Please Note
Weekend gone …….
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.
No Updates.
Visit : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/
Blog : http://www.totallymoney.com/sailmike/?cat=5
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Containers
Maersk calls for cut in Suez tolls
Janet Porter - Thursday 5 February 2009
MAERSK Line is preparing to divert more Asia-Europe services around southern Africa unless Suez Canal transit tolls are reduced very soon, because of the large cost benefits.
Senior Maersk executives met Suez Canal Authority officials this week to press the case for lower fees, and say they had a sympathetic hearing.
But with no time to lose as market conditions deteriorate, the Danish line plans to re-route another five services via the Cape of Good Hope, after already diverting its premier AE7 loop that deploys the largest ships in its fleet.
Originally, the AE7 service was to be re-routed for just six eastbound sailings, but Maersk Line now expects to send ships around Africa on a permanent basis, and in both directions, unless the financial benefits disappear.
Right now, though, the savings “are very significant”, chief operating officer Morten Engelstoft said today.
“This is not small money we are talking about,” he said.
AP Moller-Maersk chief executive Nils Andersen, Maersk Line chief executive Eivind Kolding, and Mr Engelstoft flew to Egypt to explain in person to canal authority officials the reason for the ship deviations and the related cost savings.
“It was a very constructive meeting,” Mr Engelstoft said. “They are sympathetic to the situation that we, as shipping lines, face. We are hopeful that we can find a good solution that is beneficial for both parties.
“We expect they will look at the current tolls, based on the situation that both we and other carriers have indicated.”
But with no certainty about when or whether Suez charges may be cut, Maersk Line is ready to divert another North Europe-Asia loop in the next couple of weeks, with more deviations on the drawing board.
The longer voyage takes an extra week each way, but with oil prices now down to around $230 per tonne compared with last year’s peak of more than $700, operating costs are very much cheaper than the Suez Canal alternative.
A Suez transit costs the world’s largest containerships around $700,000.
The margin between fuel costs and the level at which the Cape of Good Hope route no longer made commercial sense was large, Mr Engelstoft said.
Forward markets indicated that the price would stay well below that breakeven figure for some time.
Without disclosing the exact cost savings from the Cape of Good Hope route, Mr Engelstoft nevertheless said the sums involved were so considerable that Maersk wanted to take advantage of the cheaper voyage costs as soon as possible.
Maersk ships will continue to slow steam at 19 knots, despite the cheaper bunker prices, while the longer route will require two extra ships on a round voyage.
That does not involve extra costs since Maersk Line has surplus tonnage.
Maersk, with 15 services routed through the canal, has identified at least six that could be diverted, and which account for half the total volume,
The line has not encountered any objections from shippers, Mr Engelstoft said. Maersk Line’s decision to divert ships was taken independently of sister company APM Terminals, whose facilities could be hit by the deviations.
Ironically, some services from Asia to the US east coast could be routed via the Suez Canal rather than the Panama Canal should that prove to be the cheaper option, depending on the outcome of the Suez Canal talks.
http://www.lloydslist.com/ll/news/maersk-calls-for-cut-in-suez-tolls/20017615520.htm
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Feb 6, 2009 10:35 | Updated Feb 6, 2009 10:46
'Greece holding Iran-bound missile ship'
Greek authorities are holding an Iran-bound ship carrying materials for the manufacture of surface-to-surface missiles, the Elefterotipia newspaper reported Friday.
According to the Greek paper, the ship, called the Susanna, left a port in Slovenia more than a month ago.
The Jerusalem Post could not independently confirm the report.
Last week, the Cypriot Navy stopped a Syria-bound Iranian ship, believed to be carrying weapons for Hamas. The US military had previously stopped the vessel in the Red Sea, but allowed it to continue because the US could not legally stop its journey or seize its cargo.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304703801&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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Navy to unload water, anchors to free stuck ship
20 minutes ago
HONOLULU (AP) — The Navy plans to remove 800 tons of water from a warship that ran aground off the coast of Honolulu before again trying to free the ship.
The Navy hopes the lighter load will help it pull the USS Port Royal to safety. Several attempts to free the $1 billion cruiser have failed since it got stuck on a rock and sand shoal Thursday.
The Pearl Harbor-based Port Royal, one of the Navy's most advanced ships, is capable of firing interceptors into space to shoot down missiles. It's also equipped with Aegis ballistic missile tracking technology.
The vessel is currently lodged just off Honolulu International Airport, visible to all those flying in and out of Oahu. It's also in clear view of a nearby public beach park and a famous local bar, La Mariana Sailing Club.
Rear Adm. Joe Walsh, U.S. Pacific Fleet deputy commander, says the Navy will try again early Monday, at the next high tide.
"At this time, no one has been hurt, the ship remains structurally sound, and no fuel or other contaminants has been released to the environment," Walsh told reporters at a Pearl Harbor pier.
A fuel spill response vessel is on standby at the scene just in case fuel leaks, however.
The water the Navy plans to unload is seawater the Port Royal has taken on to replace the weight of burned fuel. It helps balance the ship. The Navy also plans to unload about 40 tons' worth of anchors and anchor chains.
The rescue effort will enlist the help of one more civilian tugboat, adding to the efforts of four Navy and three commercial tugboats that tried to yank the ship loose Sunday.
The Navy plans to unload fuel if the Port Royal still won't move. The next step, if that's also unsuccessful, would be to consider dredging a channel behind the vessel through which the Navy would pull the ship back out to sea, Walsh said.
One reason Sunday's attempt may have failed, despite four hours of pulling between 1:30 a.m. and 5:30 a.m., is that the Navy wasn't able to lighten the Port Royal by offloading fuel as planned.
That's because waves kept hitting the vessel that was to receive the fuel, and there was a risk the vessels would be damaged.
The ship ran aground while offloading sailors, contractors and shipyard personnel Thursday night following its first day of sea trials. It had just wrapped up a four-month routine maintenance stay at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jbdZTVOfhpMNklJUwcq6GePEDEXgD967RN9G0
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Railways and Harbours Conference and Exhibition – one month to go
There’s now less than a month to go to the Railways and Harbours Conference and Exhibition at the Cape Town ICC. The date is 4 – 6 March 2009 and the conference and exhibition is lining up to be one of the premier events of the year, highlighting among other features the synergies between ports and harbours and those of railways.
For Industry by industry – that’s where it started – The Railways and Harbours Conference and Exhibition has been created for the Railways and Harbour industries by individuals from industry who are involved, dedicated and passionate about Africa’s future, continued improvement, progress and growth.
This new event offers unprecedented opportunity for experts and officials working in both disciplines, and for related and dependent industries, to come together and exchange their wisdom, experience and operational excellence.
The extent of international investment evident in Africa is greatly encouraging, the challenge being to maximise the useful employment of capital that is made available. Only by these means can the African continent unlock the opportunity, and its undoubted capability, to become globally competitive.
How it should go about this, which fundamentals have been identified, and what should be prioritised? – these are some of the daunting questions that the experts confront. We need to learn from history, from experience here and elsewhere; we need to develop what already exists to its fullest potential, and create vital new transport infrastructure.
The underpinning theme for this new conference and exhibition is to learn, create, develop – and grow
Bimodal and intermodal integration are to feature prominently, both on the exhibition floor and at the conference. In South Africa, the topicality of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup will be approaching a climax in 2009, transport interests both here and in the rest of the continent will necessarily be looking further ahead – to the second decade of the new century, and all the forethought and planning this implies and needs.
The conference takes place from 4 – 6 March at the Cape Town ICC. Full details of the Railways and Harbours Conference 2009 including details of the speakers, how to make a reservation, hotel accommodation etc can be found HERE
You can also contact Sue at tel +27 72 777 0092
sue@railwaysandharbours.com
www.railwaysandharbours.com
http://ports.co.za/news/article_2009_02_8_3512.html
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Ship evades protesters
February 09, 2009 Edition 1
Sinegugu Ndlovu
AN ISRAELI ship that was to be the subject of protests by Palestine supporters evaded the protests by docking early at Durban Harbour.
The Johanna Russ was expected to dock yesterday and the Cosatu-aligned South African Transport and Allied Workers' Union had pledged not to offload the ship to strengthen its campaign for boycotts, disinvestment and sanctions against "apartheid" Israel.
The union would be joined in protests by the Palestine Solidarity Committee.
A protest was held at the Durban Harbour mouth, off Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Victoria Embankment), yesterday after the protesters learned that the ship had docked at the harbour last Wed- nesday, offloaded the goods on Thursday morning and left.
Cosatu spokesman Zet Luzipho said the union federation found out about the matter late on Saturday.
He was disappointed at what he called a "cover-up" and that the ship's arrival date had been kept secret. He would not reveal who had offloaded the goods, saying that Cosatu suspected who was behind it.
"We are quite upset but we will continue working with the Palestine Solidarity Committee on this matter," he said.
The committee's spokesman, Salim Vally, said the incident was still a victory for the organisation as the ship's goods had not been off-loaded by union members. He said other ships would arrive from Israel and would not be offloaded.
"We don't know what kind of goods were on the ship, but some people said it was river sand or fresh produce," said Vally.
http://www.themercury.co.za/?fArticleId=4832979
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Trade News – Satamatics announce successful LRIT testing
Satamatics, the global provider of satellite telematics, asset tracking and monitoring services has announced the successful conformance testing of their SAT-201i-LRIT terminal and the hybrid Ocean Alert/LRIT upgrade.
The Ocean Alert/LRIT software has been developed to allow shipowners who have already invested in this product to easily upgrade their equipment to full comply with the Long Range Identification & Tracking (LRIT) SOLAS regulation V/19-1 whilst continuing to comply with SOLAS regulation XI-2/6 (SSAS).
In a statement the company says Satamatics is committed to providing cost effective fully compliant solutions to both the ship owner and the Flag State for LRIT.
Their strategy of providing software upgrades for Ocean Alert and developing the SAT-201i-LRIT, a low-cost LRIT terminal for vessels with non-compliant hardware, is offered as evidence of that commitment.
Fulcrum Maritime System, a recognised tester to over 24 flags, has supplied Satamatics with the Conformance Test Report for SAT-201i-LRIT demonstrating LRIT conformance. Ships with LRIT installed must have completed a successful Conformance Test and have the report on board.
According to SMD Telecommunications, the longest-established company specialising in marine electronics in South Africa and which represents Satamatics locally, this complete solution is the most economical stand-alone product available today. “It is ideal for vessels that either do not have compliant equipment or the cost of upgrading existing hardware is prohibitive. IT is sold as a complete solution, everything required for a full installation is included from the core out-of-the-box ready terminal to the required cable.”
SMD Telecommunications can be contacted at the Cape Town head office (021 511 0556), Durban branch (031 205 1122) and Richards Bay (035 789 4696) or by email at sales@smd-marine.co.za
http://ports.co.za/news/article_2009_02_8_3512.html
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Falklands : HMS Endurance Update
Submitted by Falkland Islands News Network (Juanita Brock) 04.02.2009 (Current Article)
Navy Command HQ took the decision on 16 January 2009 to return HMS ENDURANCE
from the Falkland Islands to the UK and the current intention, subject to further assessment, is to repair her and return her to service.
HMS ENDURANCE - UPDATE
Navy Command HQ took the decision on 16 January 2009 to return HMS ENDURANCE
from the Falkland Islands to the UK and the current intention, subject to further assessment, is to repair her and return her to service.
The process of finding contractors and negotiating a contract has necessarily taken time; however, a contract was placed with Dockwise on 28 January for HMS ENDURANCE to be returned to the UK on a heavy lift ship.
On current planning, the heavy repair ship TARGET should commence loading HMS ENDURANCE on 20 February. It is anticipated that the journey should take about a month for the TARGET to arrive off Portsmouth, with the arrival expected on 20 March.
Investigations are continuing into the cause of the original flooding incident.
http://www.sartma.com/art_6196.html
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Piracy update : ships and crew released
The Egyptian-owned cargo ship BLUE STAR and her crew of 28 is about to be released after the vessel’s owners agreed to pay over a ransom. The ship was carrying a cargo of 5,400 tonnes of fertilizer and was seized in the Gulf of Aden on New Year’s Day.
Other goods news from the Somali front concerns the release of the Ukraine Ro-Ro vessel FAINA which has been finally released after a ransom, reported to be worth US $ 3.2 million, was paid over to the Somali pirates. Taking no chances of losing the money from mishap at sea, as happened with the VLCC tanker SIRIUS STAR recently, the pirates arranged for the cash to be parachuted into Somali territory on the coast. Earlier a helicopter, said to be of South African origin, had taken off from Nairobi airport with the ransom money on board.
The seizure of the Faina attracted worldwide headlines and helped create a much wider interest in pirate activity off the Somali coast when it was revealed that the ship was carrying Russian-made T72 tanks and ammunition. These were said to be destined for the Kenya Army but others including the US claimed the rams were intended for forces fighting in South Sudan.
Shortly after pirates went onboard the ship’s master died from what is believed to have been a heart attack. The vessels was seized on 25 September 2008 and during its period in custody off the Somali coast up to a hundred pirates remained on board, guarding both the crew and the ship and its cargo - sufficient numbers to deter any thought of a sudden attack by coalition naval forces concerned about the weapons on board.
It is reported that Faina has since arrived safely in the port of Mombasa.
http://ports.co.za/news/article_2009_02_8_3512.html
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First US warship docks in Mozambique in EAfrica visit
1 day ago
MAPUTO (AFP) — An American warship has docked in Maputo for the first time as part of a maritime security training partnership along the east African coast, where piracy has lent new urgency to the venture, the US navy said Saturday.
"We have commenced the first visit of the east coast of Africa with the visit of the USS (Robert G) Bradley," said Rear Admiral William Loeffler about the warship's mission under the African Partnership Station (APS) initiative.
The USS Bradley will travel to Tanzania, Kenya and Djibouti after Mozambique, where it docked Friday for a nine-day visit.
The 4,100-tonne vessel is the first US warship to tie up pier side in Mozambique, said Loeffler, who is also the first American naval admiral to visit Maputo in recent history.
"Our efforts are to improve maritime safety and security for Mozambique as it occupies a strategic place on the southeast coast of Africa," he told a media briefing.
Two Mozambican junior officers and five enlisted sailors will also travel with the USS Bradley up the east African coast separate from the training exercises, Loeffler said.
Piracy along the Somali coast was added reason for international maritime co-operation, he said.
"Somalia is a multifaceted challenge that the international community is doing its best to deal with. What has happened in Somalia is indicative of what can happen where there is a lack of governance," he said.
"By all accounts they are being successful in reducing the number of piracy acts but this is also a reason why it is important for navies and governments to work together."
While American warships have visited east African ports for years, the USS Bradley is the first under the APS programme which aims to build maritime safety and security in Africa with local navies.
The USS Nashville is currently stationed in the Gulf of Guinea in west Africa under the initiative, with staff from various European and African countries.
The Mozambican navy is battling illegal fishing, estimated at an annual loss of 38 million dollars (29 million euros), and human trafficking, among other challenges.
The USS Forrest Sherman previously anchored off-shore in 2007 for training with the Mozambican navy.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jZ3a41y7wkfhTllBcrk3R9VPihCA
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Premier Fishing the one to catch
With local fish catches improving substantially in the past year there looks to be a good chance that the industry could undergo significant consolidation in 2009.
With fuel costs dropping and the rand weakening against hard currencies, the larger local fishing groups – notwithstanding the global economic turmoil – are in a strong position to generate bumper revenues.
The tough industry years between 2002 and 2006 have also seen fishing companies tighten up operational efficiencies, which means trading margins can be tweaked up considerably in buoyant trading conditions.
So any consolidation initiated by the so-called big four fishing groups – Oceana, Sea Harvest, I&J and Premier Fishing – will be from a position of strength.
Already the first tentative steps have been taken with Tiger Brands selling off its controlling 71% stake in hake catching specialist Sea Harvest to a Brimstone led consortium in a deal worth around R540 million.
The reason Tiger Brands sold its stake in Sea Harvest probably revolves around the food giant’s hostile bid for rival food group AVI.
If Tiger was successful in its endeavour to gain control at AVI there could be some unwanted attention from the competition authorities, and the one area of obvious dominance would be fishing.
Besides Sea Harvest, Tiger also owns the controlling stake in sprawling fishing business Oceana. AVI, on the other hand controls fishing and frozen sea food specialist I&J.
A combined fishing entity comprising Oceana, Sea Harvest and I&J would simply create an entity too dominant in the local fishing sector, where smaller operators constantly (and perhaps justifiably) complain about skewed economies of scale in quota awards.
Putting Sea Harvest in the hands of astute empowerment operators like Brimstone could really cause some waves in the industry.
With Brimstone’s strong empowerment credentials behind it, Sea Harvest will have considerable scope to pursue joint ventures, partnerships and takeovers of smaller fishing operators.
Currently Sea Harvest’s main business is deep sea trawling for Cape Hake species, and then the processing of this catch into frozen and chilled seafood products for local and export markets.
While Brimstone is securing a well maintained fleet of 14 fresh fish trawlers and a factory freezer ship as well as the Saldanha factory and cold storage facility, there will undoubtedly be a desire to broaden the fishing business into new areas.
It’s not only that Sea Harvest’s factory and cold storage could accommodate other catches for processing and packaging, but also that branding new products (say pilchards or tuna) under the Sea Harvest label could mean big advantages in the local and offshore markets.
But it’s not only Brimstone/Sea Harvest that will be on the front foot.
Oceana – which has over R200 million in free cash - has also indicated a willingness to look for opportunities amongst small to medium sized enterprises.
If Tiger Brands does manage to takeover AVI then Oceana and I&J will no doubt be merged in order to effect sizeable cost savings.
Oceana is by far the most diversified fishing business, incorporating pilchards, horse mackerel, hake, squid and lobster.
Even without I&J on board, there may be a considerable attraction for smaller fishing enterprises – which are often experiencing feast or famine business cycles – to link up with Oceana.
That brings us to Premier Fishing, which is controlled by Cape-based empowerment group Sekunjalo Investments.
Premier also wants to take advantage of consolidation opportunities in the fishing sector – probably in order to lessen the group’s reliance on its lobster businesses.
Recently endeavours in the pelagic sector have not yielded great results for Premier, but fortunes could change if the group is able to bulk up this segment through partnerships, joint ventures or takeovers.
Premier itself has been a bit of surprise package, managing to push profits to close to the R38 million mark in the year to end August after a slow first half.
Sekunjalo has managed to take a chunk of costs out of the business, and there is talk that the medium term goal is to secure profits of between R60 million to R70 million at Premier.
Gut feel is that both Sea Harvest and Oceana might be keen to make a move on Premier. Sekunjalo, however, would probably prefer to squeeze more profits out of Premier and bulk up operations with new fishing enterprises to ensure that the business can be sold at an attractive price.
If Sekunjalo’s abalone farming operations (see our “What’s in store for 09” article) are added to the mix then Premier really does become an asset worth fighting over. – source Cape Business News
http://ports.co.za/news/article_2009_02_8_3512.html
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USS Robert G. Bradley Mozambique for Workshops, Music and Volunteerism
Story Number: NNS090206-08
Release Date: 2/6/2009 11:21:00 AM
By Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa Public Affairs
MAPUTO, Mozambique (NNS) -- USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49) arrived in Maputo, Mozambique for a port visit Feb. 6 as part of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative in East Africa.
APS is an initiative to enhance maritime safety and security in Africa led by U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. Naval Forces Africa. It is one of the keys to the chief of naval operations' maritime strategy and aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and other collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security throughout Africa.
The visit began with a round table meeting aboard the ship hosted by Rear Adm. William Loeffler, director of policy, resources and strategy for U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and the U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affaires Todd Chapman with the Mozambican chief of defense, minister of defense and other senior-level Mozambican officials.
Bradley will host workshops with Mozambique Sailors on visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) techniques and small boat operations, participate in two community relations projects, and deliver Project Handclasp donations to a local orphanage.
Top Brass, a U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa brass band, will also hold a musical workshop with members of the Mozambican military band.
Bradley, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate homeported in Mayport, Fla., is on a regularly scheduled deployment to the 6th Fleet area of responsibility in support of Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-, U.S. 6th Fleet, visit www.navy.mil/local/naveur/
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=42398
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Durban Port opens client centre
Good news for Durban port users, a Customer Service Centre is in the process of being opened which will facilitate a lot of the queries needing attention.
It’s still early days but the initial functions of the centre include a Switchboard to address general queries, call routing, complaints and receiving of suggestions. This may sound elementary and basic for any business but until now if you did not know the number of the person you wanted to contact at the port there was simply no other way to ask or find out. Even if you were armed with the correct number but the person you sought was unavailable, that was it! There was no switchboard to come to your assistance, so this development will be more than welcomed. The Switchboard number for the Port of Durban is 031 361 3755.
The other innovation is a Call Centre, for Ports On-line information (cargo dues) and registration and queries. The telephone number for the Call Centre is 086 010 9330.
There is even a general email address at last – CustomerCare@transnet.net and a general fax number which is 086 639 3048.
Port clients will welcome these developments.
http://ports.co.za/news/article_2009_02_8_3512.html
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US Military Renews Efforts on Both Sides of Africa
By Al Pessin
Pentagon
06 February 2009
The U.S. Navy has begun its annual deployment to West Africa, working with countries in the region to improve security. At the same time, the U.S.-led international task force in Djibouti, in East Africa, got a new commander with a similar mission.
A U.S. Navy ship arrived in Dakar this week, starting the second Africa Partnership Station mission.
"Africa Partnership Station is a mission on helping to develop maritime security and safety capacity and capability in West and Central Africa," says Captain Cindy Thebaud, mission commander, speaking from the waters off Dakar, Senegal.
Thebaud says her crew will focus on building the professionalism of the navies of West African countries, helping them develop systems to keep track of what is happening in their waters and respond to emergencies, and working on maritime infrastructure projects. The captain says the project will include training on boat maintenance, search and rescue skills, port security, weather forecasting, leadership development and how to monitor fishing grounds.
And she says there is also a broader strategy at work.
"The strategic message is that maritime security is a partnership endeavor. All of the countries that we engage with talk about the fact that the challenges are similar throughout the region, and they're challenges that no one country can surmount and overcome alone," Thebaud said. "The Partnership -- in working together collaboratively to figure out how to best employ the resources that are available, how to develop low-cost resources that can be brought to bear in helping to overcome some of the challenges in the region -- is a collaborative effort. And it takes a multi-national partnership."
Captain Thebaud's ship, the USS Nashville, is also hosting 27 African officers from 10 countries for extended training.
This year's Africa Partnership Mission will visit Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Gabon during the coming weeks. But the captain says U.S. military exchanges in the region continue throughout the year.
Captain Thebaud is one of a relatively small number of women at her fairly senior rank in operational roles in the U.S. Navy. And she says it is still relatively unusual to find a woman in charge of such a mission.
"It is unusual only because the number of women we have in the (Navy) surface (Warfare) community at the captain level is still fairly small," she says. "That is one of the questions I asked of people who had been in this job previously, actually. And they said, 'you should not expect gender to be an issue.' And to be quite honest, I have not found it to be."
While Captain Thebaud is starting her mission in West Africa, another U.S. Navy officer took command Thursday across the continent at the Combined Joint Task Force for the Horn of Africa in Djibouti. In an interview during his pre-deployment training, Admiral Anthony Kurta told VOA his mission is similar to the West Africa effort.
"In all that we do, the goal is to enhance the ability of each one of our African partners to provide for their own security," Kurta says.
Admiral Kurta says several months of training for his new command presented him, and his 55-member staff, with a variety of scenarios designed to prepare them to react to potential events in East Africa.
"The scenarios take us into all of the countries in the region and the type of situations that are thrown at us are those that the staffs have faced over the years," he said. "They're security capacity building events; there's response to humanitarian assistance and disasters; there's response to deteriorating security conditions in certain countries, and the possible evacuation of American citizens in other countries."
The Djibouti base also supports some U.S. military activities related to the war on terror, but Admiral Kurta says the focus is on preventing conflicts and helping African militaries prepare to deal with their own problems when they arise.
http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-02-06-voa66.cfm
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MSC Ships Deliver Military Cargo to Thailand
2/6/2009 10:46:01 AM
Two Military Sealift Command ships delivered hundreds of pieces of U.S. Marine Corps equipment and containerized supplies to Thai ports in late January as preparations ramped up for Exercise Cobra Gold 2009, the major multi-national exercise scheduled for Feb. 4 - 17 in Thailand.
Cobra Gold is a regularly scheduled joint and coalition multinational exercise hosted annually by the Kingdom of Thailand. Armed forces from Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and the United States are participating.
Training will consist of computer-simulated command post exercise, field training exercises and humanitarian and civic assistance projects.
USNS MAJ Stephen W. Pless, a U.S. government-owned ship used to preposition U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea for rapid delivery ashore, offloaded 100 pieces of cargo in support of the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force. Cargo included military assault vehicles, Humvees, trucks and other military vehicles, which were driven down the ship's massive stern ramp to the port of Laem Chabang.
Prior to Pless' delivery, MV Cape Howe, a cargo ship under charter to MSC, delivered 248 pieces of rolling stock and 30 containers of supplies to Chuk Samet, Thailand, Jan. 23.
A complex evolution, Pless' offload required close coordination between the ship's 28-person civilian crew who work for a private company under contract to MSC and Marines embarked on the ship. Because the Marines did not need to offload all of their equipment, Pless' cargo was selectively discharged using the ship's on board ramps and cranes.
"Since [the Marines] were selecting pieces from various parts of the ship, my role was to ensure the stability of the ship," said Darrell Jones, Pless' chief mate. "We needed to make sure that when the weight shifted, it didn't overstress the ship."
Pless is one of 15 Maritime Prepositioning Ships, or MPS, which strategically position U.S. Marine Corps equipment and supplies at sea, making them ready for rapid delivery to Marines ashore. Pless operates in the Western Pacific Ocean as part of MPS Squadron Three. Two other MPS squadrons operate in the Indian Ocean and Eastern Atlantic Ocean/Mediterranean Sea.
Navy Capt. Rick Daniel, MPS Squadron Three commander, and four of his staff members were also on board Pless at the port to provide operational and logistics support to the Marines.
Upon completion of its offload, Pless sailed about four miles offshore Jan. 31, where the is serving as a platform for seven sailors from Navy Cargo Handling Battalion One to train in deploying and operating lighterage, a type of floating barge used to ferry cargo from ship to shore. These barges are used to offload cargo at sea when port facilities are underdeveloped or unavailable.
Pless will remain off Thailand's coast until Cobra Gold is completed and the Marines' cargo is ready to be reloaded for at-sea prepositioning in late February.
Navy reservists from four of MSC's 17 Expeditionary Port Units are also participating in Cobra Gold. These highly mobile units quickly deploy to a contingency operation, establish port operations and manage the arrivals and departures of cargo ships in port. Participating units are EPU 111 of Oklahoma City; EPU 113 of Fort Worth, Texas; EPU 116, Everett, Wash.; and EPU 117 of Alameda, Calif.
MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.
http://sname.marinelink.com/snamestory.aspx?stid=214410
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Nashville Sailors Team with Senegalese Soldiers to Make a Difference
Story Number: NNS090206-05
Release Date: 2/6/2009 8:55:00 AM
By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Matthew Bookwalter, Africa Partnership Station Nashville Public Affairs
DAKAR, Senegal (NNS) -- USS Nashville (LPD 13) Sailors paired up with several Senegalese Soldiers to begin refurbishing the Centoe Mecico Social medical clinic in Dakar, Senegal, during a community relations (COMREL) project Feb 5.
Ten Nashville Sailors took part in the project, an opportunity provided by the ship's participation in Africa Partnership Station (APS) Nashville.
The group arrived at the clinic mid-morning and immediately began prepping the walls for paint by scraping away and smoothing over old cracked paint, with the Senegalese Soldiers working with them the whole time.
"There is something universal about hard work," said Lt. Darin Dunham, Nashville chaplin. "Talking wasn't really necessary today. Just like our guys, the Senegalese saw the paint and jumped right in. As the day progressed you could see the two separate groups mingle more and more."
Repainting the clinic's walls is not the only job that will be done during the project, which will last throughout Nashville's visit in Dakar. Old broken doors are to be replaced, and some Sailors will assist with simple plumbing and mortar work before the end of the project.
"Working hand-in-hand with each other is good," said Gunner's Mate 3rd Class Santos Oyoque. "Even though there was a language barrier, we were still able to accomplish the job we were tasked with."
By the end of the endeavor, Dunham believes you will see a change in more than just the building.
"These COMRELSs are good because help is given to people who need it," said Dunham. "However, it's also a reciprocal process; my Sailors will walk away as different people."
Those Sailors were able to experience a new culture in a different way, and their Senegalese co-workers left an impression, Oyoque said.
"I liked talking to the people," he said. "I don't know much French, but I do like soccer. We were able to communicate to each other about it."
By then end of the day, both U.S. and Senegalese servicemembers walked away with more than a painted building. "The more you are exposed to the world, the more you realize that we all have the same basic needs, wants and desires, and that friendship is a universal quality," Dunham said.
Nashville is currently deployed in support of Africa Partnership Station (APS), 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 on the African continent. Nashville is focused on supporting the APS strategy in West and Central Africa.
To learn more about Africa Partnership Station, visit www.c6f.navy.mil/aps_web/index.htm.
For more news from COMNAVEUR/COMSIXTHFLT, visit www.navy.mil/local/naveur/.
http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=42388
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090204-N-1655H-127 DAKAR, Senegal (Feb. 4, 2009) Chief Engineman Edward Young speaks with an African naval officer on the pier after the amphibious transport dock ship USS Nashville (LPD 13) pulled into Dakar, Senegal for Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2009. APS 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 on the African continent. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class David Holmes/Released)
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=68571
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South Africa-Palestine: Victory for Worker Solidarity
international | miscellaneous | non anarchist press
Friday February 06, 2009 16:22
by Congress of South African Trade Unions - Palestine Solidarity Committee
6 February 2009
The Congress of South African Trade Union is pleased to announce that its members, dock workers belonging to the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU) achieved a victory last night when they stood firm by their decision not to offload the Johanna Russ, a ship that was carrying Israeli goods to South Africa. This, despite threats to COSATU members from sections of the pro-Israeli lobby, and despite severe provocation.
The Johanna Russ, flying an Antigua flag, is owned by M. Dizengoff and Co., an established "pioneer of the modern era of shipping business in the Middle East" and shipping agent for the ironically named Zim Israel Navigation Company. (Ironic because, last year, the same SATAWU members refused to offload the Chinese ship An Yue Jiang, which was carrying arms and ammunition destined for Robert Mugabe’s army.)
The worker action last night took place despite attempted subterfuge on the part of the owners of the shipping company. There was an attempt to confound the plan by arriving earlier than originally scheduled, which was 8 February. Dates for the berthing of the Johanna Russ were changed constantly. Yesterday morning, SATAWU members were told that the ship would dock this morning (Friday) at 02:00. Thanks to the vigilance of the dock workers, SATAWU discovered that the ship had docked on Wednesday morning and was due to be offloaded last night at 21:00. But the vigilant workers were on guard and immediately they realised that it had docked, they then refused to handle it, despite pressures from management. SATAWU members maintained their refusal to offload the ship and also attempted to ensure that scab labour would not be used.
A few hours after berthing, at 23:00, the Johanna Russ sneaked out of the Durban Harbour.
From the beginning of this action, COSATU workers remained resolute about their position and were convinced that, following the recent Israeli massacres in Gaza, they will take determined action against Israel. Israel’s terror included flagrant breaches of international law, the bombing of densely populated neighbourhoods, the illegal deployment of chemical white phosphorous, and attacks on schools, ambulances, relief agencies, hospitals, universities and places of worship.
COSATU has now decided to intensify its efforts in support of the struggles of the Palestinian people. The worker victory in Durban yesterday spurs COSATU members on to more determined action in order to isolate the Apartheid state of Israel. Other Cosatu unions are currently in discussion about how they might also give effect to Cosatu resolutions on boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel, including a refusal to handle Israeli goods, and continuing pressure on our government to sever diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
The momentum against apartheid Israel has become an irresistible force. We are proud to stand with the millions around the world who say ‘Enough is enough’. They are doing what we asked them to do when we faced the apartheid regime in our own country.
COSATU and the PSC call on all people of conscience to join us in boycotting Israeli products and institutions until a just, democratic state, with equal rights for all comes into existence in Palestine. This is just the beginning of a solidarity campaign which will continue until the demands of the Palestinian people have been won.
For more information, call:
Randall Howard (Satawu General Secretary) - 082 564 6298
Patrick Craven (Cosatu) – 082 821 7456
Melissa Hoole (PSC) – 073 906 0017
Bongani Masuku (Cosatu)– 079 499 6419
Salim Vally (PSC) – 082 802 5936
Na’eem Jeenah (PSC) – 084 574 2674
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/11823
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Further test firing success for Royal Navy's Sea Viper Air Defence System
(Photo. MBDA)
21:32 GMT, February 5, 2009 Sea Viper, the Royal Navy’s new advanced naval air defence system, was successfully test fired for a second time on 4th February from the trials barge Longbow at the French DGA’s CELM (Centre d’Essais de Lancement des Missiles ) test range near the Ile du Levant off the French coast.
The successful firing marks a further key step in the demonstration of the maturity of the Sea Viper system, known until recently in the UK as PAAMS (S), in the lead up to the missile system entering service onboard the Royal Navy’s new Daring class Type 45 destroyers.
The trial comprised the firing of a single Aster 15 missile launched against a Mirach target simulating a low level attack by an anti-ship missile. All aspects of the system behaved as expected with the Aster missile intercepting the target at very close range.
Nick Neale, PAAMS Project Director in the Aster Systems Programme directorate, said: “Following on from the successful first firing in June last year, this second firing success kicks off our 2009 programme of work in the best possible way. We look forward with pride to completing the remainder of the system qualification programme and to the entry of the system into service on board the RN’s new Type 45 destroyers”.
Antoine Bouvier, MBDA’s CEO, said: “This second successful firing is another important milestone for PAAMS and MBDA’s Aster missile system family. It provides a clear demonstration of the performance leap that the PAAMS system will bring when it enters service.”
All the Sea Viper system elements have been set to work on the first of class Type 45, HMS Daring. Phase One system integration activities on HMS Daring have been completed with Phase Two of the system integration programme set to start in June. The final system qualification firing trial is scheduled to take place in the summer. Deliveries of Sea Viper equipment to the second and third Type 45 destroyers, HMS Dauntless and HMS Diamond, are complete with remaining deliveries progressing in accordance with the requirements of the ship build programme.
Additional information:
Sea Viper came into being on 28th January 2009 when Vice Admiral Sir Trevor Soar, Chief of Material Fleet, announced the name selected by the Royal Navy for its PAAMS (S) air defence system.
PAAMS is the self, local and fleet area defence system family that will, as Sea Viper, equip the Royal Navy’s new Daring class of Type 45 destroyers and, as PAAMS (E), equip the Horizon and Orizzonte frigates of the French and Italian Navies respectively.
PAAMS is a 360° omni-directional system providing multi-layer air defence to armed fleets or groups of unarmed support and merchant ships. It incorporates three separate mission capabilities in a single naval air defence system – ship self-defence for protection of the PAAMS warship; local area defence for nearby ship defence; and medium and long-range air defence. PAAMS has been designed to provide optimum protection against omni-directional and co-ordinated attacks from sub- or supersonic missiles, aircraft and high value UAVs.
PAAMS comprises a Multi Function Radar (MFR), a sophisticated Command and Control sub-system (C2), and a dual missile Vertical Launch Sub-system (VLS) containing a combination of forty-eight, ready-to-fire Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles. PAAMS is supported by a Long Range Radar (LRR) for long range surveillance.
Depending on the threat, the combination of the Aster 15 and Aster 30 missiles enables the PAAMS system to fire in any configuration from the PAAMS Sylver A50 launcher providing a near impenetrable defence envelope day or night, even in cases of extreme electronic countermeasures and in all weather conditions.
The Royal Navy’s Sea Viper system differs from the PAAMS (E) selected by France and Italy with respect to the Multi Function Radar (MFR). Whereas France and Italy opted for the EMPAR MFR, the very specific requirements of the Royal Navy have resulted in the development of the SAMPSON MFR by BAE Systems INSYTE.
With industrial facilities in four European countries and within the USA, MBDA has an annual turnover of more than €3 billion and an order book of more than €13 billion. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems.
MBDA is the only group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air). In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.
http://www.defpro.com/news/details/5341/
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No plans for military base in Bangladesh: US
Dhaka (IANS): The US has expressed its willingness to assist Bangladesh in maritime patrol and secure its unprotected territorial sea lanes, but has said that it has no plan to set up a military base.Richard Boucher, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia on Sunday clarified this point while winding up his two day visit here.
Boucher told the media: "I think there are some interests in maritime patrol so you can protect your sea areas better. We can help their (border security agencies') activities but the modalities will depend on what Bangladesh wants."
He brushed off a suggestion that the US might be planning to set up a military base in Bangladesh. "We do not have any intention for a permanent presence (in Bangladesh)," New Age quoted him as saying on Monday.
A military base is a sensitive issue in Bangladesh and it goes back to the cold war era.
Boucher said: "The US has a lot of cooperation with different countries, different governments and different agencies. Some are with civilian agencies, like police, and some are with military agencies."
Boucher, who interacted with Bangladesh's top leadership, including opposition leader Khaleda Zia, ended his visit even as Dhaka, in the midst of diplomatic activities, prepared to receive Indian Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee.
Mukherjee is due here later on Monday.
Boucher said his talks explored areas of cooperation between the new governments in Dhaka and Washington headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Barack Obama.
The US official identified new areas like climate change, agriculture and health-care and assured continuation of US support to Bangladesh.
The issue of cooperation in marine patrols came in the backdrop of a row over oil and gas exploration between Myanmar and Bangladesh in waters claimed by Dhaka in the Bay of Bengal.
Both Bangladesh and Myanmar have deployed warships in the Bay of Bengal to establish their claims. Diplomatic efforts involving China and South Korea by Bangladesh's then military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed apparently put to an end the row.
There was a stand-off with India last November when Bangladesh Navy confronted an Indian survey ship backed by a naval vessel. The row was sorted out through diplomatic talks.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/003200902091080.htm
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Australian Military on standby to provide resources and expertise
BY SANDRA O'MALLEY
9/02/2009 1:00:00 AM
The Australian Defence Force is on standby to help as bushfires continue to rage out of control in Victoria.
The military will provide resources and expertise, including the deployment of army bulldozers to build fire breaks and logisticians to help make shattered communities functional again.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd toured the bushfire-affected Yarra Valley with Premier John Brumby yesterday, announcing a joint $10million emergency relief fund to help victims of the tragedy.
''The Rudd and Brumby governments are working closely together to ensure that the people and emergency workers in Victoria have all the support they require during this difficult time,'' Mr Rudd said.
The Prime Minister committed the Australian Defence Force to provide whatever assistance needed by Victorian authorities.
Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon said a response plan was in place to allow commanders on the ground to do everything possible to deal with requests for assistance.
''We stand ready to help in any way that we can and we will respond positively to any request where we think we can make a positive contribution,'' he said.
''The most obvious areas will be the deployment of heavy earth-moving equipment to assist with the containment of fires.''
Twelve army bulldozers have already been deployed to Yea in north-east Victoria.
Defence may help with the provision of stretchers and possibly tents to accommodate people who have lost their homes in the fires.
''[And] we do have some expertise in firefighting [so] we'll providing advice on the ground as well,'' Mr Fitzgibbon said.
But he said there weren't sufficient numbers of ADF personnel with firefighting experience to help battle the bushfires directly.
Mr Rudd told the people of Victoria the thoughts of the nation were with them as ''hell in all its fury'' wreaked havoc upon the state.
''This loss of life, the numbers of injured and horrific injuries, our thoughts and our prayers go out to each and everyone of them as they now try and deal with this tragedy,'' he said.
Federal Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull also offered his sympathies, praising the efforts of firefighters battling the blazes.
''Our admiration and our unstinting support must be given to the brave men and women who are fighting these fires,'' he said.
From today, Centrelink will begin making disaster relief payments of $1000 for adults and $400 for children affected by the bushfires.
Centrelink will offer counselling services and funeral assistance worth up to $5000 will be available to the families of people who have died in the fires. AAP
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/military-on-standby-to-provide-resources-and-expertise/1428095.aspx
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RI to purchase Russian subs
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 02/09/2009 12:14 PM | National
The government is set to purchase Russian-made submarine, a legislator said Monday.
"There's always been a plan to purchase submarine and I've surveyed a few submarine workshops in Moscow, Russia. This submarine is to display our naval strength and also anticipate any armed conflicts," deputy speaker of the House of Representatives' Commission I on political, security and foreign affairs, Yusron Ihza said, as quoted by Antara news.
Ihza added that due to the global economic downturn, the purchase would be made in stages.
"It's not necessary to own many submarines since they are expensive, just three state of the art units suffice to safeguard the integrity of our waters," Ihza said.
He added that the country's economic power needed enhancement as it correlated to the country's defense and security.
If the country's economy lies in the balance, so is our defense, Ihza said.
"My colleagues and I at the House have fought for an increase in defense spending, yet unfortunately this isn't possible now," he said, adding that only a third of the proposed budget was approved.
It is an ongoing dilemma, he said, as our defense infrastructure is outstreched yet state funds are limited. (amr)
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/02/09/ri-purchase-russian-subs.html
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Russian Inventor Creates Personal Submarine
Logan Westbrook posted on 8 Feb 2009 10:52 pm
Oppressive regimes are a regular feature in videogames, but few of us know what is actually like to live in one. Inventor Mikhail Puchkov sought to escape the drudgery of Soviet Russia, by taking to the waves, both above and below them.
Puchkov began work on his one man submersible in the early 80s during the tenure of Leonid Brezhnev, as a means if escaping the stifling Communist regime, if only for a little while. Puchkov said of the project, "I was not satisfied with the fate that was laid out for me. I wanted to satisfy myself and to have some respect for my life. If I learned to respect myself, I felt it would be easier to find my niche in life. I didn't know it would work. I just hoped."
Puchkov's sub can sail 100 miles a day and submerge to 30 feet. The sub can travel as fast as four knots and can make an underwater trip from St. Petersburg to Helsinki, Finland and back without stops. Puchkov worked in secret in the dead of night and after ten years of trials and refinement, took to the open seas in 1994, making a secret trip to Kronshtadt, a closed military base in the Gulf of Finland. His drive and creative vision have made Puchkov something of a minor celebrity in his home of St. Petersburg, so much so that Aleksandr Kiselev, a Russian documentary filmmaker, is in the process of making a short movie about his life and inventions.
The success of Puchkov's submarine is a testament to what you can achieve with a little ingenuity, and a lot of determination.
http://inventorspot.com/articles/smallest_russian_submarine_officially_registered_boat_23196
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/89277-Russian-Inventor-Creates-Personal-Submarine
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Sweden's Stealth Ships
The world's first fully-stealth Naval technology.
by Chris Iaquinta
February 6, 2009 - For most people, when they hear of Sweden, they think of the Swedish Bikini Team, we know we do. However, the Scandinavian country is looking to become known for just more than their large concentration of blondes by developing some of the most sophisticated Naval stealth technology in the world. Whether or not the bikini team will pilot these ships is something that has yet to be revealed (fingers crossed!).
By the end of 2009, the first two Visby class corvettes will begin their service within the Swedish Navy, effectively becoming the first operational stealth ships in the world. The corvettes will be able to travel at speeds up to 13km in rough seas and 22km in calms seas, all while completely electronically undetectable. Its ability to avoid detection is partly due to the composite, non-magnetic hull that features flat surfaces and sharp edges designed to lower its acoustic and optical signatures, plus the use of waterjet propulsion over traditional propellers.
Apparently in the mid-1980's, Sweden's national waters were penetrated by foreign submarines, leaving the country feeling violated and with a pregnancy scare. Also, they were then left with a need for the ability to quietly monitor the seas. According to Swedish Defense Materiel Administration technical manager Patric Hjorth, a stealth boat was the perfect solution.
"It's very hard for a submarine to detect a waterjet vessel. It has a very different signature from a propeller-driven craft as it fades into the background," says Hjortth. "They're also very good for making tight turns and fast stops, so they give a lot more maneuverability."
Originally, the concept was to build six Visby corvettes and divide them into two classes, one for surface combat and the other for submarine/mine detection. However, budget cutbacks in the early 1990's forced the fleet into a multifunctional, five vessel class. Interested parties including the US, who may want to pick up a few boats for a rainy day, are now looking at the ships closely.
Sweet stealth technology? The ability to switch to surface warfare duties? The possibility that the crew will be hot blondes? We expect Swedish Naval enlistment to go up tenfold. C'mon everyone, all together now! "In the Navy, yes you can sail the seven seas. In the Navy, yes you can put your mind at ease...."
http://gear.ign.com/articles/952/952303p1.html
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February 6, 2009, 8:21 am
From the Depths: China Invests in Submarines
China’s increasingly capable navy has been in the headlines lately for its first distant-waters deployment in modern history –- two destroyers and a supply ship dispatched to the Gulf of Aden to join the international battle against Somali pirates.
But what is really drawing attention from rival navies and the country’s neighbors is action below the surface, where China’s better-equipped submarine force lurks. China has been making substantial investments in subs -– buying some from Russia and building their own -– in an effort to offset the advantages of navies with bigger, stronger surface fleets, such as that of the U.S.
It’s part of a Chinese strategy of asymmetric warfare. In this case, U.S. planners see it as directed primarily against the aircraft carrier battle groups that are at the core of the U.S. fleet and America’s ability to project military power around the globe. The immediate aim, the U.S. military fears, is to delay or prevent U.S. intervention in any conflict between China and Taiwan.
On Tuesday, the Federation of American Scientists issued a report saying that U.S. naval intelligence counted 12 “patrols” by Chinese attack submarines in 2008 -– double the number in the previous year and the highest so far recorded. The group received the information through a Freedom of Information Act request. It is unclear what constitutes a patrol, but it is thought to mean an extended voyage.
While well below the likely level of U.S. attack submarine patrols, the number appears to be higher than the number undertaken by China’s northern neighbor, Russia. China has a fleet of about 50 attack submarines as well as submarines designed to carry nuclear-armed ballistic missiles. Those missile subs have never gone on a patrol, according to U.S. intelligence reports received by the FAS.
In recent years, China has acquired new, so-called Kilo class diesel-powered submarines from Russia, adding them to a fleet that also includes home-grown attack subs, including some powered by nuclear reactors. The Kilo subs are especially stealthy and hard to detect when submerged.
But even China’s sizable number of outmoded submarine clunkers present a naval challenge – especially if China were to use them to flood the waters around Taiwan in the event of conflict there. Finding subs underwater is one of the hardest tasks for any navy and the shallow waters of the Taiwan strait make it even harder. The prospect of a torpedo hit from even a low-tech sub would likely be enough to slow down U.S. naval operations.
China’s investments in its navy and the rest of its armed forces have prompted calls from Washington and other capitals for more transparency on the part of Beijing. High-level dialogue between Chinese and U.S. officers has been essentially frozen since Washington approved an arms-sale deal with Taiwan last year.
So far, the U.S. Pacific commander says, there has been no thaw since President Barack Obama took office. “I have seen no change since the new administration came in,” Admiral Timothy Keating told Reuters in an interview in Washington Thursday. He said there are still contacts between the two sides, but that “We would much prefer it to be a more formal, a more regular and a more frequent dialogue than it is right now.”
– Gordon Fairclough
http://blogs.wsj.com/chinajournal/2009/02/06/from-the-depths-china-invests-in-submarines/?mod=googlenews_wsj
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Indian Navy warship to continue anti-piracy operations
Published: February 9,2009
New Delhi, Feb 9 The Navy has sent its warship INS Tabar, which successfully sank the sea brigand&aposs mother ship in Gulf of Aden last November, once again to continue anti-piracy operations.
"INS Tabar, a guided missile frigate, will replace INS Beas and the two have already had a rendezvous in the international waters off Somali coast recently,"a Navy spokesperson said here today. In October 2008, INS Tabar was the first Indian ship to be given the responsibility of fighting the pirate menace in waters that witness most of the sea trade in the region.
The government had decided to send the warship to Somali coast in the wake of increasing number of hijackings of merchant vessels by pirates operating from ports in Somalia near the Horn of Africa. Apart from sinking the pirate vessel, INS Tabar had also successfully warded off attacks on both Indian and foreign merchant ships in those waters before returning to Mumbai.
The Navy had replaced Tabar with INS Mysore, a destroyer of the Delhi-class, in November last year. It was later replaced early this year with INS Beas, another frigate of the Brahmaputra class.
http://www.indopia.in/India-usa-uk-news/latest-news/497975/National/1/20/1
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Rocky seas grab hold of Navy cruiser
February 9, 2009
HAWAII - The USS Port Royal sits where it ran aground last week. Tugboats and a salvage ship tried unsuccessfully for four hours Sunday to pull it off a rock and sand shoal. It was the Navy's third attempt to free the 15-year-old guided missile cruiser, which was finishing the first day of sea trials off the coast of Hawaii following four months of routine maintenance when it became stuck.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/services/newspaper/printedition/monday/orl-a3report09_209feb09,0,4643999.story
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Protestors say no more whales killed since clashes
Updated at 7:21pm on 8 February 2009
Anti-whaling protestors say Japanese whaling boats operating in Antarctic waters have not killed any more whales since clashes between the vessels on Friday.
The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society's boat, the Steve Irwin, collided with Japanese whaling vessels twice in the Ross Sea on Friday as the boats tried to transfer dead whales on board.
The captain of Steve Irwin Paul Watson says the boats killed five whales that day, but the Sea Shepherd's helicopter has not seen any killed since.
Mr Watson says normally the Japanese boats would be taking 8 - 10 whales a day.
Both sides claim the other group is using increasingly violent tactics and Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully has warned that someone could be killed or seriously injured if the conflict continues.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/stories/2009/02/08/12459db9062c
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Sea Shepherd Withdraws From Whale War in the Ross Sea
ON BOARD THE STEVE IRWIN, February 9, 2009 (ENS) - After weeks of interference with the activities of the Japanese whaling fleet, the Sea Shepherd ship the Steve Irwin has withdrawn from the confrontation in the Ross Sea and is returning to Australia.
At the helm, Captain Paul Watson says he is withdrawing in part to protect the ship and its crew from further injury and also to protect more than 1,000 hours of video documentation of the whale hunt from seizure. The expedition was documented by the Sea Shepherd videographers and by the Discovery Channel's Animal Planet for the television program "Whale Wars."
"Although we are willing to take the risks required, even to our own lives, I am not prepared to do to the Japanese whalers what they do to the whales and the escalating violence by the whalers will result in some serious injuries and possibly fatalities if this confrontation continues to escalate," Watson said today.
Watson, founder and leader of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, said he believes that on January 31 the Japanese government dispatched a security vessel called the Taiyo Maru No.38 from Fiji to intercept the Steve Irwin.
"The ship is believed to be carrying a special boarding unit and has orders to seize the ship and all video evidence, according to a source in Fiji," said Watson today. "We cannot allow this documentation to be captured by Japan."
The Taiyo Maru No.38 is expected to arrive in the Ross Sea within days.
The Steve Irwin had only another four days of fuel reserves to remain with the Japanese whalers before being forced to return anyway, said Watson who plans to begin preparations to return next season with a faster and longer range ship.
"Another four days is simply not worth getting someone killed," said Watson. "We are down here because we respect the sanctity of life. The whalers are down here to illegally destroy life. People can choose to side with life or with death, between the whalers and the whale defenders, and we have chosen to defend life, and for those who condemn us for what we are doing, all I can say is that we are not down here for them. We’re down here for the whales."
Watson said he has been operating at a disadvantage against three harpoon boats that are superior in speed and maneuverability to the Steve Irwin.
"We need to block those deadly harpoons and we need to outrun these hunter killer ships and to do that I need a ship that is as fast as they are and I intend to get one and I intend to return next year," he said.
"We will never stop intervening against their illegal whaling operations and we will never stop harassing them, blockading them and costing them money. I intend to be their on-going nightmare every year until they stop their horrific and unlawful slaughter of the great whales in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary," he said.
During the past week, confrontations between the Sea Shepherd and the whaling fleet have resulted in numerous close calls and two collisions causing minor damage.
The whaling fleet this year deployed sonic weapons known as Long Range Acoustical Devices, LRAD’s, and high powered water cannons against the Sea Shepherd crew. The threw metal objects and golf balls at the conservationists.
The Sea Shepherd crew fought back with canisters of rotten butter and lines and by blocking the rear of the Japanese factory vessel where the harpoon vessels were trying to unload dead whales.
"On February 6th, two incidents occurred where the Steve Irwin collided with harpoon vessels as they forced their way past the Steve Irwin's blockade in their pursuit of their poaching activities," said Watson. "These collisions were not intentional on the part of Sea Shepherd."
No whalers were injured. Three members of the Steve Irwin’s crew were injured with one man requiring five stitches above his left eye after being hit by a blast from the LRAD and knocked over.
"I have said always said that we would do everything we can short of hurting people to end illegal whaling in the Antarctic Whale Sanctuary," said Watson. "We have done everything we could with the resources available to us this year. We have shut down their illegal operations for over a month in total. We have cost them money and we have saved the lives of a good many whales."
In Tokyo, the Japanese Institute for Cetacean Research says the two collisions between the Steve Irwin and Japanese whaling vessels on February 6 were the Sea Shepherd's fault.
The ICR calls the Sea Shepherd's actions "high seas terror acts and breaches of international maritime law" and says video filmed by Japanese seamen in the Antarctic Friday backs their claims.
ICR Director-General Minoru Morimoto said in Tokyo, "The Steve Irwin 'captain' is completely ignoring the safety of crews aboard both the Dutch vessel and the Japanese research vessels and engaging in extremely dangerous behavior."
"Due to Sea Shepherd's increasingly violent actions the risk of a more grave and serious accident happening is increasing by the hour," said Morimoto.
"The Australian Government, which has harbored and allowed to the Steve Irwin to refuel and reprovision its supplies as well as the government of the Netherlands which has registered and flagged the vessel should also be held accountable for allowing this vessel to commit serious criminal acts at sea," he said.
Watson dismissed Japanese accusations that Sea Shepherd deliberately rammed their whaling ships.
"The whalers and their hired PR flunkies can say whatever they want now but we have over 1,000 hours of video footage documenting every moment of the campaign. Our story will be told on a weekly series on Animal Planet with the show Whale Wars. People can watch and judge for themselves. The camera is the most powerful weapon in the world and we intend to demonstrate that power."
This year the crew of the Steve Irwin pursued the Japanese fleet from December 18, 2008 until January 7, 2009 for over 2,000 miles, shutting down their operations for a month.
After returning to Australia to refuel, the crew headed back to the Southern Ocean, relocated the whaling fleet on February 1 and pursued them for another nine days, during which time the whalers were only able to kill five whales. Typically the whalers take eight to 10 whales per day.
Watson says, "A pursuit of the Yushin Maru No.2 by the Steve Irwin on December 20th caused ice damage to the prop of the whaling ship and forced them out of operation for a month and a half. The harpoon vessel was denied repairs in Indonesia much to the embarrassment of Japan."
The Japanese maintain they are conducting legal whaling for scientific purposes with a self-assigned annual quota of more than 900 whales in the Southern Ocean. They say that research whaling is legal under the rules of the International Whaling Commission, IWC.
The Sea Shepherd and other conservation groups call the Japanese whaling illegal because it violates the Antarctic Treaty, the Convention on Trade in Endangered Species and the regulations of the International Whaling Commission.
The IWC passed a resolution in 2007 requesting that the Japanese not kill whales in the Australian Whale Sanctuary, saying that no further lethal activities are required for scientific purposes.
Watson says there is a legal precedent for Sea Shepherd's intervention and points to the United Nation World Charter for Nature that allows for nongovernmental organizations to uphold international conservation law and in Section 21(e) specifically in areas beyond national jurisdictions.
A Canadian native, Watson now bases the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in Friday Harbor, Washington, USA. The Steve Irwin is a Dutch-flagged vessel named for the late Australian animal expert, television personality, and conservationist.
A co-founder of Greenpeace, Watson has fought whaling since June 1975 when he and the late Robert Hunter were the first to place a conservation vessel between a whaler and a whale. The Russian whaler did not kill the sperm whale it had targeted in the North Pacific.
He formed the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 1977 and after numerous campaigns to defend seals, whales and marine animals in other parts of the world, has taken a conservation vessel to the Antarctic in the 2002-2003 season, and every year since 2005.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2009/2009-02-09-01.asp
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Sri Lanka navy sinks two Tiger boats: military
Agence France-Presse | Feb 9, 2009
Colombo: The Sri Lankan navy on Sunday sank two boats carrying Tamil Tiger rebels escaping the island's north-eastern battle zone, killing at least six guerrillas, a spokesman said.
Naval craft attacked two boats belonging to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) off the coast of Mullaittivu where the rebels have been cornered following a major ground offensive, Captain D. K. P. Dassanayake said.
"We have tracked the boats for a short distance and then took them on," he said. "We believe there were at least six guerrillas aboard the two craft and two of them must have been senior cadres."
The attack came as security forces penned the guerrillas in a coastal jungle area which is said to be about 100 square kilometres (38 square miles) in the district of Mullaittivu.
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/navy/Sri_Lanka_navy_sinks_two_Tiger_boats_military120017051.php
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Business Times - 09 Feb 2009
Baltic Exchange dry index rises to 3-month high
(LONDON) The Baltic Exchange's leading shipping index, which tracks prices to ship key commodities, leapt last Friday to a new three-month high and brokers said this was largely due to China resuming iron ore imports.
The London-based index, which gauges prices to ship resources like iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertiliser on major export routes, rose 9.61 per cent to 1,642 points from 1,498 on Thursday.
'The question is whether this is long-term,' said a shipping broker. 'There is no push from anywhere else, other than China.' BHP Billiton plc, the world's biggest miner, said earlier last week a build-up of iron ore stockpiles in China, which had prompted suppliers to defer millions of tonnes in shipments last year, was ending. This was pushing up spot prices.
Brokers said it was too soon to say whether the rise in the index, a leading indicator of economic vitality, reflected the start of a recovery in the world economy. They said the shipping market was volatile.
One trader said the market improvement was enough to allow shipping companies to avoid going out of business, but was still modest.
'It's not necessarily a good indicator of the health of the world economy, it's a great indicator of what demand for bulk commodities there is from importers, basically China,' the trader added.
According to analysts' estimates, around 68 million tonnes of ore had piled up at Chinese ports by late November with another 125 million tonnes stored at steel mills.
A shipping broker said it was conceivable that once the Chinese ore imports faded again, the index would drop again.
Apart from iron ore demand, China, the world's top consumer of wheat, has been buying grain from the United States and Australia as well as other sources in recent months.
The country has declared an emergency over a drought that could threaten its wheat crop.
There has been a marked increase this week in freight rates especially for panamaxes, mid-size vessels that are often used for grain, notably on the trans-Pacific route that carries grain from Latin America to China and the rest of Asia.
A metals broker disputed the view that a need for ore imports from China was behind the upturn, arguing that it could be due to producers storing certain commodities at sea while waiting for better prices\. \-- Reuters
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg:80/sub/storyprintfriendly/0,4582,318024,00.html?
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Intelligence Lab Tests Best Practices, Emerging Concepts
US Department of Defense | Feb 9, 2009
SUFFOLK, Va: A new laboratory being built at U.S. Joint Forces Command’s Joint Warfighting Center here will enable analysts and warfighters alike to “step into” data fields like those that bombard them during real-life missions.
The “knowledge advanced visualization environment,” or KAVE, will expose many of the variables and “what ifs” associated with real-life operations, explained Army Maj. Caeli Hull, the command’s deputy division officer for innovation and experimentation.
Users will don 3-D glasses before stepping into the 18-by-10-foot structure. State-of-the-art computer effects and multiple data feeds delivered through screens on all four walls and the floor will converge to create a realistic, three-dimensional environment.
Hull called the KAVE a big step forward in helping joint warfighters and planners view real-world operational data in innovative ways.
This supports the “Command and Control C2 vision” of Marine Corps Gen. James N. Mattis, commander of Joint Forces Command, officials said. “A solid training and education foundation allows commanders and their staff to operate effectively in complex, chaotic and degraded/hostile information environments,” Mattis said in a C2 vision memo he distributed to his staff.
Hull called the KAVE “a way of making what isn’t known known. People can look for trends and patterns that they wouldn’t otherwise see,” she said.
The KAVE concept isn’t new within the intelligence community. Similar labs already are in place at U.S. Pacific Command’s headquarters in Honolulu, at U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South in Key West, Fla., and at the National Reconnaissance Office and Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington. But Joint Forces Command’s will be the first five-sided version, Hull said, incorporating the very latest technical innovations for intelligence processing.
The lab, to be completed this spring, will be the icing on the cake at the command’s Joint Intelligence Lab, which opened in April. The 16,000-square-foot facility provides an experimental environment for testing intelligence concepts, processes, technology and prototype initiatives, Hull said.
The lab focuses on critical intelligence issues facing joint commanders, combatant commanders and joint task forces. “Everything we develop in here gets transitioned,” Hull said. “The focus is on putting information in the hands of the guy on the ground.”
The new lab provides a controlled testbed for improving intelligence capabilities while exploring emerging ones, and better integrating intelligence with operations and plans. The facility’s centerpiece is a 38-by-18-foot “knowledge wall” that feeds data from multiple military networks at a resolution up to 18 times that of high-definition home TVs. Overlapping and sometimes competing information gives a more complete operational picture. Staff sort through and prioritize the inputs, resulting in “better analysis and better decision-making,” Hull said.
The JIL’s greatest contribution, she said, is the way it enables military people to work with their counterparts across government and in academia and industry in person or through shared technologies. It’s the kind of collaboration that promotes joint, interagency and international cooperation critical to missions ranging from warfighting to stability operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, she added.
“C2 is the essence of our ability to flight as one team with our Joint, interagency, and multinational partners,” Mattis wrote.
“When you bring the data together and the people together, things can happen,” Hull said.
Mattis said during a discussion last month at the Brookings Institution that technologies like those being explored at the JIL provide tremendous support to warfighters. But these technologies are enablers for the men and women who depend on them -- not solutions in themselves, he emphasized.
"War is fundamentally a social problem that demands human solutions, despite the American penchant for a purely technological solution," he said.
http://www.defencetalk.com/news/publish/defence/Intelligence_Lab_Tests_Best_Practices_Emerging_Concepts30017039.php
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Live Piracy Report
The IMB Live Piracy Report (replacing the Weekly Piracy Report) displays all Piracy and Armed Robbery incidents reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre in the last ten days. Click on the map for more details.
Incident Details:
06.02.2009: 2000 LT: Callao anchorage, Peru.
Six masked robbers armed with long knives in black clothes boarded a container ship at anchor. They attacked and seized two duty watchmen, broke into the bosun store and stole ship's stores. Other watchmen noticed the robbers and reported to bridge. Alarm raised and crew mustered. Robbers escaped upon hearing the alarm. Port control informed and a police patrol boat came but no investigation had been done.
01.02.2009: 0130 LT: Ho Chi Minh City mooring buoys Vietnam.
Robbers boarded a bulk carrier moored to mooring buoys. They stole ship's stores, opened the hose pipe cover and escaped thru the hose pipe. Incident reported to police but no result.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_fabrik&view=table&tableid=26&calculations=0&Itemid=82
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IMB identifies fake frozen fish shipments
09 February 2009
Checks carried out identified fraudulent Bills of Lading
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has uncovered a number of suspicious shipments of frozen fish, all containerised and bound for mainland China.
Whilst carrying out routine checks on behalf of members on the authenticity of Bills of Lading, the Bureau identified several fraudulent shipments that shared a number of similarities. As mentioned above, all of the shipments were bound for mainland China, but they originated from a number of different ports, including those in the United States, Spain and Canada. The shipments were all containerised and purportedly being carried by vessels operated by some of the larger liner companies.
IMB Director Pottengal Mukundan commented: “These recent cases show that fraudsters are capable of producing convincing documents. These examples contain not only the names of vessels operated by the big liner companies, but also container numbers seemingly also owned by them. Following a number of checks with third parties, it was possible for us to quickly establish that, in fact, these shipments had never taken place.”
Checks conducted with the alleged load ports established that they had no records of the stated containers. Further investigation found that these container numbers did not conform to the industry standard and, as such, could not exist. Repeated attempts to contact the stated load port agents and NVOCC were unsuccessful.
The fraudulent documents all shared a common ‘Notify Party’ and various different exporters. Many of the documents featured the names of vessels that trade on the route of the alleged shipment.
Mr Mukundan continued: “The fact that these documents feature the names of vessels that ply these routes shows that whoever produced them has a level of insider, knowledge typical of those who have worked within the industry. It is, therefore, vital that banks remain alert and thoroughly check all documentation, even if at face value it looks similar to documents submitted for genuine transactions. As the recession bites and the volume of trade contracts, it becomes easier for fraudsters to entice victims into these spurious transactions.”
The IMB advises member banks and the wider trading community to take extra care with shipments bound for mainland China and to undertake rigorous background checks on all parties involved, whether or not they were previously known to the bank.
For details of services offered to members, please contact the International Maritime Bureau on +44 207 423 6960 or email imb@icc-ccs.org
http://www.icc-ccs.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=339:imb-identifies-fake-frozen-fish-shipments&catid=60:news&Itemid=51
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INTERTANKO provides model piracy clauses
Monday, 09 February 2009
The frequency and seriousness of the piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia need no introduction. Whilst the marine and technical teams at INTERTANKO have responded with practical advice and assistance, INTERTANKO’s Documentary Committee has responded quickly to the need for a model piracy clause. This was produced in December last year for both voyage and time charters and has been well received, being widely used and accepted by brokers and charterers.
Many current charterparties will not have anticipated the possibility of the vessel being hijacked. Owners should therefore check the terms of their existing charters and bills of lading before, for example, taking any decision to re-route the ship. Re-routing may expose an owner to claims for breach of charter - for example a failure to prosecute the voyage with ‘due’ or ‘utmost despatch’, and also to claims under the bill of lading – for example for deviation and late delivery. Owners should also check their war risk clauses, some of which permit a deviation in appropriate circumstances.
For new fixtures, INTERTANKO's Documentary Committee has produced the following clauses which address the main issues involved in transiting the Gulf of Aden and/or re-routing the ship. These clauses are not comprehensive and will need to be amended to suit the particular factors affecting each ship and voyage. The need for these clauses must also be assessed in the context of the charterparty as a whole. Owners should ensure that such provisions are also included in the bills of lading.
INTERTANKO Piracy Clause – Voyage Charterparties
1. If the Master or Owners determine that the vessel, her crew or cargo may be exposed to the risk of acts of piracy on any part of the normal, direct or intended route for the contracted voyage, Owners shall be entitled
(a) to take reasonable preventive measures to protect the vessel, her crew and cargo including but not limited to proceeding in convoy, using escorts, avoiding day or night navigation, adjusting speed or course, or engaging security personnel or equipment on or about the vessel,
(b) to follow any instructions or recommendations given by the flag state, any governmental or supragovernmental organisation, and
(c) to take a safe and reasonable alternative route in place of the normal, direct or intended route to the next port of call, in which case Owners shall give Charterers prompt notice of the alternative route, an estimate of time and bunker consumption and a revised estimated time of arrival.
2. Charterers shall pay Owners additional freight calculated at the demurrage rate for all time spent as a consequence of exercising the rights referred to in Paragraph 1 of this Clause, together with the cost of all additional bunkers consumed, any additional insurance premiums, and additional crew or other costs incurred by Owners as a result of actual or threatened piracy or as a consequence of exercising the rights referred to in Paragraph 1 of this Clause. All additional costs to be paid together with freight as per Owner’s invoice and supporting documents.
3. Charterers warrant that the terms of this Clause will be incorporated effectively into any bill of lading issued pursuant to this charterparty.
INTERTANKO Piracy Clause – Time Charterparties
1. Owners shall not be required to follow Charterers’ orders that the Master or Owners determine would expose the vessel, her crew or cargo to the risk of acts of piracy.
2. Owners shall be entitled
(a) to take reasonable preventive measures to protect the vessel, her crew and cargo including but not limited to proceeding in convoy, using escorts, avoiding day or night navigation, adjusting speed or course, or engaging security personnel or equipment on or about the vessel,
(b) to follow any instructions or recommendations given by the flag state, any governmental or supragovernmental organisation and
(c) to take a safe and reasonable alternative route in place of the normal, direct or intended route to the next port of call, in which case Owners shall give Charterers prompt notice of the alternative route, an estimate of time and bunker consumption and a revised estimated time of arrival.
3. The vessel shall remain on hire for any time lost as a result of taking the measures referred to in Paragraph 2 of this Clause and for any time spent during or as a result of an actual or threatened attack or detention by pirates.
4. Charterers shall indemnify Owners against all liabilities costs and expenses arising out of actual or threatened acts of piracy or any preventive or other measures taken by Owners whether pursuant to Paragraph 2 of this Clause or otherwise, including but not limited to additional insurance premiums, additional crew costs and costs of security personnel or equipment.
5. Charterers warrant that the terms of this Clause will be incorporated effectively into any bill of lading issued pursuant to this charterparty.
Source: Intertanko
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35295&Itemid=95
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Freed arms ship sails away from Somali coast
Monday, 09 February 2009
A Ukrainian cargo ship carrying tanks and other heavy weapons sailed Saturday for Kenya with a U.S. military escort, leaving the Somali coast where pirates had held it for more than four months. MV Faina was heading for the port of Mombasa under its own power, Vadim Alperin, the ship's owner, said in a statement posted on a Russian maritime Web site. It was being escorted by the guided missile destroyer USS Mason, and U.S. Navy commandoes were on board the Faina to provide security, he said.
Cmdr. Jane Campbell, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy's Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, confirmed the navy was escorting the Faina, but gave no details.
The U.S. Navy has watched over the Faina since its Sept. 25 capture by Somali pirates to make sure its cargo of 33 tanks and weapons did not fall into the hands of Somali insurgents believed to be linked to al-Qaida. The Faina and its 20-man crew was freed Thursday after pirates received an airdropped ransom of $3.2 million.
The ship began moving late Friday after it received fuel from the USS Catawba and the crew got a diesel generator going, switched on navigation and other equipment and put the main engine in working order, the statement said. It said the Faina's crew had been given a five-day supply of food and water, as well as fresh sheets.
"We are on the way. Faina is cruising to Mombasa," Capt. Viktor Nikolsky told The Associated Press via a satellite phone Saturday. Earlier he estimated the trip would take three to four days.
"The crew are healthy and eagerly looking forward to returning home," Alperin said in a separate statement Saturday.
U.S. Navy representatives and Faina crew members inspected the arms cargo, according to the ship's owner and the U.S. Navy spokeswoman.
"We know that none of the tanks were offloaded," Campbell said. The ship's owner said the cargo was found undamaged.
There is some dispute over who actually owns the cargo. Diplomats said it was destined for southern Sudan, which the autonomous region has denied. The Kenyan government insists the cargo is for Kenya.
Analysts said the Faina's seizure was a wake-up call about the danger that piracy posed to one of the world's most important shipping routes.
Warships from the United States, India, Britain, France, Germany, China, Saudi Arabia, Russia and South Korea have since joined an anti-piracy campaign, though attacks continue.
Somalia does not have a coast guard or navy because it has not had a functioning government since warlords overthrew dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. They then turned on each other, reducing the Horn of Africa nation to anarchy and chaos.
Source: Associated Press
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35381&Itemid=79
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Somali pirates release Chinese boat: foreign ministry
Monday, 09 February 2009
A Chinese fishing boat and its 24-member crew held by Somali pirates for three months were released Sunday, China's foreign affairs ministry said. The ship, the Tianyu No 8, which was hijacked on November 14, was released at 0900 GMT, the foreign affairs ministry said in a statement. The ministry credited Chinese diplomats in Kenya and Ethiopia as well as the ship's owners, the Tianjin Ocean Fishing Company, with helping secure the release, but gave no further details.
It said the crew, which included 15 mainland Chinese and one Taiwanese sailor, were in the care of the Chinese navy and were undergoing health checks.
The ministry did not give the nationalities of the other eight crew members, but previous media reports had said there were four Vietnamese, three Filipinos and one Japanese on board.
The pirates had previously claimed they seized the Chinese vessel 30 miles (48 kilometres) off Somalia's southern port of Kismayu because it was fishing in Somali territorial waters, according to China's official Xinhua news agency. They said the crew would be "put before the law and punished accordingly."
The crew were unarmed when they were captured, according to previous reports.
The newly-released boat was being escorted to safety by a Chinese naval convoy sent to Gulf of Aden last month on a landmark mission to protect the country's shipping from pirates, the ministry said.
The statement made no reference to any ransom being paid to the pirates.
The naval task force, comprising two destroyers and a supply ship, was deployed in response to an escalation of pirate attacks on merchant ships, including Chinese vessels, plying the crucial shipping route linking Asia and Europe.
The force's mission marked China's first potential combat mission beyond its territorial waters in centuries.
US and European ships have also been sent to the waters off Somalia, where pirates attacked more than 100 vessels last year.
The Tianyu's release comes after the Ukrainian vessel MV Faina and its crew were freed on Thursday following four-and-a-half months of captivity. The UKrainian ship was carrying a controversial cargo of 33 Soviet-era battle tanks as well as other weaponry
According to pirates and sources close to the case, at least 3.2 million dollars in ransom money was paid for the release of the Ukrainian vessel.
Source: AFP
http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=35380&Itemid=79
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Piracy threat may lead to higher shipping rates, lawmaker says
Monday, 09 February 2009
The growing threat of pirate attacks in regions such as the Gulf of Aden may disrupt global commerce and lead to higher shipping rates, U.S. lawmakers said. Piracy also could lead to higher prices for commodities such as food and fuel, Representative James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat, said today at a hearing. The U.S. and other countries are stepping up efforts to combat brigands off the coast of Somalia, and the shipping industry is taking steps to defend vessels from potential attacks, said Oberstar, who heads the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
"However, there are some companies that have not taken any safety measures to ensure the safety of their crews, the cargoes or their vessels," Oberstar said.
Of the 49 ships that were hijacked worldwide last year, 42 were hijacked by Somali pirates who held 815 crewmembers hostage.
http://www.taiwannews.com.tw/etn/news_content.php?id=860117&lang=eng_news&cate_img=35.jpg&cate_rss=news_Business
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French fighter planes grounded by computer virus
French fighter planes were unable to take off after military computers were infected by a computer virus, an intelligence magazine claims.
by Kim Willsher in Paris
Last Updated: 9:52PM GMT 07 Feb 2009
The aircraft were unable to download their flight plans after databases were infected by a Microsoft virus they had already been warned about several months beforehand.
At one point French naval staff were also instructed not to even open their computers.
Microsoft had warned that the "Conficker" virus, transmitted through Windows, was attacking computer systems in October last year, but according to reports the French military ignored the warning and failed to install the necessary security measures.
The French newspaper Ouest France said the virus had hit the internal computer network at the French Navy.
Jérome Erulin, French navy spokesman told the paper: "It affected exchanges of information but no information was lost. It was a security problem we had already simulated. We cut the communication links that could have transmitted the virus and 99 per cent of the network is safe."
However, the French navy admitted that during the time it took to eradicate the virus, it had to return to more traditional forms of communication: telephone, fax and post.
Naval officials said the "infection"' was probably due more to negligence than a deliberate attempt to compromise French national security. It said it suspected someone at the navy had used an infected USB key.
The Sicmar Network, on which the most sensitive documents and communications are transmitted was not touched, it said. "The computer virus problem had no effect on the availability of our forces." The virus attacked the non-secured internal French navy network called Intramar and was detected on 21 January. The whole network was affected and military staff were instructed not to start their computers.
According to Liberation newspaper, two days later the chiefs of staff decided to isolate Intramar from the military's other computer systems, but certain computers at the Villacoublay air base and in the 8th Transmissions Regiment were infected. Liberation reported that on the 15 and 16 January the Navy's Rafale aircraft were "nailed to the ground" because they were unable to "download their flight plans". The aircraft were eventually activated by "another system".
Liberation also reported that Microsoft had identified the Conficker virus in the autumn of 2008 and had advised users from October last year to update their security patches. IntelligenceOnline reports that "at the heart of the (French) military, the modifications were, for the most part, not done." It was only on the 16 January "three months later" that the navy chiefs of staffs began to act.
"At that point, the chiefs of staff and the defence ministry had no idea how many computers or military information systems were vulnerable to having been contaminated by the virus," said Liberation.
The French press also reported that the only consolation for the French Navy was that it was not the only ones to have fallen victim to the virus. It said that a report in the military review Defense Tech revealed that in the first days of January 2009 the British Defence Ministry had been attacked by a hybrid of the virus that had substantially and seriously infected the computer systems of more than 24 RAF bases and 75 per cent of the Royal Navy fleet including the aircraft carrier Ark Royal.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/4547649/French-fighter-planes-grounded-by-computer-virus.html
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Regards
Snooper
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