NAVY NEWS WEEK 34-4

22 August 2018

US to act against Iranian ship facilitating terror strikes in Red Sea The Trump administration is planning to take action against Iranian ship Saviz identified as the ―mother ship‖ stationed in the Red Sea providing targeting information for Houthi anti-ship attacks, which have increased in recent months, including a late July attack by Iranian-backed rebels on a Saudi oil tanker. Washington Free Beacon website quoted US officials and military experts familiar with the situation as saying that Saviz is believed to be masked as a cargo vessel but has been providing significant military and logistic aid to Yemen‘s Houthi militias.

Speedboats equipped with guns on board the ship Saviz.

The ship was delisted from US sanctions by the Obama administration as part of its efforts to uphold the landmark nuclear deal with Iran, US officials confirmed to the Washington Free Beacon. Upcoming Trump administration action against the Saviz and other Iranian vessels is part of a broader package of sanctions expected to start on Nov. 5, officials confirmed. Sanctions will target Iran‘s port operations, shipping and shipbuilding sectors, and other affiliates. The Iranian ship Saviz has been anchored for more than a year in the Red Sea near the Straits of Bab Al-Mandeb in international waters, according to satellite photos. According to Iranian news outlets, many of the weapons handed over by the Iranian regime to the Houthi militias were carried by speedboats from the same vessel. The boats were equipped with 23 mm ZU guns. Saviz itself is equipped with a radar rarely seen on cargo ships, but used to steer the Houthi militias‘ boats when attacking Saudi oil tankers. US officials familiar with the Saviz‘s actions in the Red Sea told the Free Beacon the Iranian vessel is barely attempting to obfuscate its military role in aiding Houthi rebels in Yemen. ―The Iranians aren’t even trying to disguise the military use of the ship,‖ said one US official. ―You don’t need classified intelligence or satellite photos of the decks to know that merchant ships simply don’t act this way.‖ US officials familiar with the movements of the ship Saviz in the Red Sea, told Washington Free Beacon, ―It is certain that the Iranian ship provides logistical support for the Houthis in Yemen.‖ US defense experts with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, or WINEP, also have cited the Saviz as providing potential support and logistics to Houthi rebels as they commit acts of terrorism in the region. Source: The Washington Free Beacon

Return of Pirates of the Caribbean: Piracy Jumps 163 Percent Amid Venezuela Crisis By Jason Lemon On 8/13/18 at 5:43 PM The Caribbean sea and coast of Latin America have seen a dramatic rise in piracy, as economic woes and corrupt officials plague Venezuela and other countries in the region. Piracy in the Caribbean dates back to the 1600s, and it has even become the inspiration for a Disney franchise. However, such practice is on the rise again, jumping a dramatic 163 percent last year, according to a study conducted by Oceans Beyond Piracy. Earlier this year, in April, a gang of pirates attacked four Guyanese fishing boats. Only five of the 20 crew members of the fishing vessels survived. The others were doused with hot oil, attacked with machetes and thrown overboard. ―They said they would take the boat and that everyone should jump overboard,‖ survivor Deonarine Goberdhan, 47, told Reuters in May. ―I tried to keep my head above water,‖ he explained, saying he was beaten and thrown into the sea. Although Oceans Beyond Piracy did not calculate the total economic impact of piracy in 2017, it estimates that about $949,000 of goods were stolen by pirates in the region last year. According to The Washington Post, reports of piracy have been documented along the coasts of Haiti, St. Lucia, Nicaragua and Honduras in the past 18 months. But by far, the biggest surge has occurred near Venezuela. As an economic crisis grips the country— driving inflation to nearly 1 million percent—lawlessness has risen and many have turned to crime in desperation. As President Nicolás Maduro struggles to maintain control of the country, police and military officials have been abandoning their posts as their paychecks have stopped coming. Repression of basic freedoms and rampant corruption has also risen, with experts suggesting some pirates actually work with government officials. A group of Trinidadian fishermen, who spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity out of fear, said that they had noticed a sharp increase in Venezuelan smugglers. These smugglers reportedly have been trafficking guns, drugs, exotic animals and even women. Roodal Moonilal, a lawmaker from Trinidad and Tobago‘s opposition United National Congress party, told the newspaper that the situation reminds him of what previously happened off the coast of eastern Africa. A few years back, there was a sharp increase in Somalian pirates terrorizing the coast of the region. ―What we’re seeing—the piracy, the smuggling—it’s the result of Venezuela’s political and economic collapse,‖ Moonilal said. Source: https://www.newsweek.com

U.K. Anti-Piracy Firm Joins Greece’s Oldest Maritime Security Agency Anti-piracy company ARX Maritime join Greece‘s oldest maritime security agency in support of Greek shipping industry‘s fight against piracy attacks Fires, pirate attacks, maritime incidents are all on the rise. But what can companies do to plan ahead and limit the risk to their crew and vessel Innovative, U.K.-based company, ARX Maritime, has joined with Greek maritime security management firm, Franman, in a concerted effort to provide peace of mind to international shipping owners. ARX‘s award-winning anti-piracy ABaC Barriers provide the perfect solution to shipowners transiting though high risk areas and compliment the security risk services and advice already offered by Franman to the Greek shipping industry. 42,000 vessels pass through high risk areas every year, costing the shipping industry half a billion pounds to protect, and this offers only a part solution to the problem. Shipping is not only Greece‘s oldest industry, it is one of the country‘s most important industries to the local economy, worth over $9 billion. Together, Franman and ARX are endeavoring to provide a more cost-effective, long-term solution for the industry, with Franman including the ARX ABaC system as part of their product range. As a result of first-hand experience, ARX Maritime has made it their core mission to actively ensure the international shipping industry‘s crews and cargoes are more substantially protected while at sea. ARX Maritime has designed an anti-piracy system offering greater reliability as well as a more cost-effective alternative to razorwire. Supported by leading oil giants Shell and BP in protecting their fleets assets, quite simply, the ARX Anti-piracy barrier is a plastic defense mechanism that attaches to the ship‘s guardrail preventing pirates from boarding the vessel. The fend plate deflects ladders, grappling hooks and climbing poles. Rigorously, tested by the U.K. Special Forces, they‘ve been proven to significantly improve the prospect of your vessel and crew surviving a pirate attack. ARX‘s product goes hand in hand with Franman‘s vision to ―ensure the safety of your vessel and crew.‖ Their service as maritime security agents aligns with ARX‘s mission to ―pioneer technology for safer seas,‖ providing a natural partnership in the Greek market. The co-founder of ARX Maritime, Steve Regis said: ―ARX is extremely excited by the partnership with Franman. We both have a shared vision of creating the safest conditions for seafarers and delivering nothing but the highest quality and standards to our customers…serving as the oldest maritime security management company in Greece, Franman’s knowledge of the industry is invaluable to the ARX team.‖ Source: Maasmond Maritime

Tanker with 17 Crew Goes Missing off West Africa By MarEx 2018-08-20 10:57:20 On Monday, the Georgian government reported that the product tanker Pantelena has dropped out of contact and gone missing during a voyage in the Gulf of Guinea. 17 of her crewmembers are Georgian nationals, and according to Georgia's foreign ministry, there is a strong likelihood that she has been attacked by pirates. ―We cannot confirm or rule out anything. Maybe we are dealing with piracy, because the west African coast is a risk area. Of course, we are looking into this,‖ said Vladimir Konstantinidi, a consular official with Georgia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry says that shipowner Lotus Shipping, Georgia's Sea Transport Agency, the Panama flag registry, regional maritime forces and United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) are involved in the response. Maritime piracy - particularly kidnapping - is a serious concern in the Gulf of Guinea. According to EOS Risk Group, pirates kidnapped 35 crewmembers in the region in the first half of the year. In a worrying trend, the reach of Nigerian pirates has expanded to include waters off Benin and Ghana, west of the historical area of high risk off Bonny. However, 95 percent of the attacks were still concentrated near Bonny Island, within 60 nm of shore. According to Oceans Beyond Piracy, 100 seafarers were kidnapped in the waters off the Gulf of Guinea last year, despite millions of dollars in funds for additional maritime security resources. Local authorities managed to stop only one act of piracy out of 97 recorded incidents. Despite these risks and the relatively limited record of successful prevention, the Nigerian Navy forbids the presence of embarked private maritime security contractors in Nigerian ports, effectively banning their presence in the Gulf of Guinea. Armed shipboard guards proved successful in deterring pirates off Somalia during the peak years of risk off the Horn of Africa, but in Nigerian waters, government forces hold an effective monopoly on the provision of security services: Instead of embarked contractors, shipowners may hire a privately-owned and -operated escort vessel crewed by military personnel. The European Community Shipowners' Association has called for an international diplomatic agreement to allow the carriage of guards in the region, and it has asked the EU to negotiate with the Gulf of Guinea states to lift their restrictions. In addition, ECSA has called for EU member states to replicate the successful multinational patrols off Somalia by deploying warships to the Gulf of Guinea. Source; https://www.maritime-executive.com Outrage after Chinese pirates plunder 10 British ships carrying remains of World War Two heroes for their metal The ten vessels that provide the final resting place for over 1,000 sailors have been destroyed and looted by scavengers By Emma James 19th August 2018, 4:54 am Updated: 19th August 2018, 4:55 am

A crew accused of plundering HMS Prince of Wales and Repulse and arrested by police

BRITISH ships that are designated World War Two war graves have been plundered for their metal by Chinese pirates. The ten vessels that provide the final resting place for over 1,000 sailors have been destroyed and looted by scavengers. Last night Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson called for an immediate investigation and condemned the those who disturb wrecks containing human remains. He said: ―A military wreck should remain undisturbed and those who lost their lives on board should be allowed to rest in peace. “I am very concerned to hear any allegations of incidents of Royal Navy wrecks being plundered in the Far East. “We will work closely with the Indonesian and Malaysian governments to investigate these claims.‖ The ten ships lying off the Malaysian and Indonesian coasts were sunk in late 1941 and 1942 and include HMS Repulse and HMS Prince of Wales. For decades their hulls have served as graves for the 835 men who went down on both ships but callous gangs are now said to have looted around half of their 750ft-long structures. One of the few remaining survivors of HMS Repulse, former Royal Marine bandsman Maurice Pink, 96, described the violation as "diabolical". Mr Pink, of Ipswich, Suffolk, told the Mail On Sunday: "It is terrible, a diabolical thing to happen. I lost a lot of friends on the Repulse. "They are desecrating a grave. They were designated as war graves for a reason because hundreds of men died." Chinese-owned barges fitted with cranes are alleged to have carried out the illegal operations, according to an investigation by the newspaper. It claims the boats switch off their transponders to avoid detection on shipping radar then drop a 50-ton axe-shaped anchor on the sunken ship before deploying long cranes. The plundered metal is apparently taken to scrapyards in Indonesia where it's cut into smaller pieces and then shipped to China where it enters the global steel market.

HMS Repulse is another vessel which has allegedly been violated by Chinese pirates for its metal

This creates the prospect of metal appearing as tins of food on UK shop shelves, it's claimed. Experts say vessels from World War Two are especially valuable as they were built and sunk before the era of nuclear explosions. This means that they have absorbed little "background radiation" from the atmosphere and are suitable for medical equipment. Australian diving expert Dr Andrew Fock, who has led investigations of wrecks on the Java Sea bed, said the metal haul from each ship can fetch more than £1million. The Ministry of Defence added that they were working with the Indonesian government to create ‗special protection zones‘ around the site. Those accused have denied involvement. Source: https://www.thesun.co.uk

Navy, Civilian Nuclear Regulators Struggling Over How to Dismantle Former USS Enterprise By: Ben Werner August 15, 2018 6:40 PM THE PENTAGON — A brewing regulatory fight between the Navy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission over who should oversee a possible commercial contract to dismantle the hull of the former USS Enterprise (CVN-65) could ultimately cause the project‘s price tag to balloon well above the current $1 billion estimate. Controlling costs and preventing a log-jam of nuclear refueling and maintenance work on decommissioned nuclear surface ships and were cited as reasons the Navy would consider using a private contractor to dismantle the nation‘s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, according to an August Government Accountability Office report.

Decommissioned nuclear carrier Enterprise (CVN-65) sits pier side at Newport News Shipbuilding following its decommissioning in February 2017. US Navy Photo

However, civilian regulators with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) aren‘t keen on overseeing the dismantlement of Enterprise. The NRC position is, ―regulatory responsibility for the safe processing and disposal of Navy ships falls to Naval Reactors under its Department of Energy authority,‖ reads the report. Using a commercial shipyard to take Enterprise apart would potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars and shave as many as five years off the project completion time, according to the GAO. If the Navy contracted a commercial yard do take Enterprise apart, the Navy‘s position is civilian regulators should monitor the work of a civilian company, essentially leaving the Navy out of the process. Meanwhile, the NRC maintains the Navy, under the Naval Reactors office, already has a proven track record of serving as the regulatory authority for nuclear-powered ship dismantling, according to the GAO report. Under this authority, the Navy has regulated the dismantlement of about 130 reactors taken from nuclear- powered submarines and cruisers. ―Naval Reactors is charged with cradle-to-grave responsibility for our nation’s naval nuclear propulsion material,‖ the GAO report states. The Navy‘s incentive to send Enterprise to a commercial shipyard is not just based on cost. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where nuclear dismantling work occurs, already has a growing queue of projects, according to the GAO report. Puget Sound is used for routine maintenance work and is due to soon start taking apart what will become a steady flow of retiring nuclear-powered submarines. ―The CVN-65 dismantlement and disposal work could affect the shipyard’s ability to complete active fleet maintenance,‖ the GAO report states. ―We found that the addition of the CVN-65 dismantlement and disposal would add almost a year’s worth of work across the estimated 10- year dismantlement and disposal period to an already busy shipyard that has demonstrated difficulties in accurately projecting its future work.‖ The Puget Sound shipyard already has a backlog of 10 nuclear-powered submarines and the ex- USS Long Beach (CGN-9) in storage waiting to be dismantled and recycled. An additional three nuclear-powered submarines are pier-side awaiting dismantling, the GAO report states. The current disagreement between regulators is also creating a situation the GAO reports says prevents commercial shipyards from being able to accurately predict final costs of dismantling Enterprise. Settling the argument, the GAO report states, ―would also help ensure the Navy’s selection of a dismantlement and disposal plan for CVN-65 is informed by well understood regulatory expectations and cost and schedule estimates that reflect those expectations.‖ The current disagreement between regulators is about more than whether the Navy or NRC monitors the dismantling of Enterprise. With 10 nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carriers due for decommissioning, defueling and dismantling over the next half-century, the regulatory precedent set now can be long- lasting. ―The precedent-setting nature of the CVN-65 dismantlement and disposal adds a level of risk and heightens the importance of having sufficient accountability measures to facilitate oversight. There is greater potential for unexpected challenges to arise because a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has not been dismantled and disposed of before,‖ the GAO report states. ―Additionally, CVN-65 provides an opportunity to establish a foundation for management and oversight of future aircraft carrier dismantlement and disposal efforts, with the first of 10 Nimitz-class carriers expected to reach the end of its service life in the next decade.‖ Source: https://news.usni.org

Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX-1) Vessel Type: Special mission ship Operator: Military Sealift Command, US Missile Defence Agency Crew: 87 Length: 389ft Beam: 238ft Draft: 33ft Displacement: 50,000t Speed: 9kt The Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX-1) constitutes a mid-course fire control radar based on a seagoing semi-submersible vessel. The platform was developed by Boeing, as part of the ground-based midcourse defence (GMD) component of the US Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS). The GMD intercepts incoming warheads. The SBX vessel was transferred to the Military Sealift Command (MSC) in December 2011. MSC operates and maintains the vessel, while the Missile Defence Agency (MDA) is responsible for the x-band radar. The SBX will be assigned with a limited test support role from fiscal year 2013. On 23 March 2012, SBX-1 sailed from Pearl Harbor to the Pacific region, ahead of North Korea‘s planned space launch. Development history of the SBX-1 In August 2002, Boeing was awarded a $31m contract by MDA to oversee the development of a new sea-based radar system for its BMDS. In January 2003, the US Government purchased a 50,000t semi-submersible seagoing platform from Norwegian company Moss Maritime, for the integration of radar system. The platform was modified at the Keppel AMFELS shipyard in Brownsville, Texas, to suit the radar outfit requirements, under the supervision of the ground-based midcourse defence joint programme office. The assembly and installation of the x-band radar on to the platform was completed in April 2005 by Kiewit Offshore Services in Ingleside, Texas. The platform underwent additional alterations at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Honolulu, Hawaii. In July 2005, the vessel was officially named as the Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 (SBX- 1) by the MDA. The SBX-1 underwent a series of sea trials and exercises in the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean, prior to its service entry. Design and features of the Sea-Based X-Band Radar-1 platform SBX-1 is based on the modified fifth-generation semi-submersible platform of Moss Maritime. The twin-hulled vessel can withstand high winds and rigid sea conditions. It houses x-band radar, a bridge, control rooms, accommodation units, workspaces, storage spaces, a power generation area and a heli-deck. The SBX-1 platform is equipped with a command, control and communications system, plus an in-flight interceptor communication system data terminal. The platform has the capacity to hold supplies and fuel for 60 days. It also offers additional space for installation of new modules. The vessel has a length of 389ft, beam of 238ft and a draft of 33ft. It can travel at a maximum speed of 9kt. It can accommodate a crew of 87, including officers, civilians, civil service mariners and contract mariners. SBX-1 missions and US Ballistic Missile Defence System (BMDS) details The SBX-1, integrated with the BMDS system, provides tracking information of incoming missiles and countermeasures discrimination for GMD interceptor missiles, in order to destroy the threat missile outside the Earth‘s atmosphere. It also protects the US and its allied forces from potential missile attacks. The radar performs cued search, precision tracking, object discrimination and missile kill assessment. The in-flight interceptor communication system data terminal transfers commands from the GMD fire control system to the interceptor missile during its engagement with the target missile. X-band radar (XBR), built by Raytheon for Boeing The x-band radar, or XBR, was designed, built and tested by Raytheon for Boeing, the prime contractor of the SBX-1 development. It is the most advanced electro-mechanically steered phased array x-band radar derived from the radar of the Aegis combat system. The radar beam is formed by the 45,000 transmit / receive modules, mounted on an octagonal flat base. It can see an object similar to the size of a baseball at a range of 2,500 miles. About 69,632 multisectional circuits are used in the radar for transmitting, receiving and amplifying signals. The 18,000lbs radome measures 103ft in height and 120ft in diameter. It is built with high-tech synthetic fabric material to withstand wind speeds of more than 130mph. Air pressure supports the flexible cover which surrounds the radar. The vessel is also installed with small rigid radomes. Onboard equipment is powered by six 3.6MW generators. Source”: https://www.naval-technology.com

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Aug. 15, 2018) Sailors assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen (DDG 92) prepare to moor at the Port of Alaska in Anchorage. Momsen is visiting Anchorage in conjunction with the Arctic Maritime Symposium. The event, hosted by Alaskan Command, will provide a framework for experienced senior military leaders, intelligence analysts, interagency operators, and Arctic maritime subject matter experts to discuss the strategic challenges associated with Arctic maritime operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. James Richardson/Released) UUV in the Black Sea ? First time on the Bosphorus: MSCSealift Spearhead class fast expedition transport ship USNS Carson City T- EPF-7 transits Bosphorus towards the Black Sea. MCM UUVs were deployed from the EPF USNS Carson City during BALTOPS exercise in June. Photo : Yörük Işık via Twitter

Russia expands assets and naval horizons across Indo-Pacific As Moscow seeks to recover Soviet-era capabilities, its Pacific units are getting upgraded kit, while expanded cooperation with China in the region is also on the cards By EMANUELE SCIMIA On July 29, at an event marking his country‘s Navy Day, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that 26 new warships and vessels would be delivered to Russia‘s navy by the end of the year And there is more to come. Russian units in just the Pacific expect to take delivery of 37 new vessels by 2024 – a major acceleration compared to the 28 new units received in the region over the last decade. This indicates that despite scrapping programs deemed too expensive – notably the Leader-class destroyer and Storm aircraft carrier program – the Kremlin is moving ahead with a very ambitious naval upgrade. The finance is in place. Russia‘s defense spending has not reached an unsustainable level, given that current oil prices – taxes and duties on natural resources are the major component of Russian budget – are 30% higher than planned for in the budget forecast for 2018–2021 fiscal years, according to Andrey Movchan, head of the economic program at the Carnegie Moscow Center. The Kremlin believes that matching US and Chinese military potential is of paramount importance. Even so, it has a way to go: Washington‘s defense budget is over 10 times and Beijing‘s is five to six times higher than Moscow‘s. The big spend and the new assets raise the question of whether Russia will change its military doctrine, particularly in the east – shifting from coastal defense in the Pacific area to greater activity on the high seas. Alexey Muraviev, an associate professor of National Security and Strategic Studies at Perth‘s Curtin University, thinks so. ‖Over the past five years, the Russian navy has considerably increased its operational tempo, operational zones and the number of units deployed in forward areas,‖ he said. ―It has managed to reach Cold War levels of operational activity, involving deployments of some 70 to 100 warships and auxiliary vessels at any given time.‖ According to Admiral Vladimir Korolev, commander-in-chief of the Russian navy, Russia‘s warships spent 17,100 days at sea in 2017 – an increase of 1,500 days from 2016. This suggests that even though today‘s Russian navy is smaller than is Soviet-era predecessor, it is recovering the deployment capabilities of the Cold War days. The Russian navy has now extended its long-range activities to the traditional areas of operation of its Soviet predecessor, reaching the Indian Ocean and the Antarctic,‖ Muraviev said. ―Although its deployable forces are smaller than those of the Soviet Union’s fleet, it continued high-tempo, out-of-area operations in the Pacific throughout 2014 to 2017.‖ Muraviev noted that during that time, Russian warships operated throughout Southeast Asia, near the Horn of Africa, in the Coral Sea and Western Pacific, and in the Mediterranean In its face off with NATO, Russia is prioritizing maritime operations in the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Baltic and the North Sea. However, Moscow‘s modernization push is also reshaping the Pacific Fleet. According to Muraviev, between 2008 and mid-2018, the Russian Pacific Fleet received 28 new units, mostly auxiliary and support assets. In addition, Russia‘s maritime border guard in the Pacific took delivery of eight new platforms between 2009 and July 2018. The most noticeable additions were two Borey-class nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarines, a guided-missile corvette, and four surface combatants built for the maritime border forces which could be utilized in a warfighting environment. In the second half of 2018, Russian naval units in the Pacific are expected to receive two improved Project 22800 guided-missile corvettes, one Project 21980 Grachenok counter-sabotage high-speed armed patrol craft and some minor auxiliary vessels, he added. And much more is to come. Pacific units expect to take possession of at least 30 new warships (11 new submarines and 19 new surface combatants) and seven new major auxiliary vessels by 2024, Muraviev said. These include guided-missile frigates, guided-missile corvettes and mine hunters. Deployments in the Indo-Pacific strategic maritime theatre include operations in the Western Pacific, the East and South China seas, the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf and, more recently, the southwestern sector of the Pacific Ocean and the Arctic Sea, Muraviev noted, And at a time when Sino-US and Russo-US tensions are high across multiple geographies and sectors, there is considerable scope for Russo-Sino naval cooperation. ―In terms of Russia-China naval cooperation I expect it to continue strengthening with more emphasis given to joint exercises and operational activities in a number of maritime theatres, increasing interoperability at tactical and operational levels,‖ Muraviev said. Bilateral cooperation in naval shipbuilding may also intensify. ―Chinese companies already supply the Russian navy with limited amounts of ship engines to ease the shortfall caused by suspension of defense collaboration with Ukraine and Germany,‖ he said. At a time when China has built over-capacity in its shipbuilding industry, it would make sense for Chinese yards to build entire ships for Russia. ―It may be possible that Chinese shipbuilders will be involved in some naval construction programs for the Russian navy,‖ Muraviev said. Source : Asiatimes

Turkish naval vessels harass Cypriot ship in international waters TWO Turkish warships harassed a Cypriot fishing boat belonging to the company ‗Ta Psarokaika‘ on Thursday, while the vessel was in international waters, company head Aristos Aristeidou told CNA. Aristeidou said that the boat was north of the Apostolos Andreas area, 16 nautical miles away from the Turkish coast, when two warships approached it and told the captain to leave the area. ―The captain contacted me at 2 am and I told him to leave the area and go 24 nautical miles (away from the Turkish coast), and stay in international waters,‖ Aristeidou said. The company‘s head added that the Turkish ships approached the vessel again at 4am and threatened to tow them and arrest the crew if they did not leave. The Turkish ships escorted the boat out of the area, and the vessel returned to the port of Limassol on Thursday afternoon. Aristeidou, the father of Disy MP Mariella Aristeidou, said he was shocked by the incident, since his vessels have been fishing the area for years. The incident, Aristeidou added, has been reported to the United Nations. Asked if the boats would continue fishing in the area, he said that they would wait and see, “as the crew was scared, since they [the Turkish ships] threatened to arrest them.‖ The head of the fisheries department, Marina Argyrou, was also informed of the incident, and a complaint was also filed with the foreign ministry, which is expected to file the complaint with the UN. Source: Cyprus Mail

South Africa: President Cyril Ramaphosa Celebrates Operation Phakisa - Biodiversity Economy, 25 Aug 20 August 2018 press release President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the Biodiversity Economy Innovation and People & Parks conferences in Thohoyandou under the theme: "Innovating and Accelerating - with the people, for the people" on Saturday, 25 August 2018. The Biodiversity Economy Innovation conference will bring together stakeholders from the wildlife industry, academia, traditional leadership and government. The stakeholders will deliberate on innovative ideas that promote sustainable utilisation and conservation of the country's biological resources. In 2015, government adopted a Biodiversity Economy Strategy (BES) which seeks to increase the biodiversity contribution to the Gross Domestic Product while conserving the country's ecosystems. It focuses on enhancing growth in various sectors including wildlife and tourism. The Strategy was designed to sustainably advance the wildlife and bioprospecting sectors of the economy and secure sustainable livelihoods specifically for rural communities as part of meeting the targets of the National Development Plan. The conference aims to ensure that the biodiversity economy produces healthy returns on investment. The scope of innovation products in the biodiversity economy include bioprospecting and bio-trade products such as cosmetics and pharmaceutical; wildlife and ecotourism products. The People and Parks conference takes place biennially, providing a platform for stocktaking on progress being made in addressing land claims around protected areas, and in facilitating the contribution of protected areas to the improvement of rural livelihoods. President Ramaphosa will go on a walk-about at community projects that form part of the Integrated Rural Development Model and which employ approximately 300 local people. Projects include farming (crop and livestock), agro-processing facilities such as an abattoir for poultry and red meat; a milling plant, tourism and wood crafting facilities. These projects are funded and support by the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) and the Department of Department of Small Business Development (DSBD). NB: Members of the media are also requested to present their valid press cards at the point of entry to access the venue. Issued by: The Presidency Source: https://allafrica.com

Hackensack USS Ling apparently flooded intentionally, memorial plaques stolen By : Rodrigo Torrejon and Melanie Anzidei, Vandals climbed aboard the USS Ling, a World War II-era submarine, and set to work. Armed with tools to cut through locks, they worked to open hatches on the 312-foot long, 2,500-ton behemoth, letting gallons of water rush into the vessel. These vandals knew the inner workings of the historic ship, it seems, even opening hatches to the bilges, the lowest compartments of the submarine. "Locks were cut," said Les Altschuler, vice president of the Submarine Memorial Association, which is responsible for maintaining the vessel. "Somebody had to know what they were doing to flood the submarine. We didn’t have enough rain to flood the boat — somebody opened the hatches." Sometime between Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning, the Ling was flooded with several feet of water, Altschuler said. And four bronze plaques, dedicated to the 52 submarines lost during World War II and the sailors who helmed them, were also wrenched from the ground and stolen, he said. "They desecrated the memorial," Altschuler said. The plaques were valued at more than $10,000, Hackensack police said in a statement. Jack Brown, a trustee of the New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, home to the USS Ling SS-297, boards a dingy with members of the Hackensack police department to check out the damage on the submarine after it was recently vandalized. The Ling is the featured exhibit of the New Jersey Naval Museum, which occupies a trailer on land that was once the headquarters of North Jersey Media Group, which published The Record before the newspaper and NorthJersey.com were sold to Gannett's USA Today Network. The museum, which was closed in 2012 after flood waters from Superstorm Sandy washed out the gangplank to the Ling, has been housed on that parcel since 1974, when the Borg family, which owned the newspaper, negotiated a deal to lease land to the museum for $1 a year. Earlier this summer, Macromedia Inc., which owns the 20-acre parcel of land, announced that it would be demolishing the neighboring building that was once The Record's offices to make way for a 600-unit luxury residential community, an outdoor public plaza and a river walk. ―This was a despicable act, and we hope law enforcement makes arrests and punishes the perpetrators to the fullest extent allowed,‖ said Bob Sommer, a spokesman for Macromedia. The USS Ling (SS-297) submarine of the , has been at the New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack off of River St. since 1972. The ship was recently vandalized, with someone opening hatches on the submarine allowing several feet of water to flood the submarine. Vandals also stole four bronze plaques surrounding a memorial listing the names of 3,000 lives lost on submarines during World War II. Macromedia evicted the museum from the site, and Tuesday was the negotiated deadline for officials to clear their property from a small trailer off the site. The submarine is not part of the redevelopment project, and its removal, which has been estimated to cost millions, is not part of the eviction, a representative for Macromedia has said. Gilbert De Laat, the museum's president, drove to the River Street lot from his summer home on Tuesday to assess the Ling's damage. ―Everyone has to recognize that this isn’t just about a World War II submarine or the plaques on a memorial,‖ De Laat said. ―It’s about preserving history and the recognition of lives lost — and that’s the part that gets lost in translation. It’s no different than ruining a grave marker.‖ On Tuesday, museum trustees cleaned out what little they could salvage. A sign with the silhouette of the submarine was mounted on the back of a pickup truck. The phone number for the museum and the word ―tours‖ were crossed out in paint. The Ling is seemingly unmovable because it is stuck in several feet of mud, riddled with rust holes and in an area of the river too shallow to float the vessel. The Ling did not sink, Altschuler said, but the interior, which he says still housed artifacts from the days when the submarine was open for tours, has been inundated. Jack Brown, a trustee of the NJ Naval Museum, home of the USS Ling (SS-297) loads items from the museum into the back of his truck with help from Navy veteran Kevin Koening of Hackensack. Brown served as a reservist on the Ling in 1970-1972 when it was docked in Bush Terminal in . Brown was removing items on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 the final day the museum had to vacate the property due to an eviction notice. The land on River St. has been sold. Jack Brown, a trustee of the NJ Naval Museum, home of the USS Ling (SS-297) loads items from the museum into the back of his truck with help from Navy veteran Kevin Koening of Hackensack. Brown served as a reservist on the Ling in 1970-1972 when it was docked in Bush Terminal in Brooklyn. Brown was removing items on Tuesday, August 14, 2018 the final day the museum had to vacate the property due to an eviction notice. The land on River St. has been sold. Authorities were investigating the scene and gathering evidence, De Laat said. Museum officials in coming days will be reaching out to their insurance carrier to talk about next steps. ―It’s premature to make any assessments on who might be responsible,‖ De Laat said. Local veterans have tried to raise necessary funds to relocate or preserve the vessel. A GoFundMe page has collected nearly $20,000 in 14 months to help restore the Ling — far from its goal of raising $100,000 ―It adds an additional burden of time and resources that this group so desperately needs,‖ De Laat said. ―It’s unfortunate that someone took this fragile situation and made it worse.‖ Just as it was two years ago, even as the museum is pushed out, the Ling is seemingly not going anywhere, he said. "It's still in the river," Altschuler said. Source : northjersey Why We Don’t Want To Own Training Ship – NIMASA DG By Andrew Utulu August 16, 2018 LAGOS – The Director General, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside, has disclosed that cost of owning and operating a training vessel far outweighs cost of outsourcing the training service to foreign companies, saying it was the reason why the Agency was yet to acquire one. Speaking in Lagos at a breakfast parley with journalists yesterday, Peterside said only South Africa had tried it in the whole of African continent. According to him, the South African Maritime Safety Agency (SAMSA) had procured a training ship which has been out of use for 8 years due to high cost of manning and maintenance. Under NIMASA Medium Term Strategic plan, Peterside noted that a total of 298 Nigerian seafarers have been placed onboard ocean going vessels in the United Kingdom and Egypt. He added that NIMASA is about entering a five year agreement with the United Arab Shipping Line for a hundred slots spread into 20 persons yearly. NIMASA , according to him had secured job placements for 2337 Nigerian seafarers onboard cabotage vessels between January and June 2018, while 125 new vessels , mostly owned by Nigerian business men have been registered under the scheme. He said a total of 5700 seafarers and dock workers have been retrained under the agency‘s capacity building programme; 105 percent increase in number of foreign ships inspected in Nigerian ports. On flag state control which involves local and foreign ships flying Nigerian flags, Peterside said the agency recorded 27 percent increase and 21 percent increase in coastal trade vessels. On training certification, he revealed Certificate of Competence (CoC) being issued by NIMASA now enjoys wider acceptability across various countries, disclosing that a total of 3792 CoCs have been issued under his watch. Source: https://independent.ng

Safety Alert: LED lights may interfere with VHF-FM and AIS reception AUGUST 16, 2018 — LED lighting may offer energy savings advantages, but a new U.S. Coast Guard Safety Alert (13-18) warns that it can potentially interfere with VHF-FM radio and AIS reception. The Safety Alert says the Coast Guard has received reports from crews, ship owners, inspectors and other mariners regarding poor reception on VHF frequencies used for radiotelephone, digital selective calling (DSC) and automatic identification systems (AIS) when in the vicinity of light emitting diode (LED) lighting on-board ships (e.g., navigation lights, searchlights and floodlights, interior and exterior lights, adornment). Radio frequency interference caused by these LED lamps was found to create potential safety hazards. For example, the maritime rescue coordination center in one port was unable to contact a ship involved in a traffic separation scheme incident by VHF radio. That ship also experienced very poor AIS reception. Other ships in different ports have experienced degradation of the VHF receivers, including AIS, caused by their LED navigation lights. LED lighting installed near VHF antennas has also shown to compound the reception. Strong radio interference from LED sources may not be immediately evident to maritime radio users. Nonetheless, it may be possible to test for the presence of LED interference by using the following procedures: 1. Turn off LED light(s). 2. Tune the VHF radio to a quiet channel (e.g. Ch. 13). 3. Adjust the VHF radio's squelch control until the radio outputs audio noise. 4. Readjust the VHF radio's squelch control until the audio noise is quiet, only slightly above the noise threshold. 5. Turn on the LED light(s). • If the radio now outputs audio noise, then the LED lights have raised the noise floor. (Noise floor is generally the amount of interfering signals / static received beyond the specific signal or channel being monitored.) 6. If the radio does not output audio noise, then the LED lights have not raised the noise floor. 7. If the noise floor is found to have been raised, then it is likely that both shipboard VHF marine radio and AIS reception are being degraded by LED lighting. In order to determine the full impact of this interference, the Coast Guard requests those experiencing this problem to report their experiences to Coast Guard Navigation Center (https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=contactUs). Select "Maritime Telecommunications" on the subject drop down list, then briefly describe the make and model of LED lighting and radios effected, distance from lighting to antennas and radios effected, and any other information that may help understand the scope of the problem. Source: https://www.marinelog.com

Black-owned shipping company making waves in maritime sector 15 August 2018, 5:00pm / Songezo Ndlendle CAPE TOWN - Two KwaZulu Natal men have realised a lifelong ambition by becoming the first 100 percent black-owned ship-owners in South Africa. Durand Naidoo and Thuso Mhlambi, both 33, are the owners of Linsen Nambi, a company they started in 2012 and which made local maritime history when they bought Grindrod‘s Unicorn Bunker Services earlier this year. With their female empowerment partners, Women in Oil and Energy (Woesa), they became the role model for government‘s initiative to unlock transformation in the maritime and liquid fuels industries. According to Naidoo, Linsen Nambi is a 100% black youth-owned shipping company with highly skilled maritime professionals, strong customer relationships and, crucially, owns its own ships. ―Therefore we are well placed for strategic acquisitions and organic growth to develop our infrastructure further.‖ He said the deal took a ―concerted effort‖ from the private sector (Grindrod), government (Industrial Development Corporation) and oil majors (BP, Engen and Chevron). ―It is unbelievable that it took this long, but is a first win for the recently legislated Combined Maritime Transport Policy, which calls for black ownership in shipping,‖ Naido said. Mhlambi added that there was a great need for the private sector and the funding institutions to ―better align themselves with government's development plans to unlock more deals like ours‖. He added that ―I would like to see the private sector opening up this space to new entrants, something that will facilitate the creation of employment.‖ Naidoo and Mhlambi said they have set a goal to become the leading African shipping company with a global presence. Since the establishment of Linsen Nambi six years ago, the company has bought three bunker vessels in the ports of Durban and Cape Town. These bunkers supply fuel to vessels. Mhlambi said they were proud of their transformation successes, as ―seven out of twelve masters are black, all twelve chief officers and all twelve chief engineers in the company are black‖. The story of the inception of their company is one of a friendship that goes back to 1996 when they were both 10 and in Grade 4 at Montclair Senior Primary School in Durban. ―We became instant friends, Thuso was, and still is, the funniest person I’ve ever met,‖ said Naidoo. The men added that they stuck together when they progressed to the New Forest High School in Yellow Wood Park in Durban. They took different forks in the road at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Naidoo got his Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting degree but said becoming an Auditor didn‘t interest him and decided to study further and, by chance, chose Maritime Economics as an elective. He went on to complete his Professional Qualifying Exams with the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers to become a Shipbroker. ―It’s the most prestigious shipping qualification and I was very pleased that I did well, winning the “student with the highest marks in South Africa prize, as well as getting top marks in the Legal Principles of Shipping‖. Naidoo also has a Diploma in Marine Surveying from Lloyd‘s Maritime Academy through the North Kent College. He joined Safmarine as a graduate and gained invaluable experience as he moved within the industry, rotating through finance, exports, and imports. Mhlambi obtained his BCom Honours in Accounting at the University of KwaZulu Natal before completing his articles at KPMG. In 2012, Naidoo proposed that they start their own shipping company. Mhlambi said: ―I was working in a corporate job as a financial manager when one day, during my lunch break, Durand came to visit me and said he’s thinking of starting a shipping company and did I want to join him as his accountant? I thought why not?‖ Initially, shipping company Linsen Nambi offered shipbroking, marine surveying and consulting services. Naidoo said he conducted shipping business across the African continent, visiting the likes of Uganda, Sudan, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe. ―We were a service orientated business and as such we could not scale our business as we did not have assets and could not build a balance sheet. “In 2014 Thuso and I took the decision to pivot our business model to become asset-based.‖ The business took off. The men are in agreement that there is much work that needs to be done within the South African shipping landscape, as they felt it ―severely lacks meaningful transformation and the economic inclusion of black people is minimal‖. According to the pair, their disappointment with the lack of transformation stems from the fact that South Africa is among the top maritime nations in the world in terms of the cargo volumes that move across seas. ―The Port of Durban is the busiest container port in Africa, the Port of Richard’s Bay is the busiest coal terminal in the world. You have only to consider the effect of mining commodities on the GDP (Gross Domestic Product), that can only be transported by sea, to understand how much of cargo moves across South Africa,‖ Mhlambi said. Naidoo added: ―There is a saying in shipping that cargo is king. However, in South Africa, even though we have the lion’s share of cargo, we do not have South African-owned ships. China, Japan, Britain and India are examples of other maritime nations in the world with cargo movements such as ours, but which have ships registered in their country. “South Africa is dominated by foreign-owned shipping companies which carry our cargo, resulting in a loss of GDP to our country.‖ Their vision is sweeping and includes the beneficiation of South Africa‘s long coastline. ―The oceans can feed us and provide us with a livelihood, yet it remains locked with high barriers of entry for new entrants to participate. “South Africa suffers from a high unemployment rate, yet most black people have never considered working at sea onboard vessels because most of these positions are not advertised in South Africa,‖ Naidoo said. He added that efforts are afoot to change this and that government has launched initiatives, including Operation Phakisa, to kick-start the oceans economy. It is estimated that the oceans can contribute R177 billion to the South African GDP. The men call their partnership with the women-owned Woesa ―amazing.‖ Mhlambi said: ―They give us the support and trust that we need to run the business. “We selected Woesa as our partner on this deal because like ourselves, as black youth, black women have been marginalised in the South African economy. Therefore it was easy to sell them on the vision of reforming a sector that has been slow to change.‖ - African News Agency (ANA) via https://www.iol.co.za I really hope they succeed as it would be wonderful to see SA flagged ships moving goods to SA ports. A good start would be to move goods between SA ports, thus lessening the load on our rail and road system.