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Military Hardware News

02 Aug 2023

Russia Strikes Port Facilities in Ukraine's Izmail

© Lindasky76 / Adobe Stock

Russian state news agency RIA said overnight Russian strikes on the Ukrainian port of Izmail had hit port and grain infrastructure housing foreign mercenaries and military hardware, as well as a naval ship repair yard.RIA cited Sergei Lebedev, a man it described as a coordinator of an underground group in the Ukrainian port city of Mykolaiv and who it said had sources in Izmail, Ukraine's main inland port across the Danube River from Romania.It quoted Lebedev as saying that there had been eight separate Russian strikes on Izmail and that an oil terminal had been hit…

25 Apr 2022

Houthis Release Crew of Seized Emirati Cargo Vessel

© Alex Yeung / Adobe Stock

The Houthi movement that controls most of northern Yemen has released the crew of the United Arab Emirates cargo ship Rwabee that was seized on January 3, the group's spokesman said on Monday.The release of the crew - 11 in all according to sources familiar with the matter - was agreed with the assistance of Oman, spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam said in a tweet.He said a detained British man was also released. He did not provide more details. Oman's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday…

13 Apr 2022

Russia's Black Sea Flagship Hit by Ukrainian Missile

© alexnikit / Adobe Stock

Russia said on Thursday the flagship of its Black Sea fleet was seriously damaged and its crew evacuated following an explosion that a Ukrainian official said was the result of a missile strike.Russia's defence ministry said a fire on the Moskva missile cruiser caused ammunition to blow up, Interfax news agency reported.It did not say what caused the fire but Maksym Marchenko, the Ukrainian governor of the region around the Black Sea port of Odesa, said the Moskva had been hit…

20 Jan 2022

Russia to Hold Major Navy Drills Involving All Its Fleets

© alexhitrov / Adobe Stock

Russia announced on Thursday its navy would stage a sweeping set of exercises involving all its fleets this month and next from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the latest show of strength in a surge of military activity during a standoff with the West.The drills will take place in the seas directly adjacent to Russia and also feature maneuvers in the Mediterranean, the North Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific, it said.They will draw on 140 warships and support vessels…

19 Jan 2022

Germany Signals it Could Halt Nord Stream 2 Pipeline if Russia Invades Ukraine

On September 10, 2021, the sections of the second Nord Stream 2 pipeline laid from the German shore and Danish waters was connected in a so-called above water tie-in. The opposing pipe strings were lifted from the seabed by the lay barge Fortuna and the pipe ends were cut and fitted together. The welding to connect the two lines took place on a platform located above the water on the side of the vessel. Then the connected pipeline was lowered to the seabed as one continuous string.©NordStream2

Germany signaled on Tuesday that it could halt the Nord Stream 2 pipeline from Russia if Moscow invades Ukraine, and Western nations rallied behind Kyiv over a Russian troop buildup that has stoked fears of war.Stepping up diplomacy after talks with Russia ended in stalemate last week, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Kyiv on Wednesday before heading to Berlin to discuss "joint efforts to deter further Russian aggression against Ukraine" with German, British and French officials.As fears of conflict rose…

03 Jun 2021

Salvage of Indonesian Submarine Ends but Questions Loom

The Indonesian Navy is building a monument in honor of KRI Nanggala-402 and its sailors who were lost. (Photo: Indonesian Navy)

Indonesia ended salvage efforts on Wednesday to retrieve a disaster-stricken submarine that cost 53 lives and prompted questions over the maintenance of military equipment in the world's fourth most populous nation.The 44-year-old submarine lost contact with the Indonesian navy on April 21 while preparing for a torpedo drill in the Bali Sea, triggering a desperate international search and rescue effort to find it before oxygen supplies ran out.When the vessel was discovered days later in three parts…

11 Apr 2017

North Korean Coal Ships Sail Home after China Denies Cargo

A fleet of North Korean cargo ships is heading home to the port of Nampo, the majority of it fully laden, after China ordered its trading companies to return coal from the isolated country, shipping data shows. Following repeated missile tests that drew international criticism, China banned all imports of North Korean coal on Feb. 26, cutting off the country's most important export product. To curb coal traffic between the two countries, China's customs department issued an official order on April 7 telling trading companies to return their North Korean coal cargoes, said three trading sources with direct knowledge of the order. U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping were discussing North Korea at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on April 7.

28 Mar 2017

China Could Deploy South China Sea Warplanes Now

China appears to have largely completed major construction of military infrastructure on artificial islands it has built in the South China Sea and can now deploy combat planes and other military hardware there at any time, a U.S. think tank said on Monday. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the work on Fiery Cross, Subi and Mischief Reefs in the Spratly Islands included naval, air, radar and defensive facilities. The think tank cited satellite images taken this month, which its director, Greg Poling, said showed new radar antennae on Fiery Cross and Subi. "So look for deployments in the near future," he said. China has denied U.S. China's Defense Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

30 Jan 2017

Russia Ramping Up Arctic Push

A Russian icebreaker currently under construction at Arctech Helsink Shipyard (Photo: Eric Haun)

The nuclear icebreaker Lenin, the pride and joy of the Soviet Union's Arctic great game, lies at perpetual anchor in the frigid water here. A relic of the Cold War, it is now a museum. But nearly three decades after the Lenin was taken out of service to be turned into a visitor attraction, Russia is again on the march in the Arctic and building new nuclear icebreakers. It is part of a push to firm Moscow's hand in the High North as it vies for dominance with traditional rivals Canada, the United States, and Norway as well as newcomer China.

20 Jul 2016

Turkey Scrambles Fighter Jets in Search of Missing Vessels

Turkish F-16 fighter jets scrambled on Wednesday to check reports that missing Turkish coastguard vessels had appeared in Greek waters in the Aegean Sea, Turkish military sources said. They gave no further details. Some Turkish military hardware was seized and used in last weekend's failed coup in which more than 230 people were killed. Officials have said no military equipment remains unaccounted for. Turkey's government and military General Staff say they are fully in control of the situation in the country but tensions remain high as the authorities purge tens of thousands of suspected coup supporters from state institutions, including in the armed forces. Reporting by Istanbul bureau

03 Feb 2016

Wilhelmsen Ships Service: Mastering Complex Logistics

Photo: WSS

From racing boats to steel pipelines, windmill blades to massive hydraulic hammers, Wilhelmsen Ships Service (WSS) says its personnel in the Middle East can move just about anything, anywhere. Last summer, WSS was contracted to source ocean transportation options for the return of offshore marine equipment from the United Arab Emirates to Germany. The cargo consisted of 10 packages of pile driving accessories for onshore and offshore installation, including 13 meters long, 123 metric ton hydraulic hammer.

29 May 2015

Germany Looking to Dock Submarine Deal with India

The German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen is visiting India lobbying for the purchase of German Stealth Submarines and European military hardware, say local media. Sources said that Ursula  talked of Eurofighter and [HDW] submarines in her discussions with Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. India reportedly asked Germany what all it could offer if a direct deal was struck between the two countries on next-generation submarines. The move comes after India recently announced to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems of Germany, which owns the submarine arm HDW, is among the few international companies…

23 Feb 2015

Abu Dhabi Ship Building to Deliver 3 UAE Warships by 2016

Photo: Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company

Abu Dhabi Ship Building Company will deliver three Baynunah warships to the United Arab Emirates Navy by 2016 and is in discussions with other buyers to sell more, its chief executive said on Monday. "There are discussions with some of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries as well as other international ones. Hopefully there will be something in the future," Khaled al-Mazrouei said on the sidelines of the Naval Defence Conference. The fall in oil prices has put pressure on government spending across the Gulf region.

11 Jun 2014

Australia, Japan to Pursue Closer Military Tech Ties

Australia and Japan will create a framework pact to cooperate on military technology, the two countries said on Wednesday, a move that could pave the way for Japan to supply stealth submarine designs and components to Australia. The agreement came during talks between Australian Defence Minister David Johnston and Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop and their Japanese counterparts, Itsunori Onodera and Fumio Kishida, in Tokyo. "Ministers confirmed the substantial conclusion of negotiations on an agreement for cooperation in the field of defence equipment and technology," the countries said in a joint statement. "We see ourselves as natural partners in many ways," Australia's Bishop told reporters after the meetings.

03 Jun 2014

Poland: France Should Pull Back from Russian Navy Deal

Poland's foreign minister urged France on Tuesday to cancel a 1.2 billion euro ($1.66 billion) contract to sell Mistral helicopter carriers to Russia, saying these would be used to threaten east European nations. The United States and some European partners have been urging Paris to reconsider its supply of high-tech military hardware to Moscow following Russian action in Ukraine, including its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in March. Asked if France should deliver the two vessels, Radoslaw Sikorski told Le Monde newspaper: "No, because Russian generals have already said what these ships will be used for: to threaten Russia's neighbors in the Black Sea and that means Europe's partners.

17 Apr 2014

UN Seeks Sanctions Waiver to Ship Arms to Mali

The United Nations is seeking an exemption from a U.N. Security Council arms embargo on Ivory Coast so it can ship weapons and military equipment across the East African nation to its peacekeeping mission in landlocked Mali, a spokesman said on Thursday. The statement came after U.N. sanctions monitors called for the world body to stop allowing arms to be shipped to the U.N. mission in Mali, known as MINUSMA, through Ivory Coast after they said a load of military hardware sent by China violated U.N. restrictions. "We are engaged with the secretariat of the sanctions committee to seek a standing waiver for the transfer through Ivory Coast of arms and equipment under embargo that's intended solely for use by the U.N. mission," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

10 Feb 2014

North Korea Arms Carrier Pays Panama Canal Fine

North Korean Merchant Ship: Photo Wiki CCL

The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) informs that representatives of the ship 'Chong Chon Gang' have paid the total amount of the fine for US$693,333.10 set due to the violation of the Regulations for Navigation in Canal Waters and consequently the ACP has authorized the release of the ship. ACP add that in the case of the ship Chong Chon Gang, its competence was limited to the violation of the vessel to Canal regulations, and is not related to any other fault outside Panama Canal jurisdiction.

06 Dec 2010

FOR SALE: Aircraft Carrier, Cheap

HMS Invincible is for sale by tender. The aircraft carrier HMS Invincible is being auctioned online as part of a multi-million-pound sale of UK military hardware. The sale is designed to reduce a £36billion hole in the MoD’s finances. Featured on the MoD’s Disposal Services Authority website - http://www.edisposals.com - are full details on the ship, which was laid down in 1973 at Vickers Shipbuilding, Barrow-in-Furness, and is the ship from which Prince Andrew flew helicopters during the 1982 Falklands War.

30 Apr 2002

House: Give Extra Billion to the Navy

It appears that the considerable, unrelenting lobbying effort of shipbuilders and Navy leaders has finally worked. According to a wire reports, a House of Representatives panel on Tuesday, April 30, voted to spend $3.2 billion more on military hardware than the President asked for, a sum which includes an additional $1 billion for Navy Ships. Reuters reported that the House Armed Services procurement subcommittee approved a plan to provide $73.4 billion for aircraft, submarines, missile defense and other military hardware for next fiscal year that starts in October. It is part of the $396 billion defense bill the full committee is to consider on Wednesday that lays the groundwork for President George W. Bush's plan for the biggest military buildup in more than two decades.

28 Feb 2003

Vessel’s Support Illustrates Importance

The military value of a strong and diverse fleet of U.S.-flag commercial vessels was dramatically illustrated this month when the Military Sealift Command requested that the Jones Act trailership S.S. NORTHERN LIGHTS load military hardware in San Diego for delivery to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. The vessel’s owner, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc., immediately made the NORTHERN LIGHTS available to the military and within days, the ship was being loaded with cargo needed by troops stationed overseas. The vessel is expected to remain in the service of Military Sealift Command for approximately 90 days. “The willingness of American vessel operators and their dedicated crews to sail into harm’s way is one of many benefits of the Jones Act and other U.S.

11 Feb 2003

TOTE Vessel to Assist Troops

Upon the request of the Commander of the Military Sealift Command, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, Inc. (TOTE), will lend the assistance of the S. S. Northern Lights to transport military hardware to Southwest Asia. The ship departed Tacoma, Washington Sunday, February 9, and will arrive in San Diego to be loaded with military cargo mid week. An Alaska corporation founded in 1975, TOTE maintains three Roll-on/Roll-off (Ro/Ro) cargo trailer ships for the Puget Sound-Anchorage trade. Typically the S. S. Northern Lights and her sister ships, the S. S. Westward Venture and S. S. Great Land, are engaged in transporting vehicles, trailers, construction equipment, and other merchandise from the Port of Tacoma, Washington to the Port of Anchorage, Alaska. As part of the Jones Act in the U.S.

19 Jul 2007

Phase Four of CARAT Begins in Singapore

The fourth phase of the 13th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series began July 13 in an exercise that will include an estimated 1,500 military personnel, 13 ships, a submarine and the newly-commissioned Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) frigate RSS Formidable (68). Members representing the combined armed services of both nations, dignitaries and local and national media gathered for the exercise's official kick off at the RSN’s Fleet Command Headquarters at Changi Naval Base. This year’s CARAT will maintain the tradition of previous CARATs with the primary focus on training that will enhance interoperability and professional cooperation between the armed forces of the United States and other participating nations.