Herman

GLOBAL INSECURITY

Private navies combat

Malacca Strait pirates

Waterway now so dangerous for shipping, Lloyd's classifies major seaway as warzone

 

© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

 

Ship captains navigating the Malacca Strait no longer have to depend on the slow response of government – or sheer luck – to safely pass through the pirate- and terrorist-infested waters since private navies have begun providing escort services for ships through the strategic seaway.

 

The Strait, passageway to a third of the world's crude oil, has long been treacherous, with gangs armed with machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and other modern weapons ready to board, kill crews, steal cargo and even hijack and resell ships.

 

As reported by WorldNetDaily, pirates stalking ships in the Strait have escalated their tactics and capabilities, raising the fear terrorists may infiltrate their ranks and use hijacked ships as platforms for attacks.

 

"We have been alarmed not only by the increase in the number of pirate attacks in the sea lanes of communication in this part of the world, but also in the nature of the piracy attacks," said Tony Tan, Singapore's minister for security.

 

"In previous years when you had a piracy attack, what it meant is that you have a sampan or a boat coming up to a cargo ship, pirates throwing up some ropes, scrambling on board, ransacking the ship for valuables, stealing money and then running away," Tan told an Asian security forum, according to a report in the Khaleej Times. "But the last piracy attack that took place in the Straits of Malacca showed a different pattern," he added. The pirates were well armed, operating sophisticated weapons and commanding high-speed boats. "They conducted the operation almost with military precision."

 

Tan added: "Instead of just ransacking the ship for valuables, they took command of the ship, and steered the ship for about an hour, and then eventually left with the captain in their captivity. To all of us, this is reminiscent of the pattern by which terrorists mount an attack."

 

It is this level of violence that has caused Lloyd's Market Association to designate the Malacca Strait a warzone like Iraq for insurance purposes – a designation that translates into higher costs of doing business.

 

But business problems breed business solutions – in this case, private navies that provide onboard security and naval escort services to cargo ships and tankers.

 

Five security companies from Britain and the U.S. have entered the private navy business in the region in the last year, hoping to tap a market that prices security at a minimum of $50,000 per ship.

 

Companies like Background Asia Risk Solutions, the first naval security firm to open for business in Singapore, hire U.S. and British Commonwealth ex-military and police personnel, many with experience in Iraq or Afghanistan. While forbidden by law from using heavy machine guns, the armed escorts provide onboard security and chartered patrol boats to escort client ships. Some firms even claim to be able to recapture ships or oil rigs from hijackers by rappelling security forces from helicopters.

 

"We are not in the business of eradicating piracy," Alex Duperouzel, managing director of Background Asia, told the Glasgow Sunday Herald. "But we are in the business of suppressing it and protecting our clients."

 

Background Asia typically runs six escort missions monthly at around $100,000 each. The going rate for ransoming kidnapped ship's masters in the region is $120,000.

 

Duperouzel said his forces have not yet had to open fire – his men merely stepping up to the side of the ship with weapons displayed has been sufficient to convince pirates to leave, often to find easier prey.

 

While statistics indicate 4 murders of crew members last year, the number of attacks in Indonesian waters and the Strait dropped from 77 to 56, a sign, perhaps, the private navies are suppressing piracy.

 

The 12-15 gangs in the area, each about 50-strong, operate out of southern Thailand and Indonesia. Some have links to the Triads in Hong Kong, organized crime syndicates with resources and networks to fence stolen cargoes. Others are associated with Islamic terrorist groups like Jemaah Islamiyah.

 

"We are concerned that terrorists may seize control of a tanker with a cargo of lethal materials, LNG (liquefied natural gas) perhaps, chemicals, and use it as a floating bomb against our port," Tan said. "This would cause catastrophic damage, not only to the port but also for people, because our port is located very near to a highly dense residential area. Thousands of people would be killed."

 

"If terrorists were to seize a tanker, a large ship, and sink it into a narrow part of the Straits it will cripple world trade," Tan said. "It would have the iconic large impact which terrorists seek."

 

Malaysia has rejected the use of foreign forces to patrol the area. For now, that leaves the private navies that have proven their mettle against pirates seeking booty but who have yet to be tested against terrorists intent on destruction, whatever the cost.

AAR: Emerald Action

By Mark Gellis

 

 

Lieutenant O'Malley was fuming as he walked out of the radio room. He had just received his orders from HQ ashore. "Locate Norwegian fishing vessels in your vicinity and handle with extreme prejudice." Although he didn't necessarily agree with their implied violence, he could obey them. The next part of his orders were what gave him gastronomic upset, "Norwegian frigate Narvik believed to be in your Area of Operations [AO]. Exercise extreme caution." Now how the heck was he supposed to deal with that? Did the REMFs ever bother to compare the range of his 76mm guns to the range of the Narvik's Surface-to-Surface Missiles [sSMs]? He said a quick prayer for himself and his crews and walked the short distance to the bridge to begin the operation.

 

His two small vessels were more attuned to fishery management and not a stand up fight with a naval frigate. More depressing was the fact that his forces were nearly blind as they were only equipped with short-ranged radar. A small consolation was the assignment of three SF260 aircraft from Shannon. However, these aircraft were nearly as blind as the ships as they had no active sensors. It would be the ultimate game of "Marco Polo". To actually find any ships on this sea was going to require blind luck, indeed. To help hide his vessels, O'Malley ordered his ships to engage their radar only sporadically. Hopefully, this would prevent the frigate from establishing a firm contact on him from Electronic Support Measures [ESM] alone. It was the only card he had to play.

 

 

As the planes flew back and forth over the wide ocean, one stumbled upon the St. Lucia, a trawler registered in Stavanger. The Niamh was immediately ordered to intercept and attempt to board her. Unfortunately, as Niamh closed on her, the Frigate was detected dangerously close to the Niamh. The Niamh was chasing a vessel doing 14kts, she was doing 22kts, and she was being chased by a vessel running 25knots. O'Malley had the image of a small fish being devoured by a bigger fish who was in turn being eaten by a yet larger fish.

 

 

Well, whatever their fate, O'Malley was determined to catch the St. Lucia before she herself was caught. The other patrol vessel, Ciara, could make 25kts and decided to stay well clear of the frigate's path. Ciara made contact with another trawler, Katerina, who serendipitously appeared in front of her. As both Irish vessels ran for their lives, they also closed on these merchant intruders. When they reached a distance of 1nm, the Norwegian ships were ordered to halt for fishery inspection. When they refused to do so, they were ordered sunk by gunfire. For reasons unknown, once the trawlers were sunk, the frigate disengaged from her pursuit and victory was awarded. The luck of the Irish had held today.

 

 

Thanks for an interesting little encounter. I think that my success was more due to luck than skillful deployment.

 

Check it out in the StrategyZoneOnline file archives.

HMS CREWLESS

Daily Mirror

 

EXCLUSIVE Royal Navy unveils Britain's biggest ever ships ..but there's not enough sailors to man them

By Chris Hughes

NAVY chiefs are desperately looking for more than 1,000 new recruits to help crew Britain's two biggest ever warships.

 

The two £1.5billion 60,000-ton aircraft carriers - three times heavier than the ones currently in the fleet - are not due to be ready until 2012. But top brass are desperate to start recruiting now.

 

One senior source revealed yesterday: "This is a crisis as we need hundreds more marines and engineers to be ready in time.

 

"We are moving on from the Cold War. That's over, but the need for small, lightning attacks or defensive strategies is vital.

 

"We're adapting to an ever-changing world in which the fight against terrorism needs us to expand our versatility and sea and air capability.

 

"That means we need to get young people training now."

 

The design of the two ships, called Carriers of the Future (CVFs), is constantly changing and has not yet been finalised. But when built they will dwarf 43,000-ton French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle as well as the Royal Navy's three similar ships.

China's new destroyers feature Aegis tech copied from U.S.

 

Special to World Tribune.com

EAST-ASIA-INTEL.COM

 

Thursday, July 21, 2005

China's military put its new guided missile destroyers on display last week, disclosing its two new warships that are equipped with Aegis-type battle management systems.

 

Two new Luyang II guided missile destroyers are part of China's naval builduup.

 

The two Luyang II guided missile destroyers are Beijing's first Aegis-type ships. The ships are currently undergoing sea trials.

U.S. intelligence officials say China stole the technology for the Aegis battle management system by setting up a front company in the United States that became a subcontractor for the Aegis system manufacturer.

 

The Chinese also showed two other new guided missile destroyers, known as Luyang I.

Both types of destroyers are equipped with Russian military equipment and weapons, including missiles, as well as indigenous Chinese anti-ship missiles.

 

The four warships are part of China's military buildup that U.S. officials say is designed for more than just a Taiwan conflict. The Chinese are building a deep-water navy able to project power, especially against the United States.

34th Scenario posted this year!

 

See for yourself if history could have played out differently at the Bay of Pigs. This scenario uses the Colonial Wars database edited by Paul Bridge.

 

Bay of Pigs

 

 

On April 14th, 1961, six ships departed a Nicaraguan training camp where they had spent months training with CIA instructors. Brigade 2506 was to land at the Bay of Pigs in southern Cuba to overthrow Castro's regime. Sixteen B-26C Invader medium-range bombers were ready in Central America to support their invasion.

 

Cuba's army and militia, while numerically strong, were thought to be poorly motivated and likely to switch sides when the invasion took place. Cuba's air force was poorly equipped, had low servicability, and would be destroyed on the ground by the rebel B-26s and by US strikes on the main airbases. After all, it was the CIA who had organised the invasion.

 

In reality, President Kennedy had inherited the operation from his predecessors and, while unwilling to pull the plug, he severely limited the support that could be given and personally ordered a veto against air strikes on Cuban airbases.

 

This scenario starts on April 15th 1961 and lasts 24 hours. It uses Paul Bridge's Colonial Database (v1.5 July 6th, 2005). Thanks to Paul for many database updates.

 

ORDERS FOR CUBA

 

SITUATION

 

CIA remains committed to the removal of the Communist government of Cuba by any means possible. President Kennedy appears to be no different from his predecessors in advocating invasion and assassination plots against our country.

 

The Soviet Union has reacted enthusiastically to our requests for arms and, so far, 4 MiG-15s and some shipments of Czech submachine guns have been received. Most of our air force personnel are training on MiG-15, MiG-19 fighters, and the new SA-2 SAM rockets in Russia and Czechoslovakia. Only some trainee fighter pilots and the 4 captains piloting the Migs are available to support our B26 bombers in defending Cuba.

 

ORDERS

 

Your orders are to defend Cuba against potential aggression. The timing of such aggression is expected within the next day, but be wary of attempts to draw out our forces to reduce their effectiveness.

 

Intel reports that the CIA has used training camps in Florida, Nicaragua and Guatemala to train a unit known as Brigade 2506. They appear to have access to military aircraft and are thought to be planning a parachute or ship insertion somewhere in Cuba.

 

 

ORDERS FOR REBELS

 

"Men of Brigade 2506; the liberation of our country has begun!

 

We will invade Cuba! Our training has honed our small arms skills, taught us how to cooperate with our air power, and made us familiar with the Landing Ships from which we will unload our tanks, our infantry companies, and our supplies. Good Luck"

 

<<Eyes Only Commander Brigade 2506>>

 

President Kennedy has personally approved the operation. U-2 reconnaissance missions have been planned. The Amphibious Landing Ship USS San Marco with two escorting destroyers will support our invasion and escort us in.

 

The Essex Carrier group will be flying cover missions over the beachheads enabling our unescorted B-26C bombers to level the enemy.

 

Author: Freek Schepers

 

Check it out at:

Troubled ship San Antonio joins Navy's fleet

 

A report earlier this month said the ship had bad wiring, cable deficiencies as shown above, inadequate ventilation, corrosion, safety deficiencies throughout and “poor construction and craftsmanship standards.” U.S. NAVY

 

 

By JACK DORSEY, The Virginian-Pilot

© July 21, 2005

 

NORFOLK – The Navy quietly accepted delivery Wednesday of the amphibious ship San Antonio despite a highly critical report earlier this month from its own inspection board warning not to do so until significant problems were fixed or waived by the chief of naval operations.

 

In a small morning ceremony on the bridge wing of the new helicopter and troop carrier – the first in its class of 12 sister ships – the Navy took possession from Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Pascagoula, Miss., saying remaining work will be completed and the deficiencies corrected.

 

The Navy anticipates moving the crew of 360 aboard next month and is prepared for the ship to be commissioned into service in late October or early November, according to shipyard and Navy officials.

 

The 684-foot, 24,900-ton amphibious transport dock, is to be based in Norfolk.

 

In a statement released by the Navy Sea Systems Command in Washington, the San Antonio, also known by its hull number of LPD-17, received “satisfactory scores” during its sea trials for seven graded demonstrations. Those tested main propulsion, engineering and ship control systems, mission systems, combat systems, damage control, food service and crew support.

 

The average score was .92 of a possible 1.0, the Navy said.

 

“As summarized best by the Board of Inspection and Survey, “San Antonio is a highly capable platform with great potential for future service to the fleet,” said Shirley Copeland, a spokeswoman for the command.

 

On July 8 a Navy inspection board report to Adm. Vern Clark, chief of naval operations, said the ship was plagued by bad wiring, inadequate ventilation, corrosion, safety deficiencies throughout and “poor construction and craftsmanship standards.”

 

The ship “will be plagued by electrical and electronic cable plant installation deficiencies throughout its entire service life if currently-planned corrective actions are not complete,” the report continued.

 

Watertight integrity is compromised throughout the ship by numerous cable crossings through decks that may never be corrected, it said.

 

Photographs obtained this week by The Virginian-Pilot show some of the electrical cable problems the inspectors disclosed in their report.

 

“The board recommends the CNO authorize (the sea systems command) to accept delivery provided all starred deficiencies have been corrected, or waived, by CNO prior to acceptance,” it concluded.

 

There were 37 starred items in the report, citing everything from a crash-prone engineering control system to incomplete sprinkler systems in the berthing compartments.

 

A new memorandum of agreement, signed just before the Navy accepted the ship, is designed to ensure the ship’s major problems are fixed.

 

“Both the government and the shipbuilder agreed the corrections that need to be made that were cited by the Inserv Board will be made and the ship is ready to go,” said Brian Cullin, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman in Washington.

 

Acceptance of the ship by the Navy is an administrative commissioning, Cullin said, that will allow its commanding officer to take the ship to sea for various examinations and tests as the crew becomes certified.

 

While the San Antonio’s builders have been criticized for being two years late and more than $400 million over budget, Cullin pointed out that his company was not involved in its early construction.

 

The keel for the ship was laid in December 2000 at Avondale Shipyard in New Orleans, with delivery expected by September 2003. Funding delays, schedule changes and construction issues caused the completion date to slip.

 

Northrop Grumman then acquired Avondale and Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula in 2002 and moved the ship from New Orleans to Pascagola in November 2004, where work continues to complete it.

 

“We were up front about this,” Cullin said. “This ship has had extraordinary challenges. It was at risk of being canceled early on and it has been a constant process trying to work through those.”

 

Since acquiring the new shipyards and the San Antonio, Nortrop Grumman has taken its work force from New Orleans through significant changes in the last three years to improve its skills and correct the ship’s problems, Cullin said.

 

“Northop Grumman is aggressively completing correction of these items,” he said.

 

“The Inserv Board’s function in life is to find out everything that needs to be right before a ship enters the fleet and that’s exactly what the Inserv did.”

 

Despite the inspectors report, the ship came through builders trials and acceptance trials with the lowest number of major deficiencies than some previous first-of-class warships, Cullin said.

 

The final cost of the ship cold reach $1.85 billion the Navy said. Its original cost was to have been about $830 million.

There are at least one boatload of sailors in the Royal Canadian Navy who can fully empathize with their Australian counterparts.

 

 

 

Sub 20 seconds from death

By Cameron Stewart

July 23, 2005

News.com.au

 

AN Australian submarine carrying 55 sailors was seconds from sinking to the bottom of the Indian Ocean following a catastrophic on-board flood off the coast of Perth.

 

The near-tragedy has forced the navy to permanently reduce the diving depth of its fleet of six Collins-class submarines for safety reasons - a move that has weakened their military capability.

An investigation by The Weekend Australian has revealed that an accident on board HMAS Dechaineux on February 12, 2003, was more serious than the navy has publicly admitted.

 

"I don't think there was anybody on our boat who wasn't shit-scared that day," said Able Seaman Geordie Bunting, who almost drowned in the flood and who has now spoken about it for the first time.

 

"Another five seconds and we would have been in big trouble ... another 10 and you have got to question whether we could have surfaced."

 

Mike Deeks, the then commander of the navy's submarine force, said: "We were talking seconds, not minutes. It was a very serious, significant flood."

 

The depth at which the accident occurred and the maximum depth to which the submarine fleet is now capable of diving is classified information. All operational details about the vessel are classified because they could aid an enemy.

 

The accident happened about 40 nautical miles off Perth when a sea water hose in the lower engine room failed just as the Dechaineux, the fourth of the navy's six Collins-class submarines, was at its deepest diving depth.

 

"There was a loud bang and something hard flew past my head," Seaman Bunting said. "Then the water flooded in and I got tossed around like in a washing machine. It was coming in so fast I thought it was all over."

 

Two sailors rushed to rescue Seaman Bunting from the flooded engine room as Dechaineux's captain Peter Scott and his crew tried desperately to stem the flow of sea water and make the stricken submarine climb.

 

The crew succeeded in stopping the flood but the submarine had taken so much water it did not respond immediately to the emergency commands.

 

"It was pretty bloody close, mate. There would have been a lot of people frozen in the moment," Seaman Bunting said.

 

Lieutenant Commander Geoff Wadley, who was in the control room when the flood occurred, said: "There was a period before the submarine reacted and there was a lot of tension in the air."

 

Able Seaman Greg Sullivan, who saved Seaman Bunting's life by fishing him out of the flooded room, said: "I was thinking we could be in trouble. You knew it was taking longer than it should (to start to surface)."

 

If the flood had not been stopped in time, Dechaineux and its crew would have sunk and been crushed by water pressure before hitting the seabed.

 

"It would have been like crushing an empty Coke can in your hand," Seaman Bunting said. "We were too deep to hit the bottom alive."

 

Senior naval sources estimate that if the flood had continued for another 15-25 seconds, Dechaineux would have become too heavy to climb back to the surface.

 

Asked by The Weekend Australian to confirm if Dechaineux was about 20 seconds from disaster, the navy said: "All floods in submarines are serious and time is clearly a critical factor."

 

At the time of the accident, the navy admitted Dechaineux had taken on water but hid the true gravity of the situation. It would have been Australia's worst military disaster since the 1964 HMAS Voyager tragedy near Jervis Bay on the New South Wales South Coast, which left 82 sailors dead.

 

The navy responded to the crisis by ordering the submarine fleet back to port and conducting exhaustive tests on the hose that failed.

 

However, it was never able to find a fault with the hoses, which are still used.

 

Instead, the navy has reduced the diving depth of the submarines, and as a result the pressure placed on the seawater hoses. There has not been a major flooding incident since.

 

Despite teething problems, the six Collins submarines have performed above expectation in operations, becoming one of the nation's most valuable military assets.

 

Captain Scott nominated two of his crew for bravery awards. But more than two years later, those medals have still not been presented.

 

"We all had a pretty good idea how completely catastrophic it could have been," said a senior crew member who asked not to be named. "If it had been any worse, we wouldn't have got up, and if our propulsion system had failed we wouldn't have made it. We were probably only 20 seconds away (from sinking)."

 

Seaman Bunting said the accident changed his life. "I'm still nervous about it. It's the closest I'd like to come to death."

US offers warships to India for first time

NEW DELHI, JULY 22 (PTI)

OutlookIndia

 

For the first time, the United States has offered India military hardware including warships like minesweepers and big landing ships, Chief of Naval staff Admiral Arun Prakash said here today.

 

"The new defence framework being worked out between the two countries provides, for the first time, sale of military hardware," Prakash said as he pointed out that a high-level Naval delegation would visit the US soon to look at American Naval minesweepers and troop and equipment landing ships.

 

According to military experts, the US gesture is significant as so far Washington's defence deals with New Delhi have revolved round sale of weapon locating radars, human detecting sensors and supply of P3C Orions, long-range maritime reconnisance aircraft.

 

On Orions, the Naval chief said the negotiations were at an advanced stage, but at the same time indicated that to serve its purpose, Navy might go in for global tenders for the purchase of such aircraft.

 

In a lengthy interaction with media on the sidelines of the anniversary of a security magazine, Prakash also referred to a "big void" in the country's underwater capability and pointed out that the pending multi-billion Euro deal on acquisition of Scorpene submarines from France would be renegotiated to cover pricing, cost escalation as well as to insert transparency and integrity clauses in the deal.

 

Prakash said the renegotiation would not be on the basic price but on "certain aspects" of it. The Navy was also considering Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) technology for the Scorpenes, he said.

South American future for HMS Norfolk

EDP

 

20 July 2005 20:04

 

HMS Norfolk, the county's adopted warship, has been sold to the Chilean Navy as part of a three-ship package deal worth just under £200m.

 

It means the sixth ship to bear the county name has followed its predecessor for a new life south of the equator.

 

The Type 23 frigate, which ended its Royal Navy service at the end of March, will head to the southern hemisphere with sister ships HMS Grafton and HMS Marlborough over the next three years.

 

Training and spare parts are also included in the $350m (£192m) deal.

 

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “That represents extremely good value for the British taxpayer.”

 

The ships ended their career after the introduction of the Type 45 destroyer, which has a much greater capability, and because of a perceived reduction in the enemy submarine threat, an area of operation that HMS Norfolk was specifically designed to counter.

 

MoD sources say the sale of the three frigates to Chile also signals an improving relationship between Britain and the South American state in recent years.

 

The sixth HMS Norfolk ended its illustrious service with the Royal Navy at the end of March, followed by a formal decommissioning ceremony on April 15. It has not been to sea since November, after a farewell visit to Norfolk and the east coast.

 

It was launched in 1987 and has seen service across the globe, including most recently in the northern Arabian Gulf as part of the war on terror, but has spent the last few months at its home naval base of Devonport.

 

The current HMS Norfolk was deemed surplus to requirements last July amid the same round of defence cuts that saw the closure of RAF Coltishall announced.

 

The fifth HMS Norfolk, launched in November 1967, once had Prince Charles as one of its company. When the vessel left service, she was handed over to the Chilean navy on February 17, 1982 and renamed Captain Pratt.

Canada in wait to use its mine-clearing drones

Canadian Press

CTV

 

HALIFAX — France and the United States will likely be the first countries to take full advantage of advanced minesweeping technology developed in Canada, even though it was first intended for Canadian navy ships, says a senior researcher.

 

While a number of countries have shown interest in purchasing the high-tech gear, the Canadian navy will only get to test drive the Remote Minehunting System because of budget cuts and a cumbersome procurement process.

 

In an deal signed last week, Ottawa said it will pay for operational tests of the system for only 20 days a year. The Canadian tests are expected to be carried out at the navy's base in Esquimalt, B.C., over the next 18 months.

 

Canadian taxpayers invested $20 million in the project. Still, there are no plans for Canada to purchase the homegrown system until 2010.

 

The system, developed in conjunction with the French defence giant DCN, uses drones to hunt for explosives in murky harbour bottoms.

 

International interest is being driven by the fear that terrorists could use a few, relatively cheap underwater mines to disrupt commercial shipping, said Dave Hopkin, head of mine and torpedo studies at Defence Research and Development Canada.

 

"That is one of the new and emerging roles for this type of a system," Hopkin said in an interview.

 

It can detect "anything from a barrel full of explosives to a conventional mine shape."

 

Hopkin said "it's quite likely" the French and the Americans will buy and use the Canadian system before Canada does.

 

Though the federal budget in February promised $12.8 billion in new defence spending over five years, most of that money won't be available until 2009-2011.

 

A senior Defence Department official confirmed the navy was unable to pencil in the high-tech program until 2010.

 

"We were hoping to fit into the plan earlier, rather than later, but other issues were judged to be a higher priority," said Lieut.-Cmdr Jim Hewitt, the staff officer for mine warfare.

 

"The government gives us a set amount of money to spend each year on capital equipment. The company could probably deliver it earlier, but that means we'd have to knock some other piece of equipment out of the way and that might cost money (in contract penalties)."

 

Hewitt, who has devoted much of military career to perfecting the minehunting system, denied that either the French or the Americans would acquire a military edge by using Canadian technology.

 

Even if the units were purchased today and delivered in 18 months, there would still be training required - something the Canadians will be doing, he said.

 

The system uses two submersible vessels that are connected by a steel cable.

 

An eight-metre, diesel-powered mini-submarine - operating just below the surface - tows a smaller craft that skims just above the sea floor, taking video images and sonar readings.

 

The data from the drones are beamed to a navy ship up to eight kilometres away.

 

Canadian defence researchers began working on the system over a decade ago as 12 coastal defence vessels were constructed for the navy.

 

The original intent, Hopkin said, was to equip the new vessels with the minehunters, but "due to budgetary reasons" they were not able to do it.

 

The French defence contractor DCN is now marketing the units under the name Seakeeper.

 

The system was recently demonstrated to the head of the U.S. navy's mine warfare division at Corpus Christi, Texas.

 

A statement from the company said that Rear Admiral D. A. Loewer was impressed with the system's "remarkable performance."

 

But no final decision has been taken by the U.S. Defence Department on whether it will acquire the Seakeeper, which costs up to $29 million per unit.

 

Hopkin said DCN is currently pitching the French navy, which is interested in purchasing a minehunting system for at least one harbour.

Mark Gellis has released the 33rd scenario of the year. From Cold War to Cod War.

 

Emerald Action – BAT10C3 - EC2003 GIUK

 

 

Recent ecological factors have led to the collapse of fish populations around the world. The European Union has decided to treat certain regions of the Atlantic Ocean as "fallow zones" in the hopes that fish populations will recover and a worldwide food crisis will be avoided. Not all nations recognize these Fallow Zones, though...

 

Norwegian fishing boats have once again entered Fallow Zones to the west of Ireland. Irish forces are directed to locate these fishing boats and seize them; if they attempt to flee, sink them. These boats must not be allowed to return to Norway. Norway is aware that the E.U. is ready to use force against its fishing boats. A Norwegian frigate may be on patrol in these waters. Avoid this warship. She carries anti-surface missiles and your vessels are unlikely to survive an encounter with her.

 

This scenario requires Harpoon Classic version 16b8 or later and also the HCDB_050510 or later in order to function properly.

 

Author: Mark Gellis

 

Check it out on the file archives at:

 

FilesOfScenShare

 

HarpGamer.com - Home of the HCDB.

Looks like quality control problems are not limited to the PRC. See also.

RedNova

Problems on New Ship a Bad Sign, Analyst Warns

Jul. 14--WASHINGTON -- The "poor construction and craftsmanship" Navy inspectors say they found last month aboard a new amphibious ship could be an ominous sign for the service and the U.S. shipbuilding industry as they embark on a host of other ship programs, a veteran naval analyst warned Wednesday.

 

Scott C. Truver, a vice president of Anteon Corp., an information technology company based in Fairfax, said a newly disclosed Navy report on the San Antonio, a $1.2 billion helicopter and troop carrier scheduled to join the fleet this fall, "seems to be particularly expansive in outlining numerous problems and shortcomings."

 

Inspectors said they found such deficiencies as hazardous wiring, uninstalled ventilation and a crash-prone engineering control system. Though the Navy expects to take possession of the ship in August, the inspectors said the San Antonio is not ready for its crew to come aboard.

 

The vessel will be based in Norfolk and is the first in a line of 12 new amphibious ships the Navy has ordered.

 

Truver and other analysts interviewed Wednesday said that because the San Antonio is the first ship in a new class, it's not surprising that inspectors found so much to criticize.

 

The designs of such lead ships typically have bugs that have to be worked out as construction crews translate paper drawings into steel bulkheads and passageways, they said.

 

Truver recalled working on one new ship in which a team of welders inadvertently used a set of upside-down blueprints; inspectors later found stanchions intended to hold television sets in a lounge area were protruding from the floor rather than hanging from the ceiling.

 

First-in-the-line problems are particularly prevalent on surface ships such as the San Antonio, said Joseph F. Yurso of Virginia Beach, a retired Navy engineering duty officer and former commander of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine.

 

A nuclear-powered submarine or aircraft carrier receiving its first exam from the Board of Inspection and Survey generally gets fairly high marks, Yurso said. Some in the surface force argue that's because the Navy is more willing to spend freely in designing and building those kinds of ships, he added.

 

"I can't explain why, but the amphibious ships always seem to be at the end of a food chain, whether we're talking about repairs or parts," Yurso said. "I spent 30 years in the Navy, and I never could really comprehend that."

 

Still, Truver said, the tone of an eight-page memo on the San Antonio sent by the Board of Inspection and Survey to top Navy leaders seems tougher, and many of the problems it identifies are more severe than normal.

 

And as the Navy tries to replace today's fleet with a smaller but more capable force, the apparent problems with the San Antonio are particularly troubling, he added.

 

With fewer warships being produced, "engineering and production skills will almost assuredly atrophy. And problems like these might increase rather than decrease," Truver said.

 

He added that it's "interesting" that the inspection "was even attempted, given the numerous references to 'inoperative equipment' and 'incomplete installation.'"

 

Marcus Corbin, an analyst at the Washington-based Center for Defense Information, said Pentagon officials have a long history of tolerating first-in-the-class ship deficiencies.

 

"In developing virtually anything, there can be bugs," he said.

 

But a variety of independent studies have concluded that the military is far more willing than commercial customers to accept such problems.

 

"The Defense Department is completely failing to enforce commercial standard practices," Corbin said.

 

Yurso said the San Antonio's builder, Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, probably should have discovered and corrected many of the estimated 15,000 deficiencies found in the inspection before they presented the ship to the Board of Inspection and Survey.

 

"But it's not unusual for a first surface ship to have an awful lot of findings," he added. "Most of them are correctable within a reasonable period of time."

 

Yurso said inspection board members are expected to find and report all of a new ship's flaws.

 

"It is their role: to make sure they are reporting to Congress and everybody what the condition of the ship is when they look at it.

 

"There is a lot of pressure on a shipbuilder to make dates," he said. "As you get closer to the delivery of a ship, it gets to be a minor nightmare to make sure it all comes together.

 

"The shipbuilder gets put into the position that 'I really don't want to send this out right now; on the other hand, if I don't, I complicate all these other events.'"

 

Analysts said the number of problems discovered on a ship isn't as important as their severity.

 

With commissioning set tentatively for Oct. 1, the San Antonio already is more than two years behind schedule and $400 million or more over its original budget.

 

It will carry a crew of about 360, along with 700 Marines.

 

By Dale Eisman and Jack Dorsey

U.S. Close To Testing Massive “Bunker-Busting” Missile

By AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, PARIS

DefenseNews

 

The United States is close to testing a new missile aimed at destroying deep bunkers where suspected weapons of mass destruction are stored, the British weekly New Scientist says.

 

Four prototypes of the new “bunker-buster” will be tested later this year by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control of Dallas, Texas, which are working with U.S. Navy scientists on behalf of the Pentagon’s Threat Reduction Agency, it says.

 

Traditional bunker bombs are streamlined bombs whose sheer weight enables them to force through soil, rock or concrete before they detonate.

The new design is different, the report, in the July 16 issue of New Scientist, says.

 

The missile has a blunt nose that, combined with high velocity, creates a bubble of air in front of the weapon. The idea is that the bubble forces earth out to the sides as the missile descends, creating a cavity that the weapon can slide through.

 

The warhead could thus reach much deeper buried structures than conventional bunker-busters, the inventors hope.

 

The principle for the weapon comes from a new generation of high-speed torpedoes, which create a gas bubble around themselves called a supercavity.

 

A Russian torpedo of this kind, called Shkval, can move through the water at 360 kilometers (225 miles) per hour because it is essentially moving through water vapor rather than water, and resistance is thus very low.

 

”Lockheed Martin hopes the supercavitating missile will reach 10 times the depth of the current air-force record holder, the huge BLU-113 bunker-buster, which can break through seven meters of concrete (22.7 feet) or 30 meters (100 feet) of earth,” New Scientist says.

 

In addition, the new weapon could carry more explosives than its predecessors.

 

The BLU-133 needs a thick casing to resist friction, but supercavitating missiles could have a thin casing, leaving more space for explosives or incendiaries.

 

The Pentagon wants an incendiary payload in order to incinerate chemical or biological weapons, the report says.

ATK and Lockheed Martin to Develop Conventional Ballistic Missile for U.S. Navy

Tuesday July 12, 8:30 am ET

Global Strike Builds on ATK/Lockheed Martin Strategic Deterrence Partnership

Yahoo.com

 

MINNEAPOLIS, July 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliant Techsystems (NYSE: ATK - News) and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) have been awarded a $9.2 million contract by the U.S. Navy's Strategic Systems Program (SSP) office to demonstrate and validate solid rocket motor technologies suitable for a Submarine Launched Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (SLIRBM).

SLIRBM is a conventional missile concept that builds on the heritage the two companies share in U.S. Navy strategic missile development (Lockheed Martin and ATK provide the U.S. Navy with the submarine-launched Trident D5 nuclear ballistic missile). SLIRBM is designed to precisely deliver a conventional payload on target at ranges in excess of 1100 miles within 10-15 minutes of launch.

 

ATK and Lockheed Martin will develop SLIRBM using numerous off-the-shelf components to speed the development of a low-cost solution while minimizing program risk. The SLIRBM design will share common hardware across all stages of the propulsion system to shorten development time while keeping the missile's cost and complexity to a minimum.

 

Under the 16-month contract, ATK and Lockheed Martin will develop the missile and validate its concept with first and second stage static firings conducted at ATK Thiokol's solid rocket motor facilities in Promontory, Utah. ATK Thiokol is the world's leading provider of solid rocket motors and associated technologies.

Eshera - Russia's secret military base?

By M. Alkhazashvili

TheMessenger

 

Weeks after the signing of the agreement about the withdrawal of Russian military bases from Georgia, sensational information about the existence of a secret Russian submarine base in Abkhazia has surfaced.

 

The submarine base is alleged to be found in Eshera, a town in the breakaway republic of Abkhazia. This information can not be verified by Georgian officials, as Georgian representatives are barred from entering the territory of Abkhazia.

 

Rumors have long circulated about the existence of a Russian military base in Eshera. Current reports about the existence of the base are being circulated by Interpressnews.

 

According to a former high ranking official of the Soviet Defense Ministry, the military submarine base was responsible for control and observation of the Black Sea basin, reports the newspaper Khvalindeli Dghe.

 

Construction of the alleged submarine base in Eshera is thought to have begun at the end of the 1940's. However, the main part of the base was completed only at the end of the 1950s. Construction of the base was so secret that local workers and engineers did not take part in the building process.

 

According to the former Soviet general, the Eshera laboratory was controlled by the upper

levels of Soviet bureaucracy, by the main department of the General Headquarters of the Ministry of

Defense.

 

The former Soviet general believes that Russia does not want to lose its stake in Abkhazia and to relinquish control of the territory to Georgia, in part because of the importance of this secret military base. Control of the territory of Abkhazia, and particularly the Eshera Laboratory, is an important factor in Russian-Georgian and U.S.-Russian geopolitical relations. In recent months, Russia's interest in Abkhazia has increased because of the possibility that Russia may be forced to abandon its naval base in the Russian-dominated city of Sevastopol, in Ukraine.

 

According to Interpressnews, residents of Eshera confirm the former Soviet General's allegations. Recently several Eshera citizens have claimed to have spotted the upper deck of a submarine. These sightings have become quite normal for residents of Eshera, although no such sightings were reported during the Soviet period, the agency reports.

Navy favours F-35 fighters, not F-18: Naval Chief

July 11, 2005 02:45:00 PM

.KOLKATA CAL6

Press Trust of India

 

Kolkata, Jul 11 (PTI) Indian Navy is willing to procure F-35 advanced fighters from US, but it is not interested in F-18 fighter planes as they are not "compatible" with the aircraft carriers of the naval force, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Arun Prakash said here today.

"Yes. Given an offer, we will be much interested in having the F-35 fighters," Admiral Prakash told reporters when asked if the Navy would be willing to procure the advanced fighters from the US.

 

He was speaking to reporters after the commissioning of warship INS Beas at the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd.

 

Admiral Prakash said that the F-18 aircraft, being offered by the US to Indian armed forces, would not be relevant for the Navy.

 

"F-18 is a carrier-borne aircraft, but needs steam catapult (for take-off). It is not compatible to ski-jump and therefore, not suitable for our type of aircraft carriers," he said.

 

On the other hand the F-35 aircraft were of the ski-jump type and would be suitable for the Navy's aircraft carriers, he explained. PTI

Navy to have one aircraft carrier

BBC

 

The UK will have just one aircraft carrier, the MoD confirmed

The Royal Navy will have just one aircraft carrier in service when HMS Invincible is de-commissioned six months early, the MoD has confirmed.

A ceremony is due to be held on 3 August to mark the end of the 22,000 tonne warship's 28-years of service.

 

Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock claims the decision to axe Invincible has come because of the cost of the Iraq war.

 

HMS Ark Royal is due for a major refit. In the meantime HMS Illustrious is the only operational Navy carrier.

 

'Nonsense'

 

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said the early decommissioning ceremony was being held so the crew could mark the vessel's career while it was still "a live ship".

 

"There's no requirement to have Invincible running at full speed for the next six months," he said.

 

This is all about the MoD finding funding to meet the costs of the war in Iraq

 

Mike Hancock

Portsmouth South MP

 

"It will be the last opportunity to fly a paying-off pennant because there'll be no crew on board when she's towed out of Portsmouth in four or five years' time."

 

Mr Hancock said: "I am appalled by this - I think it is complete and utter nonsense. This is all about the MoD finding funding to meet the costs of the war in Iraq."

 

The MoD said the Invincible would be gradually relieved of its crew and captain soon after the decommissioning ceremony.

 

The crew will be given new postings and the vessel will be handed over to the MoD's Disposal and Reserve Ships Organisation where it will be mothballed until it is sold in 2010.

 

The carrier was launched by the Queen in 1977. The Duke of York was based on board as a Sea King helicopter pilot during the Falklands war.

 

The vessel had a £64m refit in 2001 and acted as the Royal Navy's flagship in last week's International Fleet Review.

 

Invincible is the sixth ship in the Royal Navy's history to bear the name.

Cuts in the number of warships diminishing Navy's global role

By Michael Evans, Defence Editor

TimesOnline

 

THE Royal Navy has had to cut back on its presence around the world because it is running out of warships.

After last year’s announcement that the Navy’s fleet of frigates and destroyers was to be cut from 31 to 25, the Ministry of Defence has been reviewing all maritime commitments.

 

John Reid, the Defence Secretary, announced yesterday that three of the Royal Navy’s main tasks would have to be cut back, although none of the commitments would be dropped, as feared by MPs on the Commons Defence Committee in a recent report on Britain’s defence capabilities.

 

From the end of this year there will be only one frigate or destroyer on patrol in the Gulf and Indian Ocean instead of the two that have been involved in counter-terrorism patrols in the region, as well as protecting shipping in the narrow Gulf waterway.

 

The reduction to only 25 frigates and destroyers means that Navy chiefs have had to take the risk of deploying a sole warship to police this vast area.

 

The commitment to the fight against drugs in the Caribbean is also to be curtailed. Mr Reid said that a destroyer or frigate assigned to Atlantic Patrol Task North, which embraces the Caribbean, would be on station for only three months of the year, from July to October. This is the high-risk period of hurricanes in the region when Royal Navy ships have often been called upon to provide humanitarian support.

 

However, in future a Royal Fleet Auxiliary Wave vessel, which is equipped with a helicopter, would also be sent to the Caribbean for a longer period, from May to October, and contribute to operations against drug trafficking.

 

A single warship will still be on patrol in British waters, as before, and the commitment in the South Atlantic will also remain the same — one frigate or destroyer, as well as HMS Endurance, the Antarctic ice patrol vessel used by the Queen for the International Fleet Review off Portsmouth last week.

 

Admiral Sir Alan West, the First Sea Lord, has given warning that reducing the number of warships would put a strain on commitments. He told the Commons Defence Committee last year: “One warship can’t be in two places at once.” The MoD said that the changes in the Gulf and Indian Ocean had been made possible because other coalition forces were taking a greater share of counter-terrorism duties in the area.

 

The reductions announced yesterday came after it was confirmed that the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible was being withdrawn from regular service six months earlier than planned and would be put into “extended readiness” later this summer. This will leave one carrier, HMS Illustrious, with the role of operating fixed-wing aircraft. HMS Ark Royal, the third carrier, is in refit. HMS Ocean, another flat-platform ship, carries helicopters and will also be available for operations alongside HMS Invincible.

32nd Scenario posted this year!

 

Harold Hutchison has posted his latest creation.

 

Force Z

 

 

You are in command of four Australian frigates with orders to protect merchant shipping in an Indonesian exclusion zone.

 

Author: Harold Hutchison

 

This scenario uses the HutchDB and can be found in the StrategyZoneOnline File Archives

AAR: The Five-Pointed Star [spoiler Alert]

By Quinton Van Zyl

 

 

Wow, talk about walking into the lion's den. The Chief of Staff opined to the Admiral privately, "Pourquoi ne pas simplement les laisser prendre Djibouti?" << Why don't we just let them HAVE Djibouti? >> Of course, it was only in jest. He and the Admiral had expressed this same sentiment countless times before; on many different missions throughout the empire. The only response was the same response that had been given to him on every other occasion, "Pour l'honneur de la France." << For the Honour of France >>

 

From the air, the Gulf of Aden really did resemble the open maw of a lion and we were walking right down its throat. The Amphibs and the CVBG were ordered to remain radar silent except for the DD Surcouf who was assigned to radiate her radar in order to provide the Commander with a modest picture of the area. The bases to the south of the ships were known to be hostile, but the bases to the north were an open question mark.

 

 

Several unknown vessels were detected in our wake so an ASW helo was launched to classify them. Forces within the base began to take immediate casualties from the artillery bombardment. FF Balny and Minesweepers Antares and Aldebaran were ordered to support the city's defences with Naval Gunfire Support [NGFS]. The reaction force was also dispatched on the Puma helos. The last call received from the platoon commander of the armoured platoon was, "That damned artillery is murderi... [ssssssssss]".

 

A lone aircraft rose from Aden. The AAW officer believed that it was only a recon platform as it was only making 286 knots. A single F-8 Crusader was launched to intercept and classify this intruder. The contact turned out to be a Cub. As it exhibited no hostile behaviour, it was allowed to pass.

 

 

The infantry reaction force of three helos tried to take a circuitous route to the 105mm artillery battery that had just destroyed the only French armour unit. Unfortunately, the Somalis appeared to be well supplied with SA-7s and one of the helos was quickly blown from the sky. The survivors dove down into the weeds in hopes of evading the air defences. They were only partially successful. Another helo was shot down by a SAM before the last helo was able to carry out its attack on the artillery unit. However, it was unable to even distract the gunners from their murderous work. This last helo was also destroyed as she fled for home.

 

The ships nearest the relief force turned out to be neutral, but three bogeys were seen over Ethiopia. They were flying a very suspicious profile. The air base commander exclaimed, "If those aren't Somalis, I'll give up my wine ration for a year." One flight of three Mirage was ordered to intercept. On their way, the Mirage pilots reported muzzle flashes from another artillery group. The fighters were identified as positively identified as MiG Frescoes and the pilots rolled in the attack with the sun at their backs.

 

 

FF Balny had just arrived and promptly began an artillery duel with the 105mm artillery unit. The Mirages closed up behind the Frescoes and kept their radar off in order not to reveal themselves. They engaged with guns first and caught the enemy totally by surprise thus killing one before they were even aware that they were under attack. Then the pilots re-engaged with Magic infrared-homing [iR] AAMs and shot down the two dazed survivors. Although the commander's wine ration was safe for the upcoming year, they had no time to rejoice as two more bogeys were detected over Ethiopia.

 

 

The Balny gunners raised a cheer as a huge fireball rose over their target. Evidently, the ammunition stockpiles had been located. However, the forward ground units were still reporting artillery strikes on their position. The second, recently discovered group must be the cause of their torment. The Captain of the Balny was very hesitant to engage this second battery. The enemy guns were 122mm and out-ranged his own guns by nearly 50%! However, the cries for help overrode his reluctance and he set a course to bring the enemy under the Iron Flail. It was a bad decision on his part as he soon began seeing artillery splashes all around his ships. He immediately ordered a withdrawal, but was unable to clear the area before his ship was hit and damaged. The damage was extensive and she was in serious danger of sinking. Instead, he decided to concentrate his artillery on the units that would not shoot back and let the air force prima donnas earn their pay. The resulting artillery barrage smashed all the surviving platoons of Somali tanks. The ground forces would fight on even terms; with bullets, grenades, and bayonet.

 

Two more bogeys were detected rising from Hargeisa and the second flight of Mirage interceptors were ordered to launch. After hearing his commander's tale of derring-do for the 17th time, flight leader Marcoux looked forward to the upcoming encounter. While not as exciting as his commander's venture, his flight easily brought down the two enemy fighters while the crew of the Balny furiously pumped water out of their ship. Captain Deladrier vowed that if his ship were to go down, it would not do so with any ammunition for her guns left unfired.

 

Two MiG Fishbeds (followed by two more) showed up. They were intent on contesting the airspace over Djibouti. Captain Marcoux quickly dispatched the Fishbeds with Magic AAMs, but this left him critically short for the second pair. In the tradition of Charles Guynemer, his flight went to afterburner to close for a gun kill. The enemy's flight leader was killed with the last of the missiles and now it 3:1 odds against the wingman. Marcoux admired his courage even if the African pilot lacked skill and élan; just as he pulled the trigger and shredded the cockpit with his 30mm DEFA cannon.

 

 

Ten more bogeys were coming in on the deck. Marcoux reported that his flight was 'winchester' [out of ammo]. His commander said, "Well, you still have gun ammo, don't you? We need 20 more minutes can you buy us 20 minutes?" All Marcoux could say was, "Mais oui, mon commandant."

 

The first two MiG Fagots were quickly dispatched. However, this still left 8 attackers. One more was brought down, but Lt. Didier was caught in a burst of return cannon fire. No chute was seen from his plane. All Marcoux could think was, "I certainly hope that it was worth it."

 

As the Fagots bore in, the AAA and SAM batteries and let loose with a huge barrage. Amazingly, all of the enemy strikers were shot down! Certainly, today, each branch of the French armed forces would be pulling their own weight. A flight of four Mirage bombers was sent to quell the artillery that had been wreaking havoc on French forces. A combination of Mirage bombs and rockets from helicopters destroyed the 122mm artillery battery and allowed the navy to get back into the game with its bombardment schedule. Freed from their bomb payloads, the Mirage pilots exulted in their newly found manoeuvrability when two more bogeys were detected approaching on the deck. In the heart of every bomber pilot lays a fighter pilot waiting to get out and these pilots were no different. They eagerly banked their aircraft and thundered after the intruders.

 

Both Fishbeds were destroyed with Magic AAMs, but the French pilots also learned a valuable lesson. MiGs have teeth, too, as Atoll missiles were flipped back at them. No losses were incurred, but the pilots each silently decided to leave the MiG-hunting to the fighter pilots.

 

Two Osa-class missile boats were spotted on a course to intercept the Amphibious group. A flight of Etendard from the Foch left them both ablaze from stem to stern and only a threat to navigation.

 

The aircraft concentrated on smashing the infantry in preparation to the landing their own troops. Several times, enemy infantry helicopters were detected trying to land re-enforcements to their forward elements, but they were simply meat on the table for the jet interceptors. Frescoes from Berabera airbase tried to disrupt the air-ground missions, but were easily killed by the Mirage interceptors. Two P6 patrol boats were quickly spotted and sunk with quick cannon bursts from passing fighters.

 

 

Six Fresco flew a sortie from Berabera in search of trouble in the Gulf of Aden. Four Crusaders rose from the deck of Foch and slew them before they had any idea that the enemy was even in the neighbourhood. Shortly thereafter, eight Shaddock missiles were seen enroute to Djibouti. Their early detection by the Foch group allowed sufficient fighters to launch from Djibouti and shoot them all down. As intelligence had not reported any Shaddock SSMs in the Somali order of battle, this had the distinct odour of Soviet intervention and they were likely launched from a submarine so that there would be 100% plausible deniability. Cute.

 

No sooner had the fighters turned for home when eight more missiles were detected along with more Frescoes approaching Djibouti from the south. Excellent timing for the enemy. Curse all talented foes. The SSMs would pass near the ships so the commander decided to try and cull a few in order to lend a hand to the beleaguered ground forces. The SAMs performed admirably and left only three for the air force to bring down. However, while occupied with the SSMs, the Fresco were given a free ride to their destination. This time, the AAA crews were only able to shoot down a lone bomber. The survivors easily sank the struggling Balny and the Aldebaran.

 

 

Four Beagle bombers were spotted coming out of Aden. The battle group commander was very suspicious of them as they were flying an attack profile; low down on the water. So, he had two Crusaders investigate and tail them. One of the gunners aboard the Beagles must have been anxious for he opened fire on the fighters. The fighters immediately declared the French equivalent of, "Tallyho!" and splashed the entire flight with missiles and aerial gunnery. The gunner did manage to destroy one of the interceptors before his plane exploded from an AAM close aboard. Two trailing Beagles were also intercepted and destroyed by the surviving fighter.

 

Even in death, the Beagles served a noble purpose. They had exhausted the aerial defences of the battle group so that when Styx SSMs were detected, little could be done to counter them. DD Vauqelin died in a wall of flame when two missiles struck her fore and aft. No sooner had the fireball died down than two more Beagles were detected inbound. A lone Crusader stood in their way. The pilot managed to kill both attackers with the last rounds of his gun ammunition and spared the battered force from further damage.

 

Two Kildin-class destroyers were detected steaming out of Aden harbour. These must have been the vessels that launched the Styx that killed our destroyer. And they had the sheer audacity to continue to fly neutral colours! A visit by four Etendard from the Foch quickly sank these high-seas bushwhackers after they opened fire on the aircraft.

 

 

An F-8 Crusader on patrol went to investigate a strange radar contact and stumbled upon the source of the Shaddock missiles. Two Soviet cruisers and two frigates were found trailing the CVBG. The pilot promptly shot down the Hormone search helicopter that had been supporting this group and then retired on afterburner all the while being chased by SA-4 Goa missiles.

 

As the relief forces neared Djibouti, the Somalis tried one last surge to attack the transports. However, the Admiral had been anticipating such a move and had all his aircraft sitting at 'ready 5' status. Within minutes, he had flooded the air with interceptors. No attacker ever came within visual range of the ships.

 

 

The relief effort made landfall and disgorged their troops unopposed. The superior mobility of the French troops in their helicopters quickly convinced the Somalis to withdraw from the action. Although France had successfully defended Djibouti, she has received a major black eye in the view of the world since two minesweepers and a destroyer had been sunk. She held the battlefield, but has lost in the world of public opinion.

 

Thanks for sharing another exceptional scenario with action throughout. All it took was one wrong decision by me and it was game over.

 

Linguistic assistance provided by Robin Reeve.

AAR: Operation Raffles - Invasion [spoiler Alert]

By Paul Bridge

 

 

Today was the day that Imperial forces would remove the Communist government from Indonesia. The British Empire might be on the road to granting her colonial possessions independence, but today, she would prove that the Lion Rampant still had her claws.

 

After a quick examination of the forces available, I ordered the ready-force Canberra bombers aloft from Selatar - destination: Adisumarmo. After reading reports of how HMS Eagle was almost blown out of the water, the Badger bombers were judged to be the most lethal force in the Indonesian arsenal. I hoped that a swift strike on their home base at Adisumarmo would be able to silence them quickly and painlessly. These bombers were joined by Canberra from Butterworth. I tasked the Mirage bombers with Pekanbaru as she was the closest target to Butterworth air base.

 

HMAS Melbourne was originally tasked for ASW, but I changed her orders instead to make a high-speed run towards Pontianak and snuff that base with a naval bombardment. The limited number of my air assets made me dubious of their ability to properly nullify that base. The landing forces plotted their paths through the straits; right next to a known helicopter base. The strait was an obvious choke point for submarines, I felt that the increased risk from a round-about journey did not outweigh the benefits of getting my Marines to their destination, soonest.

 

 

Right away, two Mitchell bombers were detected rising from Pontianak, but both were quickly intercepted and killed by SeaVenom from HMAS Melbourne. The lone Canberra reconnaissance plane already aloft was ordered to identify the numerous surface contacts that had been detected throughout the area. Next to the Badgers, the Komar missile boats were my next greatest fear due to the fearsome punch they could deliver from their Styx SSMs.

 

Three Hunters from Kuching AB became operational and tried to make a quick bomb attack on Pontianak. Unfortunately, everyone missed missed their target. Evidently, one squadron commander had been gun-decking his readiness reports on the level of training his pilots had been receiving. Luckily, the second flight was armed with Bullpup missiles and led by a more competent leader who delivered his ordnance right on target by killing the hangars.

 

Next, four MiG Farmers launched on patrol to challenge the AEW aircraft. They were intercepted and killed by Sea Vixen from HMS Victorious, but this came at a high price as two planes exploded in fireballs from the dogfight.

 

 

Two Canberra then tried to sneak in through the side door to attack Khalijati AB, but ran right over an AAA battery! Argh, the element of surprise was totally lost and the MiG Fishbed on Combat Air Patrol [CAP] moved to intercept. Now it was a race to see who reached their release point first! The Canberra won the footrace this time and released their ordnance while the Fishbed turned to make her run. Although they managed to successfully target aircraft facilities, the damage was minimal. This was likely due to the known presence of enemy fighters in their rear aspect. The aircrew simply rushed to complete their bomb runs and were too hasty. Free from their ordnance, the pilot declared that they were no longer on government time and ran for home as fast as their little engines could carry them.

 

The lone Fishbed on CAP would not be denied. The Canberra fled at 590 kts, but the MiG went to afterburner and could make 890 kts in a sprint. Now the question would be, "Who would run out of gas first?" While great for short sprints, the MiG-21 proved why it was only a point defense fighter and had to give up the dash in very short order. The Canberra crews breathed a collective sigh of relief, but kept a close watch astern for any other hunters. Four more Canberra were enroute to finish what their cousins had started.

 

 

Meanwhile, four other Canberra were about to pay a most unwelcome visit to Adisumarmo AB. Knock, Knock! They were more successful that their brethren and managed to smash a large hangar. HQ fervently hoped that it contained some of the lethal Badger bombers that had wrought such havoc on Her Majesty's Navy.

 

The second wave of Canberra were approaching their initial point for bomb release on Khalijati when the protective Fishbed was once again spotted trying to intercept. Another footrace ensued as the bombers climbed desperately to bomb release altitude. This flight proved to be calmer. They both laid their stick of bombs in two separate deliveries right across two hangars and caved them in before fleeing the scene of the crime. This time, there was no pursuit.

 

 

Eight more Canberra were approaching Adisumarmo and Iswahjudi at oblique angles. The four attacking Adisumarmo were spotted just as they were releasing their Bullpup missiles. The MiG Fresco was just attempting a turn to intercept when the missiles arrived to smash the surviving aircraft facilities. Adisumarmo was out of business. However, this time, a price would be paid by the raiders. The Fresco had an unseen wingman who dove in from the sun and managed to intercept and shoot down three of the Canberra bombers. Overall, the British were trading their heavy bombers in the air for the Indonesian heavy bombers on the ground.

 

 

Their sacrifice was not in vain as it distracted the fighters from the second group climbing to release altitude over Iswahjudi AB. A score of iron bombs rained down and totally levelled the airbase. Her Majesty's forces would face no harassment from this particular airfield anytime in the near future.

 

One by one, the Indonesian air forces were hammered into submission. Mirage strikers from Butterworth put Pekanbaru out of commission with little opposition. However, Khalijati was still operational and a second strike would be required. Once again, Canberra bombers closed on the air base with the airborne CAP racing back to defend the airbase. This time, the bombardiers were steadier and laid enough of their bombload on the airbase to prevent further air operations for the next twenty-four hours; more than enough time to get the Marines ashore.

 

 

The Recon elements had a busy time, themselves. Several Indonesian gunboats were detected in the path of the Amphibious groups. It was determined that only the Komar warranted immediate attention as she had the most deadly armament, Styx SSMs. Buccaneers from the Victorious quickly put her on the bottom. As the Melbourne was making her way towards Pontianak, two more Komar PGMs were spotted and they were dangerously close to the carrier group. A Canberra-strike group armed with Bullpup ASMs were quickly diverted from their strike mission to Khalijati to deal with this immediate threat while the Task group ran away as fast as they could. The Canberra crews were able to destroy one boat with an ASM while leaving the other dead in the water from nearby bomb bursts.

 

 

The Dutch ASW screening force detected a submarine running near the surface with her gunwales awash. This submarine was thoroughly investigated by aircraft, but gave no hint as to her nationality. Intelligence had warned that Soviet submarines were also in the area and that our Rules of Engagement [ROE] ordered us to avoid provoking a war with the Soviets. Since her intentions could not be properly ascertained, the amphibious ships were ordered to give her a wide berth. The Dutch commander, however, was much more daring and closed the range to the submarine, but it took no hostile action. Today, at least in this instance, it was live and let live.

 

 

With no aerial resistance remaining from the Indonesians, the camera-equipped Canberra aircraft concentrated on surveillance of the landing beaches, Indonesian navy, and the Soviet Surface Action Group [sAG]. The Canberra nearest the Soviet task group detected intense jamming from the ships so decided to investigate for visual confirmation. As she closed, her Radar Warning Receiver [RWR] went wild with fire control emissions being detected. She tried to pull away, but was caught and killed by a SAM from the CG Kanin. Evidently, the Soviets had decided to choose sides in the conflict.

 

The loss of the plane was quickly reported and the Victorious commander ordered immediate unrestricted anti-submarine warfare. The previously detected submarine was still in contact and four helicopters were launched to prosecute her. She barely detected the air-dropped torpedo before it slammed into her engine room and instantly flooded it. She sank stern first with no survivors.

 

 

A group of seven Canberra returned to the scene of the crime and proceeded to sink every offending vessel in the group with a combination Bullpup missiles and iron bombs. The Kanin would claim one more victim before she, herself, was struck by three of these potent missiles and exploded in a gigantic ball of flame. The Soviet navy would fight their first and last action of this conflict only to end as a forgotten footnote in history.

 

The surviving Canberra force re-armed and made repeated runs over the invasion beaches to smash concentrations of artillery, troops, and AAA. By the time the invasion forces arrived to unload the Marines, there was no one left to oppose them. The Marines stormed Government house and captured the communist leader; who had remained alone in the Chamber of Deputies. Regime-change had come to Indonesia.

 

Thanks for a very challenging scenario.

U.S. Moves to Boost Japan’s Missile Shield

By REUTERS, WASHINGTON

defensenews

 

The Pentagon notified Congress June 29 of a proposed sale to Tokyo of nine more sea-based missiles and related gear valued at up to $387 million to strengthen Japan’s fledgling ballistic missile shield.

 

The nine SM-3 Block IA Standard missiles, built by Raytheon Co., are the second batch requested by Tokyo in recent months.

 

They would be used on Japanese ships equipped with high-technology AEGIS combat systems built by Lockheed Martin Corp. One such Aegis weapon system would be upgraded for ballistic-missile defense under the new proposed sale, the Defense Department said.

 

 

 

The Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which handles U.S. government-to-government arms sales, acknowledged that no comparable weapons were currently deployed in Japan’s neighborhood.

 

Traditional U.S. policy is to shun becoming the first country to introduce a higher level of military technology into a region so as to avoid an arms race.

 

“Although comparable weapons are not currently deployed in Northwest Asia, the proposed sale of SM-3 missiles and (ballistic missile defense) upgrades to the AEGIS Weapon System will not significantly alter the existing military balance in the region as the proposed sale enhances only defensive capabilities,” the arms-sale agency said.

 

Japan is a key U.S. ally in ensuring the region’s peace and stability, it added. The notice cited Japan’s agreement to provide fuel and logistic support to U.S. allied ships involved in the U.S.-led 2003 invasion of Iraq and its deployment of an AEGIS destroyer to the Indian Ocean.

 

On May 5, the Pentagon notified Congress of the proposed sale to Japan of an initial nine SM-3 Block 1A Standard missiles, upgrades to one AEGIS weapons system and an AEGIS ballistic missile defense vertical launch system valued at as much as $725 million.

 

Japan has four AEGIS destroyers operating with older SM-2 missiles at sea. A fifth and sixth AEGIS destroyers are under construction. Together with the Japanese Self Defense Forces’ PAC-3 Patriot missiles the upgraded AEGIS weapons systems and Standard missiles make up an initial anti-missile bulwark for mainland Japan, the Pentagon said.

 

In addition to Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, a principal contractor would be United Defense Industries, Inc., a newly acquired arm of Britain’s BAE Systems Plc, it said.

 

The notice of such a sale is required by U.S. law. It does not mean the sale has been concluded. Also, Congress retains potential blocking power.

Taiwan to Get U.S. Early Warning Radar

By JIM WOLF, REUTERS, WASHINGTON

DefenseNews

 

The U.S. Defense Department said on June 23 it would supply Taiwan with key elements of a missile and air defense capability, a move aimed at defusing the threat from China.

 

Raytheon Co. won a U.S. Air Force contract worth up to $752 million to supply the Early Warning Surveillance Radar by September 2009, the Pentagon said.

 

In a move bound to anger Beijing, which views Taiwan as a renegade province, the system will let Taiwan’s air force detect and track long- and short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, enemy aircraft and surface ships with “no doubt” reliability, said Raytheon, based in Waltham, MA.

 

 

 

The system includes an ultra-high frequency “phased array” radar to be integrated with Taiwan-supplied beacons that identify aircraft as friends or foes as well as two missile warning centers, a Defense Department contract announcement said.

 

Raytheon began exploratory talks with Taiwan on the project in 1996, said Dan Martin, a vice president of the company’s Integrated Defense Systems business unit.

 

Such a system represents an important step toward identifying any inbound threats, said James Mulvenon of the Center for Research and Analysis, a Washington-based group that consults for U.S. intelligence agencies.

 

Eventually, it could be mated with Patriot Advanced Capability 3, or PAC-3, anti-missile batteries the United States has also offered to sell Taiwan.

 

“The surveillance radar is the first step in the chain of engagement,” said Martin.

 

Mulvenon said Beijing would be particularly upset because missiles were at the forefront of its strategy for coercing Taiwan, a democratically governed island China has vowed to return to its fold by force if necessary.

 

“This raises the possibility that Taiwan will actually be able to defend itself against those missiles,” Mulvenon said.

AAR: Guinea - Operation Jaya Wijaya - Indonesia

By Freek Schepers

 

 

President Sukarno saw an excellent opportunity to avenge Indonesia's mis-treatment by their former Dutch oppressors. The honour of her ancestors would be restored. Orders were issued to execute operation Jaya Wijaya, the invasion of New Guinea.

 

 

Badger recon aircraft were immediately launched to pinpoint the Dutch defenders. As soon as they were available, a pair of Badger strike aircraft were assigned to attack each of the nearest airstrips at Sorong and Fakfak. The search planes were able to detect many surface targets, but they had to be very cautious of the wandering enemy fighter patrols. By keeping a significant distance between themselves and unidentified planes, they were able to conduct a proper reconnaissance patrol without loss and pinpointed the bulk of the defending Dutch forces.

 

 

Pre-strike reconnaissance of Fakfak proved to be very tricky. It was easy to identify the Dutch Maritime Patrol Aircraft [MPA] by their slow speed. The obvious fighters surged forth in an attempt to intercept the search plane but I made certain to have her turn away with a fair margin of safety. With the air patrols safely distracted by the recon plane, both pairs of Badger bombers were able to make their ingress unopposed and flattened the Sorong and the Fakfak airstrips.

 

 

Two destroyers were detected near Fakfak so a request for the Tu-14 Bosun torpedo planes was sent to Ambon airbase. While they were enroute, a Whiskey-class SS detected the emissions from a pair of Dutch destroyers. She made her approach silently at shallow depth with a few sporadic periscope sightings to confirm her targets. She crept into torpedo range without ever being counter-detected and loosed a full spread of four torpedoes. They had only completed 50% of their run time when the destroyer reacted violently by going to flank speed to evade. The enemy was successful this time.

 

 

Again, she crept into range. This time, she halved the distance before firing a second spread. This time, the Dutch destroyer, DD Groningen, was not so lucky as she was struck by three torpedoes. The resulting detonations left no possibility of survivors and she sank in 37 seconds with little to mark her passage. A second destroyer, DD Evertsen, in the same group died from a spread fired by a second Whiskey-class SS just seconds later. The Evertsen was able to counter-fire a single torpedo back towards my sub. Both vessels attempted to evade; neither was successful.

 

 

Meanwhile, my landing forces were having ASW problems of their own. Ships in the Sorong PhibRon just started exploding and sinking! I soon realized just how insignificant my ASW capabilities really were. The sonar suites were barely functional and as useless as a man on an inner tube with a hearing aid. The only thing that I could do was RUN! The convoy scattered to the three winds. Three ships were lost to a threat that was never detected. After learning of their ordeal, my other naval commanders silently agreed with each other that they would fire first and ask questions later. They got their chance almost immediately. TF 07 stumbled right onto a submarine contact. The destroyer captain ordered an immediate Depth Charge attack while initiating evasive manoeuvres. Luckily, the sub was destroyed without any counter-fire received.

 

 

The two Tu-14 Bosun were just arriving on their targets just off of Fakfak. Both vessels were destroyer-class size and would make worthy prizes. A fighter patrol engaged the Combat Air Patrol [CAP] and allowed the torpedo bombers to make their ingress unmolested. They were approaching the first target from the port bow at a speed of 400kts and at low altitude when they were detected and engaged by the ship's AAA batteries. Fountains of water rose all around them intermingling with the puffs of black smoke from proximity fuses. At a distance of just 2 nm, both planes loose a single torpedo and banked hard to port; the angry AAA fire following them all the way. There was another destroyer out there that needed servicing.

 

 

The first destroyer suffered two hits and disintegrated under the torpedoes' warheads. The aircrews took no notice it, though. They were totally focused on the second destroyer. Suddenly, one of the bombers took a hit and cartwheeled into the sea. The surviving bomber had no time for regrets as she doggedly closed the distance. 6nm, 5nm, 4nm, 3nm, 2nm before she released her second torpedo. Unfortunately, she was unable to avenge her partner. Follow on strikes were able to kill the destroyer with Iron Bombs where torpedoes had missed.

 

 

Outside of Biak, a force of three destroyers was detected on a sortie to engage two of my landing groups. I had one submarine try and intercept and whittle down the force. She saw one destroyer running between two islets and wanted to ambush her in the passage. After confirming the target's speed and direction, she submerged to make her final approach stealthily. However, much to the disgust of her skipper, she had mis-timed the approach and found herself behind the destroyer! Arggh! The captain threw a fit worthy of a two year-old when he realized his missed opportunity. There was no way that he was going to catch her in a stern chase.

 

This defending group of three was able to make their way to nearly contact the landing groups. The escorts were definitely out-gunned. However, they had an ace up their sleeves - Styx SSMs. A pair of SSMs were allocated to each of two destroyers while a submarine had managed to position herself directly in front of the third DD. The SSMs struck without warning and obliterated the pair of destroyers. The sub was able to watch her prey walk deep into the trap before striking it with a spread of four torpedoes from a distance of 1.5nm. Successive waves of Badgers and Dakotas had dropped bombs and paratroops, respectively, all over Biak and smothered her facilities. It appeared as though all the impediments to a successful amphibious landing had been removed.

 

 

However, when the ships were about to make their amphibious assault on Biak, some started to explode! Evidently, there were hidden shore batteries. The Task Force commander ordered an immediate withdrawal so that these batteries could be located and destroyed. After a long wait, planes arrived from Hanasuddin to identify and mark them for destruction. Once the way was cleared, the landing forces were deployed and the paratroops linked up and relieved. I was granted victory, but I was also facing a court-martial. Evidently, the submarine that I had sunk was a neutral vessel! Woe is me...

 

A great scenario with lots of action and a superb little surprise at the end. Thanks for sharing it with the community.

 

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Taiwan frigates sent into disputed waters

By Kathrin Hille in Suao and Reuters

Published: June 22 2005 01:31 | Last updated: June 22 2005 01:31

FT.com

 

Taiwan yesterday sent two navy frigates armed with anti-ship missiles to disputed waters in the East China Sea after its fishermen complained of harassment by Japanese patrol boats.

 

The unprecedented move, aimed at silencing domestic criticism that the government is too timid in enforcing the island's fragile sovereignty, risks disturbing relations with Japan, Taiwan's most important unofficial ally in Asia.

 

The trip to waters close to the archipelago called Diaoyutai in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese and claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan came after a fishing dispute escalated when Taiwanese fishermen rounded up Japanese coast guard vessels in a protest earlier this month.

 

Calls for the government to better protect its fishermen have grown into a populist campaign by the opposition demanding Taipei enforce its claims over the area which provides access to rich fishing grounds. The government, at first reluctant to provoke its neighbour, agreed to send warships on a one-off “fish ground safeguarding mission”.

 

Lee Chieh, minister of defence, Wang Jin-pyng, legislative speaker, lawmakers, fishermen and almost 100 reporters boarded the frigates in Suao on the north-east coast of Taiwan. When the ships approached the disputed area, Mr Wang and the lawmakers waved national flags and shouted: “Diaoyutai is the territory of the Republic of China! Protect our sovereignty, long live the Republic of China!”

 

No Japanese aircraft or patrol boats were seen on the trip.

 

A fisherman in Suao said: “It's good to see it's finally our turn to scare the Japanese.” Officials from Taiwan and Japan have held 14 rounds of talks on the islands since 1996 but have made little progress. A spokesman for the Japanese Coast Guard said they were not on heightened alert as the Taiwanese were unlikely to enter Japanese territorial waters.

 

The event appeared as a political show to boost support for Mr Wang, campaigning for next month's election as chairman of the main opposition party Kuomintang, and for KMT legislators running in local polls in December.

 

The incident is the latest outbreak of controversy over Taiwan's relations with Japan as political parties quarrel over the island's confused national identity along the lines of its relations with China and Japan.

 

Taiwan was ruled by Japan as a colony from 1895 to 1945. Political parties are divided over whether Japanese colonial rule or the ensuing five decades of one-party rule by the Kuomintang, which came from China, hurt or helped the island more.

 

The opposition argues that the frigate dispatch can raise Taiwan's negotiating capital in fishing talks with Japan next month. The Japanese government said it had told Taiwan the dispatch would raise tension.

 

 

 

 

 

Also reported in:

 

 

Navy frigate to defend Taiwan fishermen

(Agencies)

Updated: 2005-06-21 11:42

ChinaDaily

 

Taiwan sent a navy frigate with anti-ship missiles Tuesday, June 26, to defend fishermen who repeatedly have been chased from disputed East China Sea waters by Japanese patrol boats.

 

 

Japanese navy vessels chase away Taiwanese fishing boats in the East China Sea in this undated file AP photo.

A group of 15 Taiwanese "lawmakers" - led by "Legislative Speaker" Wang Jin-pyng and escorted by "Defense Minister" Lee Jye - was aboard the Knox-class frigate when it departed Taiwan's eastern Suao port for the four-hour trip to an island group that both Tokyo and China's Taiwan claim is in their exclusive economic zone.

 

"This area belongs to us historically, geographically and legally. There is no question about it," Wang told reporters before boarding on Tuesday.

 

"We must defend our sovereignty and protect our fishing rights," said Wang.

 

Taiwan fishermen said they have been repeatedly driven away by Japanese patrol boats in what they said were their traditional fishing grounds. They have demanded government protection.

 

The cluster of tiny, uninhabited islands in the East China Sea provides access to the fishing grounds and possible oil deposits.

 

"It's good to see it's finally our turn to scare the Japanese. They have always bullied us and make us feel we are thieves at sea," a fisherman in Suao told local cable news network, TVBS.

 

Two Taiwan Navy Knox-class frigates prepare to embark from Taiwan's eastern coastal port of Suao to islands north of Taiwan to protect Taiwan fishermen June 21,2005. [AP]

China and Japan, the world's second- and third-biggest oil consumers respectively, have been at odds for months over China's exploration for natural gas in the East China Sea near an area Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone.

 

Taiwan military officials said the U.S.-made frigate equipped with anti-ship missiles would sail to the disputed waters but not go as far as the Diaoyu islands.

 

About 50 fishing boats from Taiwan sailed to the waters this month in a protest to challenge Tokyo's claim. Japan sent helicopters to monitor the event but avoided a conflict by not sending patrol boats.

 

Taiwan has said more than 10 of its fishing boats in the area had been expelled or detained by Japan this year and urged Tokyo to resolve the issue quickly through negotiations.

 

Japan's representative in Taipei, Tadashi Ikeda, warned Taiwan on Monday that plans for the frigate's trip were inappropriate, saying the military should not be brought into a fishing dispute.

 

The 3,800-ton "Fengyang," equipped with anti-ship missiles, was to sail 60 nautical miles (110 kilometers) to the group of uninhabited islands north of Taiwan known as Sakashima in Japan and Hsientao in Taiwan. The waters surrounding the islands are rich in fish.

 

Taiwan has long avoided sending naval ships to protect its fishing boats against interference by Japanese patrol boats, fearing conflict with Japan, major trading partner.

 

The decision to send the frigate follows complaints by fishermen that Taiwanese authorities have not done enough to protect them from Japanese patrol boats in the disputed area.

 

Japan often fines ship owners and impounds Taiwanese fishing vessels that enter the waters.