MARITIME NEWS – 27 SEPTEMBER 2016 Royal Navy Boosts Recompression Chamber Deployment Capacity

MARITIME NEWS – 27 SEPTEMBER 2016 Royal Navy boosts recompression chamber deployment capacity

Recompression chamber being loaded onto HMS Dauntless . Photo: Royal Navy The Royal Navy is now capable of having its recompression chambers reach stricken submariners and divers faster as a recent trial showed that the navy’s six Type 45 destroyers can fit the chambers to their flight decks. Until now only the Navy’s thirteen Type 23 frigates were able to deploy the emergency stores which are held at six hours’ notice to move in HMNB Devonport in Plymouth. A recompression chamber shrinks the size of the damaging gas bubbles that have formed in the tissues of divers – or submariners who have undertaken an emergency departure from their boat – who rise to surface too quickly. The Royal Navy has two recompression chambers on standby to support the submarine community, each of which is housed in an ISO container, weighs 13.6 tonnes and can accommodate 11 people at a time. The trial was conducted on HMS Dauntless by the Submarine Escape Rescue and Survival Team (SMERAS) team from Gosport. “In the unlikely event of a submarine being in distress, our preferred method of rescue is clearly on the surface, or via the NATO Submarine Rescue System from HMNB Clyde in Scotland,” said SMERAS Warrant Officer Steve Micallef. “If submariners have to leave their boats underwater, they could possibly suffer from the bends, or decompression sickness. “So being able to have a broader range of surface ships to carry our two recompression chambers quickly to the scene provides us with more options, should our services ever be required. “I would like to extend my gratitude to the captain and crew of HMS Dauntless for their co-operation and support, and also the Southern Diving Group who maintain the recompression chambers, compressors and generators as part of their everyday duties.” The trial took nine months to plan and included having the deck plans approved by the MOD’s Naval Architects, the Royal Navy said. Source : Naval Today Parliamentary Defence Committee fact-finding visit to SANDF facilities and bases

A senior SA National Defence Force (SANDF) Special Forces officer told members of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans that cutting the defence budget was akin to taking the country’s security for granted. Brigadier General Stephen Maloma was speaking to committee members who were in Pretoria and surrounds last week to see first-hand prevailing conditions at certain military bases and facilities. According to the Parliamentary communication service, they went to 1 Military Hospital in Thaba Tshwane, Special Forces Headquarters and the Special Forces School as well as the headquarters of the SA Air Force (SAAF) and its hub of transport excellence – AFB Waterkloof. Committee members also called on the Works Formation’s Gauteng regional workshop. This workshop, one of nine provincial units under the auspices of the Works Formation, is currently doing demolition work at the military medical facility as part of a major maintenance and repair contract. The committee expressed concern about slow procurement processes which have delayed completion of work at the hospital, especially in the pharmacy and theatre areas. “We understand the services of a medical technologist still have to be procured before the project can be completed,” committee chairman Malusi Motimele said, adding the matter would be taken up with Department of Defence management and “eventually” the Minister (Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula) to speed up the process. While at the Valhalla Hill complex which houses Joint Operations and Special Forces, committee members were briefed by Maloma who stressed cuts to the national defence budget could be seen as compromising national security. He said no country could claim to be a regional power if it stood by its progressive foreign policy and compromised its capability of translating this into quality defence services. “Cutting the budget of the army is tantamount to cutting the defence value of the country,” he said, giving the United States as an example of what can be done. “The US takes the business of defence seriously and keeps its defence capacity strong all the time. It always prioritises its defence and ensures its military capacity becomes and remains powerful.” Committee members were told, according to the Parliamentary communication service, budget cuts have diminished Special Forces capacity and have “far-reaching and serious implications on the number of warm bodies and other important and necessary resources”. Maloma said SANDF Special Forces was a unit that exists to do what other units cannot do. “Special Forces go where others can’t and must at all times provide a rapid response when required. Special Forces soldiers must be able to meet all conditions – normal or abnormal.” He also told committee members that while Special Forces numbers were less than needed, protection of their facilities was not compromised. “We are untouchable. Our facilities are under strong and reliable protection 24 hours a day, seven days a week,” he is reported as having said. Source : defenceWeb SA Special Forces remain a very active and credible force and I am pleased to see, do not mince words. Larsen and Toubro signs $99 million Vietnamese ship deal

Larsen and Toubro has signed a $99 million contract with the Vietnam Border Guard for high speed patrol vessels, the Indian company announced Thursday. The contract calls for design and construction of the vessels, as well as transfer of design and technology, equipment and material kits for construction of follow- on vessels at a Vietnamese shipyard, the company said in a statement. The vessels are for controlling and protecting sea security and sovereignty, anti-smuggling and search and rescue missions. The 114-foot-long vessels are made of an aluminum alloy and reach speeds of 35 knots. In keeping with the Indian government's "Make in India" policy, design and engineering of the ships will be done at the company's dedicated warship design center. The company is currently executing Indian ministry of defense contracts for design and construction of 54 interceptor boats for the Indian coast guard, 28 of which have been delivered. Source : Space War Notwithstanding its rather ‘European’ name Larsen and Toubro is a major Indian engineering and ship building company. Canada Confirms HMS Terror Find Canada confirmed on Monday it has found the wreck of HMS Terror , the second of two British ships lost in the disastrous Franklin Arctic voyage of 1845, and said the government will work closely with northern aboriginals on ownership of the artifacts. Parks Canada, a federal agency, said in a statement it will work on "joint ownership" of the wreckage from the journey through Canada's Northwest Passage. Britain's Guardian newspaper reported earlier this month that the Arctic Research Foundation, a private group participating in the search effort, had found the ship in pristine condition at the bottom of a bay. Sir John Franklin and his 128-member crew on the Terror and HMS Erebus all died after the vessels became stuck in ice during a search for the fabled Arctic passage between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The fate of the ships remained one of the great mysteries in Canadian history for almost 170 years until a team found the wreck of the Erebus in September 2014. The expedition has become part of Canadian folklore, in part because of the crew's appalling fate. Tales handed down from the Inuit people describe cannibalism among the desperate seamen.

Parks Canada underwater archaeologists were able to observe the wreck’s excellent condition. They found many elements still in their original location such as the ship’s wheel, on the upper deck, astern of the skylight of the captain’s cabin. Amazingly, a captain’s cabin window at the ship’s stern is still in place. During these dives, the weather conditions were bad with poor underwater visibility in Terror Bay. However, by comparing solid archaeological data to an extensive research archive, the Parks Canada's Underwater Archaeology Team was able to confirm that the wreck is indeed HMS Terror . The archaeological validation was based on a side-scan sonar survey and three dives on the wreck. A multi-beam echo sounder was used to complete an additional survey of the wreck site. The dives took place during difficult weather conditions and through poor visibility. The wreck’s upper deck is heavily covered by silt and marine life. Nevertheless, the divers were able to observe a number of features that were typical or unique to 19th century British polar exploration ships and the wreck has a number of design specifications that were common to both HMS Erebus and HMS Terror , including three masts, iron bow sheathings and a double-wheeled helm. There are no wrecks other than HMS Erebus with these features in the region. Comparing this solid archaeological data to an extensive research archive that includes ship plans of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror , Parks Canada’s Underwater Archaeology Team was able to confirm that the wreck is HMS Terror. The scans showed the well preserved wreck has and features matching the historic records for HMS Terror , including: the configuration of the bowsprit (the spar extending from the ship’s bow); placement of the ship’s helm; the boarding port; and deck scuppers (holes on the side of the ship to allow drainage) which differ from HMS Erebus . Parks Canada will determine ownership in conjunction with the Inuit aboriginals in the northernmost Canadian territory of Nunavut and unnamed "government organizations," the agency said, without giving details. HMS Terror’s History HMS Terror was built over a period of two years at the Davy shipyard in Topsham, England. At 31 meters (101.7 feet) along the length of its deck, it was the slightly smaller in comparison to HMS Erebus . This 325-ton Vesuvius- class Royal Navy bomb vessel had all the firepower its volcanic namesake would suggest. Armed with two mortars and ten cannons, Terror was launched in June of 1813 and saw its first notable service at the bombardment of Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore, Maryland in 1814. Twenty-two years after the War of 1812, Terror was refitted as an Arctic discovery ship. Bomb vessels were ideal for such missions because of their strong internal framework designed to withstand mortar recoil recommended them for navigation among pack ice and icebergs; typically they were further strengthened with the addition of special interior and exterior reinforcing and hull protection. Other Arctic discovery ships used by the Royal Navy in the first half of the 19th century, including HMS Erebus , HMS Fury and HMS Hecla , were originally bomb vessels as well. From 1836 to 1837, Terror was commanded by Captain George Back during an exploratory voyage to Hudson Bay. The ship was trapped by ice for months and badly damaged but, miraculously, managed to make its way back to England safely. The ship made its first voyage with HMS Erebus in 1839. For that voyage, the two ships were led by Captain James Clark Ross on a four-year expedition to the Antarctic. Commander (later Captain) Francis Crozier served as second-in-command and captain of Terror. Though overshadowed by Mt. Erebus, a larger and more active neighbor, Ross named a dormant volcano on Ross Island in the Antarctic after Terror . Upon its return from Ross’s expedition, Terror was refitted and reassigned to Sir John Franklin, upgraded with double planking and sheet iron. The ship had the latest technology including an internal heating system, and a freshwater ice- melter built into the galley stove to supply drinking water. Although built as a sailing ship, Terror was provided with steam power. A 20-ton locomotive engine had its wheels removed and was installed to power the ship’s screw propeller. The screw propeller could be retracted into the hull to prevent damage by ice. This technology had never been employed on an Arctic discovery ship before. The ship was packed with three years’ worth of supplies that included over 30,000 kg of flour, 14,000 kg of salt beef and pork, 2,000 kg of lemon juice to prevent scurvy, almost 500 liters of wine for the sick, thousands of kilograms of chocolate and dozens of other provisions. There were wolf skin blankets, candles, soap, and tobacco. For entertainment, the crew had access to an extensive library of over 1,500 books that included religious books and novels (from Shakespeare to the latest by Charles Dickens) as well as musical instruments. Erebus and Terror each had a player piano with 50 different selections including hymns. Like many of the Arctic expeditions, Franklin’s crew had instructions to conduct research on geology, botany, zoology and magnetism, and carried a suite of scientific equipment. To record observations and discoveries, the crew had the latest technology in the form of a daguerreotype camera. Captain Francis Crozier, who had commanded Terror on Ross’s expedition, would do so again as second-in-command to Sir John Franklin. Trapped in the unforgiving ice of what is now the Canadian Arctic, Crozier (along with James Fitzjames) would go on to pen the last written record of the expedition’s grisly fate, discovered many years later by McClintock’s 1857 recovery mission. Source : The Maritime Executive GenDyn features Bluefin Robotics underwater drone

General Dynamics Missions Systems featured the Bluefin Robotics underwater drone this week at the OCEANS 2016 conference. The Hovering-Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, or H-AUV locates, identifies and maps structural issues on a ship's hull without dry- docking the ship, the company said in a statement. It operates autonomously and navigates along a hull, bridge or pier. High-resolution images are streamed, recorded and stored by the H-AUV for shipboard or shore-based operators to observe in real time or to study later once the scan is complete. It can also conduct undersea observation for port and harbor security, underwater law enforcement investigations, as well as archaeological and academic research. The system can be unpacked and launched from a boat or pier in less than 30 minutes. It uses thrusters to hover, rotate in place and translate in any direction, enabling operations in confined areas. Source :

Space War Japanese Navy Chief urges resumption of China port visits The head of Japan's navy on Monday repeated criticisms of China's pursuit of territorial claims in Asia but called for a resumption of port and personnel visits suspended for several years amid rising tensions between the two Asian powers. Admiral Tomohisa Takei said exchange visits by senior naval personnel and warships were effective in improving relationships between armed forces. "They should be resumed as soon as possible," he told a Washington think tank. "Our door is open." While criticizing China's for its actions in the East China Sea, where Tokyo and Beijing have competing territorial claims, and in the South China Sea, where China has rival claims with other Asian countries, Takei sought to play down remarks by Japan's Defense Minister Tomomi Inada last week on plans to step up cooperation with the U.S. Navy. He said Inada's statement that Japan would step up engagement in the South China Sea with "joint training cruises" with the United States did not mean it intended to carry out patrols there, and that this had been misinterpreted. "It means transit from one point to another; to use such occasions to conduct mutual or bilateral exercises, training with a foreign country," he said. "That is the usual training and operation we have already conducted for several years." Takei said Japan had no plans "at this time" to join the United States in freedom-of-navigation operations in the South China Sea, even though it was a vital waterway for the transit of 90 percent of Japan's crude oil and 80 percent of its natural gas. "And we are not thinking of conducting operations only by ourselves," he added. While urging greater engagement with China, Takei criticized Beijing for its "deliberate attempt to unilaterally change the status quo and undermine existing norms" by building artificial islands in the South China Sea and accused it of "invasion" of Japanese territorial waters in the East China Sea. He said there had been no port visit by a Japanese ship to China since a destroyer docked in Quindao in 2011 and no personnel exchanges for six years. Source : Reuters Casualty evacuated from ship 20 miles off Durban by ASR team

At 15:30 on Friday the 23rd of September 2016 the Maritime Rescue Co Ordination Centre (MRCC) put the NSRI Air Sea Rescue team on standby to casualty evacuate a 59 year Filipino man from the bulk carrier MV Skelt. The man is the ships chief cook and was treated for a myocardial infarction (heart attack) by the ships crew with advice from a local doctor. It was decided to wait for the MV Skelt to get closer to Durban before sending a rescue team to casualty evacuate him. At 04h50 on Sunday 25 September a15 Squadron Oryx lifted off with a crew of Pilot, Co-Pilot and Flight engineer from the airforce, two NSRI rescue swimmers and two paramedics from Netcare 911. The Oryx landed on the 180 meter ship approximately 20 nautical miles off Durban at 05h00. The man was carried onto the helicopter and flown to Saint Augustans hospital, landing at 05h20. He has been transferred to Entabeni Private hospital in a stable condition. Source : Maritime News Clippings TAILPIECE Refloating made possible, with Dyneema

After the MV Benita , a bulk carrier headed to the South African city of Durban, was grounded on June 17, Five Oceans Salvage (FOS) was brought in to refloat the casualty after removing the 145 tons of fuel onboard the ship. Due to the harsh conditions, ropes made with Dyneema® were the only option both strong enough and light enough to help refloat the vessel.

The primary aim of the operation was to maintain the vessel in its grounded position and prevent it from running further aground, while simultaneously removing the bunkers from onboard. Efforts were further complicated by Benita’s location on top of the reef, where surf waves ranging from four to eight meters high formed – making an approach by sea impossible for the salvage tugs. The impassable location of the MV Benita further complicated response efforts. Both of FOS’ salvage tugs are equipped with 64mm steel towing wires. However, due to the grounding of the Benita, the vessel had no power and the shallow water in the surrounding area prevented the salvage tugs from getting closer than 200 meters to the ship. Without power on the receiving vessel side, the only way for the salvage team to connect the tugs to the casualty, and hold the Benita in position for refloating, was by using ropes made with Dyneema® – which were light enough to be handled by the salvage crew and transported by helicopter. Weather proved to be an ongoing challenge throughout the refloating efforts. In fact, two tugs were connected to the Benita at all times in order to ensure no further running aground occurred. The inherent properties of Dyneema®, the world’s strongest fiber™, makes ropes made with Dyneema® as strong as steel, yet seven times lighter, which enables faster and safer handling. Additionally, ropes made with Dyneema® are more durable, UV resistant and show extraordinary performance even in extreme conditions. Source : gCaptain A fascinating rope indeed, bearing in mind that the two tugs involved had bollard pulls of 80 and 102 tons respectively! AGS PS Not much news I am afraid (many sources are now showing articles already covered in Marnews!) but some impressive photos. PPS I added the story of the CASEVAC off Durban as I was quire surprised that an Oryx was available in Durban on a Friday afternoon – I was under the impression that their main purpose is to fly JZ and family to Nkandla!