Haiti: JLOTS ordered up

I have an unconfirmed report that the tools for JLOTS including various crane ships have activated.

See Without the Port, JLOTs could help

Army JLOTS photos (to right) by Mike W Petersen.

Photos below provided by reader/commentator Leesea:






All show crane ship operations in conjunction with JLOTS. If you are going to move heavy equipment for infrastructure tear downs and repair, camp site building and the like, you need all this stuff.

UPDATE: Using Roll On-Roll-Off ships with INLS will get much needed earth movers on the shore.

UPDATE: More on JLOTS here (describing a 2006 exercise):

Logistics-Over-the-Shore (LOTS) operations discharge strategic vessels without the benefit of a fixed port. Large ships are anchored in mid-stream while a floating platform called a Roll-on/Roll-Off Discharge Facility (RRDF) is deployed next to the ship's ramp. The cargo is downloaded onto the RRDF and then loaded onto smaller watercraft called lighterage and transported directly to the beach or temporary piers. Both the Army and Navy have assets to conduct LOTS operations.

What it looks like with a Roll-On Roll-Off ship:



Photo caption:

USNS Pililaau (T-AKR-304) anchored off the coast of Red Beach in Camp Pendelton, CA., 24 July 2008, with the roll-on/roll-off discharge facility attached to the improved Navy lighterage system during Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2008. JLOTS 2008 is an engineering, logistical training exercise between Army and Navy units under a joint force commander as a means to load and unload ships without the benefit of deep draft-capable, fixed port facilities. US Navy photo # 080724-N-1424C-197 PACIFIC OCEAN (July 24, 2008) by MC2 Brian P. Caracci.

And more on the Army side here:

Soldiers with the 331st Transportation Company from
Fort Eustis, Va., "stab" the beach with the Army Trident Pier July, 21 during Joint Logistics Over the Shore 2008. The Trident Pier is a floating causeway that will allow Soldiers and Sailors to move rolling stock and shipping containers from ships anchored at sea onto the shore using an improvised port. The critical training the Soldiers and Sailors receive allows them to quickly and efficiently move equipment from ship to shore for military missions or humanitarian assistance when a port is nonexistent or has been destroyed. (Photo by Sgt. Stephen Proctor, JTF8 Public Affairs)

And, of course, a video:


No other country in the world can bring this sort of "ready now" equipment to a disaster area.

Fearless Naval Bloggers Talk Abround* "Naval Diplomacy" and more

Yet again the fearless naval bloggers assault your ears, and again bring a guest to cover our ignorance. This time it's CDR. Henry J. Hendrix, USN, author of Theodore Roosevelt’s Naval Diplomacy: The U.S. Navy and the Birth of the American Century

Somehow I think Haiti may come up.

Join us at 5pm Eastern.

You will be able to call in and add to the discussion, or tell us where our talents would be better used. Click on the thingie below or over on the side bar for details.

Next show on 17 Jan 2010 at 1700 Eastern (2200 GMT?).

Listen to Midrats

Update: *"Abround" is a contraction of "about" and "around"

Haiti: "Without the port, we'll starve"

CNN.com



Well, time to get the Navy "instant port" teams into action. See my earlier post Aid to Haiti: Port Broken? JLOTS could help.

Need cranes? Navy crane ships should be underway. Photo: SS Cornhusker State (ACS-6), SS Flickertail State (ACS-5) tied up at the Moon Engineering Corporation pier on the Elizabeth River, Norfolk, VA., 21 July 1994 for routine overhaul.US Department of Defense photo # DN-ST-95-00962 by Don Montgomery USN Ret.



About the crane ships:

Description
The six auxiliary crane ships are U.S. Maritime Administration Ready Reserve Force ships that can be quickly activated to support military sea transportation needs. These self-sustaining ships are useful in ports that have limited, damaged or undeveloped port facilities. When activated, they come under operational control of Military Sealift Command.

Features
The auxiliary crane ships are converted container ships with three twin boom pedestal cranes which can lift containers or other cargo from themselves or adjacent vessels and deposit the cargo on a pier or lighterage.

Background
The ten Keystone State Class ships are conversion crane ships the first of which was completed in 1984 and the last of which was completed in 1997. Five of the ships were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1990-91. USNS Gopher State acted as a temporary Army prepositioning ship in 1994. Four of the ten ships have been deactivated and transferred to the reserve fleet.

Update: Thanks to Ken Adams and Fred Fry for the linkage to the MSC ACS site.

Haiti: U.S. Coast Guard Brief

Implementing the Maritime Strategy in a nutshell. Maritime Strategy? See here and here.

Aid to Haiti: Port Broken? JLOTS could help

From a June, 2009 post:

All the supplies in the world don't do any good if you can't get them to the people who need them. Even when there no port to work with, the Navy has an improved solution to an old problem: Sailors Use Improved Navy Lighterage System:

Sailors assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 2 had the opportunity to test the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) during the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) exercise June 15-21.

The JLOTS exercise was a test of the military's ability to move equipment and sustainment supplies to specific areas without the benefit of a fixed port facility.

The exercise increased interoperability and improved military readiness by alleviating situational sustainment issues.

INLS played a large role in the JLOTS mission by acting as a floating pier, or causeway system, which is comprised of powered and non-powered floating platforms.

INLS is used to transfer cargo from ship to shore areas where port facilities may be damaged, or nonexistent.

"The INLS is fairly new to ACB 2; we acquired the system only two years ago," said Master Chief Operations Specialist John Fedor, assigned to ACB 2. "It is vastly improved from the old Navy Lighterage (NL) systems; it is a lot safer, more maneuverable, allows the crew to get out of the weather, provides better visibility for the craftmasters and the overall system is a vast improvement of the previous system."

A comprehensive look at the new INLS here:

The INLS is made up of pontoon sections a.k.a. platforms. Different mixes of pontoon sections are used to make up different assemblies. The Causeway Ferry is used as a lighter for vehicles and large cargo from ship to shore, and has a top speed of 12 knots compared to 4.5 knots for its predecessor. There are 12 modules for 4 ferries, in a 4×3 arrangement where each ferry assembly comes with a Power section (with engine and controls), an Intermediate section, and a Beach section (with ramp). It takes less than 2 hours to assemble the causeway ferry at sea.

A different set of INLS sections can be assembled to make up a Roll-on/Roll-off Discharge Facility (RRDF): 1 docking module, up to 7 combination modules that can be fitted together in various ways, and 1 docking module. Warping tugs, also carried on MPF ships, work to push the RRDF the modules into place, and moving the completed discharge facility into position. Once complete, the 240×72 foot assembly becomes a floating transfer dock onto which Maritime Prepositioning Ships and others lower their ramps. It takes 18 – 24 hours to assemble the RRDF discharge facility, depending on waves and wind. The tactical vehicles and other rolling stock can roll down the ships’ ramps onto the RRDF, then onto waiting lighterage such as barge ferries or LCU landing craft.

RRDF also has obvious potential uses under the Navy’s proposed Seabasing doctrine, which would allow offloading, housing, and transfer of supplies for operations on land from floating platforms that could act as mobile bases. Since these sea-bases could be deployed in international waters, or near areas without convenient ports nearby, they would sharply expand the US military’s ability to project power from the sea. The INLS does not yet have a defined seabasing role, but recent exercises have begun to explore this capability.

Top photo caption:

An improved Navy lighterage system operates supporting the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore (JLOTS) exercises. INLS, a sea state three-capable causeway system, is a floating pier that comprises powered and non-powered floating platforms assembled from interchangeable modules. JLOTS is a joint operation that consists of loading and unloading of ships without fixed port facilities, in friendly or non-defended territories. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class John Stratton/Released)

Middle photo caption:

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (July 3, 2008) Seabees assigned Amphibious Construction Battalion (ACB) 1 offload a structural piece of an elevated causeway system onto Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS) Causeway Ferry 1 during Joint Logistics Over-The-Shore (JLOTS) 2008. Navy and Army engineering units will construct a life support area, conduct force protection operations, execute an in-stream offload of shipping from a sea echelon area, employ an offshore petroleum discharge system, and retrograde and safely redeploy allocated forces. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Brian Morales (Released)

Lowest photo caption:

HSV-2 Swift utilizes the Improved Navy Lighterage System and its own Roll-on/Roll-off capabilities for West Africa Training Cruise 08 in conjunction with Africa Partnership Station.

Photo caption:

100113-N-4774B-935 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Jan. 13, 2010) Bridge watch standers observe SH-60F Sea Hawks assigned to the Red Lions of Helicopter Squadron (HS) 15, land aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Carl Vinson and Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 have received orders from U.S. Southern Command to render humanitarian assistance to the Caribbean nation of Haiti, following a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker/Released)

International aid efforts for Haiti

BBC News - International aid efforts for Haiti under way:

International efforts to help Haiti in the wake of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake are under way, with governments across the world and aid agencies mobilising search and rescue teams and aid supplies.

Although the full scale of the disaster has yet to emerge, it is clear that it will pose a huge challenge.

Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, is still struggling to recover from devastating hurricanes in 2008.

It needs all kinds of help, from emergency and medical aid, to food aid, to the longer-term rebuilding of infrastructure.

Map showing population exposure from here


Best way to flow massive amounts of aid is by sea.

Tuesday Reading

Steeljaw has Chinese announce successful missile intercept test.

Admiral Harvey opens the floor for discussion here. Galrahn thinks the question is the wrong one.

Reformation of the US Navy gets a look from CDR Salamander here and Galrahn here. I'm still thinking about it.

Saturn5 says the Turkish Navy is letting contracts for amphibious ships here.

Daniel Sekulich on the Swiss ship attacked by pirates. See here, too.

Somali Pirates: Higher Winds = Fewer Attacks

Offshore Somalia is experiencing higher winds this week:




Pirate attacks are down.

Unless, of course, you are a Swiss flagged ship:

It’s been confirmed that, for the first time, a Swiss ship has been attacked by pirates in the Arabian Sea.

Government officials say the ship, the Turicum, came under attack from three smaller vessels last Wednesday.

The assault lasted for seven-hours.

The 190-metre ship was just under five nautical miles outside the zone protected by the European Union. The ship’s owner, commercial ship management company Reederei Zurich, says the waters where it happened are normally considered a low-risk.

The ship’s captain fought off the pirates, keeping them at a distance of about 13 kilometers and preventing them from forcibly boarding. No-one was injured.

Emphasis added. I'm sure 13 km is a typo. Since that's about 8 miles. A distance from which a Somali pirate attack might be hard to detect.

The powerful Swiss Navy will be sailing shortly to defend the rights of free passage in international waters.

Photo of MV Turicum by Tomas Pinas from Shipspotting,com and used in accord with that site's terms.

Click on images to enlarge.

Iran: Nuke Scientist Killed in Mysterious Bomb Blast

Odd sort of synchronicity, I'm sure.

But an Iranian nuclear scientist happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when a bomb mysteriously went off.

Naturally, Iran accuses US, Israel of killing nuclear scientist:

Iranian nuclear scientist Massoud Ali Mohammadi was killed on Tuesday in a rare bomb attack in Tehran which the government blamed on "mercenaries" in the pay of archfoes Israel and the United States.

The killing comes amid an increasingly bitter standoff between Iran and world powers over Tehran's controversial nuclear drive, which the West suspects is masking an atomic weapons programme.

Mohammadi, a particle physics professor at prestigious Tehran University, died when a bomb strapped to a motorcycle was triggered by remote control outside his home in northern Tehran, state media said.

"One can see in preliminary investigations signs of evilness by the triangle of the Zionist regime, America and their mercenaries in Iran in this terrorist incident," foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.

Tehran's chief prosecutor echoed his words, implicating US and Israeli intelligence services.

"Given the fact that Massoud Ali Mohammadi was a nuclear scientist, the CIA and Mossad services and agents most likely have had a hand in it," Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi told the state broadcaster's news service.

Dolatabadi told the ISNA news agency that Mohammadi died when a booby-trapped motorbike parked outside his house exploded as he was getting into his car.

I wonder if it's hunting season?

UPDATE: Did the Iranians themselves take this guy out because he supported the student revolt? That idea from here.

Somali Pirates and More Discussed

Navy-oriented bloggers and Claude Berube, naval historian, discuss on Midrats Somali piracy and more. About an hour.

Thanks to all who called in and those who hit the chat room.

It'll happen again next Sunday.

Whale Boors: Silly Sea Shepherds File Frivilous Lawsuit Against Japanese Whalers

Publicity whores that they are, the maritime incompetent Sea Shepherds turn to the courts of the Netherlands to allege that they were "pirated" by Japanese whalers, as set out in Whale Wars: Sea Shepherd lodges piracy charge against Japanese whalers:

On Friday, Sea Shepherd filed a legal complaint against the Japanese whaling fleet in the Netherlands, where Mr. Watson's flagship, the Steve Irwin, is registered. "We filed a complaint for criminal prosecution with our prosecutor, requesting the start of an investigation into what we consider to be a crime -- piracy, actually -- committing violence on the high seas," Liesbeth Zegveld, a legal adviser for the group, told Reuters.
***
But it's far from certain that legal filings will lead anywhere, and legal analysts say a charge of piracy against the Maru, which had been consistently harassed by the smaller Gil, is unlikely to stick.
***
But the consensus of experienced mariners and sea captains who have e-mailed me is that, while it's the responsibility of all vessels at sea to take every precaution to avoid a collision, and so to a certain extent there is blame to be spread around, that smaller, more maneuverable boats like the Gil are generally expected to have more responsibility for avoiding collisions, since they can turn faster.

"Under the long established international rules of maritime navigation, the smaller, more agile vessel is expected to remain clear of and not impede the operations or navigation of the larger, less nimble vessel," is how one former mariner put it.
***
The Collision Regulations of the International Maritime Organization, issued in 1972 and still in force, would seem to back up the stance that more of the fault lies with the Gil, since it had spent days deliberately approaching and interfering with the operations of the Maru, by darting across its bow, aiming lasers designed to temporarily blind the Japanese mariners, and seeking to foul its propeller with cables.
***
Watson's group has long said these sorts of regulations don't apply to their efforts, because they deem the actions of the Japanese whalers to be illegal and say that they are vigilantes enforcing laws that vested authorities refuse to do.

Is this the same as parking your car on a railroad track in the face of an on-coming train and then arguing that the train is at fault? What if you argue that the train is not there legally because it illegally emits too much pollution or makes too much noise?

Lasers? Watch this:


Trying to foul Japanese ship screw? See this:


More video available from the Japanese ICR here.

By the way, the skipper of the Gil asserts his boat was trying to avoid collision by turning to starboard at the time of the collision. Check the video and see if you detect any alteration in the wake of the boat:

Fearless Navy Bloggers Return to the Air

Once more a daring trio of Navy-oriented bloggers (all opinions our own and not affiliated with the management of the U.S. Navy, etc, etc) will take on BlogSpotRadio with our call in show "Midrats."

CDR Salamander, Galrahn of Information Dissemination and I will internet "broadcast" about matters of import to maritime security. And perhaps fall all over our tongues.

As CDR Salamander notes, this time we have guest -

Special guest will be Claude Berube, a teacher at the U.S. Naval Academy with a background in naval research and development, acquisition, and intelligence. He is also co-author of two books, a former Senate Staffer, and as a LCDR in the USNR has experience in maritime interception operations, humanitarian relief, and anti-piracy. We'll be taking callers in the second half of the hour.

Hey, Salamander! Claude was invited to discuss "private naval companies" and the fight against piracy - a topic he knows really, really well. (We hope)

No, that's not Claude in the picture or me either.

You will be able to call in and add to the discussion, or tell us where our talents would be better used. Click on the thingie below or over on the side bar for details.

Next show on 10 Jan 10 at 1700 Eastern (2200 GMT?).

L

If only . . .

Somalia: Islamist group condemns WFP suspension of operations in Somalia

Almost as anticipated here, the Somali Shabaab thugs blame everyone but themselves for the World Food Program withdrawal of food distribution in Somalia, as set out in "Islamist group condemns WFP suspension of operations in Somalia":

Somalia's hard-line Islamist Al Shabaab movement dismissed the decision by the UN's food agency to suspend its operation in southern Somalia over insecurity as "lies and propaganda."

The UN World Food Program (WFP) said Tuesday it was forced to suspend its operations in southern Somalia due to rising insecurity.

"The WFP said that it was suspending its operation in south Somalia because of insecurity that is lies and propaganda. The area controlled by Al Shabaab movement is one of the most peaceful areas in Somalia ," Ali Mohamoud Rage, spokesman for the Al Shabaab movement which controls southern Somalia, told reporters in Mogadishu.

WFP said in a statement that rising threats and attacks on humanitarian operations, as well as the imposition of a string of unacceptable demands from armed groups, have made it virtually impossible to continue reaching up to one million people in need in southern Somalia.

The Al Shabaab spokesman said they did not order the UN agency to leave, nor did they impose any restrictions on it. The movement only asked the WFP to buy grains from local farmers to give out to needy, he added.

"We have not ordered WFP to leave the country but we have only asked them to buy local people's produce to give outs as food aid, if it ever gives anything, so that our farmers become more productive which is in the interest of the farmers and the Somali Muslim people as a whole," the spokesman said.
****
TThe Islamist group's spokesman said the movement considers the name of the UN agency to be against the teaching of Islam.

"First of all we tell the people that the name of World Food Program is against the Islamic doctrine because Islam believes that the program of feeding the world is for Allah only and it is He who feeds every living being on earth and no human being can do that."

The UN agency said its offices in Wajid, Buale, Garbahare, Afmadow, Jilib and Belet Weyne in southern Somalia are temporarily closed, and that food supplies and equipment have been moved, along with staff, to safer areas in order to ensure that food assistance continues to reach as many vulnerable people as possible.

He accused the agency of favoring American farmers over Somali farmers by refusing to buy grains from local farmers, but WFP saidlocal production in the last five years averaged only about 30 percent of food needs in the Horn of Africa nation, which has been without an effective central government for more than two decades. (emphasis added)

It's nice to know that Shabaab doesn't have anything against the WFP except its name and how it does business.

More on the WFP view here. And a show on where the food comes from here.

Whale Boors: Terrorist boat gets whacked by Japanese whaling boat and the whining begins again

Take an idiot ship "captain" who routinely violates almost every rule of safe navigation in his admitted "terrorist" approach to "saving the whales" and add in enough money to keep him afloat and you've got Whale Boors, who are now whining that the small vessel they dispatched to attack and disable another ship was, in a nice turn of events, instead itself struck and disabled by the ship it was attacking. See here:

The futuristic Ady Gil trimaran, which holds the round-the-world speed record for a powered vessel and was enlisted by activists from the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society for this whaling season, received "catastrophic damage" and was sinking, they said.

All six crew, who earlier hurled stink bombs at the whalers to disrupt their annual hunt, were rescued unharmed by Sea Shepherd's Bob Barker ship.

Activists described the collision as unprovoked but Japan lashed out at the the group, accusing them of "extremely dangerous" behaviour.

"The Shonan Maru No.2 suddenly started up and deliberately rammed the Ady Gil, ripping eight feet (2.4 metres) of the bow of the vessel completely off," a Sea Shepherd statement said.

"The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim," it added.

But the Japanese Fisheries Agency said the Ady Gil came abnormally close to the Shonan Maru No.2 and suddenly slowed down while crossing in front of it. "These acts of sabotage that threaten our country's whaling ships and crew were extremely dangerous," it said in a statement. "It is totally unforgivable." Japan slams protestors

Videos released by both the Japanese and the activists show the sleek, black powerboat and the Shonan Maru No.2 colliding as the whaling ship targets it with water cannons.

There was no major damage to the Japanese ship and no Japanese crew members were injured in the collision, the fisheries agency said.

The whalers accused the Ady Gil's five New Zealand and one Dutch crew of trying to tangle the Nisshin Maru's rudder and propeller with rope, and aiming a "green laser device" at its sailors, as well as launching stink bombs.

"The Sea Shepherd extremism is becoming more violent... Their actions are nothing but felonious behaviour," Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research said in a statement.

The "Sea Shepherd" tactics described by the Japanese should be familiar to anyone who has ever watched the "how not to operate at sea" show "Whale Wars."

And, while I have no great respect for the Japanese whaling effort, the actions of the Sea Shepherds is way over the top.

UPDATE: Looking at the video, it appears to me that the Ady Gil propelled itself into the side of the Japanese ship (see the water jets kick in?), and judging solely by the wake (what little can be seen of it) of the whaler, she was in a port turn when struck.

UPDATE2: I wonder if the Japanese were turning to port to avoid the Gil when some idiot on the Gil erred in hitting the throttle?

UPDATE3: Gil may have props instead of jets. My point remains the same - it appears to have propelled itself into the collision.

UPDATE4: A reminder of things past.

Somali Pirates: Turkey calls for UN-sponsored trials of captured pirates

"Somali pirates should be tried under watch of UN"- Turkey says:

Suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia should be prosecuted under the supervision of the United Nations, according to a letter sent by Turkey to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and made public here on Wednesday.

In the letter, Turkey's permanent representative to the UN, Ertugrul Apakan, suggested the formation of a judicial system to punish perpetrators and deter potential pirates from a life of criminality.

"Turkey believes that it would be useful if a mechanism is put in place in one of the countries of the region, under the supervision of the United Nations, to effectively prosecute persons suspected of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia," said Apakan.

Currently, no clear legal regime exists to hold pirates off the coast of Somalia accountable. Normally, under the United Nations' Law of the Sea Treaty, Somalia would try its citizens. But Somalia never ratified the treaty, and is largely deemed a lawless nation without a viable government.

To make do, countries like the United States and Britain have signed Memorandums of Understanding with the Kenyan court system to try suspected pirates in a kind of Hague international tribune.

But without a clear international legal framework, many countries, like Turkey, are calling for the United Nations to coordinate a comprehensive judicial mechanism.

Nice idea,though it shows a degree of faith in the UN that I personally don't see much justification for.

"Suspected pirates?" Unless and until it's an international crime to sail in international waters with rifles (which is currently is not), RPGs and ladders "suspects" are all you are going to have unless you catch pirates boarding or occupying a ship. "Catch and release" is a bad choice, but it may be the best choice currently available.

Somalia: Failed State Loses World Food Program Due to Thuggery

Reported as WFP suspends operations in much of southern Somalia:

The U.N.'s World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended its work in much of southern Somalia due to threats against its staff and unacceptable demands by al Shabaab rebels controlling the area, a WFP spokesman said on Tuesday.

The WFP has been central to international efforts to address an acute humanitarian crisis in the drought- and conflict-torn Horn of Africa nation. Experts say half the population need aid.

"Unacceptable conditions and demands from armed groups have disrupted WFP's ability to reach many of the most vulnerable people in southern Somalia," spokesman Peter Smerdon told Reuters. "Despite this suspension, WFP remains active in much of central and northern Somalia, including the capital Mogadishu."

He added, however, that it was now virtually impossible to reach up to 1 million women, children and other highly vulnerable people. About three-quarters of the 3.76 million Somalis who need aid are concentrated in central and southern regions.

Most of those areas are controlled by the al Shabaab rebel group, which Washington says is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia.

Go figure. An al Qaeda group making a power grab over food supplies to enslave a population. Who'd a thunk it?

Now, will the apologists for al Shabaab hold them accountable for each child that dies as a result of their actions?

Why do I doubt it?

Will the West get blamed? The Magic 8-Ball says: "Most likely."

Things that make you go "hmmm": Threats to our naval forces in the Middle East

Interesting note here, reporting "chatter."

If you can't read Arabic, then the link contained in the above may not make much sense but there are those pictures of U.S. aircraft carriers and other vessels over there, including some as they transit the Suez Canal. The nearby photo is a case in point.

Hmmmm.


Hat tip: My Pet Jawa

UPDATE: See Galrahn's report in this area at his post "Disturbing Direct Mujahideen Threat Against US Navy". and the links therein.

Disturbing, too, is the concept of intel collection on the family members of U.S. Navy forces.

Asymmetric war is still war.

Yemen Expertise: Armies of Liberation

Need some help understanding the Yemen situation? Jane Novak at Armies of Liberation is the single best source.

By the way, she is banned in Yemen.

If you need some background on the US and British anti-al Qaeda effort in Yemen and whether it might work, Jane's site is the place to get info.

UPDATE: Case in point, a post on Yemen al Qaeda Threatens International Fleet wherein she notes a threat concerning the vital chokepoint Bab-al-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden.

UPDATE2: Al Qaeda in Yemen? See here:

FOUR of the world’s most-wanted terrorists are pictured together on an Al Qaeda publicity video.

The bearded militants are the terror network’s high command in Yemen and the masterminds behind Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s bid to blow up a US-bound jet on Christmas Day.

They are now the target of a series of strikes being planned by the US in retaliation for the 23-year-old Nigerian’s attempt to bring down the packed airliner over Detroit.

The attacks are likely to involve US drones, fighter jets and ship-launched cruise missiles against Al Qaeda camps and bases in the Arabian peninsula.
***
The four terrorists include two former inmates of the Guantanamo Bay detainee camp, Muhammad Al-Awfi and Said Ali Al-Shihri.

After their release in 2007 they joined the leadership of Al Qaeda in Yemen, the group that claimed responsibility for the attempted airline bombing.

Reports that the pair were killed on Christmas Eve have not been confirmed. With them is the leader of Al Qaeda in Yemen, Naser Abdel Karim Al-Wahishi, also known as Abu Basir, and Abu Hurayrah Qasim Al-Reemi, his second-in- command.

UPDATE3: Friction with Yemen in the al Qaeda fight? See here:

The Yemeni complaints underscore how Washington and its allies have to step carefully as they work closer with the San'a government against al-Qaida. The government has little control outside the capital, leaving a power vacuum in large swaths of the mountainous, impoverished nations.

Heavily armed tribes hold sway in many areas, and some have allowed al-Qaida fighters to take refuge there.

UPDATE4:From here:

Civil war and lawlessness have turned Yemen into an alternative base for al Qaeda, which U.S. officials say has been largely pushed out of Afghanistan and is under military pressure from the Pakistani army in bordering tribal areas.

Yemen has been a long-standing base of support for al Qaeda. Militants bombed the Navy warship USS Cole in the Yemeni port of Aden in 2000, killing 17 U.S. sailors. And Yemenis were one of the largest groups to train in al Qaeda's camps in Afghanistan before the September 11 attacks in 2001.

UPDATE5: A "golden oldie" on al Qaeda's Maritime Threat.

UPDATE6: And another on Chokepoint Terrorism:

On April 26, 2008, the Islamist website Al-Ikhlas posted an article from Jihad Press, an e-journal reportedly linked to Al-Qaeda, which urges the mujahideen to establish naval terror cells. The article argues that gaining control over the seas and sea passages – especially around the Arabian Peninsula – is a vital step towards renewing the global Islamic caliphate.

It points out that such operations are feasible, because Yemeni groups have already carried out successful attacks against oil tankers, tourist vessels, and commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden; and other jihad fighters have carried out "two successful attacks on Zionist-Crusader targets in the [territorial] waters of Yemen: ...the attack on the American destroyer [USS] Cole in October 2000, and the [attack on the] French oil tanker Limburg in 2002."
***
Finally, the article stresses that the seas off the coast of Yemen, namely the Gulf of Aden, the Bab Al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea are of supreme strategic importance in the campaign to expel the enemy from key locations. If the enemy loses these key areas, it explains, "he will not be able to defend himself on land and [to protect] his naval bases from the mujahideens' attack."

UPDATE7: From here:

The Strait of Bab el-Mandab is a chokepoint between the horn of Africa and the Middle East, and a strategic link between the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. It is located between Yemen, Djibouti, and Eritrea, and connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea. Exports from the Persian Gulf must pass through Bab el-Mandab before entering the Suez Canal. In 2006, an estimated 3.3 million bbl/d flowed through this waterway toward Europe, the United States, and Asia. The majority of traffic, around 2.1 million bbl/d, flows northbound through the Bab el-Mandab to the Suez/Sumed complex.

Bab el-Mandab is 18 miles wide at its narrowest point, making tanker traffic difficult and limited to two 2-mile-wide channels for inbound and outbound shipments. Closure of the Strait could keep tankers from the Persian Gulf from reaching the Suez Canal or Sumed Pipeline, diverting them around the southern tip of Africa. This would effectively engage spare tanker capacity, and add to transit time and cost.

The Strait of Bab el-Mandab could be bypassed through the East-West oil pipeline, which crosses Saudi Arabia with a 4.8 million bbl/d capacity. However, southbound oil traffic would still be blocked. In addition, closure of the Bab el-Mandab would block non-oil shipping from using the Suez Canal, except for limited trade within the Red Sea region.

You can see that Yemen sits on that chokepoint.

Just in case you were wondering why Yemen might be important.

USS Eisenhower, Helicopter Squadron and Coast Guard Rescue Sailor

Ike Takes Part in Dramatic Rescue at Sea:

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher A. Baker, USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Public Affairs

USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, At Sea (NNS) -- Only hours after departing for its 2010 deployment, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) diverted from flight operations to assist the U.S. Coast Guard in a rescue at sea the night of Jan. 2, saving the life of a stranded mariner.

Responding to a vessel-in-distress call, the U.S. Coast Guard requested Eisenhower's aid in the successful extraction of a man whose sailboat had capsized in rough waters approximately 300 miles off the coast of Elizabeth City, N.C. Eisenhower immediately changed course and sailed at high speed toward the distressed mariner.

Initially, a Coast Guard Helicopter planned to only land on board Eisenhower to refuel before proceeding to the scene, but more immediate action became necessary when news came that the boat's main mast had broken and was taking on water, explained Lt. j.g. Randolph Moyer, one of Eisenhower's tactical action officers.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. 2nd Fleet Maritime Operations Center coordinated to identify the Eisenhower and its air assets as the quickest and safest way to rescue the mariner.
The "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 5, launched a search and rescue (SAR) team to extract the mariner from 18 to 21 foot seas and winds peaking at 45 knots.

A Coast Guard C-130 dropped two life rafts for the mariner after the waves destroyed the sailboat's mast. The mariner abandoned his sinking boat and struggled for nearly an hour in the high seas to reach one of the life rafts. The Coast Guard airplane offered aerial support by directing the SAR helicopter through both snow and rain to the life raft.

Lt. Cmdr. Scott Pichette, the helicopter aircraft commander, said the experience and professionalism of the crew made it possible to complete the challenging mission.

"Most of us have been in for almost 18 years, and those were some of the biggest waves any of us had seen," Pichette said. "Mother Nature threw bad weather, ice, snow and hail making it a stretch for us and the helicopter."

Naval Air Crewman 1st Class David Brandon, the SAR crew chief, said the rescue swimmer, Naval Air Crewman 2nd Class Kyle Need, completed the extraction in only six minutes in spite of the intense conditions.

Need said it was the collective effort that made the extraction possible.

"We went over every possible scenario during the transit. The communication made the mission go smoothly," he said.

The copilot for the SAR mission, Cmdr. Byron Ogden, explained that while the conditions were treacherous, the cooperation between the SAR team and the Coast Guard made the mission a success.

"This is honestly one of the most varsity things we could do as far as SAR goes," said Ogden, "I didn't hear one bit of panic in anybody's voice; the whole crew was very calm, cool and collected."

The mariner was treated briefly aboard Eisenhower before being transferred to a Coast Guard helicopter and flown to an Elizabeth City medical facility.

According to Brandon, even after the ordeal, the mariner was in good spirits and grateful to have survived. "With those conditions, he was lucky he made it."

Photo caption:

an.3, 2010) A SH-60H Sea Hawk assigned to the "Nightdippers" of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 5, left, lands on the flight deck of aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) after successfully extracting a stranded mariner of the coast of North Carolina. Responding to a request for aid and assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, Eisenhower launched a Search and Rescue team in rough weather conditions. Eisenhower departed Norfolk, Va., Jan. 2, for a scheduled deployment supporting and 6thFleet and 5th Fleet areas of operation. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Christopher Baker/Released)

Somali Pirates: Car Carrier Arrives Off Somalia

Reported here:

On the late afternoon of 1 January, UK Flagged M/V ASIAN GLORY (a vehicle carrier) owned by ZODIAC Maritime Agency, was hijacked in the Somali Basin approximately 900 nautical miles north of the Seychelles and 600 miles from the coast of Somalia.

EU NAVFOR in monitoring the situation can confirm that the M/V ASIAN GLORY has now arrived off the coast of Somalia and is north east of Hobyo.

The main tasks of EU NAVFOR mission Operation ATALANTA are to escort merchant vessels carrying food of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP), the protection of vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy wherever possible.

Ship photo by Ron van de Velde from Shipspotting.com and used as allowed by the terms of that site.

Questions are being posed about the capture of the large, slab-sided vehicle carrier (see here):

The hijacking of the UK-flagged car-carrier Asian Glory on January 1 has been described by Nato anti-piracy forces operating in the region as an “opportunistic attack”. The hijacking has, however, left naval forced “perplexed” as to how the pirates managed to scale the 23 m freeboard of the vessel 1,000 km off the Somali coast during the monsoon season.

The fact that the seizure of the vessel was the fourth hijacking in a five-day period has also sparked high-level questions to be asked about possible operational changes within the Nato, EU Navfor and Combined Task Force anti-piracy command structures.

“We have been asking ourselves just how they managed to get onboard,” said EU Navfor spokesman John Harbour. “There is a lower door on the vessel, but quite how they made it on board we are not sure. We will probably have to wait until the release of the vessel to work out what happened.”

Hobyo location on the coast of Somalia is shown on map where red arrow points. GoogleEarth snap is of lovely Hobyo.

Maersk hires war ship to defend ship against Somali pirates

The Copenhagen Post reports that Maersk hires war ship to protect tanker :

Danish shipper A.P. Moller Maersk has hired out soldiers and a warship from Tanzania to protect its fleet in pirate-ridden waters off the coast of Africa, and now other shippers are expected to follow suit.

Maersk hired the warship through former special forces soldiers working for firm Guardian GBS security in December 2008. The ship was charged with protecting the Brigit Maersk tanker from pirates. It is unknown how much the shipping company paid for the service.
‘The waters east of Africa are a grey zone because developing countries don’t have resources to fight pirates. It’s a temporary solution that a shipper has hired a warship from another country, but there’s no alternative,’ said Jan Fritz Hansen, vice-president of the Danish Shipowners’ Association.

Steffen Jacobsen, technical director at Maersk Tankers, said the company checked first to make sure the move was legal.

‘That’s why we chose it as an alternative solution to a very critical situation,’ he said.

Doesn't this make sense for those that can afford it? Should several companies get together and set up private escorted convoys for the Indian Ocean since professional naval forces are already stretched too thin operating off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden?

Somali Pirates: One that got away

Dutch tanker escapes pirates from Radio Netherlands Worldwide:

On 30 December at 9.15am the helmsman on the bridge sights a fishing boat. “Somali pirates use fishing boats as mother ships. This allows them to work 600 miles off the coast. The fishing boats are equipped with a so-called skiff, a polyester speedboat measuring five to six metres with a powerful outboard motor, which can make 25 knots in a calm sea.” “In less than ten minutes we see the skiff heading for us, but because of the waves it isn’t making much headway. To be on the safe side, I change course by 90 degrees, so I’m sailing directly into the waves.” This makes it harder for the pirates to draw alongside. “On both port and starboard they then have to deal with around two-metre waves.”

Photo from the capture of a "pirate attack group" by the Portuguese Navy Frigate Alvares Cabral found here.

Comments are working, comment counter not so much

Got a hitch someplace with the new commenting system in that comments are accepted.

Just not being counted yet.

Working on it.

Thanks for your patience. Make sure to check the comments even if it reads 0 - there may be something there... and dialogue is good!

The First Midrats BlogTalk Radio Show

Do you want to listen to a Navy-oriented discussion about U.S. Naval strategy, shipbuilding programs, pirates and much more?

If so, go here and listen to "Midrats."

And we'll do it again real soon.

For those of you who "dialed" in, thanks!

New Comment Software

I have moved commenting from Haloscan to IntenseDebate.

This has temporarily caused old comments to disappear, but it appears that at some later date I'll be able to import them from where I have them saved.

Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Fearless Navy Bloggers on the Air

Okay - always another adventure as a trio of Navy bloggers (all opinions our own and not affiliated with the management of the U.S. Navy) take on BlogSpotRadio with a call in show "Midrats."

Yes, CDR Salamander, Galrahn of Information Dissemination and I will take to the internet "broadcast" world to have fun with yapping about maritime topics.

Trust me, we are not professionals so there may be some - um - errors as we work kinks out. On the other hand, you will be able to call in and pin our ears back - add to the discussion, I mean. Click on the thingie below or over on the side bar for details.

First show on 3 Jan 10 at 1700 Eastern (2200 GMT?).



Listen to Midrats on Blog Talk Radio

Somali Pirates: Another ship grabbed in Indian Ocean

Reported here:

Authorities say Somali pirates have hijacked a British-flagged cargo ship transporting cars and a chemical tanker from Singapore (see here).

Officials say pirates seized the cargo ship Asian Glory and its 25-member crew late Friday in waters about 1,000 kilometers east of Somalia.

A spokesman for the European Union task force in charge of battling piracy off the Somali coast says the seizure took place outside the mission's patrol zone.

Ship photo by Ron van de Velde from Shipspotting.com and used as allowed by the terms of that site.

UPDATE: It appears that the target ships are chosen randomly and that the pirates are inside the protective force OODA loop.

Somali Pirates: Start New Year with Ship Capture in Gulf of Aden

Reported as Singapore-flagged ship seized in Gulf of Aden:

The M/V Pramoni, a chemical tanker of 20,000 dead weight tonnes, was hijacked when it was headed for Kandla in India, EU Navfor, based at Northwood, near London, said in a statement.
***
The ship's master reported by radio that the ship had been hijacked and all the crew were well, EU Navfor said.

Ship photo by Malte Wulf from Shipspotting.com and used in accord with terms of use therein.

UPDATE (2 Jan 10): Per comment below, reported site of capture

New Year's Log Entry

Navy tradition is that the mid-watch (that's the midnight shift for you lubberly types) log entry on New Year's Day be written in verse, usually by the quartermaster.

Not having a quartermaster handy, it's time for the old navigator to take up the challenge:

This old place is moored as before,
Christmas wreaths still on the door.
Were we to get underway it would be a story
Since we are a house and not a dory.

SOPA* now gets retirement pay,
His hair and ID card both gone gray.
Though no longer the seas he plies,
One son's a ROTC middie, the other a Navy helo flies.

Both daughters in California abide,
Clear across the country wide.
Commander of Home Forces is nested near,
Memories of all 4 kids quite clear.

The dogs are snuggled in as the frost cuts fine
We say goodbye to 2009.
As years go I'm glad it went
And pray for 2010 to be of better bent.

Our course and speed we may alter,
But time and tide never falter,
Here's to all that we hold dear
and to a very Happy New Year!

*Senior Officer Present Ashore