Defence Department News

The United States commissioned a warship in Sydney, Australia, on Saturday, the first time a U.S. Navy vessel joined active service at a foreign port, as the two close allies step up their military ties in response to China's expanding regional reach.The Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Canberra (LCS-30)—named after a Royal Australian Navy cruiser that was sunk while supporting the U.S. Marine landings on Guadalcanal in 1942—was commissioned at a ceremony at an Australian naval base on Sydney Harbour, officially joining the U.S.

Australia's Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Saturday that the wreck of a Japanese merchant ship, sunk in World War Two with 864 Australian soldiers on board, had been found in the South China Sea, ending a tragic chapter of the country's history.Marles said the SS Montevideo Maru, an unmarked prisoner of war transport vessel missing since being sunk off the Philippines' coast in July 1942, had been discovered northwest of Luzon island.The ship was torpedoed en route from what is now Papua New Guinea to China's Hainan by a U.S. submarine, unaware of the POWs onboard.

Australia said on Monday it would accelerate plans to buy advanced sea mines to protect its maritime routes and ports from "potential aggressors" amid China's plans to increase its influence in the Pacific region.The so-called smart sea mines are designed to differentiate between military targets and other types of ships, a defence department spokesperson said in a statement."(Australia) is accelerating the acquisition of smart sea mines, which will help to secure sea lines of communication and protect Australia's maritime approaches," it said.

The United States is planning to build additional military infrastructure in Australia once Congress gives approval to the U.S. Navy for $211.5 million, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Tuesday.The plans for a bigger U.S. footprint in Australia come at a time when the Western allies have become increasingly concerned by China's efforts to expand its influence in the Pacific."The development of facilities will support the Force Posture Initiatives," Payne told Sky News…

A National Seminar on Facilitation of Maritime Traffic is being held in Suva, Fiji (13-15 July). The event aims to assist Fiji to more effectively implement the Convention of Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) and to advise on the recently-adopted amendments to the Annex to the FAL Convention. The seminar has been organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF), and is being attended by 26 participants from ministries with responsibilities in the clearance of ships, cargo, crew and passengers at ports of Fiji, and private stakeholders. IMO is represented by Julian Abril.

China and the United States should manage their differences over disputed waters in the South China Sea constructively, one of China's top military officials has said. Fang Fenghui, a member of China's Central Military Commission, told General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the two sides should "refrain from actions detrimental to the relations between the two countries and the two militaries", state news agency Xinhua reported on Friday. Fang and Dunford discussed the South China Sea in a video link-up on Thursday, it said. The discussion comes at a time of heightened tension between China and the United States…

An explosion aboard a Korean-registered vessel Heung-A Pioneer killed one person and injured five others during its voyage down the  the Tanjung Dawai coast, Malacca Strait, Malaysia  near Kedah waters last night. The explosion was preceded by a fire, which broke out in the middle of the ship’s deck. The deceased has been identified as Myanmar national  Tha Tun while the victims are aged between 28 and 58. Penang Port received the ship’s mayday call and informed the relevant authorities, including the fire and rescue department and the police station, of the incident. Paramedics were deployed to the scene, but one seafarer died straight away after the explosion. Once the vessel arrived at the port, the injured personnel were hospitalized for treatment.

The U.S. Navy on Wednesday launched its first carrier strike group powered partly by biofuel  to conduct operations in the Pacific. The "Great Green Fleet"  warships powered by alternative energy is a milestone toward easing the military's reliance on foreign oil. Most of the group's ships will run on a mix of 90 per cent petroleum and only 10 per cent biofuels, though that could change. The Navy originally aimed for the ratio to be 50/50. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack kicked off the deployment in a ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island near San Diego, saying the use of biofuels would improve the Navy's operational flexibility while boosting the U.S. rural economy.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander has warned of a possible arms race in the disputed South China Sea which could engulf the region, as nations become increasingly tempted to use military force to settle territorial spats instead of international law. Commander Admiral Scott Swift urged nations, like China, to seek arbitration to settle maritime disputes. "My concern is that after many decades of peace and prosperity, we may be seeing the leading edge of a return of "might makes it right" to the region," Swift said on Monday in a speech in Hawaii, according to a copy seen by Reuters. "Claimants and non-claimants alike are transferring larger shares of national wealth to develop more capable naval forces beyond what is needed merely for self defence," Swift said.

The Northern Territory (NT) Government in Australia announced the successful bidder for the Port of Darwin – Landbridge Group, based in the People’s Republic of China. Chinese privately owned energy and infrastructure conglomerate Landbridge Group has won a $A506 million bid to run Australia's Port of Darwin for 99 years, NT's Chief Minister Adam Giles announced. Under the terms of the agreement, the Northern Territory will lease the Darwin Port land and facilities of East Arm Wharf, including the Darwin Marine Supply Base, and Fort Hill Wharf to Landbridge Group for 99 years. The three arms of the defence force, the Australian Signals Directorate, the Defence Security Agency and Defence's strategic policy division were all consulted about the 99-year lease to the Landbridge Group.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino accused China on Monday of violating a 12-year-old informal code of conduct in the South China Sea with land reclamation work in a disputed shoal. China has stepped up activity to assert its claim to most of the energy-rich South China Sea. But Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims over parts of the sea through which about $5 trillion of ship-borne goods pass every year. China's activity has in particular raised alarm in the Philippines and in Vietnam, where a dispute over an offshore drilling rig sparked deadly anti-Chinese riots last week. China and the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) signed an agreement in 2002 to refrain from occupying uninhabited reefs and shoals in the sea…

Australia is constructing three Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) & Defence Ministry has been advised it best to allow more time between each keel-laying. Minister for Defence Stephen Smith, Minister for Finance and Deregulation Senator Penny Wong and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare attended the laying of the keel of the first Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) in Adelaide and provided an update on the $8 billion project. ASC in Adelaide is the principal shipbuilder in the project. BAE Systems in Melbourne, Forgacs in Newcastle and Navantia in Spain are also building modular blocks which will be brought together by ASC at the South Australian Government’s Common User Facility in Adelaide where the ships are being assembled.

According to an August 18 report from the Ottawa Citizen, the Candian Defence Department will run some tests at the end of the month on a model of a proposed new Arctic patrol vessel but there is still no indication of when it will approach the shipbuilding industry to move ahead with the $3b program. (Source: Ottawa Citizen)

GT North of England P&I club has warned its shipowner members to protect themselves from the increasing risk of claims for charterers’ unpaid bunkers. The advice comes in the latest issue of the club’s loss-prevention newsletter Signals. According to Mark Robinson of the club’s freight, demurrage and defence department, “The recent downturn in the shipping markets and the world economy has unfortunately led to some charterers going out of business. North said that even though the obligation to provide and pay for fuel under a time charterer rests with the defaulting charterer, and that the owner is not a party to the bunker supply contract, owners and their ships are vulnerable to action in many jurisdictions.

Three experienced shipping lawyers have moved to the 45 million GT North of England P&I club, further confirming its status as one of the major players in the international maritime insurance industry. They include two partners from leading London maritime firms and a US shipping attorney from New York. Former Lawrence Graham partner Charles Baker (54) has joined the club's freight, demurrage and defence department as a solicitor. Baker is an experienced shipping litigator who has been a partner with a number of leading London shipping practices over the past 25 years, including Holman, Fenwick and Willan and Herbert Smith. Frank Sanford (48), formerly a partner with Richards Butler, has joined as a senior claims executive focusing primarily on cargo claims.

A Letter of Intent has been signed between the Australian Government, Department of Defence and Austal regarding the Skilling Australia’s Defence Industry Program (SADI). Subject to confirmation of a formal agreement, Austal will conduct the following general activities in order to receive payments of up to $1.1 million over the 2005-06 financial year. · Recruitment Programs including: attraction activities, additional apprentices, dual apprentices and mature age apprenticeships. · Training / Upskilling Programs including: on the job training, additional TAFE courses and leadership development and team building courses. · Retention Programs involving a broad range of initiatives including: coordinator and supervisor development, new starter familiarisation and enhanced HR capacity.