NAVY NEWS WEEK 20-3

16 May 2017

Somalia Counter Piracy patrol seize huge heroin haul from dhow

Combined Maritime Forces -- Boarding party from HMAS Arunta seen weighing seized heroin haul hidden in a dhow smuggling narcotics in the north west Indian ocean area. This seizure marks the second successful narcotics interdiction for HMAS Arunta since the frigate commenced its counter-terrorism mission as part of Combined Task Force 150 in December 2016. PHOTOS - COMBINED MARITIME FORCES

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta has seized more than 250kg of heroin hidden in a dhow transiting the North West Indian Ocean. This seizure marks the second successful narcotics interdiction for Arunta since the frigate commenced its counter-terrorism mission as part of Combined Task Force 150 in December 2016. In March this year the warship seized 800kg of hashish. Commanding Officer HMAS Arunta, Commander Cameron Steil RAN said: "While the smugglers continue to try new techniques for hiding narcotics, our boarding parties have shown that their experience, training, and techniques are up to the task at hand." The Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft has repeatedly proven itself to be a key enabler in narcotics seizures. The aircraft combs the CTF 150 Area of Operation that spans over two million square miles searching for suspicious dhows. Information gathered on these patrols narrows the odds for ships like HMAS Arunta to intercept and board dhows across an ocean expanse twice as large as the . Rear Admiral Lebas, Commander CTF 150, said: "This narcotics seizure demonstrates the determination and professionalism of the captain and crew of HMAS Arunta. Units operating under the command of Combined Task Force 150 continue to remove significant quantities of narcotics from international markets, and so prevent criminal and terrorist organizations benefiting from the trade." HMAS Arunta is Australia‘s major surface vessel for Operation MANITOU, part of the Australian Defence Force contribution to Combined Maritime Forces and CTF 150. Established in 2002, CTF 150 is primarily focused on disrupting terrorist organisations and their activities by denying them the freedom of manoeuvre in the maritime domain. In collaboration with international and regional maritime security partners, CTF 150 teams have seized and destroyed billions of dollars in drugs and captured thousands of weapons ensuring they are no longer available to organisations that would cause others harm. Under a French lead, the staff of CTF 150 is the first combined French-UK command which operationalises the French-UK naval co-operation under the Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF). This framework was initiated in 2010 under the Lancaster House Agreement between Paris and London. The staff also includes officers from Belgium, Italy and Australia, and exercises command over ships and aircraft from several CMF participating nations. Source: http://www.coastweek.com

Incidents of pirate attacks in Gulf of Guinea on the decline Incidents of pirate attacks in the Gulf of Guinea has come down, following the acquisition of a modern Vessel Traffic Management Information System (VTMIS), Captain Inusah Abdul Nasir, Deputy Director in charge of Environment and Ship Safety at the Ghana Maritime Authority has said According to him, piracy is one of the illicit activities that they have been fighting and hitherto, it had been on the increase for a long time.However, he said, with the establishment of the new equipment, a lot of incidents have come down This, Captain Nasir said was because, with the VTMIS, ―the pirates know we are watching them so they don’t dare come close to our waters.― There have been fears that the Gulf of Guinea, which has been Africa‘s main maritime piracy hotspot since 2011, could become the world‘s most piracy-affected area. Indeed, the Gulf saw a significant rise in violence at sea in 2016 in contrast to global figures of piracy and armed robbery, which had declined significantly to 191 cases, the lowest level since 1998, which saw 203 incidents. Speaking during a courtesy call by the management of the Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) on the Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) in Accra on Wednesday, Captain Nasir compared 2016 incidents to that of the first quarter of 2017. Statistics In 2016, the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) recorded 53 attacks or attempted attacks in the Gulf of Guinea – including 36 for Nigeria. The Gulf of Guinea accounted for more than half of the kidnappings for ransom in 2016, with 34 seafarers kidnapped out of a total of 62 worldwide. ―Last year, we had about 53 incidents of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea and they comprised of two incidents of hijacking, where the whole ship was taken up,‖ Captain Nasir said at the meeting. In 31 of the cases, he said the pirates boarded the ship and did whatever they wanted to do. Adding, he said there were 16 attempts, where the Captains did what they could to prevent the pirates from taking over and in four incidents, the ships were fired upon. In terms of country wise, he said the maximum of the incidents occurred in Nigeria where there were a total of 34 incidents. Angola had 5, Congo had 5, Benin had two, Togo had one and Ghana had only one incident.In the first quarter of 2017 however, there were nine incidents, with zero recorded in Ghana. Nigeria has recorded six out of the nine. Captain Nasir said the most effective party of the VTMIS was that the pirates know ―we are watching them so they don’t dare come close to our waters.― Source: Graphic

BLACK SEA (May 14, 2017) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), background, and the Bulgarian navy frigate Drazki 41 conduct maneuvers during a passing exercise. Oscar Austin is on a routine deployment supporting U.S. national security interests in Europe, and increasing theater security cooperation and forward naval presence in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Sean Spratt/Released)

Chinese company in G2G submarine deal is state enterprise based, Navy insists May 15, 2017 19:18 By The Nation

file photo : Admiral Jumpol Lumpikanon

The Royal Thai Navy on Monday clarified the government-to- government (G2G) submarine-purchase deal with , saying that the Chinese company it has been dealing with is state enterprise-based and falls under China‘s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence. China Shipbuilding and Offshore International – a state-owned and limited corporation company – has been authorised by the Chinese government to deal with the Thai Navy over its purchase of the submarine from China, Navy spokesman Admiral Jumpol Lumpikanon said. The Navy, he added, had verified the related documents. The head of the Pheu Thai Party‘s legal team, Ruangkrai Leekitwattana, had petitioned the Office of the Attorney-General (OAG), asking it to extend its investigation to cover the G2G deal made by the Royal Thai Navy. He alleged that the Chinese company involved used to deal with the Thai Army directly without passing through the G2G procedure. Ruangchai also questioned why the long- binding budget for the submarine deal had not been disclosed, despite budgets for other weapons purchases previously being made known. The deal could also have breached the Constitution, he claimed. Commenting on the long-binding budget, Jumpol stressed that the Navy had followed legal procedures for the fiscal 2017 state-budget requirements, and that this had already been explained to the OAG. Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com

Forget Korea for a Moment: China Joins Ranks of Carrier Navies in Less Than 5 Years By Dean Cheng | May 15, 2017 While the eyes of the world are focused on security developments on the Korean peninsula, two recent events should re- sharpen attention on the Taiwan Straits. The Chinese launched a new aircraft carrier, and President Donald Trump indicated that he would check with Xi Jinping before he would take another phone call from the President of Taiwan. The new ship, whose name is as yet unknown, marks China‘s first domestically produced aircraft carrier. It joins the Liaoning, China‘s first aircraft carrier. Remarkably, the Liaoning itself only joined China‘s fleet in 2014; before that, China had no experience even operating an aircraft carrier. In short, China has joined the ranks of carrier navies in less than five years. This reflects the broader overall growth of the PLA Navy, as China has added a range of new surface combatants (including air defense ), many new submarines, and an array of logistics and support ships that will allow the PLA Navy to operate for sustained periods far from its shores. Most recently, the PLA announced a five-fold expansion of the PLA Navy‘s Naval Infantry force—their counterpart to the U.S. Marines. This expanding set of naval capabilities, including an improved ability to conduct forced-entry operations and expeditionary warfare, directly affects Taiwan. Beijing‘s hostility towards the island has increased substantially with the election of President Tsai Ing-wen in 2016. Tsai‘s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was founded on the concept of promoting Taiwanese independence. Tsai has been very careful not to push that aspect in her policies, but this has done little to mollify Beijing. Instead, Beijing has repeatedly insisted that, to maintain cordial relations between Beijing and Taipei, Tsai must explicitly endorse the so-called ―1992 Consensus.‖ Intended to allow the two sides to engage in dialogue while bypassing the political status of Taiwan, the very meaning of this phrase is now debated. The PRC claims that this ―consensus‖ essentially accepts the idea that there is only a single China, and the entities on both sides of the Taiwan Straits are part of that China. Tsai‘s reluctance to submit to Beijing‘s demand to use the phrase should not be surprising since it fundamentally contradicts a foundational aspect of the DPP. Also, the DPP won massive victories in the 2016 election cycle, not only taking the presidency of Taiwan, but also control of the Legislative Yuan (LY), Taiwan‘s Congress, or parliament. Tsai almost certainly could not politically survive the abandonment of a cornerstone DPP position by acceding to Beijing‘s demands. Unfortunately, Taiwan‘s overall political situation appears to have been weakened by Trump‘s comments. In an interview with Reuters, when asked if he would speak with Tsai again, Trump responded by saying: ―I think [Xi Jinping’s] doing an amazing job as a leader and I wouldn’t want to do anything that comes in the way of that. So I would certainly want to speak to him first.‖ The statement has roiled U.S.-Taiwan relations, as it appears to suggest that the administration is willing to grant China an implicit veto on whether to have contact with Taipei. That no sitting American president has spoken directly with the government in Taipei since 1979 is irrelevant; the optics on the statement suggest that the U.S. is granting China the ability to determine American actions. In reality, the United States can, and should, conduct an independent foreign policy with regards to Taiwan. This is the spirit of the Taiwan Relations Act., which is a key document governing U.S.-Taiwan relations. In fact, when it comes to arms sales, it is specifically stated that: ―The president and the Congress shall determine the nature and quantity of such defense articles and services based solely upon their judgment of the needs of Taiwan, in accordance with procedures established by law.‖ This has long been taken to mean that the United States will not consult with China before determining what items to sell Taiwan. It should not be consulting with Beijing on other aspects of U.S.-Taiwan relations either. Undermining and diluting the understandings that link the U.S. and Taipei will prove as counter-productive for long-term regional stability as undermining the security and economic ties between the U.S. and key allies such as South Korea and Dean Cheng brings detailed knowledge of China's military and space capabilities to bear as The Heritage Foundation's research fellow on Chinese political and security affairs. Source: http://www.cnsnews.com

CHANGI, (May 13, 2017) The littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) moors in Changi, Singapore, in preparation for the International Maritime Defense Exhibition. Coronado is on a rotational deployment in U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility, patrolling the region's littorals and working hull-to-hull with partner navies to provide 7th Fleet with the flexible capabilities it needs now and in the future. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Deven Leigh Ellis/Released)

4-nation drills postponed after craft runs aground on Guam by HAVEN DALEY AND AUDREY MCAVOY, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Military drills on Guam in which four countries were to practice amphibious landings and moving their troops have been postponed indefinitely after a French landing craft ran aground Friday. The weeklong exercises involving the U.S., U.K., France and Japan were intended to show support for the free passage of vessels in international waters amid concerns China may restrict access to the South China Sea. The French landing craft ran aground just offshore and didn‘t hit coral or spill any fuel, said Jeff Landis, a spokesman for Naval Base Guam. No one was injured. Friday‘s landing was meant to be a rehearsal for a drill at Tinian island on Saturday, Landis said. U.S. Navy Capt. Jeff Grimes, chief of staff for Joint Region Marianas, said the authorities involved were working to assess the situation and didn‘t know when the drills would resume. ―I have directed that we stop all operations associated with this exercise until we conduct a further assessment of the situation as we gather all the facts,‖ Grimes said. ―NOAA in Honolulu is aware and is collecting information about the incident,‖ said Michael Tosatto, administrator of a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration regional office. The drills around Guam and Tinian islands were scheduled to include amphibious landings, delivering forces by helicopter and urban patrols. Two French ships on a four-month deployment to the Indian and Pacific oceans were to be involved. Joining were Japanese forces, U.K. helicopters and 70 U.K. troops deployed with the French amphibious assault ship FS Mistral. Parts of the exercise were to feature British helicopters taking U.S. Marines ashore from a French vessel. China claims virtually the entire South China Sea and has tried to fortify those claims by building islands — some with runways, radars and weapons systems — on seven mostly submerged reefs. The reclamation work is opposed by other governments that claim the atolls and by the United States, which insists on freedom of navigation in international waters. China says its work is intended to improve safety for ships and meet other civilian purposes. It has said it won‘t interfere with freedom of navigation or overflight, although questions remain on whether that includes military ships and aircraft. This week members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed concern that the U.S. hasn‘t conducted freedom-of-navigation operations since October. Republican Bob Corker, Democrat Ben Cardin and five other senators wrote the letter to President Donald Trump, saying they supported a recent U.S. military assessment that China is militarizing the South China Sea and is continuing a ―methodical strategy‖ to control it. The letter, dated Wednesday and obtained by The Associated Press, urged the administration to ―routinely exercise‖ freedom of navigation and overflight. Japan, which sent 50 soldiers and 160 sailors and landing craft, has been investing in amphibious training so it can defend its own islands. Japan controls a group of rocky, uninhabited outcrops in the East China Sea that Beijing also claims. Japan calls the islands Senkaku while China calls them Diaoyu. Japanese defence officials said they were waiting for further details, including what happens to the rest of the exercise in Guam, from the U.S. side. The four militaries were to move to the Tinian islands for more training next week. Guam and Tinian are about 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometres) south of Tokyo and about the same distance to the east from , Philippines source : News1130

Chinese naval escort fleet visits Madagascar Tuesday, 16 May 2017 TAMATAVE, Madagascar (Xinhua) -- The 25th Chinese escort naval fleet, which has just finished its four-month mission in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters, arrived in Madagascar for a 5-day visit Friday. The fleet, comprised of two frigates and a supply ship, began to arrive at the port of Tamatave at around 10 a.m. local time (GMT+3). The Chinese community led by Chinese Ambassador to Madagascar Yang Xiaorong welcomed the fleet at the port of Tamatave, 360 km north of Madagascar‘s capital, Antananarivo. Since December 2008, authorized by the United Nations, the Chinese navy has been sending taskforces to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters for escort missions. Source: http://www.coastweek.com

Indian Naval ships visit Malaysia Indian Naval Ships Shivalik, and Jyoti, which are on overseas deployment to and Southern Indian Ocean, reached Malaysia`s Kuantan on Sunday. New Delhi: Indian Naval Ships Shivalik, and Jyoti, which are on overseas deployment to Southeast Asia and Southern Indian Ocean, reached Malaysia`s Kuantan on Sunday, a defence statement said. During the stay at Kuantan harbour till May 19, various activities such as official calls, formal reception on board ships, ships open to visitors, guided tours for Indian naval personnel and professional interaction between naval personnel of both the nations have been planned, it said. "The visit of the Indian Naval Ships seeks to underscore India`s peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly and harmonious countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain and to strengthen existing bonds between India and Malaysia," the statement said. "The current deployment will contribute towards the `s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship across the seas," it added. INS Shivalik, a multi-role stealth frigate is commanded by Captain R. Vinod Kumar while INS Jyoti, the fleet replenishment tanker, is commanded by Captain S. Shyam Sundar. source : zeenews

Armed Forces of (AFM) offshore patrol vessel (OPV) P 61 drydocked at Fincantieri, Riva Trigoso at Genoa, Italy on Sunday 7th May, 2017. She will be upgraded with an estimated of 7 million Euros under a contract announced last 13th January, scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2017 and will last about 6 months.The work will upgrade a number of shipboard systems in order to improve the vessel‘s reaction capability and extend its service life. The vessel was built and delivered to the AFM by the Fincantieri shipyard of Muggiano in 2005. The 53 meter long OPV is a modified variant of the Diciotti class patrol boat, built by Fincantieri for the Italian Coast Guard. Photo : Capt. Lawrence Dalli - www.maltashipphotos.com

HMS Daring’s deployment at the sharp end. Eventful. Successful. Important.

The ‘s Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring. photo : Raymond Wergan,Newton Ferrers ©

HMS Daring returned to after 9 months away, visiting 12 countries and steaming 50,000 miles. Another warship completing a Gulf tour could be considered somewhat routine for the RN but it demonstrates the Type 45 destroyers are reliable mature platforms, the enduring global reach of the RN and the conclusion to a job well done. Daring sailed from Portsmouth on 2nd September 2016. She arrived to a warm welcome in where RN vessels help provide reassurance to the population while Spain continues to make illegal incursions in Gibraltar waters. Daring then sailed for a short stop-over in Malta. Sadly a member of the ship‘s company, LET Simon Allen was killed in a car accident while ashore. After passing through the Suez Canal, Daring joined ships of the RN‘s Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) (JEF(M)), escorting HMS Bulwark, HMS Ocean, and MV Eddystone Point. American aircraft carrier USS Dwight D.Eisenhower handed over her role as flagship of Task Force 50 to HMS Ocean . Daring was part of this group of 7 warships, primarily conducting anti-ISIS and maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf. As well as providing air defence to the task group, Daring helped protect from the threat of waterborne attack, carrying boarding parties to counter piracy, terrorism and smuggling. There has been a continuous RN presence in the Gulf since the 1980s but the civil war in Yemen has created new threats in the Red Sea around the Bab-al-Mandeb strait. HMS Daring conducted 20 separate escort journeys through the strait, protecting a total of 800,000 tonnes of merchant shipping. This critical sea lane has become one of the most dangerous in the world. In October 2016 USS Mason shot down missiles fired at her from Yemen by Houti rebels. The US Navy quickly responded with a Tomahawk missile strike on the suspected launch sites (a capability HMS Daring could and should be fitted with). In January 2017 a Saudi Arabian Frigate Al Madinah was damaged when she was rammed by an unmanned craft packed with explosives. In April 2017 crude sea mines were discovered off the coast of Yemen. In January 2017 HMS Daring had her mid-deployment break in Bahrain which allows personnel to fly home for two weeks leave or fly friends and family out to the Gulf. She also changed commanding officer, Cdr Philip Dennis handed over to Cdr Marcus Hember. Daring left the Gulf region in April and passed through the Bosphorus, entering the Black Sea for brief visits to Constanta in Romania and Varna in Bulgaria. She spent time conducting training at sea with the Romanian Navy and Air Force. Although brief, such diplomatic visits by RN vessels help reassure our partners in the region of NATO‘s commitment to their defence and remind Russia that the Black Sea is not ‗their lake’. The final call on the way home was a low-key visit to Barcelona, although the residents of Gibraltar would have preferred she had stopped there, rather than in Spain. Serving in the heat of the Red Sea and Arabain Gulf, HMS Daring once again has proved the Type 45‘s notoriously over-reported propulsion issues do not seriously hamper her capabilities, even in high threat environments. The range and power of the Sampson radar is able to provide early warning of threats, backed up by her mach 4.5 Sea Viper missiles that give confidence to vessels under its protective umbrella. The Type 45 is the world‘s best air defence destroyer is not just public relations hyperbole, but consistently proven on operations and well recognised by the other navies. Mainly for reasons of operational security, media and official coverage of Daring‘s work in the Red Sea has been patchy but this kind of work deserves greater recognition. As an island nation, it is particularly important that we are able to maintain the flow of vessels that carry energy, goods and food to our shores. The Bab-al- Mandeb and other narrow maritime ‗choke points‘ around the world are vulnerable to closure or obstruction and only naval forces can protect them. The need for more efficient transport of goods by sea is driving the construction of ever-larger merchant vessels. The sinking of just a few of these ships, each carrying millions of pounds worth of cargo could have a significant global economic impact. Closing any one the world‘s maritime choke points would cause delays which could lead to shortages and price rises. The UK‘s vulnerability to the disruption of maritime trade is generally given insufficient consideration when debating the resources provided to the Royal Navy. The ship‘s company of HMS Daring must be congratulated on their work while overcoming the loss of a shipmate and maintaining the RN‘s high standards. Operating in confined waters East of Suez demands long, sometimes boring periods at action stations or in defence watches. Welcome home and enjoy your leave. For a lively alternative view from the home front, you can follow the Olive Oyl Navy Wife blog, written by a partner of a sailor serving aboard HMS Daring about the joys and sorrows of naval family life. source : save the royal navy

German Navy’s new frigates have a listing problem: Report

FGS Baden-Württenberg entering Wilhelmshaven navy base, Germany. Photo: Bundeswehr/Dennis Kramer

German Navy‘s new class of F125 frigates are overweight and keep listing to starboard, Reuters reported on May 12, quoting a confidential report. Overall four frigates will be built by ThyssenKrupp and Luerssen with the first three already in water. The lead ship in the class is wrapping up combat system trials and is set for a 2017 commissioning, while the second one recently completed the first set of builder‘s trials. According to the confidential annex to a regular German defense ministry report Reuters cited, the frigates are overweight and list 1.3 degrees to starboard. German defense ministry did not confirm the report adding that the frigates remained on track ―speaking in general terms‖, according to Reuters. The German Navy on multiple occasions shared videos of the FGS Baden-Württemberg, the lead ship in the class, but has never mentioned issues with the listing. The four F125 frigates will replace the eight frigates of the F122-class, which will be gradually decommissioned. The ships were specifically designed for contemporary and future tasks of the German navy. The traditional duties of state-defense were broadened to encompass conflict prevention, crisis response as well as international intervention and stabilization operations. By the end of the decade, the four ships will be operated by a total of eight crews with a total of 120 personnel each. The German Navy refers to this as the multiple-crew model where the eight crews will be operating as a closed team on a rotation principle. The frigates are comparable to destroyers in size and are, with a length of 149 meters and a displacement of 7000 tonnes, the biggest operational ships in the German Navy. Source: Naval Today German sailors do not like long deployments.

US Navy littoral combat ship 10 heads for commissioning site

Future USS Tulsa (LCS 16) is heading back to Austal USA after launching from the drydock at BAE Ship Systems. Photo: Austal

The U.S. Navy‘s newest littoral combat ship, the future USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), departed the Austal shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, May 8, and headed to her commissioning site in Galveston, Texas. The ship‘s commissioning is scheduled for June 10, after which she will begin her transit to her eventual homeport of San Diego. As part of her sail around, Gabrielle Giffords will conduct regularly scheduled equipment and systems checks, training, visit several ports and transit through the Panama Canal. ―We are making the most of our sail around,‖ said Cmdr. Keith Woodley, commanding officer and a native of St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. ―During the transit to San Diego we will be conducting routine maintenance checks and training. We will also begin our Combat Ship Systems Qualification Trials events which are designed to test the ship’s ability to track and disable high-speed maneuvering surface targets and defeat long range anti-shipping air threats.‖ Gabrielle Giffords is the ninth littoral combat ship delivered to the Navy and the fifth LCS of the Independence variant. Source: Naval Today

USS Ronald Reagan Departs for Sea Trials The Navy's only forward- deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), departed Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY) May 7. RONALD REAGAN's crew shifted colors at 11:54 a.m. and made way to conduct sea trials in the final phase of the ship's selective restricted availability (SRA) maintenance period, which began January 10. "I am extremely proud of the Reagan crew's accomplishments up to this point of our SRA period," said Capt. Buzz Donnelly, commanding officer. "We are all looking forward to completing sea trials and returning to operations in the 7th Fleet." During sea trials, Ronald Reagan's crew will undergo multiple training and qualification exercises to include engineering and medical drills as well as air, flight deck and hangar bay operations to evaluate the performance of Sailors and their departments "A major priority is the safety of our crew as we continue to refine our mission readiness of our ship, and crew and return to sea," said Donnelly. "To achieve maximum readiness, it is imperative that we make every effort to identify and reduce risk." According to Donnelly, with Ronald Reagan's newest technology and well-experienced crew, her return to operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet will mark a significant milestone for the forward-deployed naval forces, reaffirming the United States commitment to the region. "The crew has worked tirelessly to get the ship ready to succeed at our mission at sea," said Capt. Paul Lanzilotta, executive officer. "In partnership with our SRF (ship repair facility), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Sumitomo Heavy Industries teammates, we've been able to complete a tremendous amount of work in a very compressed period. The ship is clearly in an improved material condition and we're excited to be back into operations." Ronald Reagan's departure from Yokosuka marks the first time the ship has been underway since completing her 2016 patrol Nov. 21, 2016 Ronald Reagan, the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, provides a combat-ready force that protects and defends the collective maritime interests of its allies and partners in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Source: Maasmond Maritime India, Singapore To Carry Out Mega Naval Exercise this Week Four warships of the Indian Navy and long range anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8l would be part of the exercise with the Singapore Navy. The Indian Navy will join the Singapore Navy next week in carrying out a mega maritime exercise in the Indian Ocean where the Chinese Navy has been trying to increase its influence. Four warships of the Indian Navy and long range anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8l would be part of the exercise with the Singapore Navy (RSN). The aim of the exercise will be to enhance and expand coordination between the two navies in the Indian Ocean Region. Indian naval ships Sahyadri and Kamorta are in Singapore on a port visit from today to May 21 during which they will participate in the 'International Maritime Review' (IMR) as well as International Maritime Defence Exhibition (IMDEX). Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba, will be attending the events ashore, the Navy Spokesperson Capt D K Sharma said. Organised by the Singapore Navy, the IMR is likely to be attended by navy chiefs of at least 30 countries. After the IMR and the IMDEX, four Indian naval ships and the anti-submarine warfare aircraft P-8l would exercise with the Singapore Navy as part of a bilateral exercise, SIMBEX. Indian naval ships Sahyadri, Shivalik, Jyoti and Kamorta will be part of the SIMBEX. Held since 1994, this year would be the 24th edition of the annual maritime exercise between the two countries which aims to further cement the defence cooperation between the two countries. "The visit of the Indian Naval ships seeks to underscore India's peaceful presence and solidarity with friendly and harmonious countries towards ensuring good order in the maritime domain," the Indian Navy said in a statement. source: NDTV

US Pacific Command Needs More Submarines as Navy Struggles to Maintain Force Years of maintenance shortfalls have left subs tied to piers as China’s fleet expands. May 12, 2017 - Despite increased supplemental defense spending in the compromise bill that funds the U.S. government for the rest of 2017, for the 2018 budget, top lawmakers on the House Armed Services Committee are focusing less on how to fund a 350-ship fleet than on increasing maintenance funds for the current fleet. Maintenance shortfalls have had dramatic impacts on all parts of the U.S. fleet: ships, submarines, and aircraft. Persistent calls from the U.S. Pacific Command for more submarines, however, highlight a tension between building new submarines and keeping the current submarine force ready. The ranking members of House Armed Services Committee recently told an event hosted by the independent U.S. Naval Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies that their budget priority for next year was to get more funding for the Navy not just to maintain and repair its ships and aircraft, but to invest in aging government-operated shipyards that are unable to keep up with the pace of work. Representative Joe Courtney (R-CT), whose state is home to major submarine bases, explained how a lack of maintenance capacity and funding had already caused submarine deployments to be delayed or canceled. One submarine‘s planned two-year maintenance period ended up taking four years to complete, another also spent four years tied to a pier awaiting work, and yet another lost its certification to dive, a submarine‘s raison d‘etre, because shipyards were unable to conduct maintenance in time. Shortly after these maintenance issues were being highlighted to the committee, the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, told them that he badly needs additional submarines. Harris testified that he only gets about half of the submarines that he requests from the Navy, while noting this was just to meet his ―steady state‖ requirements during peacetime. He is concerned about the Navy‘s ability to send additional submarines that might be required in a major contingency in a timely manner. It was a worry that Admiral John Richardson, who as chief of naval operations is responsible for providing naval forces to combatant commanders like Harris, previously expressed in his own recent testimony. While the Navy was keeping up with peacetime deployment demands, maintenance backlogs meant there could be delays getting additional ―surge‖ forces forward in the event of a conflict. Richardson told the committee that failing to fully fund the U.S. Navy‘s maintenance requirements had the same effect as cuts to force structure – ships that can‘t sail, submarines that can‘t dive, and planes that can‘t fly are no better than not having those ships, submarines, and planes to begin with. The prospect of additional U.S. submarines being unable to deploy or surge for lack of maintenance funds or capacity is contrasted with China‘s expanding submarine fleet. The U.S. fleet currently has 52 attack submarines, but as the older Los Angeles-class is retired, that number is expected to drop to only 42 by the end of the 2020s. Meanwhile, according to a 2015 Office of Naval Intelligence estimate, China will have at least 70 submarines by 2020. Partly in response to this changing balance of undersea power, the U.S. Navy‘s latest Force Structure Analysis calls for building a fleet of 66 attack submarines. However, these additional hulls have yet to be purchased, and the shipyards that build submarines have already struggled to expand their production from one submarine per year to two. The workers who build and repair submarines are the most specialized in the shipbuilding industry and are the most difficult and time-consuming to train. Shipbuilding executives say it can take five to seven years before a welder is skilled enough for the most difficult parts of submarine work. This magnifies the importance of the U.S. Navy being able to keep its current submarine fleet ready. While it is uncertain how soon, or even whether, the additional submarines the U.S. Navy wants will be funded, the already strained shipbuilding industry is unlikely to be able to build them fast enough to maintain the relative gap with China‘s submarine numbers in the 2020s, let alone begin to close it. While there are proposals to extend the service lives of older warships to keep the fleets overall numbers higher, this isn‘t generally an option for submarines as the tremendous stresses that deep submergence puts on their hulls places hard limits on their service lives. As a result, the U.S. Navy cannot afford to leave hulls tied to piers awaiting work. Source: The Diplomat

The NATO of the New North May 16, 2017 Guest Author From author Ian Birdwell comes The Changing Arctic, a column focusing on the unique security challenges presented by the increasingly permissive environment in the High North. The Changing Arctic examines legal precedents, rival claimants, and possible resolutions for disputes among the Arctic nations, as well as the economic implications of accessing the region’s plentiful resources. By Ian Birdwell

U.S. Coast Guard (Patrick Kelley)

Introduction NATO is justifiably focused on dissuading Russian aggression, especially given the Federation‘s aggressive actions over the past two years in the region. However, there is growing concern for NATO‘s northern flank: the Arctic Ocean and far northern Atlantic. The warming of global temperatures presents new challenges related to rising sea levels to navies like the United States,‘1 but the retreat of ice in the Arctic Ocean poses a new risk as an avenue to exploit NATO‘s flank in Europe. Though some budding conversation determining NATO‘s role in defending Arctic nations like from new security challenges is occurring,2 NATO‘s gaze remains focused on ground threats throughout Eastern Europe. Despite the persistence of NATO‘s strategic goals of deterrence and cooperation, a warmer Arctic demands the attention of NATO powers to preserve regional stability. Looking toward the role NATO could play in maintaining an Arctic balance of power into the future, it is important to acknowledge NATO‘s regional hurdles and the strategies the alliance could employ to overcome them. NATO‘s goal has always been deterrence through mutual defense and cooperation between member state militaries, but this has never rung quite as clear among its member states as it has since the onset of the ongoing Ukrainian crisis. The crisis, if not instigated by the Russian Federation, certainly advances, exacerbated by the comments of Russian officials and state actions. Since then, Eastern European NATO states have clamored for NATO support in counteracting Russian aggression. Vladimir Putin‘s regime regularly draws international ire for their actions moving to exploit Arctic oil resources, the effects those operations may have on surrounding communities, and the measures against those protesting oil exploration.3 For the Russian Federation, the Arctic Ocean represents more than just a birthplace of new oil revenues and potential superpower status, it is one of the only areas of the world were its navy may be able to operate more effectively than NATO.

Russia‘s Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic (Malte Humpert/The Arctic Institute)

The Russian Northern Fleet possesses a slight advantage over NATO forces in several crucial areas, including a slight and recent increase in submarine warfare capabilities,4 a focus on constructing Arctic naval installations,5 and a plethora of icebreakers compared to NATO.6 Russian forces certainly retain a regional upper hand at the moment yet the aged nature of their equipment belays an opportunity for NATO to deter Russian regional aggression if action is swiftly taken. Finally, to accommodate necessary actions to dissuade aggression, the alliance must gather the funding to make readiness plans a reality, which could become a difficult prospect. Most NATO members overlook the requirement to contribute two percent of national GDP towards military operations, leaving other NATO states like the United States to fit the bill.7 With a new American administration critical of NATO‘s funding woes, member states may grow concerned NATO capital will go toward the defense of Eastern European states or other areas with higher visibility.8 Arctic Adaptation NATO possesses the capability to address and overcome the challenges laid before it. A promising step to move NATO toward readiness for Arctic operations would be to expand the frequency of training activities in the High North. While the norm for nations with Arctic waters like Canada,9 Norway, and the United States,10 the inclusion of non-Arctic NATO powers in a variety of training exercises could prove pivotal in deterring aggression within the Arctic. This past summer, NATO held an anti-submarine warfare exercise called Dynamic Mongoose in the Norwegian Sea that included vessels from eight alliance members.11 With other operations planned for later this year,12 increasing the frequency of such operations, the variety of weather conditions faced, and diversifying into other types of exercises such as amphibious assault drills will allow NATO to become acclimated to regional obstacles and gain the flexibility to respond to threats. The costlier long-term readiness goal involves the expansion of ports close to or within the Arctic Circle to house larger vessels and the construction of new facilities. Accomplishing this task would help close Russia‘s geographic and logistical advantages while assisting troops in becoming acclimated to the region‘s weather conditions. Moreover, those expanded ports hold the potential to facilitate an increase in commercial traffic, provide a base for scientific research vessels, and contribute to the logistical support of search and rescue operations – all valuable assets for nations wishing to study a changing global climate. For these reasons, the Army Corps of Engineers in the U.S. investigated deepening the Port of Nome.13 Dredging and enlarging ports in the region offer a boon to NATO‘s defense goals while boosting Arctic infrastructure for other non- military functions. The last and largest task for NATO powers concerned about Russian Arctic capabilities is providing the funding necessary to meet their NATO obligations. Each NATO nation with Arctic borders proffers in various declarations their preferred method to move forward with Arctic defense is to cooperate with close allies to fill gaps in their defenses.14 If Canada, Denmark, and Norway,15 NATO Arctic powers currently shy of their NATO percentage pledges, increase their military funding closer to the required two percent of national GDP, then it becomes easier for NATO to achieve its overarching security goals within and outside of the Arctic region. Conclusion NATO transformed from a tool bolstering European Defense in the early days of the Cold War into an alliance pulled in several directions in the name of collective security. Today NATO faces a familiar sight, a Europe pressured by an aggressive Russia. Yet as NATO reinforces its easternmost borders, the Russian Federation focuses on a new, warming frontier that could provide a new threat axis where Russia enjoys preeminence. Ian Birdwell holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Government and International Politics from George Mason University. References 1. Myers, Meghann ―Rising oceans threaten to submerge 128 military bases:report‖ Navy Times. July 29, 2016 https://www.navytimes.com/story/military/2016/07/29/rising-oceans-threaten-submerge-18-military-bases-report/87657780/ 2. Dearden, Lizzie ―Norway urges Donald Trump to announce clear policy on Russia amid fears of military activity in Arctic‖ Independent December 3, 2016 http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/donald-trump-russia-vladimir-putin-norway--clear-policy-arctic-bases-submarines- military-a7453581.html 3. Luhn, Alec ―Arctic oil rush: Nenet’s livelihood and habitat at risk from oil spills‖ The Guardian December 23, 2016 https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/dec/23/arctic-oil-rush-nenets-livelihood-and-habitat-at-risk-from-oil-spills 4. Sonne, Paul ―Russia’s Military sophistication in the Arctic sends echoes of the Cold War‖ The Wall Street Journal October 4, 2016 http://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-upgrades-military-prowess-in-arctic-1475624748 5. Einhorn, Catrin, Hannah Fairfield, and Tim Wallace ―Russia rearms for a new era‖ New York Times December 24, 2015 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/12/24/world/asia/russia-arming.html 6. Snow, Shawn ―Retired 4-Star: US Military ill-prepared for Arctic confrontation‖ Military Times December 27, 2016 http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/retired-4-star-us-military-ill-prepared-for-arctic-confrontation 7. Thomassen, Daniel ―Norway faces a new era of Russian realpolitik in the Arctic‖ Center for International Maritime Security July 5, 2016 http://cimsec.org/norway-faces-new-era-russian-realpolitik-arctic/25984 8. Frum, David ―Trump will inherit the biggest NATO buildup in Europe Since the Cold War‖ The Atlantic January 10, 2017 9. Pugliese, David ―Canadian Forces to expand Nunavut training centre as Russia plans more bases in the Arctic‖ National Post February 23, 2016 http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-forces-to-expand-nunavut-training-centre-as-russias-plans-more-bases-in-the-arctic 10. Schehl, Matthew L. ―Marines hit the arctic for largest winter exercise since the Cold War‖ Marine Corps Times March 2, 2016 https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/military/2016/03/02/marine-hit-arctic-largest-winter-exercise-since-cold-war/81161832 / 11. North Atlantic Treaty Organization ―NATO Launches anti-submarine warfare exercise in Norwegian Sea‖ June 20, 2016 NATO Press Release http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_132596.htm?IselectedLocale=en 12. Thomassen, Daniel ―Norway faces a new era of Russian realpolitik in the Arctic‖ Center for International Maritime Security July 5, 2016 http://cimsec.org/norway-faces-new-era-russian-realpolitik-arctic/25984 13. Zak, Annie ―Port of Nome sees big growth as traversing the Arctic gets easier‖ Alaska Dispatch News November 24, 2016 https://www.adn.com/business-economy/2016/11/24/port-of-nome-sees-big-growth-as-traversing-the-arctic-gets-easier/ 14. Wezeman, Siemon T. ―Military Capabilties in the Arctic: A new cold war in the high north?” International Peace Research Institute October 2016 https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/Military-capabilities-in-the-Arctic.pdf 15. North Atlantic Treaty Organization Public Diplomacy Division ―Defense Expenditures of NATO Countries‖ North Atlantic Treaty Organization July 4, 2016 http://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/pdf_2016_07/20160704_160704-pr2016-116.pdf Source: http://cimsec.org