Joint Task Force News

A panel set up by Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd said on Monday it had submitted a report to the U.S.

Cruise industry rivals are teaming up in an effort to sail again.On Monday, Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd announced a joint task force to help develop safety standards for restarting their businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.The “Healthy Sail Panel,” co-chaired by former Utah Governor Mike Leavitt and former U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, is advising the companies on restart plans they will submit to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other regulators at the end of August.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, today honored Maritime Administration (MARAD) Administrator Mark H. Buzby with the SCA Maritime Leadership Award during this year’s virtual advocacy meeting. The Award is given annually to national leaders who demonstrate exemplary dedication and support of the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry.“Rear Admiral Buzby has dedicated his life to military and public service to protect the United States’ national and domestic security…

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-led multi-agency examination of shipping containers at the Philadelphia seaport netted a historic load of cocaine, the largest cocaine seizure in the 230-year history of U.S. Customs and CBP, with an estimated weight of over 17.5 tons and a street value of about $1.1 billion.During a midstream joint boarding Sunday night, CBP, HSI, and U.S. Coast Guard authorities detected anomalies while examining seven shipping containers aboard the MSC Gayane…

Retired Vice Adm. Richard Hunt will assume the position of president of the Surface Navy Association (SNA) at the association’s annual symposium in January. Hunt succeeds retired Vice Adm. Barry McCullough, who has been president since 2013.Hunt is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was commissioned in February 1976 through the Officer Candidate School program in Newport, R.I. He attended Naval Post Graduate School, receiving a Master of Science in Telecommunications Systems Management in March 1988.He has served in USS Sampson (DDG 10), USS Underwood (FFG 36) and USS Roark (FF 1053), and has commanded USS Crommelin (FFG 37) and USS Philippine Sea (CG 58).

The crew of Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga has intercepted two vessels and seized approximately eight tonnes of hashish valued at approximately $400 million during operations in international waters of the Arabian Sea. Warramunga has now seized 19.5 tonnes of hashish and 1.5 tonnes of heroin, valued in excess of $1.43 billion* since deploying to the Middle East in November 2017. On 3 March Warramunga’s Seahawk helicopter crew detected a vessel of interest during surveillance operations. A boarding party searched the vessel, uncovering 4.1 tonnes of illicit cargo. The Seahawk crew then detected a second vessel of interest and the subsequent boarding and search operation resulted in the seizure of an additional 3.9 tonnes of illegal narcotics.

The crew of the Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga have spent the Christmas season hard at work, spending nearly three days seizing almost eight tonnes of hashish and 69 kilograms of heroin from drug smugglers while conducting maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea. Warramunga intercepted and boarded three suspect vessels between 27 and 29 December 2017, in an operation planned and coordinated by the Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force 150 which is currently commanded by Australia—supported by a combined Australian-Canadian staff. The illegal drug haul is the largest quantity of hashish seized by an Australian ship on Middle East maritime security operations with the overall haul estimated to be valued at around AUD$415 million.

Insights: Rear Admiral Mark H. Buzby, USN (Ret), Maritime Administrator, U.S. Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby was appointed by President Donald Trump and sworn in as Maritime Administrator on August 8, 2017. Prior to his appointment, Buzby served as president of the National Defense Transportation Association, a position he has held since retiring from the U.S. Navy in 2013 with over 34 years of service. A 1979 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Buzby earned his Bachelor of Science in Nautical Science and U.S. Coast Guard Third Mate License. He was commissioned in the U.S.

Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby, USN, Ret. has been sworn in as the Administrator of the Maritime Administration by U.S Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao. As Maritime Administrator, Buzby will lead the agency tasked with promoting the use of waterborne transportation and its seamless integration with other segments of the transportation system; and the development and maintenance of an adequate, well-balanced U.S. merchant marine, sufficient to carry a substantial portion of the Nation’s waterborne commerce, and capable of service in time of war or national emergency.

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta is returning home to Australia after completing the longest Middle Eastern deployment by a Navy vessel since 1990. Arunta concluded its assignment to Joint Task Force 633 as part of Operation MANITOU and handed over responsibility to HMAS Newcastle after completing a nine-month deployment conducting counter terrorism and maritime security operations. The ship made three significant intercepts during the deployment netting more than 1310 kilograms of illegal narcotics. Commanding Officer HMAS Arunta, Commander Cameron Steil, said he was proud of his crew’s achievements and looked forward to returning them all home to their families in the coming weeks.

The Abu Sayyaf group beheaded two Vietnamese nationals held hostage for almost eight months,  CNN reported quoting the military. Colonel Juvymax Uy, commander of Joint Task Force Basilan, said the bodies of Mr Hoang Trung Thong and Mr Hoang Va Hai were found at 5.40am on Wednesday in Tumahubong village, Sumisip town, in Basilan province. The two were among the six crew members of the MV Royal 16, a Vietnamese cargo vessel, seized by the Abu Sayyaf off Sibago Island in Basilan on Nov 11, 2016. The Abu Sayyaf is a group of ruthless bandits known to behead their hostages unless ransom payments are made. Abu Sayyaf, originally a loose network of Islamic militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network…

Indian Minister of Shipping Nitin Gadkari  has said that Cruise Tourism is one of the fastest growing components of the leisure industry worldwide, and  can be a major growth driver for the Indian economy by generating huge employment opportunities. Gadkari was  speaking at the National Workshop on “Action Plan for Development of Cruise Tourism in India”, in New Delhi today. The workshop was also attended by Minister of State for  Culture and Tourism Dr Mahesh Sharma, and representatives of all stakeholder organizations – both from the government and the private sector – including regulatory agencies which deal with issues impacting cruise tourism.

Vice Adm. Mary M. Jackson relieved Vice Adm. Dixon R. Smith at a change of command ceremony for Commander, Navy Installations Command (CNIC) March 31, at the Washington Navy Yard. The ceremony included the presentation of colors by the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard color guard, national anthem by the U.S. Navy Band and remarks from guest speaker, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. "While here, I've witnessed firsthand the tremendous dedication of our civilians and Sailors who support the fleet, warfighters and their families," said Smith. Smith served as the head of the Navy's entire shore infrastructure for approximately two and a half years and was the fifth commander of CNIC since the command's inception in 2003.

India and Thailand are set to firm up cooperation to combat terrorism, and boost maritime security, defence ties and trade during Thai Prime Minister General Prayuth Chan-ocha’s maiden visit to India, reports PTI. Prayut has earlier said that maritime security cooperation in the Indian Ocean would be put on the table for talks with his Indian counterpart. The expected cooperation will include military exercises, information exchange and operations to eradicate terrorism and piracy, he said. India’s Vice-President Hamid Ansari told the leadership of Thailand that India-Thailand collaboration is necessary to ensure freedom of navigation and connectivity in the Southeast Asian region, says the South Indian news paper Hindu.

Bulgarian state energy holding company BEH and Greek natural gas company Gastrade have set up a joint task force to prepare a proposal to build an off-shore liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal in northern Greece, Gastrade said on Tuesday. Greece currently has one LNG terminal on an islet off Athens and Gastrade, part of Greek energy group Copelouzos, is planning a second LNG terminal near the northern city of Alexandroupolis. The task force will prepare and submit a proposal to the Bulgarian government for the best possible way to take part in the project, Gastrade said in a statement. The facility, with an estimated annual capacity of 6.1 billion cubic metres (bcm)…

Illegal fishing was the focus of a joint operation between Australia and Indonesia that concluded in Bali on April 5. The fifth coordinated maritime security patrol, AUSINDO CORPAT 2016, had elements of the Australian Defense Force unite with the Indonesian Armed Forces in the waters between Australia and Indonesia over the past 10 days to target the exploitation of natural resources, specifically illegal fishing. Commencing in Darwin, the operation included aircraft, ships and headquarters staff from both nations in two synchronized task groups.

Eight Sailors aboard the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) were injured  when an arresting gear parted during a routine landing by an E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. There were no fatalities and the Sailors are listed in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. The injured Sailors were working on the flight deck at the time of the mishap. Six have been transported to Norfolk Sentara General Hospital for treatment. Two remain aboard IKE. The names of the injured personnel will not be released. Their families are being (have been) notified. The aircraft regained flight and returned safely to its base at Norfolk Naval Station Chambers Field. Initial reports are the aircraft was not damaged and no aircrew members were injured.

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Newcastle patrolling with the Combined Maritime Forces in the Middle East region has seized another 581kg of illegal narcotics with an estimated street value of approximately $520 million. The half-tonne heroin haul is Newcastle’s fifth in two months and comes on the back of her recent 724kg narcotics seizure. Acting Commander of Australia’s Joint Task Force 633 Brigadier Nagy Sorial said the latest haul was the second largest in CMF history. Since February 2014, Australian ships assigned to JTF633 have seized more than 4 tonnes of heroin. “The weekend’s find made Australia’s maritime contribution to CMF one of the world’s most effective current heroin interdiction forces,” BRIG Sorial said.

In its sixth haul in eight weeks, Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Newcastle seized 139kg of heroin, with an estimated street value of around $41 million AUD ($30.5 million USD), off the East coast of Africa. Under the auspices of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), the latest haul brings the Australian Navy’s total seizures in the Middle East region over the last two years to an estimated street value of $2.3 billion AUD (approximately $1.7 billion USD). The Chief of Joint Operations…

Vice Adm. Nora Tyson relieved Vice Adm. Kenny Floyd as commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet during a change of command and retirement ceremony held on Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) while pierside at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego July 24. During the ceremony, Floyd retired from active duty after 35 years of honorable naval service. He assumed command of U.S. 3rd Fleet in May 2013. Under Floyd's strategic vision, 3rd Fleet expanded its influence and contributions across all maritime lines of operations, theater security cooperation, experimentation, disaster relief, and joint operations. At sea, Floyd served in several F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft squadrons…

On July 31, Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) agents and CBP Office of Air and Marine rescued a man who was reported missing the previous morning. “Beyond our daily enforcement duties, we also have a responsibility to assist those in distress and our local communities,” said Chief Rodolfo Karisch. On July 30 at approximately 6 p.m., U.S. Border Patrol agents, assigned to the Brackettville Station, received a call from the Kinney County Sheriff's Office requesting assistance in the search for a missing person who suffers from dementia. The subject, who lives on a local ranch, had not been seen since going for a walk around 10 a.m. Brackettville agents and local law enforcement personnel searched throughout the night. At approximately 7:45 a.m.

Australia’s newest military capability, the Amphibious Ready Element, is preparing to demonstrate its capacity in waters off the North Queensland coast. Townsville-based 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment with MRH-90 helicopters from the 16th Aviation Brigade will combine with the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Canberra and Air Force assets to conduct a series of amphibious training activities from August through to October. Conducted by the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters under the command of Major General Stuart Smith, the 'Sea Series' of exercises will enable the amphibious force to achieve an interim operational capability.

Australia’s newest military capability, the Amphibious Ready Element, has demonstrated its capacity in waters off the North Queensland coast during the Sea Series of exercises. Conducted by the Brisbane-based Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, under command of Major General Stuart Smith, the Sea Series of exercises enabled the amphibious force to achieve an interim operational capability. The Sea Series of exercises involved about 1100 embarked forces and crew on board HMAS Canberra with medium lift helicopters, landing craft and small boats, trucks, troop carriers and other vehicles. The embarked force included major elements from the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and 5th Aviation Regiment supported by HMAS Stuart, Air Force assets as well as other government agencies.