Britain ‘must have two aircraft carriers to be global player’

This really has nothing to do with being a “global power” or “punching above one’s weight” or any of the the other trite reasons so often given by politicians and civil servants who don’t understand the fundamental and abiding reason that Britain requires a strong, capable navy. It is not about the Prime Minister playing with toy boats in a global bathtub and having something shiny to hang his bunting on during national holidays. It is this: Britain is an island nation dependent upon international trade and all of those lovely trade goods arrive by sea in 2013 just as they did in 1913. If you want the shipping lanes to be safe and secure then you need a strong, capable navy. Otherwise the nation starves. That’s it. Nothing to do with the capability to lob cruise missiles into Syria, nothing to do with threatening to stick one up the Iranians, nothing to do with being better than the French. Just life-or-death trade. Karl Dönitz understood that. Winston Churchill understood that. The Chinese understand it. So should the pillock who currently rents 10 Downing Street.

Britain ‘must have two aircraft carriers to be global player’

Britain must have two working aircraft carriers if it wants to be a global military player, a Foreign Office parliamentary aide has said.

Mr Ellwood said: “The UK either needs a carrier capability or it does not.” Photo: REUTERS

A Government cost-cutting proposal to mothball or sell one of two carriers being built would be a poor use of public money, Tobias Ellwood MP said in a report for a military think tank.

Trying to rely on a single carrier would also undermine the UK’s ability to cope with international crises.

Mr Ellwood said: “The UK either needs a carrier capability or it does not.

“If it does, then a minimum of two are required in order to have one permanently available.”

Running both carriers would cement Britain’s position as “a global player with a military power of the first rank,” he said.

The Government has yet to decide the fate of the two 65,000 ton Queen Elizabeth class carriers currently being built, but the 2010 defence review proposed selling one or keeping it mothballed to save money.

Mr Ellwood, in a report for the Royal United Services Institute, said: “A £3-billion carrier waiting in ‘suspended animation’ in Portsmouth to be activated has political consequences, as does the selling of a ship at a loss.

“Neither option is a sensible use of taxpayers’ money. Indeed, the latter should be firmly disregarded.”

He said the lack of British carriers during the 2011 Libya campaign had meant that RAF Tornadoes and Typhoons had been forced to fly a 3,000 mile round trip from the UK to hit Col Gaddafi’s forces.

Even when a base became available in Italy, he said air raids were still four times more expensive than if they had been launched from a carrier in the Mediterranean.

Mr Ellwood, a former Army officer, said: “The carrier’s agility and independence means it is likely to be one of the first assets deployed to any hotspot around the globe.”

He said a single carrier would only be available around 200 days per year because of maintenance work.

Last week backbenchers on the Public Accounts Committee warned the aircraft carrier programme faced further spiralling costs.

The project remained a “high risk” because technical problems had not been resolved and there was potential for “uncontrolled growth” in the final bill.

The committee also said a decision to change the type of planes to fly from the carriers had wasted tens of millions of pounds.

The Ministry of Defence had originally opted for jump jet versions of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, then switched to the carrier variant, only to return to the jump jets again last year when costs soared.

Philip Hammond, Defence Secretary, said no decision would be made on what to do with the two carriers until the 2015 strategic defence and security review.

But money saved by reverting to the jump jet F-35s meant there was the possibility of having two operational carriers.

He said: “Of course there are operational cost implications of holding two carriers available rather than one, but we will weigh very carefully the benefits of that and the costs of that in the review.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10297397/Britain-must-have-two-aircraft-carriers-to-be-global-player.html

Indian government issues instructions for armed guards on merchant ships

New instructions cover Indian-flagged merchant vessels.

Armed Guards for Merchant Ships

Suitable guidelines have been issued by the Government on deployment of armed security guards on board merchant ships to enable deployment of private armed security guards on Indian flag merchant ships particularly when transiting through the high risk area (HRA) in the Gulf of Aden region in Africa.

Government has taken various preventive/mitigating security measures, which inter-alia, include the following:-

(i) M.S. Notice No.1 of 2011 issued providing for elaborate anti-piracy measures (Best Management Practices), including safe house/citadel.

(ii) Banning of sailing vessels to ply in waters south or west of the line joining Salalah and Male vide DGS M.S.Notice No. 3/2010.

(iii) Naval escort provided by Indian naval ships in the Gulf of Aden since 2008.

(iv) Enhanced vigil by the Indian Navy in the Indian EEZ and westward upto 65 degree east longitude.

(v) Active participation of India in the security meetings of the International Maritime Organization, Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and other international fora.

(vi) Submission of Document No.27/9/1 at the IMO Assembly meeting held at London on 21-30.11.2011for flag states to provide information on the welfare of captive crew, efforts for their release and also on continued payment of their wages.

This information was given by Minister of Shipping Shri G.K. Vasan in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=97974

International Maritime Organization 2013 Awards for Exceptional Bravery at Sea

Two USCG rescue swimmers who saved the lives of 14 crew members when the vintage sailing ship HMS Bounty sank in October 2012 are among those to be honoured with the International Maritime Organization’s annual Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea.

US rescue swimmers and a Chinese seafarer are winners of 2013 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea

Council: 110th session – 15 to 19 July 2013

Briefing: 32, July 22, 2013

The 2013 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea will be awarded to two rescue swimmers from the United States of America, for saving the lives of 14 crew members from the tall ship HMS Bounty, and, posthumously, to a seafarer from China who died trying to save the life of a ferry passenger.

The IMO Council, meeting for its 110th session in London, decided that the 2013 award will go to Aviation Survival Technician Second Class Randy J. Haba and Aviation Survival Technician Third Class Daniel J. Todd of the United States Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, nominated by the Government of the United States, for saving the lives of 14 crew members from the tall ship HMS Bounty, during Hurricane Sandy. The Council also agreed to bestow the 2013 Award posthumously on Mr. Jinguo Yang, a crewmember on the ferry Tong Chang Qi Du 11, nominated by the Government of China, who gave his own life whilst trying to rescue a person in distress on the ferry, after it had collided with the cargo ship Shun Qiang 28.

Aviation Survival Technicians Randy J. Haba and Daniel J. Todd

Aviation Survival Technicians Haba and Todd were despatched on board two Coast Guard Rescue Helicopters, CG-6012 and CG-6031, from United States Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, responding to a distress alert from HMS Bounty, during the pre-dawn hours of 29 October 2012.

After flying through the outer bands of Hurricane Sandy, in strong winds and torrential rain, they encountered the ship, partially submerged with a large debris field, surrounded by life rafts.

Rescue Helicopter CG-6012 was the first to arrive at the scene, and AST Haba was lowered into the stormy waters. He spent an hour battling strong currents and 10 metre waves, in the wind and rain, taking survivors from the life rafts to the waiting rescue basket, overcoming exhaustion and fatigue. At one point, he was engulfed by a huge wave that knocked his mask off, severely restricting his vision and further hampering his tremendous efforts. AST Haba demonstrated the utmost determination and perseverance, performing two more rescues without the use of a mask. He exhibited exceptional strength and endurance throughout the entire rescue.

Rescue Helicopter CG-6031 arrived 30 minutes after CG-6012, and AST Todd was immediately deployed into the turbulent sea to begin the task of reaching another life raft. He began retrieving each of the survivors from the raft and delivering them to the rescue basket. Whilst he was assisting the second survivor into the rescue basket, a large wave toppled the life raft containing the four remaining survivors. Todd immediately secured a handhold on the sea anchor to stabilize his position. His strength and ingenuity expedited the rescue of the six survivors and his action saved valuable time. This enabled him to reposition himself to a second life raft, containing three additional survivors, whom he also successfully rescued.

Both men overcame the effects of cold, fatigue and ingesting sea water to deliver 14 crew members of HMS Bounty to safety.

Mr. Jinguo Yang (posthumous award)

On 15 March 2012, the ferry Tong Chang Qi Du 11 collided with the cargo ship Shun Qiang 28 on the Yangtze river.  The ferry’s hull was damaged and it started sinking with 33 persons on board, 31 of whom were subsequently saved during the search and rescue operation and transferred to a rescue ship.  One passenger was trapped in his truck, which had been severely damaged in the collision.

One of the  rescued crew members, Mr. Jinguo Yang, 55, jumped back onto the sinking ferry and attempted, unsuccessfully, to prize open the jammed door of the truck in order to rescue the trapped passenger.  Unfortunately, the ferry lost its stability and capsized.  Mr. Jinguo Yang was unable to save the passenger’s life; indeed, in trying to do so, he lost his own.  Although he had the opportunity to escape at the last moment, he chose instead, at the cost of his own life, to stay and attempt to rescue the trapped passenger.

The Council unanimously endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that these were the worthy recipients of the Bravery Award for 2013, from a total of 34 nominations, received from 10 Member States and two non-governmental organizations in consultative status with IMO.

The Council also decided that, of the other nominees or groups of nominees, six should receive Certificates of Commendation and 12 should receive Letters of Commendation.

The Awards ceremony will take place at IMO Headquarters, on Monday, 25 November 2013, at the end of the first day of the 28th Assembly of IMO.

http://www.imo.org/MediaCentre/PressBriefings/Pages/32-council-110-bravery.aspx

Protecting thousands of miles of coastline (the UK has 11,000 and the United States has 95,000) is a daunting task

Protecting thousands of miles of coastline (the UK has 11,000 and the United States has 95,000) is a daunting task. Preventing a Mumbai-style terrorist attack is a worrying prospect.

Concern over ‘high seas security loophole’

Large merchant freighters are fitted with systems that allow the vessel’s movements to be tracked.

All vessels using international waters should be identifiable and be part of a global tracking system to close a “security loophole” on the high seas.The call was made by the Global Ocean Commission, an “independent high-level initiative on the future of the ocean”.

The commission said current technology made the idea feasible and affordable.

At present, only passenger and large merchant vessels are legally required to have unique ID numbers and tracking devices.

Previous studies have highlighted a link between the lack of unique identification and tracking technology and criminal activity, such as people trafficking, illegal fishing and terrorism.

Officials investigating the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India, which left more than 160 people dead and injured hundreds more, said the attackers used a private fishing trawler to reach the Indian city after they overpowered the vessels’ crew.

“In the 21st Century, when governments are doing so much to make their borders and citizens secure, it seems extraordinary that they have left a loophole big enough to sail a trawler full of explosives through,” commented Jose Maria Figueres, one of the commissioners and former Costa Rican President.

“There are details to be worked though, such as the cost of tracking systems, although from the evidence we have heard so far we do not think that will be an obstacle.”

He added: “For the security of citizens around the world, it seems clear that it is time to close the loophole.”

Vessels can use a number of electronic systems for identification and communication, one of which is known as the Automatic Identification System (AIS).

AIS is a short-range system, using VHF radio. However, satellites in low-Earth orbit can also detect AIS signals, which provides real-time global coverage.

‘Good guys’ rewards

The commissioners said that many governments were taking steps to address the issue in their own waters but – they added – there had been very little progress to tackle the problem in waters outside of national jurisdiction.

Another commissioner and former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband observed that legally requiring ID and real-time tracking of vessels using the high seas would also deliver other benefits, such as cracking down on human trafficking and illegal fishing opportunities.

“Mandatory vessel ID and tracking would reward those who play by the rules and penalise those who do not,” Mr Miliband said.

“It would create economic opportunities for the ‘good guys’ and improve the social conditions of seafarers.”

Writing in the journal Science in 2010, a study suggested that up to 26m tonnes of fish, worth an estimated $23bn (£16bn), were landed illegally each year.

Maritime law expert Richard Caddell said bolstering maritime security had become a priority for many nations, so the commission’s call ought to be “relatively attractive”.

“Vessels can be swiftly re-flagged and re-named so the [International Maritime Organization’s] numbering programme provides a very effective means of tracking the precise history of a ship, which is very useful for both criminal investigations and enforcing civil claims against delinquent vessels,” he told BBC News.

“Of the categories of vessels that are currently exempt from the numbering requirements, the fishing industry represents the biggest loophole.”

But Dr Caddell – from the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law, Swansea University, UK – warned that “maritime law enforcement remains a significant problem, especially in remote areas of the high seas in which it may be practically difficult to arrest the vessel”

He concluded: “While this is a laudable initiative, much will depend upon the ability of individual states to deal with these vessels on the ground.”

The commission issued its recommendations for vessel monitoring at the end of a two-day meeting in New York and is expected to publish its final report in mid-2014.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23227445