NAVY NEWS WEEK 4-6

26 January 2018

Senior Officers from 17 Countries Meet in Singapore to Advance Efforts in Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia in Piracy and Security News 17/01/2018

The first capacity building activity in 2018 by the Information Sharing Centre (ISC) of ReCAAP, the first regional government-to-government agreement to promote and enhance cooperation against piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia, kicked off today with 19 senior officers from 17 countries arriving in Singapore to take stock of the current situation and discuss the roadmap ahead. The participants comprised of the heads of the ReCAAP Focal Points—the designated maritime and/or government agency—from 17 countries. These senior officers spent the first day attending the 9th Nautical Forum—one of ReCAAP ISC’s annual events to dialogue with and engage the shipping community—and visiting the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore’s Port Operations Control Centre. They will spend the second day deliberating on the current situation of piracy and sea robbery in Asia and discuss how best to harness collective efforts to respond to the evolving threats and emerging challenges in the landscape. At the two-day meeting, Dr. Sam Bateman, Advisor, Maritime Security Program at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and Ms. Kaitlin Meredith, Programme Coordinator at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also respectively addressed the topics of maritime safety in Asia and the role of ReCAAP ISC as well as the capacity building of maritime law enforcement agencies. “Effective response to the dynamic nature of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia requires a framework based on a common goal and shared responsibilities. The ReCAAP Focal Point Senior Officers’ Meeting is an essential and strategic platform for the heads of the respective government agencies and enforcement bodies from Asia to come together, deepen rapport, and progress towards the common goal of safer and more secure seas for all,” said Masafumi Kuroki, Executive Director of ReCAAP ISC. The countries represented at the ReCAAP Focal Point Senior Officers’ Meeting are Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, the , the United States, and Vietnam. Source: ReCAAP via http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com

The Royal ’s Mine Counter-measure ship HMS Cattistock has left home port of Portsmouth for the Baltic Sea to join the NATO SNMCMG1 for three months. It is only six months ago that she spent seven months on deployment in the Persian Gulf. At 750 tons, she and her seven sister ships in the Hunt Class were the largest ships built out of glass reinforced plastic. photo : Raymond Wergan, Newton Ferrers. © force: Sailor shot himself aboard sub A sailor had to be medically evacuated from a submarine for a self-inflicted gunshot wound Friday night, according to a Submarine Force Atlantic spokeswoman. “A USS North Dakota sailor is in stable condition following a self-inflicted gunshot wound at sea,” Cmdr. Sarah Self-Kyler told The Day late Friday. She said the wound was intentional and the submarine was coordinating his transport to a shore-based facility for further treatment. The Navy, which as a policy doesn't comment on submarine operations, is investigating the incident. It was not clear what kind of gun was used. Sailors are not allowed to bring their personal weapons aboard but have government-issued firearms for force protection. “Our thoughts are with the sailor's family, friends and the crew of the North Dakota ,” Self-Kyler said. Around 10:20 p.m., vehicles from the New London Fire Department, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Fire and Emergency Services, and Yale New Haven Health arrived at Fort Trumbull. The crews awaited the arrival of the patient, underneath lights that struggled to cut through rain and heavy fog. New London fire crews departed about 11:20 p.m., while Naval Submarine Base fire crews remained. At that point, New London Battalion Chief Edward Sargent said it might be another hour until the patient arrived, and that the patient could either be coming to Fort Trumbull or to the sub base directly. “They have communication with the ship, the boat, so they’re waiting to get direction from the Navy,” Sargent said of the sub base fire department. The North Dakota is a Virginia-class based in Groton. Each Virginia sub has an independent duty corpsman aboard who is trained to perform medical duties such as triage. No further details were immediately available. source: The Day Staff Writers Julia Bergman and Erica Moser contributed to this report.

HMS Duncan leads NATO naval force with first visit to Malaga NATO’s Standing Group 2 has returned to the Mediterranean region and will conduct the first port visit in Malaga. The ’s type 45 destroyer, HMS Duncan, has assumed the role of flagship, for a second time. Over the coming months the Nato naval forces will undertake presence and security operations and conduct a number of multi-national exercises aimed at fostering better inter-operability between NATO nations. Source : GBC

Chinese Regime Races for Naval Supremacy, Building 8 Cruisers While US Builds None The sudden surge in the regime’s naval power may invite war, say experts By Paul Huang January 17, 2018 6:38 pm Last Updated: January 24, 2018 10:50 pm

The first Type 055 destroyer (classified by Western sources as a cruiser) for China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy, in Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard on June 28, 2017. China is reportedly building at least five and possibly up to eight Type 055s. (People’s Liberation Army Navy)

The Chinese regime has been challenging U.S. military supremacy for years with an all-out military buildup. The construction of multiple large, high-tech naval cruisers may signal an altering of the balance of power in Asian waters and is a harbinger of increased global competition between the two naval powers. The mass production of the advanced design—which was only a topic of speculation among observers until the year 2017—is being rolled out at a lightning speed. As many as eight brand-new hulls are being built at the same time that the U.S. Navy has no viable plan to replace any of its 22 existing cruisers, which are decades old. China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) officially refers to its advanced Type 055 warship only as a “destroyer.” However, the Department of Defense and a recent report by the U.S. Congressional Research Service (CRS) classified the 13,000-ton warship as a “cruiser,” likely because of its large size and extensive weapon arsenals. The first Type 055 ship began construction in Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard and was launched (meaning that the ship has been put into water for the final stage of construction) on June 28, 2017. As of January 2018, at least another four new Type 055 hulls, two at the Jiangnan Shipyard and another two at the Dalian Shipyard in Liaoning Province are confirmed to be under construction, as they are visible on satellite images. One of them is almost ready to be launched. The rapid speed with which China has committed to mass-producing new Type 055 turned out to be one of the surprises for international military observers in the year 2017, as it was initially thought that the design was still experimental and would take more time to mature. However, as early as February 2017, Chinese media reports quoting unnamed sources had projected that China will rapidly roll out at least eight Type 055s in the first batch of production from 2017 to 2018, a prediction that has turned out to be largely accurate and consistent with the latest confirmed reports. Being the premium surface combat warships of the PLAN fleet, the Type 055s are expected to form an integral part of China’s future aircraft carrier battle groups alongside the smaller Type 052D destroyers and 054A . The latter two classes of warships have also been mass-produced in large numbers in recent years. There are also reports that China is not only planning to build nuclear-powered aircraft carriers following its first two or three carriers, which are conventionally-powered, but it is also planning to build nuclear-powered versions of large warships such as the Type 055 cruiser. Doing so would give the PLAN fleet a global reach that is much less dependent on foreign bases, said Richard Fisher, a senior fellow at the International Assessment and Strategy Center. China 8, United States 0 The Type 055 cruiser is equipped with the latest and the most capable sensors and weapons that China’s military industry can produce. The 13,000-ton warship has an advanced active phased array radar system that can detect air targets from afar, and is armed with at least 112 tubes of vertical launching system (VLS) cells that contain an assortment of anti-air, anti- ship, and land-attack cruise missiles. By comparison, the U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruisers and Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (commonly referred to as U.S. Navy’s Aegis warships) each displace about 10,100 tons and 9,300 tons and carry 122 and 96 VLS cells, respectively. While China is simultaneously building at least five and possibly up to eight Type 055 cruisers, the U.S. Navy has no plan to replace any of its 22 aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers. They were built more than two decades ago from the 1980s to 1990s and are still the core surface warships that protect the U.S. Navy’s carrier battle groups today. The Ticonderoga-class’s replacement, the Next Generation Cruiser or CG(X) program, was canceled in 2010 by the Obama administration, which blamed budget cuts along with other reasons. The lack of new cruisers means that the U.S. Navy could soon be forced to rely on the smaller and slightly lesser armed Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to protect its critical aircraft carriers and fleets when the Ticonderoga-class cruisers are retired. Although the U.S. Navy has restarted the production of a new batch of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, a new CRS report says that U.S. naval shipbuilding is already lagging behind that of China, and that gap has been growing rapidly in recent years. Budgets constraints and instability have not only hindered new warships from being built, they have also created hiccups in the training and maintenance of the fleet. Those shortfalls have already been blamed for causing two separate deadly incidents in 2017 in which U.S. Navy Aegis destroyers collided with commercial vessels. The U.S. Navy has yet to have a viable plan to replace its 22 aging Ticonderoga-class cruisers (CG- 47, showing in green), which are projected to be retired from service gradually in the coming years. (Fiscal Year 2017 Shipbuilding Plan published by Congressional Budget Office)

On the other hand, the PLAN’s burgeoning surface fleet is predicted to alter the naval balance in maritime Asia, said a 2017 report co-authored by James R. Holmes of the U.S. Naval War College and Toshi Yoshihara, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The report said that China’s rapid production of advanced warships in recent years, such as the Type 055 cruisers, is not a coincidence and was almost certainly “designed, developed, and procured” many years in advance. The lag in the U.S. buildup in response to China, the report said, could open a danger zone in which Beijing is tempted to strike before its newfound advantage evanesces. This is because the Chinese regime might make a “now-or-never” calculation in anticipation of an eventual U.S. rearmament, similar to the decision Imperial Japan made against the rival Russian Empire in 1904, or against the United States in 1941 in the run-up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. “China has laid the basis for a competition that will be measured in decades,” write Holmes and Yoshihara. “The United States and its allies must accept reality: they face a long-term rivalry at sea against a tough, determined, imaginative competitor.” Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com

Serraj visits Libyan naval ship fixed by Italians By Vanessa Tomassini, Presidency Council head Faiez Serraj visited Libyan naval ship Ibn Ouf at ’s naval base, Abu Sitta, Thursday with Italian ambassador Giuseppe Perrone, to mark the end of maintenance of the ship by . The Libyan naval ship has been operative for a while and is used in operations against illegal migration traffickers. The Libyan naval ship has been undergoing repairs in Abu Sitta since December 2017 by Italian Navy staff from the Italian naval ships Capri and Tremiti. This support is part of Italy’s technical support for the Libyan Navy and called Operation Nauras. The Italian Defence Ministry reported that Serraj thanked Italian ambassador Perrone for the important contribution that Italy and its Armed Forces, and specifically the Italian Navy, for the restoration of Libyan naval vessels. The cost of the maintenance of Ibn Ouf was paid for by Italy as part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Rome on 2 February 2017 by Faiez Serraj and Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. The MoU was on cooperation in the fields of development, illegal immigration, human trafficking, smuggling and on strengthening border security between and Italian. The MoU is part of the implementation of the Treaty of Friendship, Partnership and Cooperation, signed in in 2008 by the former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi and Muammar Qaddafi and the Declaration of Tripoli of 21 January 2012. The MOU states that Italy provides technical and technological support and, finance Libyan operations in the fight against illegal immigration, represented by the border guard and the Coast Guard of the Ministry of Defence of GNA, and by the competent bodies and departments at the Libya’s Interior Ministry. Italian Foreign Ministry sources also reported that in the context of Italy’s support for the rehabilitation of Libyan naval vessels, four Bigliani class patrol boats were assigned to the following completion of crew training in Italy in the second half of 2017. Six other patrol boats will also be returned to the Maritime Security Police of the Libyan Ministry of the Interior by the Italian Ministry of Interior at the conclusion of the next training cycles. The Italian commitment goes beyond the re-launching of the vehicles, and also covers assistance in the long-term maintenance of boats. The Italian Foreign Ministry source also confirmed to Libya Herald that Italy has been committed to cooperation with Libya since the beginning of the Libyan crisis in emergency initiatives and in development activities in areas such as health, education, food safety for the most vulnerable in the local population. Overall, 11 million euros were approved for Libya in 2017.Italy attaches great importance to the role of Libyan Municipalities in view of the fundamental role they play in ensuring essential services to the civilian population. For this reason and following numerous requests for assistance from Municipalities, the Italian Government is working with European institutions on a program to support the socio-economic development of Libyan Municipalities. A program worth 3 million euros for capacity building is also being prepared for Libyan municipalities. In August 2017 Italy delivered to the mayor of Zuwara 5,000 sanitary and first aid kits for migrants as well as the training of officers and non-commissioned officers of the Libyan Navy and Coast Guard in Rome. Recently, another 2 million euros was invested in rubbish disposal in the capital. In 2018 165.388,00 euros will be donated for Libyan infrastructural projects as part of the 2008 Friendship Treaty of Benghazi of 2008. Another 117.388,00 euros is set for 2019. On Friday, Italy revealed that a new Control Centre against transnational crime, human smuggling and terrorism was set in motion in Rome by Italy and Libya in presence of the Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti. This Centre will result in enhanced judicial and police cooperation, strengthened rule of law, rights and guarantees, and increased information exchange. It will consist of representatives from the coastguard, the illegal migration department, the Libyan Attorney General and the intelligence services, along with their Italian counterparts. It is also reported in the Italian press that in 2018 Italy will deploy 375 soldiers to Libya, a hundred more than last year, at an expected cost of 34 million euros in the first nine months of the year. Italian Air Force technicians are also restoring Libyan C-130H cargo planes and a new contingent of army instructors and advisors will train the GNA army. The Italian efforts to stem illegal migratory flows, of which Libya is the first victim, will concentrate not only on the coast, but also in the south and neighbouring countries such as Niger, Mali and Somalia. According to data from the Italian Ministry of the Interior, counter measures against illegal migration crossing the Mediterranean from Libya have led to a 34 percent decrease of arrivals in 2017, compared to the previous year. Many NGOs, however, see this bilateral agreement as a “pushback” policy, a way to transfer the problem of illegal migration from Europe to Libya, rather than a permanent long-term solution. Source: Libyaherald Russian Helicopters delivers Ka-27M helicopters to Russian Navy 17 January 2018

Russian Helicopters has successfully completed the transfer of a batch of shipborne anti-submarine Ka-27M helicopters to the Russian Navy. The serial upgrade of the Ka-27Ms is being carried out within the framework of a government defence contract at the company’s helicopter manufacturing factory, Kumertau Aviation Production Enterprise. The first aircraft from the batch of transferred helicopters has already been sent to its permanent stationing site at the Baltic Fleet. Several of the remaining Ka-27M helicopters are scheduled to be flown to the Pacific and Northern Fleets. The new modernised version of the aircraft features modern information transmitting capabilities, which allow data to be transferred in real-time to ground or ship command posts and other helicopters. Furthermore, the improved Ka-27Ms also feature latest tactical command systems, including new acoustic and magnetometric systems, a radio reconnaissance system, an information computation system and an active phased-array airborne radar station. The upgrade provides the helicopters with all-around visibility in order to facilitate the detection of all types of vessels and submarines. In addition to increasing the detection and destruction range of the aircraft, advanced methods of transmitting information to land and ship based command posts have been installed on the helicopters as part of the initiative. The ability to connection with other helicopters has also been modernised. Ka-27-type helicopters have been designed to carry out anti-submarine warfare missions for the navy and can be integrated on-board a wide range of naval vessels, including aircraft carriers. The Russian Naval Aviation’s helicopter fleet includes several Ka-27 multipurpose helicopters featuring various modifications. Russian Helicopters was established in 2007 and is a subsidiary of Oboronprom United Industrial, which is part of Russian firm Rostec. Source: https://www.naval-technology.com

Navy's new defense system can mislead enemy missiles Yoav Zitun|Published: 01.17.18 , 11:21

The new system in action Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office

Upgraded system to fire chaff rockets that would create a 'wall' of iron wires, making enemy projectiles 'think' this wall is the Israeli navy vessel; 'This is a dramatic leap forward that will provide us with solutions for the next 20 years,' says navy officer. The Israeli Navy's defense systems will soon get an unprecedented upgrade, allowing navy vessels to launch chaff rockets to mislead enemy missiles. The upgraded system would be able to deal with all kinds of threats—both new and future ones—at sea: From the most advanced anti-ship cruise missiles—such as the Russian P-800 Oniks, also known as Yakhont—to shoulder-fired missiles— including the Russian 9M133 Kornet anti-tank guided missiles, the likes of which have already been fired at ships in the Middle East in recent years. The system includes an algorithm that identifies and classifies any kind of projectile making its way towards the Israeli missile ship, and then programs a unique diversion plan: chaff rockets are launched from the front deck and create a "wall" over the water of hundreds of metal wires, which mislead the enemy missile into "thinking" this was the Israeli ship. This helps divert the enemy missile, only a minute or two before it was to hit the Israeli ship. The new system's advanced fire-control radar will know to classify such projectiles as a threat to the ship out of hundreds of other targets in the ship's immediate surroundings. The first of the missile ships to receive the upgrade is INS Sufa. After a successful test of the system conducted two months ago off the coast of Haifa, the system is expected to be declared operational in the coming weeks. "Past threats were relatively simple, and we knew them. The world was analog 20 years ago," a Navy officer in charge of the project told Ynet. "Nowadays, the enemy's munitions are digital, so if someone on the other side of the world makes a small change to the program of a missile that could reach our enemies, we immediately have to make adjustments and updates to our systems."

(Photo: IDF Spokesman's Office)

"When a missile ship goes out to sea, it is limited in the number of munitions it can carry, which is why the classification of the threats must be accurate, so we can effectively use our munitions—both in defense and in offense," he added. The system will join other defense system already on board the Navy's vessels or expected to be added in the foreseeable future, including a system to disrupt the frequencies of enemy missile radars, a naval version of Iron Dome, and Barak missiles. "In fact, we developed a system that can choose how to deal with each threat on its way to us, while it's in the air, in short time periods of a minute or two, and at times even in seconds," the officer said. "In this way, we can be more robust and generic in an effort to improve the 'defense score' by shooting less chaff rockets while reaching maximal neutralization of the threat. This is a dramatic leap forward that will provide us with solutions for the next 20 years." Another senior naval officer added, "We're prepared for the fact the enemy is incorporating all of the latest technological solutions in the market right now, and the unbearable ease with which a civilian multicopter drone can become a remote-controlled bomb. Iran today doesn't have to develop inertial weapons systems, which could take 20 years, they can just buy technological products on the market." Source: https://www.ynetnews.com

Chinese Aircraft Carrier Group Sails Through Taiwan Strait 22:01 17.01.2018

© AFP 2018/ STR

China’s sole active aircraft carrier and its carrier group sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwanese authorities report, noting that no unusual activity was detected. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry announced that the Liaoning, an unfinished Soviet-built aircraft carrier that was purchased, refitted, and launched by the People's Liberation Army-Navy, entered the Taiwan Strait from the southwest in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. The Liaoning and its accompaniment entered Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, but stayed in Chinese waters. The group passed through the Strait without incident. "While the group was passing through the Taiwan Strait there were no abnormal activities, and people can rest easy," the island's Defense Ministry wrote. This is not the first time that the Liaoning has passed through the Taiwan Strait, which has great commercial significance to China in addition to its sensitivity as the naval border between the two Chinas. Beijing still considers Taiwan — for all intents and purposes an independent country — to be a wayward province with an illegitimate government. When asked if the incident was meant as a provocation, the mainland's Taiwan Affairs Office replied that Beijing was using its "greatest efforts and utmost good will" to peacefully reunify the Chinas. "However, it will never tolerate 'Taiwan independence' or allow such forces to split China," added spokesman Ma Xiaoguang in a statement. After several years of quiet along the Strait, hostilities between China and Taiwan flared after the 2016 election victory of President Tsai Ing-wen and her Democratic Progressive Party. Unlike her predecessors, Tsai has been unwilling to publicly endorse the 1992 Consensus, a cross-strait agreement affirming that there is only one China — although both Beijing and Taipei hold that theirs is the legitimate government. Chinese military posturing has become far more prevalent since 2016, as Beijing suspects Tsai may harbor intentions to declare Taiwan a sovereign nation — a red line in cross-strait relations. Tsai has insisted that her primary goal is to preserve peace. Tsai has responded to the pressure by vowing to increase defense spending by about $2 billion a year. Although relations were stable before Tsai's presidency, China has drastically increased military spending every year and now enjoys a significant edge over Taipei in that regard. In March 2017, Beijing announced that defense spending would be increased 7 percent over 2017, an increase of $11.1 billion. Ma mentioned that Tsai's refusal to affirm the 1992 Consensus was damaging relations, as was her intent to bolster Taiwanese military strength. "Whether the Taiwan authorities will follow the good trend and return to the 1992 Consensus or do the opposite depends on its own decisions," he said. "Based on the common political basis of adhering to the 1992 Consensus and opposing 'Taiwan independence,' we are willing to enhance dialogue and cooperation with all parties, organizations and personages in Taiwan to jointly maintain and promote the interests of people on both sides of the Strait and safeguard the peaceful development of cross-Strait ties," he said. Source: https://sputniknews.com

Asterix refuels Royal Canadian Navy for the first time David Pugliese, Ottawa Citizen Published on: January 16, 2018 | Last Updated: January 16, 2018 9:49 PM MST

It appears training and sea trials for MV Asterix are proceeding full-speed ahead on the east coast. The ship is at sea with its civilian crew as well as Royal Canadian Navy personnel. Rear Admiral Craig Baines reported that on Monday Asterix transferred fuel for the first time to HMCS Toronto.

Source: http://calgaryherald.com

Why Navy Aircraft Carriers Might Be Unsinkable Loren B. Thompson January 16, 2018 Although U.S. aircraft carriers are protected by the most potent, multi-layered defensive shield ever conceived, they do not take chances when deployed near potential adversaries. Their operational tactics have evolved to minimize risk while still delivering the offensive punch that is their main reason for existing. For instance, a carrier will generally not operate in areas where mines might have been laid until the area has been thoroughly cleared. It will tend to stay in the open ocean rather than entering confined areas where approaching threats are hard to sort out from other local traffic. It will keep moving to complicate the targeting challenge for enemies. It will also use links to other joint assets from the seabed to low- earth orbit to achieve detailed situational awareness. Large-deck, nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are the signature expression of American military power. No other combat system available to U.S. warfighters comes close to delivering so much offensive punch for months at a time without requiring land bases near the action. As a result, the ten carriers in the current fleet are in continuous demand from regional commanders -- so much so that extended overseas combat tours are becoming the norm. Nobody really doubts the utility of large-deck carriers. There's nothing else like them, and the United States is the only nation that operates a fleet big enough to keep three or more carriers continuously deployed at all times. However, two issues have come up over and over again since the Cold War ended that have led at least some observers to question why carriers are the centerpiece of America's naval fleet. One concern is that they cost too much. The other is that they are vulnerable to attack. The cost issue is a canard. It only costs a fraction of one- percent of the federal budget to build, operate and sustain all of the Navy's carriers -- and nobody has offered a credible alternative for accomplishing U.S. military objectives in their absence. Critics say carriers are more expensive than they seem because an accurate accounting would include the cost of their escort vessels, but the truth of the matter is that the Navy would need a lot more of those warships if it had to fight conflicts without carriers. The vulnerability issue is harder to address because putting 5,000 sailors and six dozen high-performance aircraft on a $10 billion warship creates what military experts refer to as a very "lucrative" target. Taking one out would be a big achievement for America's enemies, and a big setback for America's military. However, the likelihood of any adversary actually achieving that without using nuclear weapons is pretty close to zero. It isn't going to happen, and here are five big reasons why. Large-deck carriers are fast and resilient: Nimitz-class carriers of the type that dominate the current fleet, like the Ford- class carriers that will replace them, are the biggest warships ever built. They have 25 decks standing 250 feet in height, and displace 100,000 tons of water. With hundreds of watertight compartments and thousands of tons of armor, no conventional or mine is likely to cause serious damage. And because carriers are constantly moving when deployed at up to 35 miles per hour -- fast enough to outrun submarines -- finding and tracking them is difficult. Within 30 minutes after a sighting by enemies, the area within which a carrier might be operating has grown to 700 square miles; after 90 minutes, it has expanded to 6,000 square miles. Carrier defenses are formidable: U.S. aircraft carriers are equipped with extensive active and passive defenses for defeating threats such as low-flying cruise missiles and hostile submarines. These include an array of high-performance sensors, radar-guided missiles and 20 mm Gatling guns that shoot 50 rounds per second. The carrier air wing of 60+ aircraft includes a squadron of early-warning radar planes that can detect approaching threats (including radar periscopes) over vast distances and helicopters equipped for anti-submarine, anti-surface and counter-mine warfare. All of the carrier's defensive sensors and weapons are netted together through an on-board command center for coordinated action against adversaries. Carriers do not operate alone: Carriers typically deploy as part of a "carrier strike group" that includes multiple guided- missile warships equipped with the Aegis combat system. Aegis is the most advanced air and missile defense system in the world, capable of defeating every potential overhead threat including ballistic missiles. It is linked to other offensive and defensive systems on board U.S. surface combatants that can defeat submarines, surface ships and floating mines, or attack enemy sensors needed to guide attacking missiles. In combination with the carrier air wing, these warships can quickly degrade enemy systems used to track the strike group. Carrier strike groups often include one or more stealthy attack subs capable of defeating undersea and surface threats. Navy tactics maximize survivability: Although U.S. aircraft carriers are protected by the most potent, multi-layered defensive shield ever conceived, they do not take chances when deployed near potential adversaries. Their operational tactics have evolved to minimize risk while still delivering the offensive punch that is their main reason for existing. For instance, a carrier will generally not operate in areas where mines might have been laid until the area has been thoroughly cleared. It will tend to stay in the open ocean rather than entering confined areas where approaching threats are hard to sort out from other local traffic. It will keep moving to complicate the targeting challenge for enemies. It will also use links to other joint assets from the seabed to low-earth orbit to achieve detailed situational awareness. New technology is bolstering carrier defense: Although there has been much speculation about emerging threats to aircraft carriers, the Navy invests heavily in new offensive and defensive technologies aimed at countering such dangers. The most important advance of recent years has been the netting together of all naval assets in an area so that sensors and weapons can be used to maximum effect. Initiatives like the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air program link together every available combat system in a seamless, fast-reacting defensive screen that few adversaries can penetrate. Numerous other advances are being introduced, from the penetrating recon capabilities of stealthy fighters to shipboard jamming systems to advanced obscurants that confuse the guidance systems of homing missiles. The bottom line on aircraft carrier survivability is that only a handful of countries can credibly pose a threat to America's most valuable warships, and short of using nuclear weapons none of those is likely to sink one. Although the Navy has changed it tactics to deal with the proliferation of fast anti-ship missiles and the growing military power of China in the Western Pacific, large- deck aircraft carriers remain among the most secure and useful combat systems in America's arsenal. With the unlimited range and flexibility afforded by nuclear propulsion, there are few places they can't go to enforce U.S. interests. And at the rate the Navy is investing in new warfighting technologies, that is likely to remain true for many decades to come. Loren B. Thompson is Chief Operating Officer of the non-profit Lexington Institute and Chief Executive Officer of Source Associates, a for-profit consultancy. Prior to holding his present positions, he was Deputy Director of the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University and taught graduate-level courses in strategy, technology and media affairs at Georgetown. He has also taught at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. This first appeared in 2016. Source: http://nationalinterest.org

Developing Nigeria’s maritime sector Posted By: Solomon Epele On: January 18, 2018 A major development capable of increasing the capacity of indigenous ship owners and other stakeholders in the maritime sector took root some days back at the NNPC Towers in Abuja. On Tuesday, stakeholders gathered to examine the Free On Board (FOB) trade term, which favours foreign ship owners in crude lifting and the Cost Insurance and Freight (CIF), which will enable indigenous ship owners to begin to lift Nigeria crude and ultimately boost indigenous capacity. This forum was organised by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety (NIMASA). Minister of State for Petroleum Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, who declared the event open, noted that the issue of trade term is an age-long challenge that has lingered too far and charged participants to come out with resounding resolutions that would be of National benefit. NIMASA Director-General Dr. Dakuku Peterside in his paper pointed out that the changing landscape of Nigeria’s maritime sector vis-à-vis its security architecture, capacity and other determinants has necessitated the change now than ever before. Dakuku stated further that the CIF if implemented will “encourage indigenous fleet expansion, lead to massive job creation for qualified Nigerian seafarers, create opportunities for mandatory sea time experience for Nigerian cadets and build expertise and competence in international shipping trade” According to him “Nigeria is one of the major exporters of oil and gas resource in the world, and she averages an output of 1.92 million barrels of crude oil per day so this volume generates huge freight for carriers. Regrettably, indigenous shipping operators have insignificant share of the freight earned from the carriage of Nigeria’s crude compared to foreign counterparts”, he lamented. OPEC nations such as Iran, Indonesia, Algeria, Kuwait, Angola, Venezuela, UAE and Libya allow indigenous operators to participate actively in shipment of the crude oil, stating that with the right policies in place Nigeria can build its own capacity and one of this is the change of terms of trade for Nigeria’s benefit. The Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Maikanti Baru, stated that the corporation had no reason not to allow Nigerians lift crude that there were conditions which made NNPC opt for the FOB trade. He, however, noted that the NNPC also sees benefits in the CIF trade term but processes have to be followed which may include transition period before finally opting for the CIF trade term. A lawyer and former NIMASA chief, Temisan Omatseye, who is also a ship owner, pointed out that there is a lot of benefit in the CIF trade term. He stated further that that it would eliminate crude theft, create employment and ultimately compliment the diversification drive of the federal government. The CIF initiative is an adjunct of the blue economy campaign of the current NIMASA leadership. Nigeria, with a coastline of about 853km and about 10,000km of Inland Waterways, 12 Nautical Miles of Territorial Waters, 200 Nautical Miles of Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), should have no business with poverty. This is even more so as Nigeria imports over l50 million metric tons of non-oil cargo and approximate 1,500,000 units of containers a year. These figures are for the formal trade alone. Total cargo throughput in 2015 stood at 195,969,200 metric tonnes showing a marginal increase of 0.8 per cent over the 2014 figure of 194,484,142 metric tonnes. The current aggregate of the cargo throughput exceeds $15,000,000,000 a year through formal import orders. Nigeria has the biggest economy in Africa, the most populous nation in Africa and has more port complexes than any country in Africa, among others. At the moment, our gain from the blue economy is still minimal. To aid the sector, NIMASA has commenced 24 hour port operations towards ensuring access to business services at all time. It is improving on the development of critical infrastructure in the maritime sector, such as the construction of the largest floating dockyard in Africa. It is also establishing National Carriers and strengthening institutional frame work through ratification and domestication of IMO/ILO Conventions. It is also training over 2500 cadets. It plans to train more. NIMASA has also facilitated the draft of an anti-piracy Bill which is before the National Assembly. It has equally ensured the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility (ISPS) Code with over 85% compliance level. Along this line, it is also collaborating with armed forces for improved intelligence, surveillance and marine security. It maintains strategic partnerships with the , which led to the establishment of a Maritime Guard Command (MGC) in NIMASA to ensure compliance with extant maritime legislations, the Nigerian Airforce for the provision of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations, Search and Rescue (SAR) operations at sea, just as tactical airlift operations and enforcement action has given birth to anti-piracy, anti-smuggling, illegal bunkering and illegal fishing activities. Part of the agency’s efforts to grow blue economy was to reduce its running cost and give government more money. It shocked not a few last year when it emerged that it within one year and one month contributed N9.975 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF). Within this period, the agency has also paid $38,272,12.12 million (N21.805 billion) to the CRF. As the fastest growing sector in the world with enormous business potentials, coupled with the length of the nation’s coastline and the attendant volume of maritime trade, Nigeria obviously stands at a good advantage to develop its blue economy provided stakeholders actively participate to reap the benefits of the sector. Here, we can draw lessons from the economies of Singapore, Ukraine and South Korea which thrive on the activities of their maritime sector. Source: http://thenationonlineng.net A ‘clever’ Australia needs a larger, more potent navy 12 Jan 2018|Richard Menhinick

In an interview in Australian Foreign Affairs, Paul Keating noted that China under Xi Jinping was looking to craft a new form of global governance, rejecting the notion of China as a strategic client of the US. Keating also talked about our need to be clever. He observed that ‘before the Industrial Revolution, China was on the top of the system and had a tributary system of states which bowed and genuflected to them. Let’s hope we’re not going to be bowing and genuflecting.’ He went on to say that ‘self- reliance and self-help should be the keynote of our foreign policy’. In my view, that needs to expand to defence policy as well. Depending on the US isn’t the answer, just as in 1942 Britain in its own ‘darkest hour’ could do little to help us. This is our real dilemma. From a defence perspective, how does Australia become clever and manage the emerging behemoths in our Indo-Pacific region, while maintaining our key alliances and using the US as a ‘balancer’? We could start by looking at maritime issues from a true strategic perspective, rather than, as is often expressed, a job policy for South Australia and other states. We also need to educate Australians—ignorance of the sea in Australia’s historiography is overwhelming. In 2002, I coined the phrase that as a nation we are ‘girt by beach’ not ‘girt by sea’. Australians and beaches have synergy, and if we consider maritime issues, our thinking is, at best, only about three kilometres to sea—the view we get from the beach. Before 1914, we started very well with an effective naval force that had strategic dominance over the German Pacific fleet, deterring attacks on Australian cities, but then came the horrendous casualties in land warfare, especially on the Western Front. The impact of that on the Australian psyche was felt throughout World War II and continues to skewer defence culture and thinking in Australia, resonating in a deeply personal and tragic way in Australian remembrance. For matters pertaining to the sea, we see ourselves as a small element within a larger maritime force, first British and now US. As a result, when naval officers speak on maritime issues there remains a hesitancy to challenge the primacy of land forces and land-based air power. The emphasis is on individual naval programs, employment opportunities and the like. Basically, we’re content to be thankful for what we have and to stay relatively quiet. Little focus is put on the enduring concepts of sea control and maritime strategy, which are supposed to be the rationale for developing and deploying maritime power, especially for an island continent. In a region increasingly dominated by China and India, Australia is unlikely to fight at home unless our maritime forces are first destroyed. Australia is surrounded by the three largest oceans on earth, yet governments over more than three decades have failed to focus on forward defence via powerful, sustainable and deployed maritime forces. China and India are focusing increasingly on that area. Despite much that is written and spoken, we have a navy that remains a sea-denial element of a continental strategy. There’s little ability to take power and project it forward. Mobile sea-based air power and strike is neglected, almost vilified, and to even debate it is heresy in Australian defence circles. We’ve been lulled into thinking that transporting land forces over the sea is the navy’s primary role, not taking the war to the enemy, violently and aggressively. The navy of today and tomorrow is the same size in a ship sense as it was in 1976 when I joined, with about a dozen destroyers and frigates. However, strategically we’re significantly less effective vis-à-vis the region. The minister’s introduction to the 2016 defence white paper states that it ‘sets out the most ambitious plan to regenerate the Royal Australian Navy since the Second World War’. That sounds impressive, but it’s essentially misleading—in essence, we’re doing ship replacement. The navy remains too small and it’s a self-defence force, with limited power projection or ability to conduct sea control at distance. We should be talking to the Australian public about strategic truths in a language they understand, explaining to them the new reality. To have self-reliance and self-help in this era requires a much larger, more potent navy. Fixed-wing, strike-capable aircraft carriers are required to project maritime air power via the short take-off, vertical landing version of the joint strike fighter. And we need perhaps twice the number of destroyers and frigates, so that we can really carry out aggressive operations against numerically larger air, surface and submarine threats, to dominate, deter and if necessary defeat. The submarines we’re getting are potentially good, but that’s an isolated area of improvement. Even with the less-than-lethal force of today, the navy is about 2,000 personnel too small, resulting in stresses at each and every operational interface. Can we afford to be clever? Not on a 2% defence budget—so that’s the first discussion we need to have as a nation. As an island continent in the new Indo-Pacific reality, we cannot remain mute as our maritime forces continue to be deficient. Author: Richard Menhinick had an extensive career in the Royal Australian Navy, including commands at sea, ashore and on operations. He has also worked in strategic analysis and policy formulation. Image courtesy of the Department of Defence. Source: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au

UK shipbuilding strategy 'is flawed and a return to the 1980s' By : Stewart Paterson THE UK Government’s shipbuilding strategy is “flawed” and takes the country back to the 1980s when yards closed due to increasing costs according to MPs. A Glasgow SNP and Glasgow Labour MP have called on the Ministry of Defence to fund a Frigate Factory on the Clyde and imminent orders for larger auxiliary ships to be block built in UK yards and not given to international competitors. Three new royal Navy support ships will be built but no UK yards have bid for the work leading to conclusions they will be built abroad. However Chris Stephens, Glasgow South West SNP MP and Paul Sweeney, Glasgow North East Labour MP, want the ships to be built in blocks in different yards like the aircraft carriers. This would allow all yards to have work to sustain their future and the Clyde yards to be the ‘Frigate Factory’ the UK government previously promised. Mr Stephen said the competition introduced by the Government will not provide value for money and will put jobs at risk. He said: “Our real fear is that the national shipbuilding strategy is going back to the thinking of the 1980s, which suggested that shipyards should be in competition with each other. Such thinking has only ever led to shipyards closing.” Mr Stephens said the auxiliary ships should be built in the United Kingdom. He added: “This country has just completed a process during which the Aircraft Carrier Alliance was built across shipyards in the UK. If that was good enough for the Alliance, surely it is good enough for Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships. I do not believe that sending Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships to international competition will save the Ministry of Defence money—far from it.” Mr Sweeney called for the Government to provide the investment needed for the frigate factory. He said the frigate factory would deliver an integrated, consolidated site which would achieve efficiencies and provide value for money for the Royal Navy. He also called for the larger ships to be built in blocks then assembled in one yard. Mr Sweeney said: “No one site in the UK would be capable of building such a ship alone.That is the key opportunity: to use that distributed block build strategy to sustain shipbuilding capacity across all the multiple sites in the UK.” The shipbuilding strategy was debated by MPs in the House of Commons where the case for Glasgow building the frigates was made. The Clyde yards were originally promised 13 type 26 ships which was to secure work in the Govan and Scotstoun yards for decades. The order was then reduced to eight Type 26 ships but the Clyde yards were to have been given five smaller Type 31 ships. It later emerged that the smaller ships were unlikely to be build on the Clyde. The Ministry of Defence later decided that the Type 31 contract wold be put out for competition among UK yards. BAE which owns the Glasgow yards has entered a partnership with Cammell Laird in Merseyside to bid for the work. It is expected, if BAE is successful, that the design work would be done by staff in Glasgow and the manufacturing of the vessels taking place in the English yard. Source : Evening Times

Workhorses of the sea

The Deepwater Ashgard anchored off Cape Town – Photo : Ian Shiffman (c) The drilling location, as well as the financial details, remain unknown. The last time Offshore Energy Today reported on the Deepwater Ashgard was in late October 2017. Namely, the rig was idled after it completed its contract in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico with Deep Gulf Energy. At the moment, the Deepwater Ashgard drillship is located in the Gulf of Mexico together with Transocean’s Discoverer India and Discoverer Clear Leader, both idled. The Discoverer India has been idle since December 2016 while the Discovery Clear Leader, according to the Transocean’s latest fleet status report, finished its last arranged contract in November 2017. The 2014-built drillship Deepwater Ashgard was built by DSME in South Korea. It can operate in water depths of 12,000 feet and drill to a maximum drilling depth of 40,000 feet. Source: Offshore Energy Today