Council On Foreign Relations News

Eric Chewning, former chief of staff to the U.S. Secretary of Defense and deputy assistant secretary for industrial policy, is joining HII as executive vice president, Strategy & Development, reporting directly to HII President and CEO Chris Kastner. Chewning assumes the role on Jan. 30.Chewning joins HII as it grows its customer set across the armed forces and executes on its significant shipbuilding backlog for its primary customer, the U.S. Navy. HII is the nation’s only builder of aircraft carriers and its largest military shipbuilder…

The U.S. Coast Guard announced Friday Rear Adm. Melissa Bert has been invested as judge advocate general and chief counsel of the Coast Guard. Bert is the service’s first woman to hold that office.Bert was most recently the director of Governmental and Public Affairs for the Coast Guard, where she was responsible for external engagement with Congress, the media and other inter-governmental entities.As judge advocate general and chief counsel, Bert will lead a group of legal professionals who are responsible for the delivery of all legal services in support of the Coast Guard's missions…

The international conference on maritime security and defense (MS&D), held for the seventh time in Hamburg during the SMM maritime trade fair, focused on current and future challenges to maritime security and defense. Twenty naval, industrial and science experts discussed topics such as how to protect international ocean trading routes, when and how to deploy naval forces on crisis missions, as well as cyber security issues.The welcome address opened the event with somber words as Rear Admiral Thorsten Kähler…

Harvey Gulf International Marine’s parent, HGIM Corp., has announced the appointment of a new Board of Directors to serve following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11 proceedings.The seven member Board includes two current members remaining on the Board and five new members, each with expertise in individual areas particularly suited to support the company’s operation and development and collectively, creating a leadership platform that will enable Harvey Gulf to adjust and thrive in an ever-changing market. Shane Guidry. Mr. Guidry remains the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer for HGIM Corp. Mr. Guidry is the third generation in his family to lead Harvey Gulf. Mr.

The intervention of China in the Arabian Sea is increasing with each passing day. China's deadliest attack submarine crept past Indian waters and docked in Karachi. China had made similar visits to Colombo over the last one year, sparking further concerns in the Indian security establishment. According to India Today, China's Yuan Class 335 submarine crossed the Arabian Sea and entered Karachi port on May 22. The submarine with at least 65 crew members reportedly spent at least a week in Karachi refuelling and restocking before sailing back to China. The incident took place less than a week after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's wrapped up Beijing trip.

Pakistan, a country plagued by economic and political insecurity, to conclude the deal of eight conventional submarines during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Islamabad on Monday (April 20), reports Bloomberg. This will help Pakistan gain the ability to fire nuclear weapons at sea, keeping pace with rival India, says analysts. Given the political instability and the activities of numerous terrorist groups operating in Pakistan, this poses great threat for whole world too. The submarine sale will add to tensions in regional waters as PM Narendra Modi bulks up India's navy to prevent China from gaining a foothold in the area. Nuclear weapons at sea pose a greater risk than stationary land-based arsenals because they are submerged and harder to detect.

Territorial disputes over tiny islands and reefs in the South China Sea are poisoning relations between China and its neighbours in Southeast Asia. "In recent months, China has undertaken destabilising, unilateral actions asserting its claims in the South China Sea," U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told an audience in Singapore last month. "(China) has restricted access to Scarborough Reef, put pressure on the long-standing Philippine presence at the Second Thomas Shoal, begun land reclamation activities at multiple locations, and moved an oil rig into disputed waters near the Paracel Islands," Hagel complained at the Shangri-La Dialogue.

A Change of Command Ceremony is scheduled for U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton at Coast Guard Island, Alameda, Calif., Thursday, at 10:30 a.m. During the ceremony Capt. Andrew M. Sugimoto will relieve Capt. Charles L. Cashin III, as Stratton’s commanding officer. Vice Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, Commander, Pacific Area and Defense Forces West, will preside over the ceremony. Cashin is a native of Chelmsford, Mass., and has served aboard seven cutters, commanding three of them. He is a 1988 graduate of the United States Coast Guard Academy where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering.

Money and Ships conference to review current situation after global attacks hit all-time high of 266 for the first half of 2011- problem costs industry up to $16 billion annually. Global attacks on ships rose to an all-time high of 266, during the first six months of 2011 up from 196 in 2010 according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). More than 117 ships were attacked and 20 seized, by pirates off the coast of Somalia alone since January 1, 2011, holding 28 ships and 518 hostages for ransom as of the end of April 2011. These issues are to be raised and reviewed by industry experts at Middle East Money and Ships conference, which takes place at the Address Hotel in Dubai Marina on 16 October 2011.

The 6th Annual North America's Marine Highways Conference, produced by the Journal of Commerce Conferences, will take place April 1 and 2 at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, Jacksonville, Florida. The theme "Are We There Yet?" refers to the status of North American marine highways as a seemingly endless construction zone. Last December, Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told The Journal of Commerce that he wanted to steer $30m of President-elect Obama's economic recovery package to short sea loan guarantees for vessels and shore facilities. The money is part of an overall $85b investment in transportation infrastructure now being considered by Congress.

The Strategic Council on Security Technology announced the global rollout of Phase Two of the Smart and Secure Tradelanes (SST) initiative. In the last year, SST has become the largest cargo security program in operation, helping global shippers to automatically track the location and status of containers while creating a system to detect and report container tampering. The second phase of SST focuses on further expansion of the global network, extending operations, shipments, and integration into existing supply chain systems while incorporating new technologies such as sensor-equipped smart containers into global supply chain systems. Smart and Secure Tradelanes (SST) is an industry-funded supply chain security and efficiency initiative.

Edward Muller has been appointed to serve as a member of the Board of Directors of RigNet Inc. Paul Gundersen, RigNet chairman and CEO, said, "Ed Muller brings a valuable blend of industry knowledge and business experience to RigNet. Mr. Edward Muller was elected to the Global Marine Board of Directors in February 1997, and now serves on the GlobalSantaFe Board. A private investor, Mr. Muller was President and Chief Executive Officer of Edison Mission Energy, the wholly owned global power subsidiary of Edison International, from 1993 until 2000. In addition to RigNet, Mr. Muller currently serves as a Director for Interval, Inc., Strategic Data Corp. and The Keith Companies, Inc.

Vice Adm. Jeffrey L. Fowler relieved Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy during a change of command ceremony held in Alumni Hall on June 8. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Mullen praised Rempt’s accomplishments during his four years at the Naval Academy, commending his focus on developing midshipmen as combat leaders of character. “As a Naval Academy grad, I want to thank you for all that you have done for my alma mater, the naval services, and the nation,” Mullen said. Rempt, a surface warfare officer and a 1966 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, became the 59th superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy in August 2003. “I am eternally indebted to the finest faculty in the country,” said Rempt.

Over 20 million shipping containers enter the U.S. each year, most onboard ships. These containers are the life blood of a national economy fed by an industry that depends upon the just-in-time delivery of goods and supplies rather than maintaining expensive inventories. Any actions that slow the flow of these containers will have a significant economic impact. Yet containers are very affordable, Council on Foreign Affairs’ Dr. Stephen Flynn noted in his book “America the Vulnerable” (Harper Collins), “The challenge of securing the loading and movement of containers is formidable. Anyone who has $3,000 to $5,000 can lease one of the many millions of containers that circulate around the globe.

Top security and maritime officials from more than 22 countries will come together in New York next week to explore solutions for improving the security of international maritime trade in the United States and abroad. Security Division at E.J. Krause & Associates, the Expo organizer. “Maritime security is a crucial piece in the U.S. government’s fight against the threat of terrorism. The U.S. Maritime Security Expo will be held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, on September 18-19, 2002. the Security Expo has become this year¹s ³must attend² meeting for logistics, maritime, trade and security officials worldwide.

The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee conducted a Hearing on Cargo Container Security

U.S. Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC), Chairman of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, announced today a full Committee hearing on the implementation of the Port and Maritime Security Act on Tuesday, February 19th, 2002, at 1:30 PM at the Charleston, S.C., Maritime Center. Witnesses will include: Panel I, Norman Y. Mineta, Secretary of Transportation; Admiral James M. Loy, Commandant, United States Coast Guard; Robert C. Bonner, Commissioner, United States Customs Service; Panel II, Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Mayor of Charleston; Keith Summey, Mayor of North Charleston, Bernard S. Groseclose, Jr., President and CEO, South Carolina State Port ; Robert M. Burdette, City of Mt. Pleasant, City Administrator, Municipal Complex; Major Alvin A.

The Council on Foreign Relations issued a report entitled America Still Unprepared America Still in Danger. The report concludes that the United States remains dangerously unprepared to prevent and respond to a catastrophic attack on U.S. soil. While screening at airports is intense, only the tiniest percentage of ships and cargo containers are subject to examination. The agenda for transportation security should be recalibrated as the vulnerabilities are greater and the stakes higher in the maritime sector than in the aviation sector.