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MS DAILY BRIEF – April 24 th, 2024
Daily appearance Monday-Saturday 10 AM (GMT +2)
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Israel’s FRAGILE relationship with Jordan THREATENED by radical activism | TBN Israel 1
Update from Ukraine | Ukrainian counterattack near Ivanivske crushes Russian offensive plans. 1
Israel-Hamas war live,The Guardian, 14 hours, 15.58 CEST ago. 3
Azerbaijan president names countries arming Armenia – Black Sea News – April 23, 2024. 11
Major fire in area of Souda naval base in Crete – Black Sea News – April 23, 2024. 14
Azerbaijan does not intend to join the EAEU – Black Sea News – 23 April 2024. 19
Bridge visibility to improve cargo management – The Maritime Executive – 15 April 2024. 20
Reflecting on Operation Aspides – Romania Military – 23 April 2024. 24
Israel’s FRAGILE relationship with Jordan THREATENED by radical activism | TBN Israel
Update from Ukraine | Ukrainian counterattack near Ivanivske crushes Russian offensive plans
US Senate approves $95bn aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan-The Guardian,Wednesday, April 24, 2024 03.48
The Senate, with a bipartisan supermajority, voted overwhelmingly to advance the measure, which Joe Biden is expected to sign
The US Senate voted resoundingly Tuesday to approve $95 billion in aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, with a bipartisan supermajority uniting to send the long-stalled package to Joe Biden’s desk for his signature. The final vote was 79 to 18.
The bill easily cleared a key procedural hurdle earlier in the day. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to advance the measure in a step hailed by the Senate Majority Leader as “one of the greatest accomplishments the Senate has faced in recent years.”
“Today, the Senate is sending a unified message to the world: America will always defend democracy in times of need,” Chuck Schumer said in a speech Tuesday afternoon.
“Make no mistake, America will keep its promise to act as a leader on the world stage, to stand up to autocratic thugs like Vladimir Putin,” he continued. “We are showing Putin that betting against America is always, always a serious mistake.”
Chuck Schumer hails bipartisanship as foreign aid bill heads for passage – video
After months of delays and setbacks, the House last week approved four bills to rush funding to three U.S. allies, while approving a conservative proposal that could lead to a nationwide ban on the social media platform TikTok. The measures were combined into one big package that the Senate approved Tuesday.
The legislation includes $60.8 billion to replenish Ukraine’s war fund as it tries to push Russia back from its territory; $26.3 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region to bolster its defenses against China.
In a phone call on Monday, Biden informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he would “act quickly” to send the country desperately needed military aid, including air defence weapons, following the Senate’s passage of the bill.
In a bid to shore up Republican support, the GOP-controlled House added a provision that TikTok would be blocked in the US if its Chinese-owned parent company does not divest from the social media platform within a year. Much of the foreign aid section of the bill mirrors what the Senate passed in February, with the addition of a measure requiring the president to ask Kiev to repay about $10 billion in economic assistance in the form of “forgivable loans,” an idea first floated by Donald Trump, who initially opposed aid to Ukraine.
Although the foreign aid package largely resembles the measure passed by the Senate in February, several Republican senators who then voted against it reversed course and on Tuesday gave their approval.
Among them was Lindsey Graham, a longtime defense hawk who previously opposed the Senate foreign aid package because it wasn’t paired with border legislation, but on Tuesday voted to advance it. Following a visit to Ukraine earlier this year, Graham endorsed Trump’s loan plan and has since pointed to Iran’s airstrike on Israel as a reason to send aid to the country.
“Israel needs the U.S. Senate now. No excuses,” Graham wrote on X before voting to advance the bill.
The Senate’s passage of the aid package ends a harrowing odyssey on Capitol Hill that began last year with a White House request for a new round of funding for Ukraine and for Israel, which is reeling from the October 7 cross-border attack by Hamas.
Despite broad congressional support, the effort stalled almost immediately as a faction of Republicans, increasingly skeptical of US involvement in foreign entanglements, opposed sending additional aid to Ukraine. Conservatives began insisting that any funding for foreign countries be accompanied by legislation designed to stem the surge of people arriving at the US-Mexico border.
When a bipartisan border and national security bill negotiated in the Senate collapsed, Schumer moved on to vote on the foreign aid bill up for a vote. It passed overwhelmingly, 70-29, in February, but had no clear path forward in the Republican-controlled House, where the new speaker, Mike Johnson, procrastinated while Ukraine suffered battlefield losses.
Personal pleading from Biden, congressional leaders and European heads of state, attendance at high-level intelligence briefings as House speaker and prayer finally convinced Johnson to act. The decision could come at a political cost: his job.
“History will judge us for what we do,” Johnson said at an emotional news conference last week after a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers passed the aid package by a lopsided margin.
In Tuesday’s remarks, Schumer praised Johnson, whom he said “rose to the occasion,” as well as Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, whom the Democrat said worked “hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder to get this bill done.”
“A lot of people inside and outside of Congress wanted this package to fail,” Schumer said. “But today, those in Congress on the side of democracy are winning the day.”
McConnell made funding Ukraine’s war effort a legacy-building quest after announcing his decision to step down as longtime Senate Republican leader. In a lengthy speech Tuesday, McConnell confronted the trend of “America first” isolationism favored by Trump and his congressional loyalists that is widespread and growing within the Republican Party.
“Today’s action is overdue, but our work doesn’t end there,” he said. “Confidence in American resolve is not rebuilt overnight. Expanding and replenishing democracy’s arsenal doesn’t happen by magic.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/23/senate-aid-bill-ukraine-israel-taiwan
Israel-Hamas war live,The Guardian, 14 hours, 15.58 CEST ago
Closing Summary
At Nasser hospital, the main health facility in southern Gaza, the authorities are said to have recovered 35 more bodies in the past day from what they say is one of at least three mass graves discovered at the site, bringing the total number of bodies found there to 310 in the past week.
Volker Turk, the UN human rights chief, said he was “appalled” by the destruction of the Nasser and al-Shifa medical facilities in Gaza and reports of mass graves discovered there. Turk, speaking at a UN briefing through a spokesman, also denounced Israeli attacks in Gaza in recent days, which he said had killed mostly women and children. He also repeated a warning against a full-scale incursion into Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, where more than 1 million people are sheltering, saying this could lead to “further heinous crimes”.
The Iranian-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah said it had launched a drone strike against Israeli military bases north of the city of Acre in the deepest assault on Israeli territory since the start of the Israeli war in Gaza in October. The Israeli military said it was not aware of any of its facilities being hit by Hezbollah, but had said earlier Tuesday that it had intercepted two “air targets” off Israel’s northern coast. Hezbollah said it acted in retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack that killed one of its fighters.
Israel shelled the northern Gaza Strip overnight in some of its heaviest bombing in weeks, residents said. The shelling was intense east of Beit Hanoun and Jabalia and continued Tuesday morning in areas such as Zeitoun, one of Gaza City’s oldest suburbs, with residents reporting at least 10 strikes in a matter of seconds along the main road. Just west of Beit Hanoun, in Beit Lahiya, Hamas medics and media said the strikes hit a mosque and a crowd gathered on the coastal road to collect airdropped aid.
At least 34,183 Palestinians have been killed and 77,143 injured in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip since October 7, the Gaza Health Ministry said in a statement.
Qatar said there was no reason to end the presence of an office for Hamas in Doha as its mediation efforts continue amid the Israeli war in Gaza. The statement came after the US State Department said Hamas had “shifted focus” and changed its demands in negotiations with Israel. But it is unclear what has changed in the details of the talks, which are being brokered by Egypt and Qatar.
A Palestinian rights group’s challenge to the attempt to halt British arms exports to Israel, based on allegations of violations of international law in the Gaza war, will be heard in October at the High Court in London, a judge ruled Tuesday.
We’re closing this blog, but you can keep up to date with The Guardian’s Middle East news here.
Ukraine war briefing: US funding to rearm Ukraine’s army finally a reality-The Guardian,Wed 24 Apr 2024 02.08
Kremlin presses for territory ahead of Western aid arrival; Ukraine withdraws consular services from potential recruits living abroad. What we know on day 791
The US Senate voted resoundingly Tuesday to approve $95 billion in war aid for Ukraine and Israel, along with defense support for Taiwan, with a bipartisan supermajority uniting to send the long-stalled package to Joe Biden’s desk for signature. The final vote was 79 to 18.
In a phone call on Monday, Biden informed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy that he would “act quickly” to send desperately needed military aid, including air defense weaponry, after the Senate passed the bill.
The legislation includes $60.8 billion to replenish Ukraine’s war arsenal as it tries to push Russia back from its territory; $26.3 billion for Israel and humanitarian aid for civilians in conflict zones, including Gaza; and $8.1 billion for the Indo-Pacific region to bolster its defenses against China.
Russian missiles struck a residential neighborhood in Kharkov early Wednesday morning, said Mayor Yhor Terekhov. Information on casualties was still being clarified, he added. State broadcaster Suspilne said civilian infrastructure was destroyed in the attack. The air raid alert in the Kharkov region was later lifted.
Russian authorities have arrested Timur Ivanov, deputy defence minister, on suspicion of taking a large bribe. Russian state news agency RIA Novosti quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying that both Vladimir Putin, the president, and Sergei Shigu, the defence minister, had been informed. Ivanov, 48, is one of Russia’s 12 deputy defence ministers and is under European and EU sanctions over the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russian forces have made significant progress in a narrow corridor in eastern Ukraine, while the offensive to seize territory before a new injection of Western military aid arrives appears to be accelerating, reports Dan Sabbagh in Kiev and Luke Harding. Images from military bloggers in the Kremlin showed a Russian tricolour flying over the destroyed village of Ocheretyne, northwest of the occupied town of Avdiivka, after advancing about 5km in 10 days.
Further north, a major Russian offensive is underway to seize the town of Chasiv Yar. The military command in eastern Ukraine said 20,000-25,000 enemy troops are trying to storm the hill town and surrounding districts.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry is suspending consular services for men of military age living abroad, except for those returning to Ukraine, in a measure aimed at increasing the number of recruits. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said, “A man of conscription age has gone abroad, has shown his state that he does not care about his survival, and then he comes and wants to receive services from this state. It doesn’t work that way. Our country is at war.” Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, men between the ages of 18 and 60 must stay in Ukraine, with exceptions. The Eurostat database estimates that about 4.3 million Ukrainians were registered in EU countries in January 2024, of which about 20% are adult men – about 860,000 people.
Authorities in Ukraine’s Sumy region, on the border with Russia, on Tuesday reported four wounded following 51 attacks by Russian forces.
Emergency services in Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region said a Ukrainian drone strike killed four people in a car north of the town of Melitopol on Tuesday.
Romania signs contract for F-35 jets. Tîlvăr: We will have good news in 2024-Update: 23.04.2024 12:29
F-35, photo source: Lockheed Martin
National Defence Minister Angel Tîlvăr said that this year “we will have good news” about signing the contract for the purchase of F-35 aircraft. These details were given in response to a question asked by DefenseRomania during the official visit of the Romanian delegation to South Korea.
At the same time, the Minister of National Defence stressed that the negotiations on the F-35 contract are “very advanced”. The question and discussion took place in the context of the very long delivery deadlines and the fact that the plan is for the first F-35 planes to arrive in Romania soon after 2032.
“Given the fact that this issue is very high on our agenda, I think I can tell you that this year we will have good news because we have resumed the discussion, not once, on this equipment that is necessary and that we want very much and that more and more others want,” said Angel Tîlvăr.
At the beginning of August 2023, the Ministry of Defence sent Romania’s Parliament the request for approval for the initial stage purchase of 32 F-35 5th generation multi-role fighter jets. The estimated cost of the programme is $6.5 billion excluding VAT.
Read also: The 48th Squadron starts to take shape in Romania. The first 3 F-16s have arrived in Câmpia Turzii
In total Romania plans to acquire three F-35 squadrons.Where these will be deployed is premature to discuss, but almost certainly Borcea, Mihail Kogălniceanu (MK) and Câmpia Turzii.
Romania currently has one full F-16 squadron operational, deployed at Borcea, near MK. It consists of 17 F-16 aircraft purchased from Portugal, which form the 53rd Fighter Squadron at the 86th Air Base in Borcea. The F-16s will ensure the transition to the F-35.
Hanwha wants to turn Romania into an industrial hub in Europe. K9 howitzers and Redback fighters are the proposals-Update: 23.04.2024 17:10
K9 ‘Thunder’ / Source: Hanwha Aerospace
Hanwha Aerospace aims to expand defense cooperation for Romania’s military modernization, in partnership with local industry, the South Korean company says in a release to DefenseRomania.
Hanwha Aerospace plans to set up an industrial hub for Europe in Romania, with the aim of supplying combat vehicles as part of the armament programmes to contribute to the defence capabilities of the Romanian Armed Forces and the growth of the local armaments industry.
What exactly does the industrial hub mean? The Korean company intends to cooperate with the Romanian defence industry through localisation efforts, which include local production, jobs, technology transfer and the establishment of an MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) facility.
Hanwha say they have a big advantage over the competition, namely “outstanding manufacturing capability to meet growing global demand for various defence systems, delivering large orders ahead of schedule and within budget”.
Building on these manufacturing capabilities and competencies, Hanwha Aerospace is looking to start localisation programmes to support defence and defence modernisation initiatives, said the company’s managing director for Romania.
Two Korean proposals for the Romanian Army: the K9 TUNET howitzer and the “Redback” MLI
Photo: MLI “Redback”, Source: Hanwha Aerospace
The K9 TUNET – the self-propelled howitzer and the Redback – the infantry fighting machine (MLI) are offered by Hanwha as solutions to support Romania’s defence capabilities and increase industrial production.
“Hanwha Aerospace is committed to maximizing the benefits to the Romanian defense industry through various types of localization programs, which include local production of defense equipment, local employment, technology transfer and the establishment of a center of excellence for maintenance and repair operations.
We focus on integrating Romanian industrial capacity in the development of advanced customised defence equipment for the Romanian Armed Forces. The inclusion of Romanian industry in Hanwha Aerospace’s broad global supply chains is one of the potential benefits Romania could gain from this collaboration,” said Peter Bae, Vice President of Hanwha Aerospace Europe.
The 155 mm/52 calibre K9 TUNET is the world’s most popular artillery system. Some 1,800 tracked artillery units are operated by nine countries, including five NATO members – Poland, Norway, Estonia, Finland and Turkey. The figure represents more than 50% of the global market share of self-propelled tracked howitzers.
Recently chosen by Australia, the Redback is the world’s most modern combat machine, offering best-in-class armoured protection, mobility and firepower. The vehicle uses a range of innovative technologies, including composite rubber tracks, an active hard-kill protection system and a transparent helmet-mounted display.
“Trolling at the highest level”. Ukraine uses balloons that mimic the flight of F-16 aircraft-Publication date: 23.04.2024 20:27
U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft perform a flight refueling, part of Exercise Ballast Cannon 24.3, conducted Jan. 7, 2024 / U.S. Central Command
Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military Legal Research, said how Ukraine’s Defense Forces are using balloons in the war against Russia.
The success of frontline defences will also depend on how quickly F-16 jets and their weapons systems reach Ukraine.
But until the F-16 aircraft reach the frontline, the Ukrainians have apparently installed some electronic devices on the balloons that simulate the flight of an F-16.
“I know about the purpose of using these balloons. The electronic elements that are placed mainly simulate the flight of F-16 aircraft. I mean what is the purpose? To mislead the enemy’s air defense equipment,” says Oleksandr Musienko, who also detailed the process:
“Despite the fact that the balloon flies slowly, the speed is simulated by the device. The plane’s flight appears on the radar. Therefore, the aim is to carry out combined attacks, including drone strikes, for deep strikes – strikes on the territory of Russia, to mislead the enemy’s anti-aircraft defenses and to exhaust the air defenses.”
Similar methods have been used by the Ukrainians before in this war, but never to simulate an aircraft in flight. Specifically, dozens of Ukrainian volunteers produce “fake weapons” that mimic the originals, fooling Russian forces who use hundreds, maybe even millions of dollars worth of missiles to destroy these well-made mock-ups.
According to Musienko, the Russians can do nothing about such technology:
“They can’t check with binoculars at such a height. They can only trust radar. There is no visual confirmation or denial. How can you tell if it’s a bullet or a plane? It doesn’t work that way,” says Musienko, who rates the tool as successful.
“In addition, this is trolling of the highest order in terms of how many F-16s they’ve already seen on radar,” Musienko added.
The first F-16s are expected to arrive in Ukraine this summer, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba announced.
Earlier in April, Ukrainian Armed Forces Air Force spokesman Ilya Yevlash said Ukrainian pilots, who are training on F-16 fighter jets in Denmark and the US, are already practising the tasks they will face in Ukraine, in particular, the use of missiles and aerial bombs.
It should be recalled that a training centre for F-16 pilots has been operating at Romania’s 86th Air Base since last year. The first Romanian pilots have already started training, but there is no public information yet on the participation of Ukrainian pilots in the training programmes at the F-16 Base in Borcea.
UK announces largest ever military aid package to Ukraine: It includes long-range Storm Shadow missiles, ammunition and armoured vehicles-Update: 23.04.2024 10:43
The Ukrainian Armed Forces recently took possession of Storm Shadow long-range missiles.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest ever military aid package to Ukraine during a visit to Poland on Tuesday. It includes boats, long-range Storm Shadow missiles, ammunition and armoured vehicles. Sunak will arrive in Poland on Tuesday and announce a massive increase in military support for Ukraine, including £500m in additional military funding and the largest equipment delivery in UK history.
The British official will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the two leaders will hold talks on European security and support for Ukraine with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw. Sunak will then travel to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
“Ukraine faces an existential threat as Russia continues its barbaric invasion, endangering the security and stability of the whole of Europe. The additional £500 million funding announced today – bringing the value of UK military aid to Ukraine to £3 billion – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently needed ammunition, air defence systems, drones and technical support.”
The largest package of military equipment the UK is providing includes:
60 craft, including raid boats; more than 1,600 attack and air defence missiles, as well as long-range Storm Shadow missiles; more than 400 vehicles, including 160 Husky armoured vehicles; a further 162 armoured vehicles and 78 field vehicles; around 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and that of the whole of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border,” Sunak said.
“This record military aid package will give President Zelenski and his brave nation more of the equipment they need to oust Putin and restore peace and stability to Europe,” said British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
Britain was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to provide modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles.
“Now we are going further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting and with our enduring support they will win,” Grant Shapps added.
The new RO-RO terminal in the port of Constanta will be inaugurated on 15 May – Strategic Umbrella – 19 April 2024
The new RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) terminal in the port of Constanta will be inaugurated on May 15, Transport Minister Sorin Grindeanu announced on Friday on his Facebook page.
“We want to expand cooperation with Emirati partners for the port of Constanta. This is the message I had today during the meeting in Abu Dhabi with the management of DP World (Dubai Ports). The joint project, worth more than 82 million euro, already developed with the Constanta Port Administration, based on the Memorandum signed in June 2022, has taken shape and on 15 May, we will inaugurate the new RO-RO (roll-on/roll-off) terminal,” Grindeanu said.
Grindeanu added that 2023 was a record year in terms of cargo traffic at the Port of Constanta, “and the growth trend will continue in the coming years”.
“This is why we are interested in attracting funding to increase port capacity to reduce ship unloading/loading times, smoothen the flow of ships in the port’s basins, expand storage capacities and the road and rail networks within the port,” the minister commented.
Source: https://umbrela-strategica.ro/noul-terminal-ro-ro-din-portul-constanta-va-fi-inaugurat-pe-15-mai
Ten servicemen died after two Malaysian Navy helicopters collided in flight. Video – Replica of Constanta – 23 April 2024
Ten people died on Tuesday after two military helicopters collided in mid-air during a rehearsal for a Royal Malaysian Navy parade, the navy said in a statement quoted by Reuters.
All 10 were crew members aboard the aircraft involved in the crash, which occurred at Lumut naval base in the western state of Perak at 9.32am on Tuesday morning, the navy said.
“All the victims were confirmed dead at the scene and were sent to Lumut military base hospital for identification,” the navy said.
One of the helicopters clipped the rotor of the other before the two crashed to the ground, images published by local media show, as quoted by the BBC.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8xMBBP8ZLo&t=43s
One of the helicopters reportedly crashed on a runway, while the other crashed into a nearby swimming pool.
Source: https://www.replicaonline.ro/zece-militari-au-murit-dupa-ce-2-elicoptere-ale-marinei-din-malaezia-s-au-ciocnit-in-zbor-video-590385
2 Japanese navy helicopters have crashed in the Pacific – Maritime Security News – April 21, 2024
On the evening of the 20th, two Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force SH-60K helicopters disappeared while conducting training about 280 kilometers east of Torishima in the Izu Islands.
Flight recorders were found in the vicinity, leading the Ministry of Defence to conclude that both helicopters had crashed.
A mid-air collision is suspected.
A total of eight people were on board the two helicopters. One was rescued but, tragically, one fatality has been confirmed. Self-defence forces, with the support of 12 ships, seven aircraft, helicopters and planes, as well as assistance from the Japan Coast Guard, are continuing the search for the seven remaining missing people.
According to the ministry, at 22:38 on the 20th, contact with a helicopter at Omura Air Base in Nagasaki Prefecture was broken off, followed by an emergency signal at 22:39. Subsequently, at 23:04, contact was lost with another helicopter at Komatsushima air base in Tokushima prefecture. Although the signals from this aircraft have not been confirmed, simultaneous transmissions in close proximity suggest a possible overlap.
During searches near the incident site, fragments of both helicopters, including the rotor blades, were discovered and recovered.
Each of the two helicopters was carrying a crew of four, including pilots and aviation officers responsible for radar and sonar operations. The training involved anti-submarine warfare at night, using sonar to detect submarines. It was reported that, apart from participating Maritime Self-Defence Force ships and aircraft, there were no other entities present in the vicinity.
Source: https://defence-blog.com/2-japanese-navy-helicopters-crash-in-pacific/
Azerbaijan president names countries arming Armenia – Black Sea News – April 23, 2024
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has said Baku will take “serious measures” if it “sees a serious threat” from Armenia and reinforces its army with foreign weapons.
“We cannot sit and wait for France, India and Greece to arm Armenia against us. They are doing it openly and demonstratively and even trying to prove something to us in this way. We cannot sit idly by. I have clearly conveyed this position to the Armenian government and to the parties that are trying to show concern for Armenia today. If we see a serious threat to ourselves, we will have to take serious action,” Aliyev said on 23 April at the international forum “COP29 and the Green Vision for Azerbaijan” at ADA University. UA , with reference to AZERTAC.
It will be recalled that on 19 April, Azerbaijani and Armenian negotiators, within the framework of the work of the committees on the demarcation of the state border, agreed on the historic transfer to Azerbaijan of four villages that are partly under Armenian control.
After Azerbaijan regained military control over Karabakh territory (previously controlled by Armenia), Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan offered Azerbaijan to sign a non-aggression pact if the signing of the peace treaty was delayed.
Source: https://www.replicaonline.ro/zece-militari-au-murit-dupa-ce-2-elicoptere-ale-marinei-din-malaezia-s-au-ciocnit-in-zbor-video-590385
Zumwalt-class stealth destroyer: hypersonic missile truck or giant failure? – The National Interest – 23 April 2024
Zumwalt will push ten years once its hypersonic weapons are installed, assuming the current construction period ends on schedule. This is a considerable portion of its lifespan.
Zumwalt-Class: Will it be a long-term success or failure? It’s neither quick, cheap nor easy to change the major armament of a warship to something completely different. Nor is success predestined.
Exhibit A: the US Navy’s Zumwalt-class stealth destroyers. The buzz around these three otherworldly-looking men-of-war has been silenced of late. That’s because, for good and bad reasons, the DDG-1000 remains a warship class of the future seven and a half years after the main ship officially entered service. Late last summer, the USS Zumwalt entered Pascagoula, Mississippi, to remove its gun mounts and replace them with vertical launch cells – actually silos built into the ship’s main deck and the innards below – for launching hypersonic intermediate-range missiles under the Conventional Prompt Strike program.
Conventional Prompt Strike is a US Navy action undertaken in conjunction with the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon programme. If successful, the collaboration will produce a “joint hypersonic glide body”, a hypersonic guided missile that can be deployed with both sea and land services. The hypersonics fly at Mach 5 or above and can manoeuvre to avoid enemy defensive fire. Their characteristics increase the likelihood of a kill. Zumwalt’s vertical launch system will accommodate a dozen such lightning missiles in four bulky, large-diameter (87 inches wide) tubes. The Pascagoula Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard is scheduled to complete the upgrade by 2025.
But can it be done?
The industry and the Pentagon are trying to accelerate the re-equipment of ships for a new primary mission, while still developing and testing the main armament. That they can accomplish all this on time is far from predestined, given the novelty of hypersonic weaponry and given the well-documented history of defense firms delivering warships late and over budget. Last summer, for example, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published its latest “Annual Assessment of Weapon Systems.” Among many other findings, the report expressed doubts about the maturity of several technologies aboard the Zumwalt, as well as the missiles themselves.
The problem is that the technology has a way of refusing to develop on command or on the clock. Here’s the GAO investigators’ verdict: “if the hypersonic weapon is not ready for integration on the DDG 1000” during its stay in Pascagoula, “the Navy may have to extend the duration of the planned maintenance period or wait until the next scheduled period to incorporate the system on the ship.”
In other words, Navy tycoons may have to choose between two unpleasant alternatives. First, they could opt to pull a lean but functional Zumwalt out of the yard on time and into a fleet that could use a lot of extra hulls. If so, it would probably – as the GAO team speculated – designate the next ship in the class, the USS Michael Monsoor, as a missile test platform and delay arming the Zumwalt with hypersonics until the next shipyard period. Or two, it could let the Zumwalt languish in the yard for an indefinite period of time, awaiting its main armament.
One imagines he’d prefer the first option – to use a ready-to-deploy warship that’s reaching its potential – rather than let the ship sit idle and hope its missiles are declared combat-worthy soon. This logic is sound. Never let the best be the enemy of the good – or the right.
Now Zumwalt will be ten years old once his hypersonic weapons are installed, assuming the current construction period ends on schedule. This is a considerable part of its lifespan. No surprises here. Conversion to a hypersonic main battery was supposed to be a traumatic process. The DDG-1000 was built as a fighter that could lift precision guided missiles up to sixty miles, bombarding shore targets in support of ground forces. Its focus was dry land. But when news emerged that the cost of its high-tech howitzers had risen to $800,000 a round or more – a blatantly unaffordable sum – Navy management opted to repurpose the class for surface warfare. Surface warfare means dueling rival surface fleets for sea supremacy.
Zumwalt now focuses on the dark sea
And frankly, this was a welcome update for the times. Fighting for command of the sea is the first and most important task for any navy. This belief was engrained in the DNA of the US Navy until the end of the Cold War, and the service convinced itself that victory made battles for control of the sea moot forever. History was over. Then carrier battle groups became, for example, carrier strike groups. A battle group prepares to fight formidable foes like the Soviet navy. A strike group assumes it will face no significant opposition offshore and can venture close to shore to hit any targets that commanders order along hostile coasts.
The reinvention of the Zumwalt class, then, marks a return to an older, saner and healthier attitude toward naval warfare. Namely, the sea is never a safe haven at sea for long. Sooner or later, a new challenger will emerge, and with it the spectre of nautical conflict.
What should the US Navy high command do with the DDG-1000 if and when they emerge from the shipyards with working hypersonic missiles? Well, all three destroyers should make their home in the Pacific. The biggest drawback of the Zumwalt class is the mass – the number of hulls. The closest precedent for such a small class are the four Iowa-class battleships recommissioned in the 1980s. This was a weak flotilla in terms of brute numbers, but with four battlewagons, the Navy had enough to station two on each coast, fairly certain to have one ready for action in every ocean at any given time. And that’s what the leadership did.
There is no such economy of scale with the DDG-1000. It wouldn’t make sense to station two Zumwalts on the west coast, probably at San Diego, and the other on the east, probably at Norfolk. Best to keep all three bodies in the Pacific, the priority theater, rather than sacrifice robust coverage in the Pacific for intermittent coverage in the Atlantic, the theater being of lesser importance. Concentrating finite resources where they are most needed is the basic strategy.
The DDG-1000 class could fulfill yeoman duty in a scrap with China. For example, if US joint forces opted to seal off the first island chain to Chinese shipping and aircraft, stealth destroyers waving hypersonic missiles would make excellent mobile forces for patrolling behind the Great Wall in reverse. They could avoid detection, tracking and hostile targeting more easily than unhidden surface combatants can. Evasiveness would grant them the power to stay. Meanwhile, long-range weaponry would help them target Chinese ships attempting a breakout in the Western Pacific. And if the wall held, they could shift their fire to hit China’s navy in the China Seas.
Zumwalts, in short, would be a welcome part of a layered defense against aggression.
Oddly, however, the most daunting obstacle to using these ultra-modern warships in action might be psychological. The Zumwalt class has been excessively expensive, reaching $22.5 billion in FY 2015, according to the GAO. That’s $9.7 billion in FY 2023 for each copy of a 16,000-ton ship, compared with $14.2 billion for the USS Gerald R. Ford, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier that displaces more than six times as much.
The point is that in both Zumwalt’s and Ford’s case, it would be hard for any commander to risk such a massive investment of taxpayer dollars in combat. It’s a lot to risk, so commanders might become risk-averse when they have to be bold. The price, compounded by the small number of hulls in the DDG-1000 inventory – lose one and you lose a third of the fleet – could cause destroyer captains or their superiors to balk at aggressive use of Zumwalts. Even when the combat situation warrants it. Only the most enterprising officers should be put in charge of these monsters.
So here’s the DDG-1000 news summary. The bottom line is that repurposing a warship for new times is an effort fraught with uncertainty. Let’s hope the Zumwalt class is worth the wait. We need these ships of the future – pronto.
Source : https://nationalinterest.org/feature/zumwalt-class-stealth-destroyer-hypersonic-missile-truck-or-giant-failure-210702
Major fire in area of Souda naval base in Crete – Black Sea News – April 23, 2024
A fire broke out in the area of the Souda naval base in Crete shortly before 09:00 on April 23.
The hospital, support staff and local residents are reported to have evacuated, writes the Athens News website.
The fire broke out near the village of Navstatmos in Chania. The mayor of Chania, Panagiotis Simandirakis, decided to evacuate the school buildings of Souda Children’s Station, kindergartens, as well as the Souda gymnasium and high school for precautionary reasons.
It was also proposed to evacuate the Navastatmos Elementary School, the Naval Hospital and the NCO Club. In this regard, the civil protection services of the Municipality of Chania are on high alert.
Strong gusts of wind intensified the flames burning a patch of forest at the Nastatmos intersection in Chania, at the height of the ΒΟΑΚ national road, and firefighters had to fight ahead of time to prevent the fire from spreading to the Platani area and bringing it to Megala Chorafia. Traffic on this section of the road was stopped, as well as traffic on the BOAK with traffic redirected to Chania or Malaxa.
Residents of Navastatmos are asked to leave their area.
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216597
India nears $100 billion defence budget, but military modernisation takes a back seat to pensions – The EurAsian Times – April 23, 2024
For the first time since 2009, military spending increased in all five geographic regions – the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Oceania.
India increased its defence spending in 2023, but continues to trail the US, China and Russia. India increased its budget by 4.2%, while China’s military spending increased by 6%. Russia has seen a whopping 24% increase.
According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Centre (SIPRI), global military spending has seen a steep increase over more than a decade, reaching a record $2.443 trillion in 2023. The war in Ukraine was one of the main causes of military spending reaching its highest level in 35 years. Tensions in Asia and the Middle East have also contributed to the increase.
The SIPRI report concluded that global military spending reached $2.4 trillion in 2023 – an increase of 6.8% from 2022. The United States continued to be the world’s largest military spender and arms supplier, spending $916 billion. US military spending growth was just 2.3%, while China increased its military spending for 29 years in a row by a further 6% in 2023.
Russia’s military spending grew by 24% to $109 billion in 2023. Since 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine, the country’s military spending has increased by 57%.
“The unprecedented increase in military spending is a direct response to the global deterioration in peace and security. States prioritise military power, but risk an action-reaction spiral in the increasingly volatile geopolitical and security landscape,” said Nan Tian, a senior research fellow at the institute who has tracked military spending since at least 1988.
The gap between India’s and China’s official budgets is four times. The difference in budget growth makes the gap in military spending between the two countries with adversarial relations more pronounced. China’s huge military budget creates a notable disparity in power projection. India needs to optimise its military investment.
While China’s military spending is aimed squarely at strengthening its capacity in the South China Sea and East China Sea to prevent the US from intervening in Taiwan, India cannot afford to lower its guard.
It is an understatement to say that New Delhi’s ties with Beijing have been frosty ever since clashes between the two countries’ militaries along the 3488km Line of Actual Control escalated. China’s frequent naval incursions into the Indian Ocean region have also been worrying for India.
Indian problems
Despite being the world’s fourth largest defence spender, India faces challenges in maximising its military investment. Much of India’s military defence goes into paying salaries and pensions for its 1.4 million-strong armed forces.
The Indian government has decided to rationalise its pay and pension bills by introducing the controversial Agnipath scheme. Under the scheme, recruits were supposed to serve for four years, but only a fraction were absorbed permanently into the forces.
Over 70% of the defence budget is used for revenue expenditure (operational expenditure), while only about 30% is spent on capital expenditure to modernise the forces. The number of defence pensioners has increased by about 10 lakhs (one million) in the last seven years.
In 2023, the government has allocated Rs 1.3 lakh crore (USD 1.5 billion) for armed forces pensions out of the total budget of Rs 5,93,537 crore (USD 6 billion) allocated to the Ministry of Defence.
The fastest growing component of India’s defence budget is the Defence Pensions Bill, not the expenditure on procurement of military equipment.
According to the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence (2019-20), the Government of India provides pensions to about 32,35,730 retired defence personnel, of whom 26,33,947, or 81%, are military pensioners or their dependents, 6,01,783, or 19%, are civilian defence pensioners or their dependents, and about 46,869 pensioners, or 1.4%, are not classified in either category. To this burden are added about 55,000 pensioners each year.
India lacks a robust defence industrial base, which affects its ability to develop cutting-edge military technologies. Work has begun to remedy this situation, but there is still a long way to go.
After Indian army troops came to blows with China in the Galwan Valley in 2020, India is working to develop border infrastructure. Given the difficult terrain along its borders, India is investing in infrastructure development to improve connectivity and troop mobility. Roads, bridges, airfields and other facilities are essential for effective border management.
India has focused on strategic assets and platforms such as submarines, aircraft carriers and long-range missiles. These platforms enhance India’s ability to project power and protect its interests in the Indian Ocean region.
China’s increased military spending
China’s official military figures on defence spending do not include spending on the space programme, defence mobilisation funds, authorised land sales or excess food produced by some units, student recruitment bonuses and provincial military base operating costs, leading to a discrepancy.
China’s military budget for 2024 was announced with a 7.2% increase in the defence budget, even as the economy slows.
The draft budget showed that funding for national defence will reach a record RMB 1.665 trillion (USD 233 billion) this year, up from RMB 1.554 trillion (USD 219 billion) in 2023. The nominal increase of 7.2% matches the growth rate seen in 2023 and is in line with the ten-year average of 7.5%.
As a percentage of GDP, the defence budget stands at 1.25%, well below the global average of 1.8% and the 2% target for NATO countries.
China’s defence budget is still considerably less than the $911 billion requested by the US defence budget in 2024. However, in the real term and taking inflation into account, Beijing’s pace of spending growth is closing the gap with Washington.
Beijing has not specified how the increased 2024 budget will be spent. However, it is clear that the commitment to enhance the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) capabilities for a potential Taiwan contingency by 2027 and full military modernisation by 2035 – as dictated by President Xi Jinping; would be a top priority.
China’s increased military spending leads to increased spending by its neighbours. Japan allocated $50.2 billion to its military in 2023, which was 11% more than in 2022. Taiwan’s military spending also increased by 11% in 2023 to $16.6 billion.
“China is directing much of its growing military budget to enhance the People’s Liberation Army’s combat readiness,” said Xiao Liang, a researcher with SIPRI’s Military Spending and Weapons Production Program. This has prompted the governments of Japan, Taiwan and others to significantly strengthen their military capabilities, a trend that will accelerate further in the coming years.
Source: https://www.eurasiantimes.com/budget-but-military-modernization-take/amp/
And again about Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” that doesn’t actually exist – Andriy Klymenko – Black Sea News – April 23, 2024
The Monitoring Group of the Institute for Black Sea Strategic Studies and the editorial board of BlackSeaNews continue to monitor the Russian crude oil shipping situation on a daily basis.
The situation with the transport of Russian crude oil by sea was reported by BlackSeaNews editor-in-chief, expert Andriy Klymenko on Facebook:
In March 2024, 36 tankers transported Russian crude oil from Black Sea ports. They transported 4, 3 million tons (gross weight of each tanker from 100 to 160 thousand tons).
According to the countries of registration of the shipowners, the tankers are distributed as follows:
– 9 tankers – China – 25, 0%;
– 7 tankers – Greece – 19, 4%;
– 5 oil tankers – United Arab Emirates – 13, 9% (including those companies that may belong to the Russian Federation in the United Arab Emirates);
– 5 oil tankers – Marshall Islands – 13.9% (offshore)
– 4 oil tankers – Turkey – 11%;
– 2 tankers – India – 5, 6%;
– 2 tankers – Indonesia – 5, 6%;
– 1 tanker – Vietnam – 2, 8%;
– 1 tanker – Liberia – 2, 8% (offshore).
Only 6 tankers can be attributed to those tankers where the owners are registered in offshore jurisdictions, i.e. ownership is hidden from the general public (but not from regulators) – i.e. 16, 7%.
The rest of the tankers have up-to-date information on the name, identification number and address of the shipowner and operator’s office in open and specialised directories, for example:
6011050 Registered Owner LAVENDER MARINE LTD Care of Thenamaris (Ships Management) Inc , 16, Athinas Avenue &; Vorreou Street, Vouliagmeni, 166 71 Athens, Greece. as of 07/02/2018.
“All these ships are in all registers, go with AIS (it happens to be stopped in Russian ports, but not always), i.e. it is possible to track them – if there is a desire,” writes Andriy Klymenko.
Most of the oil tankers are quite decent in age and technical condition (otherwise Turkey won’t leave them in the straits and the Sea of Marmara – they are seriously worried about this, they remember the accident of a supertanker in the Sea of Marmara in 1979.
“So the problem is not the so-called “shadow fleet”, but the fact that half the world – mainly Asia, Africa, Latin America – has NOT joined the sanctions against Russia.
Moreover, in those countries that have not joined the sanctions, there are no systems of independent control over the value of the contracts under which the oil cargo they are transporting was bought,” writes the expert.
Another important point: the so-called “price cap” of $60 per barrel, to which no one adheres, applies only to ships owned by shipowners from countries that have joined the sanctions. In this case, to tankers from Greece. This is, as mentioned above, only up to 1/5 of tankers. Otherwise, this does not apply in principle.
The definition of “shadow fleet” has been thrown around by unqualified investigative journalists (such as journalists and investigators) who have come up with pirate stories about unregistered tankers with false flags, no AIS.
Yes, indeed there have been police stories when ships are registered with front companies in other countries, change their name/flag, but still remain in the books, registers etc. and can be seen as there are places where it is impossible to go with the same AIS transmitter switched off (to which is also attached the word transponder, which is not often used in maritime affairs).
It is already difficult to get away from this definition, as its “stuck” as a known substance.
“So, we urge you, we advise you, we ask you to understand as follows: the “shadow fleet” is the fleet of the majority of the world’s countries that did not join the anti-Russian sanctions and calmly, without violating anything, carry Russian oil and thus expand the possibility of Russia killing us,” adds Andriy Klymenko.
“Yes, there is (only) one EU country left on the list, where billionaire shipowners have not yet understood this, because billions are intervening. But we, together with Ukrainian and EU diplomats and journalists, are pressing and will press (these are not empty words).
But what to do with the second half of the world is a broader question than oil exports.
We work, we don’t stop”
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216598
US company’s French subsidiary supplies communications systems for Russian Federation aviation – Black Sea News – April 23, 2024
Despite current sanctions, PGA, which is the French subsidiary of the American Astronics Group, continues to supply on-board electronics to the Russian military and politicians.
GuildHall writes about this with reference to Le Parisien.
The company produces state-of-the-art systems that control on-board electronics in the cockpit.
These electronics are installed on planes at a small Russian military airport south of Moscow. Civilian Ilyushin-96 or Sukhoi-100 aircraft are serviced here.
Among those using these aircraft are Dmitry Medvedev, Sergei Shoigu and Dmitry Peskov, as well as FSB officers and other Russians, including Putin himself, who has an Il-96.
A detailed list of sanctioned Russian companies can be found in the database of legal entities sanctioned by Ukraine, the EU, the UK, Canada and the US in connection with Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216593
Azerbaijan does not intend to join the EAEU – Black Sea News – 23 April 2024
Baku has no plans to join the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU).
This was stated by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Russian agency TASS reports.
“We have no such plans, but we cannot say that they cannot be discussed in the future. Everything will depend on the additional economic benefits we get from the rapprochement. If we see them, we will make decisions. If not, then we will be satisfied with the level of cooperation we have now,” Aliyev told an international conference in Baku.
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216592
Bridge visibility to improve cargo management – The Maritime Executive – 15 April 2024
It could be argued that all relevant crew data is available for display on the bridge. This would be true for most operational tasks. However, as more and more cargo boxes become Smart-Enabled, a new frontier in cargo visibility is bypassing shipping. The team behind Net Feasa has been deploying wireless networks on container ships and commercial aircraft for over a quarter of a century. We designed the Vessel Control Tower platform to give shipping companies full visibility of all IoT-enabled sensors, especially cargo, on the bridge.
This was not possible until recently. The last barriers to cost-effective IoT wireless network monitoring on container ships were not removed until 2023. These barriers where; IoT sensor costs and battery longevity, low cost and simplistic wireless ship networks, cheap and reliable satellite backhaul to the cloud and the challenge that multi-receiver and Dry Box telemetry devices presented. Net Feasa addressed these barriers and delivered the Vessel Control Tower (VCT), a complete connectivity and visibility suite transformed into a pragmatic, functional and valuable cargo visibility platform. Data presented on the bridge and/or cloud is both valuable and actionable.
All data that is made available to the shipping company can be displayed simultaneously on the bridge and in the cloud. Our multi-radio IoT ship networks are already live and proven. It’s a revolutionary step forward in cargo visibility. For shipping lines, the Vessel Control Tower offers increased operational efficiency and risk mitigation. By providing real-time asset monitoring of multi-supplier reefer and proactive fire detection in smart containers, shipping lines can optimise their cargo management processes and minimise the risk of costly disruptions. With customizable dashboards and reporting capabilities, they can gain valuable insights into their operations, enabling data-driven decision making and continuous improvement.
Today, shipping lines rely mainly on manual cargo checks and occasionally use powerline technology to detect faults and alarms at sea. Manual cargo checks involve crew members physically inspecting cargo periodically to ensure integrity and safety. This process has been unreliable in adverse weather and labour intensive conditions. In some cases, shipping lines use powerline technology to detect faults or alarms on board ships. However, these methods are limited in their capabilities and lack the real-time monitoring and comprehensive visibility offered by wireless IoT ship networks. As a result, shipping lines can offer increased safety, security and efficiency in their operations.
By deploying IoT vessel networks, shipping lines improve their competitive position as well as ensure the integrity of intermodal transport. With the increasing complexity of global supply chains and the growing demand for real-time visibility, traditional monitoring methods are no longer sufficient. In today’s fast-paced and interconnected world, deploying IoT ship networks is essential for shipping lines to maintain a competitive edge and meet the evolving needs of their customers. If shipping companies would like to showcase this granular data visibility to end customers, the Ship Control Tower enables it.
What differentiates Net Feasa Vessel Control Tower from traditional solutions is the ability to consolidate data from all IoT-enabled cargo sources. This single visibility platform for all IoT and third-party telemetry devices on board is unique. The vessel network solution incorporates sensor technologies, data analytics, machine learning. and satellite optimization to not only sense and respond, but to enable shipping companies to anticipate and act.
In fact, the BAPLIE file becomes a live pulsing representation of all the boxes on board. Container data includes graphical storage location, current status, temperature and associated alarms. This comprehensive approach ensures simplified monitoring and early detection of potential challenges, revolutionising container visibility at sea. Using advanced wireless IoT networking and security expertise, Net Feasa has created a solution that sets a new standard for maritime visibility, security, quality control and efficiency.
To serve global shipping companies with our industry-leading solution, we have implemented a support capability for vessel surveillance, network installation, commissioning and customer support that is second to none. Other unique functionalities include; IoT device cybersecurity control, Regulatory broadcast compliance, Satellite and LoRaWAN sync management, Bluetooth and 5G extensions.
Net Feasa continues to deliver IoT solutions that are embedded deep into the heart of global communications and supply chains. Global partnerships allow us to deliver tailored solutions in the maritime sector, enabling remote visibility, remote asset management and operational efficiency. In conclusion, the introduction of the Net Feasa vessel control tower promises to revolutionise container visibility at sea, delivering unparalleled benefits for shipping lines, their customers and crew. With increased operational efficiency, improved transparency and enhanced safety measures, the Ship Control Tower is set to transform the way cargo is managed and monitored at sea.
Source: https://www.maritime-executive.com/features/visibility-from-the-bridge-to-improve-cargo-management
Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons systems on its border with Finland – Black Sea News – 23 April 2024
Russia has deployed tactical nuclear weapons systems on its border with Finland.
It is reported that Iskander-M operational-tactical complexes have been deployed in border Karelia.
This was reported by sources in the Russian Defense Ministry, reports moscowtimes.ru.
Capable of firing both cruise and ballistic missiles, including those with nuclear warheads, the Iskanders became part of a separate missile brigade, which in turn became part of the Russian Federation’s new Leningrad military district.
In addition, the 11th Army Corps in the Kaliningrad region, as well as the 14th Army Corps in the Murmansk region, were transferred to the district.
“The formation of the missile brigade is a response to Finland’s accession to NATO,” said former Baltic Fleet Commander Admiral Vladimir Valuev. “Now Russia’s border with the alliance countries has grown by almost 1,300 km, and the bloc includes the largest artillery troops in Europe, which includes 1,500 guns, including 700 howitzers, 700 large-calibre mortars and 100 missile systems.”
The very fact of the re-establishment of the Leningrad Military District, which was abolished during the military reform of the early 2010s, indicates that the Kremlin is preparing for a full-scale war with NATO in the long term, experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in February.
Until recently, the entire western border of the Russian Federation was controlled by Western District units. By decree of President Vladimir Putin on 26 February, the Western Military District was divided into two districts: from now on, Moskovsky will control the border with Ukraine and Poland, and Leningradsky will control NATO’s north-eastern border.
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216587
Swedish navy suspects Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of espionage – Black Sea News – 23 April 2024
The Swedish navy has confirmed for the first time that Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” in the Baltic Sea may be engaged in espionage.
Source: SVT, as reported by European Pravda
Russia’s “shadow fleet” is moving daily across the Baltic Sea with several hundred thousand tons of oil products on board.
For the first time, the Swedish Navy has confirmed that it monitors these movements and that there are documents showing that some of the ships may be used for espionage, in particular for signal recognition, i.e. interception of communications.
“We find antennas and masts that don’t normally belong, for example, to fishing boats, so it’s understandable that we feel that what moves at sea sometimes has other purposes related to their activities,” says navy chief Eva Skoog Haslum.
Controlling movement is primarily the responsibility of the Coast Guard, but the navy now confirms that Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” has military aspects too.
“What is happening now because of sanctions against Russia can be both a security tragedy and an environmental tragedy,” Hasloum said.
She says the ships could be used in hybrid operations, such as a foreign ship entering a Swedish port under the pretext of seeking an emergency port due to an accident. According to SVT, over the past year, Swedish authorities have made specific preparations for this due to the fact that at least one “shadow tanker” has had technical problems near Gotland.
The day before, at the EU meeting on defence and foreign affairs in Luxembourg, concrete measures to stop such activities were discussed.
“There is a very broad consensus that the ‘shadow fleet’ is a problem,” says foreign minister Tobias Billström.
Earlier, it was reported that Sweden is concerned that Russia, by transporting ageing tankers through the Baltic Sea, could cause “environmental chaos” in the region.
Earlier, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that the movement of Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the Baltic Sea, illegally transporting Russian oil, must be stopped, including through intervention at European Commission level.
Finland also fears an oil spill in the Baltic Sea due to Russia’s “shadow fleet”.
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216584
Russia blocks GPS: 46 thousand British flights have encountered navigation problems – Black Sea News – 23 April 2024
Flights to and from the UK have felt the effects of jamming of the global positioning system (GPS) in the region, which is likely to be behind Russia.
Source: British tabloid The Sun, quoted by other media outlets including The Guardian, as reported by European Pravda, citing aviation industry sources.
Based on an analysis of flight logs from the GPSJAM.org profile site The Sun writes that navigation problems have been found on some 46,000 flights since last August. Of those, 2,300 are Ryanair, nearly 1,400 are Wizz Air.
British Airways and easyJet have also been affected by GPS jamming, although not on such a significant scale (82 and 4 cases respectively).
The UK Civil Aviation Authority told The Sun that signal jamming is often linked to military activity, but does not mean that commercial aircraft are its direct target.
“GPS jamming does not directly affect aircraft navigation and, while this is a known issue, it does not mean that the aircraft was intentionally jammed,” explained Glenn Bradley, head of flight operations for the bureau.
Problems with GPS navigation in Europe have been reported since the start of Russia’s large-scale invasion of Ukraine, particularly around the Kaliningrad region, a Russian enclave overlooking the Baltic Sea.
European states believe these are deliberate actions by Moscow.
In March, it became known that Russia may have jammed the signal from British Defence Minister Grant Shapps’ plane as it flew near Kaliningrad.
Source: https://www.blackseanews.net/read/216579
Reflecting on Operation Aspides – Romania Military – 23 April 2024
Operation Aspides is the European Union’s (slow) response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping traffic in the Red Sea. To put things into context for a moment, the shortest commercial sea route between Europe and Asia runs through the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Red Sea and the Bab el Mandeb Strait. The alternative is the sea route around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope (much longer; it means at least an extra week’s march) or the Arctic Ocean route which, apart from being available only in summer and even then under special conditions, also passes through the Russian Federation’s ‘backyard’.
Repeated Houthi attacks on merchant vessels have led to a significant drop in shipping traffic through the Suez Canal, increased transport and insurance costs with a direct impact on the prices of finished products, and caused a number of logistical problems in Chinese ports, Singapore or Rotterdam. Added to this is the inflationary pressure on the economy. Obviously, Egypt is also affected, with a significant source of revenue from canal fees reduced, as are the countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
Basically, to conclude, all countries involved in trade between Europe and Asia are affected, whether they are at either end (EU or China), on the “route” (Persian Gulf countries, India) or major logistical centres (Singapore, Rotterdam). This is a very high-stakes issue for all the countries involved.
More concrete information, figures, etc. on this subject can be found in a study by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) which can be accessed online here.
In dry figures, according to the official website, Operation Aspides, launched (late) on 19 February 2024, means:
– Area of Operations: Red Sea – Persian Gulf area, NW Indian Ocean area;
– Mandate – 1 year (n.a. likely to be extended);
– Headquarters – Larissa, Greece;
– Budget – €8 million (n.a. according to official statements, the budget provided by the EU does not include, for example, crew salaries and, I believe, the cost of ammunition fired);
– Operation commander: Commodore Vasileios Gryparis;
– Staff assigned: – Larissa HQ: 130; on site, embarked on Caio Duilio: 30;
– Force deployed in the area of operations: 4 frigates and one surveillance aircraft;
– Flotilla commander: Rear Admiral Stefano Costantino.
Is it too much, is it too little? Whatever it is, it seems to be all that the European Union, one of the world’s great economic powers, a power with global interests, especially in world trade, can afford. Which trade, what can you see, is predominantly on the world’s seas and oceans…
It doesn’t take 160 IQ to realise that such interests need to be backed up with a military fleet to match. As long as Britain has been the world’s greatest industrial power, it has built and maintained a significant military fleet. The US, which took its place, especially after World War II, did the same. China, which would like to take over from the US what do you know… is doing the same!
F453 Spetsai, Hydra/Meko class frigate Source: seaforces
Let’s go back a bit to the naval force deployed by one of the world’s major economic powers (the European Union itself has an approved budget for 2024 of over 300 billion euros): 4 frigates and a surveillance aircraft.
The frigates are mostly dedicated anti-aircraft vessels – F221 Hessen (Germany), D656 Alsace (France), D554 Caio Duilio (Italy) and F452 Hydra (Greece). The Italian ship is classified as a specialised anti-aircraft destroyer. Alsace, is one of the two FREMM frigates specially configured for anti-air warfare, often referred to as destroyer. Both ships have similar sensors and armament, the common denominator being the Aster missile in its two configurations, 15 for medium range and 30 for long range.
Hessen uses a combination of European sensors and American weaponry, either produced under licence in Germany (RAM, ESSM) or imported from the US (Standard). The “poorest” member of the European flotilla is the Greek frigate, which has 16 Mk-48 VLS cells and 2 Phalanx CIWS systems.
F453 Spetsai, Hydra/Meko class frigate Source: seaforces
A typical example of a European unit, the Danish frigate Iver Huitfeldt was deployed to the area but, at least initially, was placed under the command of Operation Prosperity Guardian (an Anglo-American effort in which the Europeans did not want to participate because they did not want to be under American command). In the Danes’ defence, it should be noted that their frigate arrived in the area before Operation Aspides began. Deh, like any European decision, it took a while to implement. If the Danes have a good excuse, the Dutch don’t… In March, the Dutch De Zeven Provincien-class frigate Tromp, en route to the Pacific, made a pit-stop in the Red Sea as part of Operation… Prosperity Guardian. The Dutch are also reportedly sending the logistics ship Karel Doorman to supply ships for Operation Aspides and to take over the command staff of the Caio Duilio, which is likely to go to Italy for resupply.
The operation already has its awardees, co-recipients and even repeaters. The winners are obviously the Italians and the French. Aster performed excellently, even managing to shoot down three ballistic missiles, a feat in itself considering that, at least in theory, the rocket should not be capable of such performance. The 76mm/62 calibre Oto Melara Strales guns also proved their effectiveness as claimed in the manufacturer’s leaflets.
The Danish frigate and, in part, the German frigate are among the failures. The Danish frigate had a number of serious problems caused by the bad marriage (to put it in football terms) between the Thales (Netherlands) APAR radar and the Therma (Denmark) centralised battle management system, plus the ammunition misses from the 76mm Oto Melara guns which exploded prematurely near the ship. The Danish frigate eventually broke off its mission and returned home, with problems on the mission leading to a high-level resignation. Hessen also had communication problems between the Thales APAR radar and the Standard missile, both older versions. However, the Germans may have fixed their problems on the spot, whether they did or not, the frigate is still on mission in the Red Sea.
I open a brief parenthesis. Denmark is home to the Maersk shipping company, one of the largest in the world. The Danish navy relies on three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates and two hybrid ships that can be assimilated to a frigate, the Absalon class. Germany is home to the Hapag-Lloyd shipping company. Germany’s fleet relies on the services of three Sachsen-class anti-aircraft frigates complemented by four Brandenburg-class multirole frigates. The world’s ‘heaviest’ frigate, the Baden-Württemberg class (four units) is only capable of supporting low-intensity operations, so it has no place in a contested area like the Red Sea. Mediterranean Shipping Company, another shipping giant, is an Italian company. The Italian Navy relies on the services of two specialised anti-air warfare destroyers, with two more to be built to replace the older Durand de la Penne, eight Bergamini class frigates (FREMM) with two more under construction, three large patrol vessels with good anti-air warfare capabilities, the Thaon di Revel class, plus four more units under construction (two will be transferred to Indonesia, the first export success of the class). Compared to Germany and Denmark, Italy already sounds much better…
F451 Limnos, Elli/Kortenauer class frigate Source: seaforces
Greece, along with China, holds a third of the world’s shipping capacity (tdw). It has long been in first place but China’s rise has been accelerating in recent years. The Greek navy relies on four Hydra-class (Meko) frigates and nine Elli-class (Kortenaer) frigates, older but robust, ‘honest’ ships I would say. Both classes use the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow/RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) for air defence. The F452 Hydra frigate, deployed in the Red Sea, has already shot down two kamikaze unmanned aircraft, either the 127mm or one of the two CIWS Phalanx guns were used.
The class repeaters, however, are the Belgians. At the beginning of April, the Belgian frigate Louise Marie (F931) took part, practically in the presence of the chief officer – Admiral Michel Hofman, in an exercise to test the combat capability of the ship to be sent to the Red Sea. A drone attack was simulated, no surprise there. But that’s where the “dicrysis” begins: a RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missile failed to launch and got stuck in the tube, and the other air defences available to the frigate – a 76mm Oto Melara rapid-fire gun, a CIWS Goalkeeper system, machine guns and, specifically for deployment in the Red Sea, a Dillon M134D mini-gun – also failed. In short, it was a total and complete fisco! Oh, what a roar, what an ordeal, what a disgrace it would have been here on the site if something like that had happened to us… Not the case, our “frigates” are not even on the level of the German Baden-Württemberg class which have two launchers with 21 RAM missiles each.
F451 Limnos, Elli/Kortenauer class frigate Source: seaforces
Operation Aspides revealed several problems within the Northern European navies. Paradoxically, or perhaps not, the problems appeared precisely in the Northern European states, i.e. the richer ones, at least compared to the Southern European ones, perceived as the “poor”/”bankrupt” of Europe (with country bankruptcy champions Spain and Greece).
A wake-up call, and it’s certainly better that it came on the occasion of this operation than a war in North European waters. Because if it weren’t for the UK (which has almost as many ships in the frigate/destroyer category as Norway, Germany – which still has big plans, the Netherlands and Denmark combined), things would be tricky in the Baltic, North Sea and North Atlantic. France, although it has a respectable navy, has one of the largest exclusive economic zones in the world, far from home, interests in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean. In short, it is stretched like elastic. And the US Navy probably has more ships than all the European navies put together. So, to give you an order of magnitude…
In my opinion, it’s about time Europeans backed their overseas interests and countries with their own forces, not just relying on other people’s fleets (read US). Or, “put one’s money where one’s mouth is”. And we should also understand that we are talking about a general effort because alone we become irrelevant.
Source: https://www.rumaniamilitary.ro/buletin-naval-reflectand-pe-marginea-operatiunii-aspides