Daylight Saving Time - And Energy Mistakes

Nice little video from the editor of the Oil and Gas Journal Setting clocks back recalls series of US energy mistakes :

Mine Sonar for Small Combatants

TrailBlazer combines wideband transmission, high directivity, and an advanced operator interface to provide superior detection capability against mines and other threats to
shallow-water operations

An somewhat aged press release (so take it as such) from General Dynamics Canada:

General Dynamics Canada today announced the release of TrailBlazer, a high-frequency, high-resolution sonar system specifically designed for mine and obstacle avoidance (MOAS) on patrol vessels, corvettes, frigates and destroyers operating in littoral waters. TrailBlazer combines wideband transmissions, high directivity and an advanced operator interface to provide superior detection capability against mines and other threats to shallow-water operations.

“With 250,000 sea mines in the inventories of over 50 navies worldwide, mines represent an ever-increasing threat to coastal and waterway security, especially in littoral waters,” said David Ibbetson, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Canada. “TrailBlazer’s power, range and resolution make it a very effective solution against such underwater littoral mine threats.”
***

236th Marine Corps Birthday

236th Marine Corps Birthday

Glad to have them by our side. Happy Birthday, Marines!

A Bleg

Okay, here's challenge to you all.

The NROTC almuni association at my old university is looking to load up Kindles or flash drives or some other media with books that every young officer ought to have in his library - with the rub that most (read "all") of them need to be free.

Having gone to Gutenburg.org's list of books, I was able to download versions of:

Mahan's Influence of Sea Power
Clausewitz On War
Sun Tzu Art of War
Corbett's Some Priciple of Maritime Strategy
Jomini's The Art of War
U.S. Grant's Memoirs
W.T. Sherman's Memoirs
U.S. Constitution
Declaration of Independence
De Tocqueville Democracy in America vol 1
The Federalist Papers
Adam Smith The Wealth of Nations

I know there are lot of other good reading materials out there that would make a nice library for these mids as they move into the fleet - pdfs like "One tribe at a time" and lots of other Navy and Marine official history type things that can be downloaded.

My question is this - what other books, writings, training manuals, etc, should I be looking for? Further, if you can, can you cite to a location?

If you have a couple of ideas that might cost a little, but are really important, toss those out, too.

Thanks!

Sign of the Day

Cargolaw.com, a product of The Law Offices of Countryman and McDaniel is one of my frequent reads. Why? Because it is full of good stuff relating to maritime and transportation law and much, much more, including some absolutely amazing pictures of various shipping, transport and aviation disasters.

In addition, it is home to some awful headline puns and the occasional humor shot that causes me to spray coffee all over my keyboard.

For example, after viewing pictures of mishaps, I ran across the following picture of a sign, which may, in reality, be some tort defense lawyer's dream of the ultimate warning label. Well, except for the fine print.

Pay them a visit.

Okay, I know the sign thing has been on the internets for years, but there is always one new victim out there somewhere. Today it was me.

For My Sons' Navy I Want - What We Sell to Egypt

As reported by the shipbuilder VTHM Holds Dedication Ceremony for Egyptian Navy Fast Missile Craft (pdf):

VT Halter Marine, Inc. . . . held a dedication ceremony for the first of four Fast Missile Craft (FMC) built for the Egyptian Navy at its Pascagoula shipyard . The keel for this first FMC was authenticated on April 7, 2010.
***
The FMC is designed to perform coastal patrol, surveillance, interdiction, surface strike and naval battle group support. The vessels will allow the Republic of Egypt to maintain security of its coastal regions for both itself and friendly countries, while denying access to the areas by any potential adversaries. Each FMC will be approximately 62m in length and will incorporate ship signature control technology. High speed and maneuverability are two of the ship’s primary assets to fulfill these roles. The vessels will also incorporate numerous combat system assets and electronic sensors, equipping the vessels with capabilities in anti-aircraft, anti-surface and electronic warfare.

As reported by World Maritime News, US Navy Announces Launch of First Egyptian Navy Fast Missile Craft:

The primary mission of the FMC is to conduct independent and joint operations, primarily against armed surface adversaries. The Egyptian Navy has a requirement for a vessel with the capabilities of an FMC to combat these threats and to patrol and defend its coastal waterways of the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and in particular, the Suez Canal.

***

Each of the 63 meter craft carry a 76mm Super Rapid Gun, Harpoon Block II missiles, MK49 Rolling Airframe Missiles, and the Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) Block 1B. These high-speed, agile craft can reach speeds of greater than 34 knots provide berthing for a crew of up to 40 sailors and operate up to eight days independently at sea.

The first of four FMCs are scheduled to join the Egyptian fleet in 2012. PEO Ships will continue to assist with acquisition and oversight efforts throughout the construction process and will provide follow-on technical and training support to the Egyptian Navy upon delivery of the vessels.

From the U.S. Navy's International Programs Office:

Nice.

Some background.

I added the emphasis above.

UPDATE: Yes, small ships, heavily armed, short-legged. I got that. Less expensive for littoral warfare (surface) than another model which shall remain unnamed here. In a squadron of 5 or 6, joined by armed helicopters and a "mother ship" - they would be nice to have in the green and brown waters for asymmetric stuff.

I see putting a few in the Med, Guam, Pearl, Singapore, Bahrain, "Africa Station" and the Gulf of Aden (East African littorals) for counter pirate ops.

NATO Shipping Center Alert

NATO Shipping Center Alert::

NSC 10/11 - POSSIBLE MOTHER SHIP 07/11/2011 14:30 15.7 55.18 Suspicious Activity NSC 10/11 - POSSIBLE MOTHER SHIP A possible mother ship was sighted on 7th NOV at 1429Z in position 1542N 05511E, approximately 95 nautical miles south east of Salalah, Oman.

This area is high risk for the next 24 - 48 hours and Masters transiting through or around this area are advised to take extreme caution.

Red oval on map highlights area.

Map is a portion of a NATO Shipping Center map. I added the oval.

Somali Pirates: The Defense Strikes Back

FGS Koln

Numerous reports of naval vessels and air units from several different navies taking action against Somali pirates.

First, a German frigate and a French aircraft hit them off Tanzania FGS KOELN disrupts and sinks Pirate Action Group:

On 4 November 2011, following a coordinated search and detection by a French Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance aircraft, the German warship FGS KOELN, operating as part of the EU NAVFOR, disrupted a pirate action group comprising a whaler and skiff, 50 nautical miles off the coast of Tanzania.

Pirates toss RPG over the side (EU NAVFOR photo)

On detection, the suspect pirates jettisoned their pirate equipment overboard and were stopped. They have been transferred onboard FGS KOELN and the two pirate boats sunk, preventing their use against merchant shipping in the area.

Second, a Singapore Navy ship and its helicopter play "Whack-a-Pirate:"

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) warship RSS Endeavour of the Republic of Singapore, assigned to the mission-based counter-piracy Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, disrupted two separate attacks by suspected pirates on merchant vessels transiting the Arabian Sea south of Oman, Nov.1.

Suspect "Mother Dhow" with skiff (Singapore Navy photo)

RSS Endeavour was conducting counter-piracy operations east of the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden. The Merchant Shipping Industry Best Management Practices (BMP) encourages merchant vessels to register with the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation (UKMTO) whilst in the high risk area for piracy. The MV BW BROKER contacted UKMTO at approximately 8:00am and stated they were being chased by a suspicious skiff with seven people on board. A ladder, which is a tool used by pirates to board vessels, was visible in the skiff and this indicated to the crew that it may be pirates. (CTF) 151 Commander, Rear Admiral Kaleem Shaukat, Pakistan Navy, authorized RSS Endeavour to take appropriate steps to respond. RSS Endeavour altered course to intercept the MV BW BROKER and established direct communication with the merchant vessel. RSS Endeavour also launched one of its embarked helicopters to rapidly provide direct support to the merchant vessel.

When Sailors March

Navy News Service - Eye on the Fleet

U.S. Navy's Special  "Full Gaggle Formation"  - A Different Drummer for Each Man in the Formation

Okay, you should have seen them before they practiced.

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jay C. Pugh

Iran: On the brink of nuclear weapons

In what will undoubtedly be an "unexpected!" surprise to the intel hacks who wrote the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), here, the WaPo reports IAEA says foreign expertise has brought Iran to threshold of nuclear capability

Intelligence provided to U.N. nuclear officials shows that Iran’s government has mastered the critical steps needed to build a nuclear weapon, receiving assistance from foreign scientists to overcome key technical hurdles, according to Western diplomats and nuclear experts briefed on the findings.

Documents and other records provide new details on the role played by a former Soviet weapons scientist who allegedly tutored Iranians over several years on building high-precision detonators of the kind used to trigger a nuclear chain reaction, the officials and experts said. Crucial technology linked to experts in Pakistan and North Korea also helped propel Iran to the threshold of nuclear capability, they added.

The officials, citing secret intelligence provided over several years to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said the records reinforce concerns that Iran continued to conduct weapons-related research after 2003 — when, U.S. intelligence agencies believe, Iranian leaders halted such experiments in response to international and domestic pressures.

Not a shock to most of us, but it appears the NIE from 2007 proved grossly incorrect.

Heads ought to roll, but usually don't.

Pertinent section of the 2007 NIE (I added the emphasis):

A. We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program 1; we also assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Tehran at a minimum is keeping open the option to develop nuclear weapons. We judge with high confidence that the halt, and Tehran’s announcement of its decision to suspend its declared uranium enrichment program and sign an Additional Protocol to its Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty Safeguards Agreement, was directed primarily in response to increasing international scrutiny and pressure resulting from exposure of Iran’s previously undeclared nuclear work.
• We assess with high confidence that until fall 2003, Iranian military entities were working under government direction to develop nuclear weapons.
• We judge with high confidence that the halt lasted at least several years. (Because of intelligence gaps discussed elsewhere in this Estimate, however, DOE and the NIC assess with only moderate confidence that the halt to those activities represents a halt to Iran's entire nuclear weapons program.)
• We assess with moderate confidence Tehran had not restarted its nuclear weapons program as of mid-2007, but we do not know whether it currently intends to develop nuclear weapons.
• We continue to assess with moderate-to-high confidence that Iran does not currently have a nuclear weapon.
• Tehran’s decision to halt its nuclear weapons program suggests it is less determined to develop nuclear weapons than we have been judging since 2005. Our assessment that the program probably was halted primarily in response to international pressure suggests Iran may be more vulnerable to influence on the issue than we judged
previously.

"Al Gore, You've Doomed Us All!"

From XKCD, of course.

On Midrats This Sunday (6 Nov 11): Eric Werthheim

Sunday afternoon, 5 pm Eastern U.S. (you did remember to change your clocks, didn't you?) Eric Wertheim:

Eric Wertheim is a defense consultant, columnist and author specializing in naval and air force issues. He was named to the helm of the internationally acknowledged, one volume Naval Institute reference Combat Fleets of the World in 2002.

As author and editor, his duties include tracking, analyzing and compiling data and photography on every vessel, aircraft and major weapon system, in every naval and paranaval force in the world - from Albania to Zimbabwe. He leads an independent maritime intelligence effort that spans the globe to produce the book commonly known as "Combat Fleets."

Frequently contacted by the news media for on-air interviews and background information related to international naval incidents, Eric Wertheim has served as a speechwriter for senior Pentagon officials and as a consultant to best-selling authors, publishers and nonprofit organizations. He has been instrumental in the advancement of numerous high-technology weapons and concepts, and from 1994 through 2004 Mr. Wertheim wrote the bimonthly "Lest We Forget" column on historic U.S. warships for the Naval Institute's Proceedings magazine.

Since 2004, Eric Wertheim has written the monthly "Combat Fleets" column for Proceedings, and his annual review of world navies runs in the March issue of the magazine. He is the coauthor with Norman Polmar of the books, Chronology of the Cold War at Sea and Dictionary of Military Abbreviations, both published by the Naval Institute Press.

You can listen live by clicking here and finding episode 96. We go live at 5.

UPDATE: Direct link to Episode 96 here

Or you can download the show later from the same site or from iTunes.

Somali Pirates: Hijacked Fishing Boat Crew Casts Off Pirates, Heads for Freedom

A little anti-pirate self-help reported as Crew recapture Taiwan ship from Somali pirates:

The crew of a Taiwanese fishing vessel fought against armed Somali pirates to retake their ship after it was hijacked off East Africa, Taiwan authorities said Sunday.

The 290-tonne Chin Yi Wen with a crew of 28, including nine Chinese, eight Filipinos, six Indonesians and five Vietnamese, had been out of contact since Friday, the foreign ministry said.

But the crew managed to overwhelm the six armed pirates and retake control of their ship.

"In my memory, this is the first time sailors of a fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates have freed themselves on their own," Tsay Tzu-yaw, spokesman for Taiwan's Fisheries Agency, told AFP.

The Somali pirates fell into the sea,* Tsay said, quoting the fishing boat owner, adding that details of the saga and the fate of the six pirates were not immediately clear.

"Fell into the sea."

Right.






*emphasis added by me

South China Sea: Japan and India Join in Rejecting Chinese Claims

A little report of some tension with China over the South China Sea leading to new alliances here:

With China flexing muscles in its neighbourhood, India and Japan on Thursday came together to assert their freedom of navigation in international sea lanes.

Defence minister A. K Antony met his Japanese counterpart Yasuo Ichikawa in Tokyo and discussed maritime security issues. India had recently tasted China's high handedness in the seas. An Indian warship on the way to a Vietnamese port received a warning on its radio that it should steer clear of the South China Sea. It is believed that the communication came from the Chinese as it has a maritime dispute with Vietnam.

Piracy Updates from ONI Through 3 Nov 11

You can get both ONI reports on piracy at Office of Naval Intelligence.

Among the notable events reported is the hijacking of the tanker Liquid Velvet (see here), about which the ONI Piracy Analysis and Warning Weekly Report states:

(U) GULF OF ADEN: Tanker (LIQUID VELVET) hijacked by six pirates on 31 October at 0842 UTC while underway in position 12:00N – 045:33E, approximately 55 nm southeast of Aden, Yemen. The crew (21 Filipinos and one Greek) were able to lock themselves in the citadel, but the pirates were able to breach it. (UKMTO, Operator)

Some sources, e.g. Shiptalk have reported speculation the odd man out was a Greek security guard. It is noteworthy that the "citadel" was breached. Not sure if this means the pirates were better prepared to breach the citadel on this visit, or if the citadel itself was not well designed or . . . your speculation is as good as mine.

Other recent activity reported:

I. (U) INDIAN OCEAN–EAST AFRICA:
1. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Petroleum tanker (DYNATANK) fired upon by pirates on 1 November at 0050 UTC while underway in position 08:10S – 046:06E, approximately 407 nm southeast of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The onboard security team returned fire, and after 30 minutes the pirates aborted their attack. (UKMTO)
2. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Fishing vessel (TORRE GIULIA) attacked by pirates in two skiffs on 1 November at 0936 UTC while underway in position 01:21S – 052:21E, approximately 591 nm southeast of Kismaayo, Somalia. Vessel had protection detachment onboard. A mothership was detected in the vicinity. (Operator)
***
4. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Tuna fishing vessel attacked by pirates on 31 October at 1415 UTC while underway in position 02:23S – 049:29E, approximately 444 nm southeast of Kismaayo, Somalia. The vessel had a protection detachment onboard the vessel. (Operator)
5. (U) INDIAN OCEAN: Petroleum tanker (SCF PLYMOUTH) fired upon by four to five pirates in one skiff on 30 October at 1254 UTC while underway in position 04:20S – 043:41E, approximately 245 nm southeast of Mombasa, Kenya. Vessel was traveling at a speed of 14.7 knots. Pirates fired six rounds towards the vessel; armed security in turn fired six rounds back at the skiff. RPG and guns spotted, no ladders seen. (UKMTO)
***
G. (U) WEST AFRICA:
1. (U) NIGERIA: Petroleum tanker (HALIFAX) hijacked by pirates on 29 October at 1219 UTC while in position 03:26.5N – 006:42.3E, approximately 62 nm southwest of Bonny. Vessel was awaiting further berthing instructions from its charterers. Vessel has a crew of 24 Filipinos and one Bulgarian. (IMB)
***
K. (U) SOUTHEAST ASIA:
1. (U) MALAYSIA: Tanker (NAUTICA JOHOR BAHRU) hijacked 27 October while underway in the Singapore Straits. The vessel had a cargo of oil and gas worth $4.5 million USD onboard. Malaysian Navy and Indonesian vessels intercepted the hijacked vessel, and the ten pirates fled in a speedboat. The pirates took everything of value. (Open Source)
2. (U) MALAYSIA: Barge hijacked 26 October while underway in Indonesian waters while carrying a cargo of $2.6 million USD worth of palm oil. Authorities located the barge before the pirates returned from a trip to get a tug boat to move it. (Open Source)

Using the future weather as a tool for piracy likelihood, ONI show two maps, the first being a large view of the Indian Ocean. As color increases to red, weather favorable for small boat piracy increases. And, as noted on this map, don't attempt to use this for navigation, it's an informational chart.

This is followed by a "close up" of key areas. I took the liberty of adding a red arrow and the test "Gulf of Aden" for those unable to spot this on their own.

All of which is to say, it's dangerous out there for the under-prepared.

Gulf of Guinea Pirates: Tanker Taken Off Nigeria

5 Nov 11 UPDATE: Reports indicate the ship and crew have now been released.

Reported at BBC News - Nigeria pirates hijack MT Halifax oil tanker:

Pirates have seized an oil products tanker off southern Nigeria, security officials say.

Gunmen boarded the MT Halifax off Port Harcourt, the main city in the oil-rich Niger Delta, they said.

The owners of the vessel lost contact with the tanker on 30 October, according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB).
***
The IMB says the crew of 25 are being held by the pirates, who are expected to steal the oil in the ship's hold.

In West Africa, crews are generally released unharmed after the crude oil is stolen from the ships, unlike in Somalia, where crews and their ships are held until ransoms are paid - often after several months.

The nationalities of those onboard are thought to be Filipino and Indian, with an Italian ship master.

Commodore Kabir Aliyu, a spokesman for Nigeria's navy, declined to comment.

Oil products tankers carry both crude and refined oil.

The pirates are thought to have sailed into the Gulf of Guinea, according to security officials.

Geology and Engineering: Natural Gas Shales

Nice set up of the current boom in U.S. natural gas shales from Geology.com in which a great deal of information is set out in a mostly pictorial format with links to key points of interest. Below is a partial screen shot:

Port Security: "'Occupy Oakland' Protesters Shut Down Port of Oakland

UPDATE: The Journal of Commerce reports Operations Resume at Oakland as Protest Eases

Original post follows:

Hat tip to Ace

Oakland  Port Area - Main Port at top, by Bay Bridge

'Occupy Oakland' Protesters Clash With Police Following Day Of Protests at Fox News:

Police estimated that a crowd of about 3,000 had gathered at the port at the height of the demonstration around dusk. Some had marched from the city's downtown, while others had been bused to the port.

The demonstrations in Oakland were largely peaceful until the evening skirmish.

The crowd disrupted port operations by overwhelming the area with people and blocking exits with chain-link fencing and illegally parked vehicles. The demonstrators also erected fences to block main streets to the port. No trucks were allowed into or out of the area.

Port spokesman Isaac Kos-Read said evening operations had been "effectively shut down."

And later port officials released a statement saying that maritime activity would be cancelled indefinitely, but they hoped to resume the work day Thursday.

"Our hope is that the work day can resume tomorrow and that Port workers will be allowed to get to their jobs without incident," the statement read. "Continued missed shifts represent economic hardship for maritime workers, truckers, and their families, as well as lost jobs and lost tax revenue for our region."

More from the San Francisco Chronicle here::

As many as 7,000 people, by police estimates, clogged the main port entrance on Middle Harbor Road and seven other gates as the sun went down, chanting slogans and halting all truck traffic going in or out.

"Whose port? Our port!" many yelled, while dozens climbed on top of the idled trucks and waved signs.

The few police officers within sight kept a considerable distance while the waterfront took on the air of a combination protest and street carnival, with everyone from office workers to gutter punks standing alongside each other denouncing inequality.
***
"It's a victory," exulted one protester, 21-year-old Oakland art student Umar Shareef. "To get all these people together as one unit is amazing."

Andrez Quintanilla, a 28-year-old truck driver, was trying to drop off a load at the port, but was forced to cool his engines outside the entrance.

"It's good what they're doing," he said. "They're trying to make sure everyone has their rights, but I wish they would let me go. I need to go home."

Occupy Oakland, the activists who have camped outside City Hall for nearly a month, originally targeted the port to show solidarity with union workers embroiled in a dispute in Longview, Wash. But to most of the thousands of protesters who flowed west from around Occupy Oakland's nerve center in Frank Ogawa Plaza, it was a finale to a long day of outrage at the widening economic divisions in America.

Before the "strike," an open letter from the Port of Oakland to the protest groups:

Somali Pirates: End of October Brings Out the Pirates

End of October Somali pirate attacks reported by the NATO Shipping Center:

NSC 7/11 - INDICATION OF MOTHERSHIP 02/11/2011 08:30 17.5 57.43 Suspicious Activity NSC 7/11 - INDICATION OF MOTHERSHIP

***UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE***

This mother ship is now heading back to the Somali coast and is assessed as no longer being a threat.

NSC 8/11 - WARNING: APPROACH 01/11/2011 09:35 -1.35 52.35 Approached NSC 8/11 - WARNING: APPROACH There has been a suspicious approach on a vessel in position 0121S 05221E at 0936Z on 1st Nov. The vessel was approached by two skiffs. On board security repelled the attack and the vessel evaded hi-jacking. VESSEL IS SAFE and continuing on its original journey.

Additionally the master saw a possible mother ship in position 0130S 05226E (yet to be confirmed).

Vessels transiting in or around this area should proceed with extreme caution.

NSC 6/11 - WARNING: ATTACK 31/10/2011 20:30 -8.17 46.1 Attacked NSC 6/11 - WARNING: ATTACK A Vessel came under fire from an unknown number of skiffs in position 0810S 04606E at 2028Z on 31/10/11. Vessel was fired upon aft of bridge bulkhead, port and starboard side accommodation and portholes. On board security team returned fire and after 30 mins pirates left the vicinity of the vessel.

VESSEL IS SAFE. Master is unable to give any further details as it was dark at the time of the incident.

Vessels transiting in or around this area should exercise extreme caution.

NSC 5/11 - WARNING: APPROACH 31/10/2011 14:15 -2.38 49.48 Approached NSC 5/11 - WARNING: APPROACH A vessel was attacked by three white skiffs in position 0223S 04929E at 1415Z on 31/10/11. Vessel protection detachment was onboard aboard and managed to evade hijacking. VESSEL IS SAFE.

Vessels transiting through this area are to take extreme caution.

Alert 234/2011 31/10/2011 11:50 12 45.55

Pirated Alert 234/2011 A piracy alert has been raised by the Maritime Security Centre. Date of alert : October 31, 2011 Alert type : Attempted Attack Location : [234] GULF OF ADEN 1200N 04533E Latitude : 12 00 N Longitude : 045 33 E

---WARNING WARNING WARNING---

***This vessel has been hijacked***

At 1152 UTC / 31 OCT 11 / a merchant vessel has been hijacked by 1 skiff in position 1200N 04533E

The Pirate action group is still in the area.

 ***

Alert 233/2011 30/10/2011 00:55 -4.33 43.68 Attacked Alert 233/2011

A piracy alert has been raised by the Maritime Security Centre. Date of alert : October 30, 2011 Alert type : Attempted Attack Location : [233] Somali Basin- Indian Ocean 0420S 04341E Latitude : 04 20 S Longitude : 043 41 E

---WARNING WARNING WARNING---

Alert number 233 / 2011. At 1254 UTC / 30 OCT 11 / a merchant vessel was reported under attack by 1 white skiff with 4 or 5 POB in position 0420S 04341E.

***This vessel managed to evade hijack***

***Vessel is SAFE***

***The Pirate action group is still in the area.***

It is believed that the hijacked vessel is a Greek-owmed chemical tanker nabbed by the pirates as it exited the Red Sea following a transit through the Suez Canal, according to this Reuters report:

ShipSpotting.com

Liquid Velvet

© HenkR

Somali pirates have hijacked a Greek-owned chemical tanker with 22 people on board in the Gulf of Aden and are taking the vessel towards the Somali coast, a regional maritime expert and a pirate said on Tuesday.

The Marshall Islands-flagged Liquid Velvet was seized on Monday in the Gulf of Aden en
route to India. The 11,599 DWT vessel is owned by the Greek firm Elmira Tankers, according to the firm's website.

***

A pirate who gave his name as Khalif confirmed the attack.

"We have hijacked the tanker and it is due to anchor near the shores of Garad," Khalif told Reuters by telephone from the pirate haven of Dhanane.

Company fleet website.

Maritime Security: Report: "Pentagon may shift focus to Asia-Pacific"

Reported as Pentagon may shift focus to Asia-Pacific at TheHill.com:

The evolving shift will place a premium on military capabilities like ships and long-range aircraft, defense sources told The Hill, and make armored vehicles and lightly armored ships less important.

This will have “negative implications” for the Army’s slice of the Pentagon budget pie down the road, one defense source said, while making the Navy and Air Force more relevant.
***
The review means weapon programs like a new Air Force long-range bomber and the Navy’s new nuclear-powered submarine should survive the $400 billion in cuts the military must make under the August debt deal, defense sources said.

But the strategy review might not produce all good news for the Navy, with several sources saying a ship designed for conflict in shallow waters might fall under the budget knife.

“Programs that are not suitable for the Western Pacific environment, such as heavy armor and the lightly armored Littoral Combat Ship,” said Lexington Institute analyst and industry consultant Loren Thompson, “are getting a close look as possible sacrificial lambs in the push for savings.”

Well, someone seems to be awake over at DoD.

The LCS? Some people have been suggesting that it is not the "do all" it was advertised as for some time. See, CDR Slamander and his extensive archives on the LCS.