U.S. built subs for Taiwan?

"Experts" -as is their wont- are concerned about this:

China would likely react with hostility to any attempt by the United States to build and sell eight submarines to Taiwan, The Day newspaper in Connecticut, reported.

Submarine experts said Monday that China would likely impose economic sanctions against the U.S, but this would not necessarily stop the Groton, Connecticut-based Electric Boat Co. from building them.

If there is money available and if the program is endorsed by the United States government, Electric Boat wants to design and build the ships for Taiwan," said John B. Padgett III, vice president of Electric Boat, the submarine-building division of General Dynamics.

Yes, it will probably bend somebody out of shape.

UPDATE: Background info here.

Rogue wave lawsuit -Norwegian Dawn wins a round

Remember the Norewegian Dawn's encounter with a rogue wave in April 2005? As surely as the night follows the day, lawsuits were filed following the event. Now, however, plaintiffs' case got a little tougher. As reported here:

A federal judge has ruled in favor of NCL and against a group of passengers who were aboard the Norwegian Dawn in April 2005 when the cruise ship was hit by a rogue wave while sailing back to New York from the Caribbean.

Even though none of the guests or crew members suffered serious injuries when the unusually large wave hit the ship, breaking windows and flooding some passenger cabins, a group of angry passengers and their attorneys had sought certification for a class action suit.

But U.S. District Court Judge Ceciolia M. Altonaga on Sept. 12th denied their motion for class certification.

“We are pleased and gratified with Judge Altonaga’s decision that the lawsuit is not appropriate for class action status. From the outset, this frivolous lawsuit has existed only in the minds of the plaintiffs’ lawyers,” said NCL Corporation’s President and CEO Colin Veitch.

Early report on the lawsuits here.

And on rogue waves here at "What Rogue Wave Looks Like"

Cyprus holds arms cargo, but for whom?

Cyprus inspects a ship, finds military equipment traveling under false bills of lading. Interpol says, "Smuggled arms. Perhaps from North Korea, maybe China." All reported here:

Cypriot officials are considering what to do with a Syria-bound ship held in Limassol port with a cargo of what is thought to be air defence equipment.

Police said 18 of the 21 lorries on board the Gregorio I were fitted with radars which "appear to be part of an air defence system".

Police said the cargo did not match the ship's documentation.
***
The equipment was offloaded from the ship, which was detained in Limassol on 5 September.

The Cyprus Mail newspaper says customs must now give clearance for the cargo to be released.

There is no arms ban on Syria, but the authorities may still impose a fine for false description of the cargo, the paper says.

Well, hmmmm. Who, exactly will be stepping forward to pay the "fine?"

UPDATE: A Chinese radar system from here. I have no idea what system has been off-loaded from the ship. This is a guess. Some more systems here, click on "Products."

Somali Islamists lift radio ban- so long as playlist meets their approval

Freedom of expression Somali Union of Islamic Courts style:

A Somali radio station has resumed broadcasting after it was closed down by Islamist leaders for playing local love songs.

However, Radio Jowhar is no longer playing any music, even jingles.

The Union of Islamic Courts, which controls much of the south, is split between hardliners, who want Taleban-style rule, and moderates.

Some cinemas in Mogadishu have also been closed for showing foreign films but others are allowed to operate.
***
"It is useless to air music and love songs for the people," said Jowhar Islamic official Sheik Mohamed Mohamoud Abdirahman.

Some residents were upset by the radio ban.

Demonstration in Mogadishu
In Mogadishu people demonstrated against foreign intervention
"This directive is like the Taliban," Ali Musse told the AP news agency.

"It is censorship against independent media and freedom of expression."

But others point out that different Islamic Courts have different ideas about what is acceptable.

In some parts of Mogadishu, cinemas showing Bollywood films or international football have been closed down but these still operate in other areas of the city.

Our correspondent says the capital's radio stations are still broadcasting normally, playing all kinds of music, including western hip-hop and R 'n' B.

I guess it comes down to location, location, location.

Don't miss Maritime Monday 26

Even if it's Tuesday or some other day, there's lots of good maritime-related stuff at Fred Fry International: Maritime Monday 26.

Sunken tanker off Philippines- oil theft victim?

There is some suspicion that the sunken Solar I tanker currrently polluting parts of the Philippines had some hanky-panky going on before it went down, as reported here:

Maritime officials said they are looking at the possibility that the crew of the ill-fated tanker Solar I had been pilfering oil on rough seas when the country's worst oil spill occurred.

"We are not discounting that possibility, in fact it is one of the strongest angles being looked at by the coast guard and the Maritime Industry Authority [Marina] as the explanation why Solar I sank," a coast guard official said.

Of course, it is not unheard of for some tanker operators to help themselves to some refined product for use as fuel while in transit. Cargo surveyors are supposed to cut down on this sort of thing.

Wonder what happened to the "Al Qaeda Diving Team?"

It was only couple of years ago that it seemed like every 6 months we'd get a warning about AQ terrorist scuda divers. Some were based on articles such as Fears Persist of Al Qaeda Terrorist Link to PADI Dive Center:

The guys around the scuba school laughingly called them the "Al Qaeda Diving Team."

But for law enforcement officials, it was no joke.

Late last year, Dutch counter-terrorism agents investigating a possible Al Qaeda recruitment cell grew interested in the school because a man suspected of recruiting terrorists had become a certified diver and studied to be an instructor there. Iraqi-born Kasim Ali was one of between 50 and 150 Muslim men who had taken classes in recent years with the same Tunisian instructor at the school in the city of Eindhoven, about 70 miles southeast of Amsterdam.

By the way, the site is worth visiting for the graphic appearing above the article alone.

It appears that some people are taking the potential threat seriously. See here:

Acoustech Corp. of Philadelphia and FarSounder Inc. of Providence, R.I., received Homeland Security grants to develop systems that can detect underwater threats such as divers with explosives.

"Ever since the Department of Homeland Security was put into place, our business has gone up," said James McConnell of Acoustech. The three-person company expects revenue of $900,000 this year.

Systems from other vendors currently cost about $1 million, so the companies are trying to make systems that would be more affordable for the nation's port authorities and other waterfront facilities, such as power plants and oil refineries.

"We've had a lot of customers calling and asking for a solution to the problem," said FarSounder's founder, Matthew Zimmerman.

See earlier posts on AQ divers here and here. And a counter to your fears from a real frogman (SEAL Froggy of Froggyruminations and now at Blackfive) here.

UPDATE: Port of Houston is buying diver detection gear, among oher things:

Much of the $31 million will go for cameras and gadgetry designed to detect scuba divers, pedestrians and drivers who may intend to carry out an attack, according to the grant applications.

About 250 cameras that can pan, tilt and zoom will be installed along the channel, highways and perimeters of industrial sites, supplementing an existing camera system.

Also on the purchase list are thermal imagers, which can detect people moving at night, 15-20 radar units and sonar equipment to detect divers and other underwater threats.

The monitoring will be mostly automated, with new software programmed to alert security personnel to possible intruders.

The Coast Guard will continue requiring that recreational boats obtain permission before entering industrial parts of the channel, making it easier for the cameras to identify unauthorized vessels.

Much of the new equipment will be installed in port and county-owned areas not now under surveillance by channel industry. Many channel facilities have "very robust" security systems of their own, Bellamy said.

"The Philippines Connection"

An excellent series from ABS-CBN covering the 9/11 connnections found in the Philippines. Part 7 is found here with links to the previous 6 segments.

The Philippines is on the front lines...

Talk Like A Pirate Day is only a week away

Just a reminder, Talk Like A Pirate Day is September 19.

Arrggh! So 'tis.

Must read at InstaPunk

As I posted over at MilBlogs:

I remember the "luxury" I had a junior officer to second guess the "Old Man" on some decision or another.

I also remember the day when every eye in the room turned to me for a decision because I was now the "Old Man" and the responsibility was now all mine.

InstaPunk writes the lesson larger here in a "must read."

I'm making my lists now...

A 9-11 Hero: Michael Cammarata

From the hymn, "How Firm a Foundation",

When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

The youngest of the bravest, part of that band of men who ran into danger to save others.

Michael F. Cammarata was a New York City firefighter from Staten Island, at 22 the youngest firefighter to die in the September 11, 2001 Terrorist Attack. After scoring a perfect score on the written and physical exams, he was sworn in as a firefighter and assigned to Ladder Company 11 on East Second Street in June, 2001. His fellow firefighters called him "The Face" for his good looks.

He died while on duty in the collapse of the World Trade Center. He was last seen going into the Marriott World Trade Center Hotel.

His remains were not found by the time of his funeral on June 7, 2003. A vial of his donated blood was buried with personal effects.

At the funeral Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that rescue personnel should be particularly identified in any memorial, so that any visitor "be able to read their names, know what they did, appreciate their heroism, be inspired by their sacrifice and ensure they are designated as role models for the next generation who will protect us all."

Michael Cammarata has been honored by Little League International by having the number he wore in the 1991 Little League World Series (while playing for Staten Island) placed on the right field wall of the stadiums in which the Series is played:

“Michael Cammarata’s willingness to sacrifice his own safety for the safety of others made him the very embodiment of all three words in the Little League motto: character, courage and loyalty,” Stephen D. Keener, Little League Baseball and Softball president and chief executive officer, said. “In the years to come, people will ask, ‘What is the No. 11 in right field for?’ We will be able to tell them the story of a Little Leaguer who became a true hero for all of us.”

Honor the fallen by visiting other sites listed at 2,996.

Some untold stories of 9-11

The Corps of Engineers boat crews and their efforts after the towers were attacked from here:

Immediately after the second tower of the World Trade Center collapsed Sept. 11, 2001, members of the Corps of Engineers' fleet were underway. Stationed along the Hudson River for a Coast Guard boat-safety class, the Corps’ boats from the Philadelphia and New York districts became taxis to safety for people trying to flee the scene. “Everyone volunteered to help. Without a second thought, they placed themselves on duty,” said Joe Meyers from the USACE’s New York district.

In all, they ferried 2,300 people off the island. “When we arrived, the people on the pier had a deep stare and were covered in dust. They were afraid to leave and afraid to stay,” said Tony Hans from the New York district. Three marinas were set up at Caven’s Point, N.J., to receive the passengers. Buses and trains awaited evacuees at the first marina. The second marina was for the injured, and the third marina was for the critically injured.

Cougar Ace Ace Update: Arriving in Oregon

Cougar Ace, the formely listing car carrier will arrive in Oregon today as set out here.

Why we fight

Never forget, never surrender.

India joins offshore Cuba oil exploration

Reported here:

India’s government owned oil company will explore for oil and gas offshore Cuba following an agreement signed Sunday in Havana.

The agreement between India’s Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, ONGC and Cuba Petroleo, CUPET, includes drillings in two of Cuba’s maritime blocks, N34 and N35 covering some 4.300 square kilometres in the Gulf of Mexico.

The agreement also gives CUPET the option to acquire 20% of activities undertaken on both blocks, where seismic surveying is scheduled to begin “immediately”.

"In the hydrocarbons sector, we firmly believe that Cuba represents a great opportunity for exploration with the possibility of making (energy) finds; we're going to explore this potential" said ONGC director general R.S. Butola.

Drilling in U.S. waters off Florida is still illegal and is still being resisted.

Sunday Ship History: Submarine Chasers

In the early days of the US involvement in WWII, Germany's submarine attacks off the US East Coast took an awful toll:

During the first 6 months of the German U-boat offensive out of the US east coast some 397 ships totalling over 2 million tons were sunk, costing roughly 5000 lives. In the process only 7 U-boats (U-85, U-352, U-157, U-158, U-701, U-153 and U-576) were lost.

As set out at Ted R. Treadwell's excellent "Splinter Fleet" site, the US met the need by revising a WWI idea - the "subchaser" which early in the war were made of wood:

Subchasers (also called “submarine chasers”) were built and launched in great haste at the outset of World War II because German U boats were roaming the Atlantic at will, unopposed, sinking merchant vessels with complete abandon with no regard for neutrality. They were doing this at an alarming rate. Tens of thousands of tons of valuable cargo were being sunk almost daily, some within sight of our shores. The Germans were so bold and aggressive their U boats even landed counteragents on beaches in Maine and in Florida. In the summer of 1942 U boats sank more ships and took more lives than were lost at Pearl Harbor. Most American citizens were unaware of the seriousness of our situation, but the navy knew, and the U boat menace became our navy’s #1 priority even at the cost of delaying our response to the Japanese aggression in the Pacific.

The U.S. navy had been virtually destroyed at Pearl Harbor. On the entire east coast we had only one bona fide antisubmarine vessel. Something had to be done quickly to stop the U boats. The big shipyards were backed up with contracts for building carriers, cruisers and destroyers and steel was allocated for these as well as tanks, guns and many other military devices.

Subchasers could be built of wood in small boatyards on both coasts and the Great Lakes and Gulf regions. They could be built fairly quickly (60 to 120 days depending on availability of materials and components) by craftsmen who knew how to build wooden boats. Many of the boatyards were small, family-owned businesses, only a few of which exist today. The navy wasted no time letting out contracts to fifty such boat yards. By the time the war ended 438 wooden SC subchasers had been launched and commissioned.

How well did they fare? A graph of their history here. And a transcription from the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships:

Subchasers became operational in quantity during 1943 and 1944. Although the sinking of only one submarine was verified, they were effective in helping to curb the U-boat menace along the east coast and in the Caribbean. Their contribution was felt more in the deterrent effect they had upon the operations of patrolling U-boats than in their tally of kills. The submarine of this period was capable of only limited submerged cruising at low speed, and the extensive patrolling by SC's and other ships and aircraft forced U-boats to spend much more of their patrol time beneath the surface, thus exhausting their batteries and reducing their effectiveness.

By the end of the war, some 450 SC's had been built, and 37 more were canceled as the need for such craft waned. Of those completed, about 200 were transferred to Allied navies under Lend-Lease. Eight CC's were reconfigured as motor gunboats and re designated PGM 1 through 8. Armed with light guns and automatic weapons and later fitted with rocket launchers, they were introduced in the Southwest Pacific theater early in 1944 to patrol against Japanese barge and small craft traffic. Thirty five more SC's were modified to Control Submarine Chasers (SC(C), retaining their original hull numbers. These were used as communications-relay craft and for "traffic control" of landing craft during amphibious operations. A "reverse Lend-Lease" element was introduced in 1942. To help alleviate the critical shortage of antisubmarine ships and craft, a number of vessels were transferred to the United States by the Royal Navy. Among these were eight Canadian built "Fairmile B" class craft, classified as Motor Launches by the British. These fitted neatly into the American submarine chaser category, so they sere numbered in the same series as the 110 footers, becoming the SC-1466 class.
***
World War II expansion programs led to construction of two large groups of subchasers, the new 110 foot wooden hulled craft and the 173 foot steel hulled type. By 1943, it was felt desirable to differentiate between the two types. The symbol PC was retained for the steel 173 footers, and the separate symbol SC was adopted for the 110 foot vessels. These now dropped the dual "S.C.-PC" identification, and were simply identified as "USS SC-." As noted earlier, some SCs were later modified for amphibious control work and re designated SC (C), retaining the same numbers. Several types of patrol craft, including PC, SC, PCE, and PCE (R), were given numbers from the same general numerical series, explaining the gaps the in the number sequence for SCs.

While the majority of the SC/PC ships served well, at least one, PC-815, is famous for other reasons, as set out here, including the command stint of Lt L. Ron Hubbard, later the founder of the Church of Scientology. Hubbard's experience ended when he was relieved for cause for, among other things, possibly shooting onto Mexican territory (about which, much more here). PC-815 was later rammed and sunk by USS Laffey at the entrance to San Diego harbor.

Others of the PCs performed well:

The 173-foot PC was designed primarily for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), convoy escort duty and coastal patrol, thus releasing the fleet Destroyers for trans-Atlantic convoy duty.

PCs were highly effective in protecting convoys along the Atlantic seaboard, in the Caribbean and South Atlantic during the critical 1942-1943 "Battle of the Atlantic" years, filling the gap until the Destroyer Escort (DE) could be built and deployed. Though only a few German U-Boats were actually sunk by PCs, their presence, and the threat of depth charge attacks, was a deterrent to the U-Boat commanders. With the threat of submarine attacks on the wane, the PCs took on more hazardous duties, serving in virtually every combat theater around the world.

The PC proved exceptionally adapt as Patrol Control Craft (PCC), controlling and guiding waves of landing craft in every European amphibious landing from Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in July 1943, to Operation Overlord, the combined Allied invasion of Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

In the Pacific, the PCCs were assigned to the Seventh Fleet, "MacArthur's Navy," participating in all island-hopping amphibious landings through Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

During the October 1944 Leyte, central Philippines, landing operations, PCs 623 and 1119, along with five LCI(R)s, distinguished themselves when they rescued approximately 1,200 survivors of USS Gambier Bay (CVE 73), USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE 413), USS Hoel (DD 533) and USS Johnston (DD 557) sunk by Japanese naval forces during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Operation Olympic, the invasion of the Japanese home island of Kyushu, was the next big invasion planned for execution in March, 1946. The PCCs had received their beach control assignments and were preparing for the invasion when the war ended in August, 1945.

As testimony to their vital role as control ships, the Japanese had assigned entire squadrons of suicide boats to destroy, or disrupt, the PCCs during future landing operations.

A book on the PCs here.

Others of interest who served on subchasers include Pierre Salinger, President Kennedy's press secretary.

Latest ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 6 September 06)

Latest ONI Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report (to 6 September 06)here. Highight:

1. SRI LANKA: Sri Lanka’s navy and the Tamil Tiger rebels engage in a pre-dawn naval battle 02 Sep off Point Pedro on the island’s northern tip. The Tamil Tiger were attempting to proceed towards the Kankasanthurai harbor but were successfully stopped by the Sri Lanka Naval Fast Attack Craft and Fast Attack Gun Boats.
It is reported that twelve rebel boats were sunk and up to 100 rebels were killed in the six-hour sea battle (LM).

Indications of terrorist "pre-op" surveillance on Washington ferries

Reported here:

It could be a bomb stuffed in a car or truck or strapped around the waist of a suicide bomber. It could be a small boat filled with high explosives approaching, like the one that attacked the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole in Yemen six years ago. Or it could be a small plane packed with explosives diving out of the sky.

Or terrorists might simply hijack one of Washington state's jumbo ferries with 2,500 people on board and aim it at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, which overhauls nuclear aircraft carriers and Trident nuclear submarines.
***
"Intelligence suggests that WSF (the Washington state ferry system) is being monitored and may be a potential terrorist target," according to the documents, which were marked as sensitive but not classified. "Attacks on mass transit systems are increasingly terrorists' choice."
***
"The worst-case scenario is a large truck bomb," Washington State Patrol Lt. Travis Matheson said. But he said attacks could come from the air, the sea or a passenger with a homemade bomb. "The ferries are considered very high risk and they are difficult to protect."

Of course, a lot of the protection falls on the Coast Guard and alert local law enforcement.

Washington is not the only state running ferries. Washington ferries here.

Probably the most famous (and successful) terrorist attack on a ferry was in the Philippines with the Abu Sayyaf attack on Superferry 14:

Superferry 14 was a large ferry destroyed by a bomb on February 27, 2004, killing 116 people in the Philippines' worst terrorist attack.

On that day, the 10,192 ton ferry was sailing out of Manila, with about 900 passengers and crew. A television set filled with 8 lb (4 kg) of TNT had been placed on board. 90 minutes out of port, the bomb exploded. 63 people were killed immediately, and 53 were missing and presumed dead.

Superferry 14 photos from Titan Salvage

UPDATE: A sort of related warning regarding railroads and "toxic cargo" here.

UPDATE2: An older piece on the Washington ferries here.
UPDATE3: Concerns in Australia:

Ferries on Sydney harbour are in imminent danger from terrorist attack, an American security consultant has warned the Australian Security Industry Association conference.

"The ferries are essentially huge aircraft that go very slow," Malcolm Nance told AAP.

"And they're already perilously close to sea level," he told the Daily Grind.

"If six ferries blow up mid harbour, how are you going to get everyone off… the bottom of the Harbour Bridge?"

"It should be part of the city's disaster plan."

AAP reports Sydney Ferries is developing tactics to protect its vessels from terrorist threats. RiverCat crews have already begun practicing ramming and sinking small craft.

And here.

Also a report U.S. Coast Guard warnings in 2003 here:

Large passenger ferries, such as the ones that carry citizens between Manhattan and Staten Island, New York, pose the greatest risk of terrorism in maritime transportation, the U.S. Coast Guard and Department of Homeland Security warn.
According to a Coast Guard study, large ferries received the highest risk assessment score among 80 maritime terrorist scenarios, tying with a ship carrying hazardous cargo near an urban area. DHS has also issued a bulletin warning that terrorists are scouting U.S. ferry systems for possible attack.
There are two U.S. ferry systems considered "large" by the Coast Guard: The Staten Island ferry system and the Washington State Ferry -- each system includes boats that carry more than 2,000 people.

Israeli naval blocade of Lebanon replaced with international task force

Reported here:

Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon on Friday after European warships began patrolling to keep out weapons shipments for Hezbollah guerrillas, the head of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon said.

Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini, the force's French commander, said he was informed by Israeli officials, and by the Italian commander leading the naval task force, that the blockade had ended after nearly two months.

The international task force began operating off the Lebanese coast just after noon Friday, officials said.

"The force is now operational and I understand that the (Israeli) naval blockade is lifted," Pellegrini said in a statement faxed to The Associated Press.

I am a little fuzzy on the difference between the goals of the international force and those of the Israeli navy.

UPDATE (10 Sept): Lebanon ports reopen busily. And, as noted in the Davod's comment, there is some question as why the French are bothering to have ships off Lebanon:

France announced on Friday that the international naval force designated to patrol Lebanon's territorial waters would not be authorized to employ force to stop ships from entering or leaving Lebanon.

A spokesman for the French defense ministry said that the international craft would only provide assistance for Lebanese ships, and would not interfere with other nations' boats, Israel Radio reported.

I guess they can wave at ships as they go by.

Port Security 5 years on

From this:

As the 9/11 anniversary approaches we expect to see a spotlight on seaport security issues. The discussion is likely to lean heavily toward the practices and projects that still need to be done, such as a universal ID card for port workers and a greater expansion of cargo inspection systems. That focus tends to foster the erroneous belief that little is being done to protect our nationís seaports.

We agree that much more can be done -- port security is and will always be a work in progress. At the same time, itís important to note how much has been accomplished in the past five years to keep our ports, port workers and surrounding communities safe.

Our cargo security systems have changed tremendously. Seaport security now begins overseas, before cargo is loaded on to vessels bound for the United States. All incoming containerized cargo -- 100 percent -- is profiled for security risks by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, a division of Homeland Security, while it is still overseas. All containers flagged as high-risk are physically inspected at foreign ports.

Once a ship is at sea, the U.S. Coast Guard continues to review manifest information on the cargo and crew. Coast Guard "boarding teams," with bomb-sniffing dogs, have the authority to board a ship at sea for any reason. When a ship docks on our shores, U.S. Customs officials conduct another level of analysis to determine if any cargo warrants further inspection. The radiation portal monitors installed at all of our international cargo container terminals provide a final safeguard against potentially dangerous materials.
***
Some degree of risk will always exist in the open, free systems of commerce that have made the United States one of the most prosperous nations on Earth. However, we want to assure everyone that the Port of Long Beach and our seaport security partners, at every step of the global supply chain, are working diligently to minimize that risk.