05 AM IST
RAMANNATHAPURAM: The LTTE is planning to abduct Tamil Nadu fishermen and hijack their boats to use them as shields against Sri Lankan forces, according to sources in the fisheries department.
The department has directed all fishermen setting out to sea to carry their identity cards and registration books.
The department sources said that the LTTE is also planning to use the Indian fishing boats for suicide attacks on Lankan Navy vessels. LTTE’s setback in their war against Lanka has made them adopt alternative strategies to make a comeback, sources said. Indian defence forces have also been warned not to permit fishermen to venture into the sea without adequate documents.
The defence forces and fisheries department have warned the Indian fishermen not to trespass the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
Security forces in coastal areas have been alerted. Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy have deployed four ships in Palk Bay to monitor movements in Indian waters. Two hovercraft of ICG are also patrolling the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. Interceptor boats and speed boats are vigilant in Indian waters to check intrusion of strangers, sources said.
A highly-placed source said the Indian waters were under eternal vigilance and no one could trespass the IMBL.
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=LTTE+plans+to+abduct++Indian+fishermen,+boats&artid=GpthyXhIQW4=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==&SEO=
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February 4, 2009
Nashville Pulls Into Dakar, Senegal
ATLANTIC OCEAN (Feb. 3, 2009) Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 2nd Class Chris Connor stands by to shift colors as the amphibious transport dock ship USS Nashville (LPD 13) pulls into Dakar, Senegal for the first African port visit of Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2009.
APS 2009 is an international initiative developed by Naval Forces Europe and Naval Forces Africa, which aims to work cooperatively with U.S. and international partners to improve maritime safety and security in West and Central Africa.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles L. Ludwig/Released)
http://outontheporch.org/2009/02/04/nashville-pulls-into-dakar-senegal/
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Hearing on Piracy on the High Seas
2/4/2009 9:14:07 AM
On Feb. 4, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, will convene the Subcommittee to gather information on the causes and extent of piracy and to understand its effect on international shipping.
Although no U.S.-flagged vessels have been attacked or seized by pirates, the expansion of international piracy—particularly in the Horn of Africa region—threatens to raise the costs of transporting goods through a highly traveled region at a time of significant distress in the world economy.
For more information, or to receive a copy of the background memo, please email jennifer.kohl@mail.house.gov
WHO: Congressman Elijah E. Cummings, Chairman
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
WHAT: Hearing on International Piracy on the High Seas
WHEN: Wednesday, February 4th, 2009, 2pm
WHERE: Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2167
Independence Ave. at S. Capitol St., SW
Washington, D.C.
Live webcast of the hearing will be available at http://transportation.house.gov/
WITNESSES:
Panel I
Rear Admiral William D. Baumgartner
Judge Advocate General
U.S. Coast Guard
Rear Admiral Ted Branch
Director of Information, Plans, and Security
Office of the Chief of Naval Operations
Mr. James Caponiti
Acting Administrator
U.S. Maritime Administration
Panel II
Mr. Peter Chalk
Senior Political Scientist
RAND Corporation
Captain Phil M. Davies
Director
Oil Companies International Marine Forum
Mr. Peter Swift
Managing Director
Intertanko
Mr. Giles Noakes
Chief Maritime Security Officer
Baltic International Maritime Council
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214381
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Ships looking for parking space
Shipping companies are looking for ports in which to “park” vessels until they are needed again, according to Port Elizabeth and Ngqura port manager Ester Goosen.
She says the National Ports Authority has had enquiries from a major shipping line that is considering laying up two of its vessels in Ngqura for up to a year.
Story By : Ed Richardson
Date :2/5/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7388
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East-west box capacity has dropped 15%
The total container freight capacity on offer on the three main east-west routes has dropped by 15% during the six-month-period extending from August 1,2008 to February 1, 2009.
It fell from a weekly 916 000 TEU to a weekly 780 000 TEU, according to the latest figures released by Alphaliner, a loss of 136 000 weekly TEUs in absolute terms.
The Far East-Europe route is the most affected, and the capacity deployed has even fallen under the Far East-North America capacity. During December and January alone, the closure of several FE-Europe loops removed 50 000 TEU of weekly capacity over the course of just two months.
Story By : Alan Peat
Date :2/5/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7401
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Submarines - Lockheed Martin Awarded $35.8m Navy Contract
2/4/2009 9:08:01 AM
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $35.8m contract by the U.S. Navy to design and produce antenna buoy systems that will expand the communications capabilities of submarines while they are submerged.
The Navy's Communications at Speed and Depth (CSD) program will use expendable submarine and air-launched communications buoys to enable submarines operating below periscope depth and at tactical speeds to communicate with surface ships and land-based assets via satellite networks. All classes of U.S. Navy submarines will be equipped with this capability.
Under the contract, a Lockheed Martin-led industry team will develop three types of expendable communications buoys: two submarine-launched tethered buoys that provide real-time chat, data transfer and e-mail capabilities via either Iridium or UHF satellites; and an untethered, acoustic-to-radio frequency gateway buoy that can be launched from a submarine or maritime patrol aircraft to enable two-way data transfer between a submerged submarine and surface assets. The contract also includes production of associated shore and onboard equipment needed to support the systems. If all options are exercised, the cumulative value of the contract is estimated at $177.9m.
The Lockheed Martin-led team, which includes Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems and ERAPSCO, collectively has more than 50 years of experience in the design and development of expendable devices. Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems Inc., headquartered in Braintree Mass., is a developer and provider of special purpose expendable devices for U.S. Navy submarines and surface ships as well as major allied navies. ERAPSCO, a joint venture between Sparton Electronics Florida, Inc. in DeLeon Springs, FL and Ultra Electronics - USSI in Columbia City, IN, is a leading designer and manufacturer of expendable underwater transducer and sensor products for the U.S. Navy and its allies.
(www.lockheedmartin.com)
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214374
Further Links
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/cno/n87/usw/issue_30/art.html
http://informationdissemination.blogspot.com/2008/03/spawars-speed-and-depth-program.html
http://www.ultra-scs.com/submarine.html
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EU says IMO weak
THE “weaknesses” of the system of maritime governance overseen by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) have been spelt out in a European Parliament report, writes Justin Stares in Lloyds List.
The London-based United Nations body lacks the power to apply its own rules; is too flexible with signatories; and can only come up with non-binding resolutions, even if action is “essential,” it is claimed.
Listed in a document for the attention of the parliament’s transport committee, the comments give a rare glimpse of the IMO’s poor image among many EU lawmakers.
There are in fact more weaknesses than are mentioned, said the document’s author, Portuguese Euro MP Emanuel Jardim Fernandes. These were only the IMO’s “principal weaknesses”, he said.
Story By : Alan Peat
Date :2/5/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7400
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US container volumes on decline for 17-months
Cargo volumes at major US container ports have declined for 17-months, and 2008 ended as the weakest year since 2004, according to the monthly Port Tracker survey by IHS Global Insight for the National Retail Federation.
Port Tracker expects container volume at the US ports to fall 5.6% in the first quarter of this year.
Story By : Alan Peat
Date :2/5/2009
http://www.cargoinfo.co.za/newsdetails.asp?&newsid=7397
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Siemens Equips Ships for Australia's Navy
2/3/2009 10:53:33 AM
Siemens Marine Solutions has been commissioned by the Spanish shipyard Navantia S.A. to equip two new multi-functional supply ships with pod propulsion units and power supply equipment. The final customer is the Australian navy which intends to use the two ships to improve the range of its amphibian deployment capabilities. To this end, the ships (LHDs - Landing Helicopter Docks) will be equipped with up to twelve helicopters. Both ships will be built in Ferrol in the north-west of Spain and the final equipment will be installed at the Tenix shipyard in Australia. The order is worth some $67.5m.
Siemens is responsible for all the electrical propulsion and power supply equipment for the two ships. The main propulsion systems consist of two pod propulsion units per ship, each with an output of 11 MW, the associated converters and electronic control units, the medium-voltage switchgear and the generators for producing electricity. The propulsion pods, which are located outside the ship's hull and can be turned, make the ship extremely maneuverable and are characterized by high efficiency as well as low noise and vibration levels. The fact that the pods are fitted outside the ship's hull also increases the ship's transport capacity and allows a more flexible design of the engine room and stern.
“Both ships for the Australian navy are replicas of an LHD that Navantia is currently building for the Spanish navy”, said Heinz Waschin, who is responsible for navy business at Siemens Marine Solutions. This ship was launched in Ferrol, the north Galician shipyard location, in spring 2008 in the presence of the King of Spain. In addition to the system engineering and project management, the order includes commissioning of the equipment supplied.
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214358
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India denies Chinese sub reports
Indian naval officials have denied media reports that Chinese warships forced an Indian submarine to surface in a stand-off in waters off Somalia.
Reports in China said that after the submarine was detected by sonar, it was pursued by two Chinese destroyers and an anti-submarine helicopter.
The Chinese ships had been on passage to take part in anti-piracy patrols.
The two sides were reportedly trying to test each other's sonar systems for weaknesses.
However, the Indian navy says none of its submarines was forced to surface in the area.
"None of our submarines surfaced in the Gulf of Aden region as reported in a section of the Chinese media," a naval official told Indian reporters.
Several Indian newspapers reported the allegations, and cited Indian naval sources as admitting their submarine had tracked the Chinese warships. "Every nation does it," one was quoted as saying.
Chinese submarines surprised the US navy in October 2006, by successfully tracking the USS Kitty Hawk in the Pacific Ocean.
Stand-off?
Several versions of one report on the incident were circulating on Chinese websites this week, including Sina.com and QQ.
These claimed that a tense stand-off occurred between Chinese warships and an Indian submarine on 15 January near the Bab Al-Mandab Strait, which separates Yemen and Djibouti, at the western end of the Gulf of Aden.
The Chinese destroyers had picked up an unidentified submarine on their sonar, the reports said.
The Chinese navy soon identified it as a 70m-long (230ft) vessel armed with 20 torpedoes.
The Chinese reports said the Chinese ships had sent an anti-submarine helicopter to help track the submarine, which had tried to jam the Chinese warships' sonar system.
But the two destroyers eventually cornered the submarine and forced it to surface, reports said. The Indian vessel then apparently left without further confrontation.
Chinese media said the submarine had been trailing the Chinese ships since they had entered the Indian Ocean on the way to Somalia.
But India has denied the reports, which have also not been carried by China's official news outlets, Xinhua and the China Daily.
There were more than 100 pirate attacks in 2008 in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
An EU anti-piracy task force set up in December was the first such naval operation of its kind. India, Iran, the US and China are among other nations with naval forces off Somalia.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/7868863.stm
Published: 2009/02/05 05:21:08 GMT
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Piracy still matters
By Jackson Rohrbaugh
February 5, 2009
When I read in The Seattle Times today that certain maritime academies are giving pirate-fighting classes, my heart skipped a beat. Could this be real? Are there really modern-day pirate hunters? Yes, and they could be coming to a neighborhood near you.
In a worsening world economy, piracy could become a greater threat to the safety of individuals living in coastal cities or using waterways — like residents of Seattle and the Puget Sound. Laugh now, but when a twisted grappling hook soars over the Bainbridge Island Ferry railing, it might not seem so funny. It may be unlikely for us, but in other parts of the world, piracy is a harsh reality.
Piracy is on the rise: the International Maritime Bureau reported an 11 percent rise in the number of piracy incidents from 2007 to 2008. Almost 900 crew members and passengers were held hostage, 11 were killed and 21 went missing.
Pirates also can drive up the cost of goods. Every oil tanker that is seized must be ransomed in cold, hard cash, and companies that take the hit must adjust their prices to compensate.
My first thought after reading the article was to quit school, grab a cutlass, and head down to the Port of Seattle for the next outbound vessel. But it’s not quite like that. Modern pirate defense techniques don’t have much to do with swashbuckling and privateers.
The California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, Calif., offers two courses on piracy. You can take a Maritime Security course to study modern piracy trends. You would learn about hotspots like the Gulf of Aden off of East Africa, or the tumultuous waters around Indonesia. The Academy also teaches about piracy in an International and Maritime Law class, just in case graduates ever have to sentence captured buccaneers.
At the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, you can become a modern-day Francis Drake and learn how to shame pirates with a fire hose or floodlights. But more precise and creative weapons are becoming available to aspiring corsairs. The U.S. military is wrapping up development of the Active Denial ray, a microwave device that deters militants by heating the outer layer of their skin and causing acute pain. The U.S. Navy has sought out this device to bolster its arsenal of nonlethal weapons. The LRAD, or Long Range Acoustic Device, is another tool that blasts loud music, warnings, or deterrent threats across bodies of water, and it was actually effective in averting a 2005 pirate attack on a cruise ship off of South Africa.
On Jan. 29, there were two known pirate attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s Live Piracy Report. One of these was averted with the smart deployment of fire hoses, but the other attack was successful. It’s a grim reminder that going out to sea is still very dangerous.
The UW doesn’t happen to offer any courses on piracy. This may come as a disappointment to maritime scholars and hopeful hunters, but it should set you at ease that our city hasn’t ever been in danger of ocean-borne raiders. I find it fascinating that piracy is still a viable career choice in certain parts of the world, and that merchant marines and militaries are meeting the challenge with creative solutions. It makes me wonder whether ninjas are still sneaking around in some corner of the world. If they were, we certainly wouldn’t know about it.
Reach columnist Jackson Rohrbaugh at opinion@dailyuw.com.
http://dailyuw.com/2009/2/5/piracy-still-matters/
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Regards ……… Snooper ………..NNNN
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