Naval Intelligence News

Roger Wicker, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, urged Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti to focus on shipbuilding and the expansion of the nation's naval forces.Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Thursday led a full committee hearing examining the nomination of Franchetti to become the next Chief of Naval Operations.In his remarks, Wicker observed that China’s naval buildup and the United States’ shrinking Navy leave our…

Uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), automated vessels, maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS), remote controlled vessels, and the employment of artificial intelligence and smart marine technology to navigate and operate civilian and military vessels have created a lively debate over utilizing and regulating such technology. Recent articles addressing artificial intelligence (AI) have questioned the value of experience and intuition versus computed logic based upon data and logarithmic differentiations.

When China sailed one of its two active aircraft carriers, the Shandong, east of Taiwan last month as part of military drills surrounding the island, it was showcasing a capability that it has yet to master and could take years to perfect.As Beijing modernizes its military, its formidable missile forces and other naval vessels, such as cutting-edge cruisers, are posing a concern for the U.S. and its allies. But it could be more than a decade before China can mount a credible carrier threat far from its shores…

2019-007-Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Indian Ocean-Violence Due to Regional Conflict and PiracyDescription:This revised advisory cancels U.S. Maritime Advisory 2018-0151. References: (a) U.S. Maritime Alerts 2018-001A, 2018-002A, 2018-002B, 2018-005A, and 2018-007A2. Issues: Regional conflict and piracy threats continue to pose potential risks to commercial vessels operating in the above listed geographic areas.3. Conflict in Yemen continues to pose potential risk to U.S.

It took time for China's naval shipyards to hit their straps. For about a decade from the turn of this century, they experimented with new designs, in some cases launching just a couple of each new type of warship for evaluation.The yards absorbed foreign technology, imported some key components and developed local know-how. Quality ruled over quantity. Then they started mass production. New hulls cascaded into the water, mainly from the big shipyards at Shanghai, Dalian, Guangzhou and Wuhan.These yards have been building the full spectrum of warships and support vessels…

A Russian naval intelligence ship sank off Turkey's Black Sea coast on Thursday after colliding with a vessel carrying livestock and all 78 personnel on board the navy ship were evacuated, Turkish officials said. The rescued crew members of the Russian ship Liman were in good health after the collision with the Togo-flagged Youzarsif H, Turkey's Transport Minister Ahmed Arslan said. The incident took place in fog and low visibility 18 miles (29 km) from Kilyos village on the Black Sea coast just north of Istanbul. Turkish authorities dispatched a tugboat and three fast rescue vessels, the coastal safety authority said. Advisers to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim conveyed his sadness over the incident to Russian counterparts, according to sources in his office.

Merchant vessels sailing through busy shipping lanes between Somalia and Yemen may be underestimating the risk of piracy and terrorism following two attempted attacks last month, maritime officials say. More than 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil supplies pass through the Gulf of Aden and Arabian Sea, a major shipping lane also used to move exports and commodities such as food between Asia and Europe. The European Union's counter-piracy naval force (EU Navfor) confirmed on Nov. 4 that six armed men attacked chemical tanker CPO Korea 330 nautical miles (610 km) east of Somalia on Oct.

Missile attacks from Yemen on Western military craft risk spilling over into nearby busy sea lanes which could disrupt oil supplies and also other vital goods passing through the tense area, shipping and insurance sources say. While shipping companies have yet to divert ships, there are growing worries that any further escalation could hinder oil supplies and potentially lead to higher insurance costs for shipments. The route is among the world's busiest and used by major shipping groups such as container line Maersk and oil tanker carriers including Norway's Frontline and Iran's NITC…

Increasingly assertive action by China's coast guard ships in the South China Sea risks destabilising the region, according to the authors of new research tracking maritime law enforcement incidents across the vital trade route. While the risks of full-blown naval conflict dominates strategic fears over the disputed waterway, the danger of incidents involving coast guards should not be underestimated, said Bonnie Glaser, a regional security expert at Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

Vice Adm. Jan Tighe assumed the duties of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO) for Information Warfare (N2N6) and Director of Naval Intelligence (DNI) July 15 at the Pentagon. Tighe succeeded Vice Adm. Ted N. "Twig" Branch, who has submitted his retirement request following a 37-year Naval career. Branch assumed office as the DCNO for Information Warfare/DNI in July 2013. He also served as lead for the Navy's Information Warfare (IW) Community, which brings together the people and capabilities of the Navy's Communications, Networks, Intelligence, Oceanography, Meteorology, Cryptology, Electronic Warfare, Cyberspace Operations and Space areas to the fight. He also served as the Navy's Chief Information Officer and as the Director of Navy Cybersecurity. He was the 65th DNI.

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened the company’s 30th Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) Aegis guided missile destroyer, Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), April 2 in front of approximately 1,000 guests. “It’s been more than a quarter century since the start of construction of Ingalls’ first Arleigh Burke destroyer, the Barry (DDG 52),” said Sean Stackley, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, who delivered the ceremony’s principal address.

1815 - The sloop-of-war USS Hornet captures the brig sloop HMS Penguin after a 22 minute battle, with neither ship aware the War of 1812 is over. 1882 - Secretary of the Navy William H. Hunt (Jan. 7, 1881 to April 16, 1882), creates the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) with General Order No. 292. 1917 - USS New Mexico (BB 40) is launched. She is the first dreadnought with turboelectric drive. 1944 - USS Tunny (SS 282) sinks the Japanese submarine I 42 off the Palau Islands. 1945 - USS Haggard (DD 555) is damaged when she rams and sinks Japanese submarine RO 41 in the Philippine Sea.

A Chinese naval intelligence ship was spotted off Japan's Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, Jiji Press reported quoting the Defense Ministry. The vessel did not enter the country's territorial waters, Japan's Defence Ministry said, but added it is rare for a Chinese naval vessel to sail back and forth in that area near Tokyo. Maritime Self-Defense Force P-3C patrol aircraft spotted a Dongdiao-class intelligence-gathering ship sailing northeast in waters outside the contiguous zone surrounding Japanese waters southeast of the peninsula around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The ministry has confirmed a Chinese military ship sailed back and forth in waters near the Boso Peninsula for the first time, officials said.

The U.S. military commander for Asia warned that, China could eventually deploy radar and missile systems on outposts it is building in the South China Sea that could be used to enforce an exclusion zone over the disputed territory, according to a report in Reuters. Admiral Samuel Locklear described as aggressive the land reclamation and construction projects China has been conducting at eight military outposts in the South China Sea. Locklear said the artificial islands planned by China will provide the nation with basing and resupply for its large fleet of maritime security vessels and the country would be able to deploy missiles and radar on the islands.

Throughout his 81 years of life, Doctor Jac has survived cancer, a stroke, open-heart surgery and the death of his son, all while remaining active and successful in business. Widely touted as one of the top human resource consultants in the country, Doctor Jac has had an incredible career and is topping it off this year with the publication of his 400th article and 13th book on human capital return on investment. Doctor Jac doesn’t let his age hold him back from anything and makes a concerted effort to not waste an ounce of his many talents. “Although largely fiction, the book is based on my personal experiences growing up and serving in the Navy,” Doctor Jac said. After publishing “Rough Waters,” Doctor Jac realized he still had more story left to tell.

Martek Marine claims that its recently launched iECDIS offers the most comprehensive chart overlay options on the market. The company explains that chart overlays are an excellent decision support tool that provide a more holistic representation of available data. They allow navigators to easily superimpose additional layers of information over a chart displayed on the ECDIS screen. These overlays include weather data, tide forecasts and ice charts and allow the navigator to quickly…

As the threat posed by maritime piracy continues in several parts of the world, there is a growing debate among different governments, private sector analysts, non-governmental organization advocates and others about how bad the situation truly is; where and to whom it is the most challenging, what more needs to be done, and how much the private security industry actually benefits from this type of reporting. Like the famous phrase “beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” different people find the same threats to be of varying degrees of worry. Yet the bottom line is that piracy’s frequency and growing transnational criminal reach, the people it hurts…

As a special to Piracy Daily, Andrew Moulder discusses the international importance of the United Arab Emirates as a vital gateway for emerging markets and the importance of sophisticated counter-piracy efforts. The role of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as the far most important regional hub for East- West ship transport offers a critical demonstration of both the scope and the need for sophistication of counter-piracy enforcement in the Gulfs of Aden and Oman. At least half of the global trading fleet of tankers passes UAE shores twice annually.

Ray Holubowicz, Father of Shipping Containerization and founder of UK based Marine Ventures Ltd, Dies at 88. Romuald Paul, better known as "Ray" Holubowicz, a prime mover in the shipping industry's changeover to the use of shipping containers, died on New Year's Day in England. He was 88. A native of Cudahy, Wisconsin, Ray Holubowicz was in the first (1942) graduating class of the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, NY). After only a few months' training, he was…

The U.S. The paradigm for global transportation security underwent a dramatic shift in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks. In the years that followed, industry and government worked together to add layers of security to mitigate risk while maintaining the flow of commerce. The Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration (MARAD) has since developed security initiatives which ensure safety and efficiency in America’s Marine Transportation System (MTS) by focusing on three crucial improvement categories: transparency, accountability and resiliency.

Vessels report potential surveillance by unknown entities while in transit of the Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz & Arabian Gulf. In one recent case, a vessel was asked its crew complement and master's name, purportedly by a named vessel that was in fact operating elsewhere under the new name it has borne since 2011. ONI [the Office of Naval Intelligence] cannot assess at this time whether the queries originated ashore or from vessels within the Gulf, but none is known to have been made by the vessel to which it was attributed. Although these queries are not in themselves hostile, they are potential evidence of enhanced surveillance and could be a prelude to more specific interference; mariners are advised to be cautious about responding to them.

The following is a summary of worldwide maritime crime developments and incidents that occurred over the past week. 2. COLOMBIA: Bulk carrier was boarded on 13 May while underway 9.4 nm from Isla La Palma, Buenaventura, Colombia. 3. INDONESIA: Bulk carrier was boarded while at anchor on 12 May at Muara Jawa Anchorage, Samarinda, Indonesia. 4. EGYPT: Product tanker was boarded on 14 May while anchored at Port Suez Anchorage, Egypt. 5. YEMEN: Tanker fired upon 10 May while underway 260 nm east-northeast of Socotra Island, Yemen. 6. INDONESIA: Bulk Carrier boarded on 10 May while underway at Taboneo Anchorage, Indonesia. 7. YEMEN: Crude oil tanker attacked on 09 May while underway 345 nm east-southeast of .

The Worldwide Threat to Shipping (WTS) message from ONI provides information on threats to, and criminal action against, merchant vessels worldwide. DEM.REP.CONGO: Refrigerated Cargo Ship boarded  while anchored in the E, Boma Anchorage. Ten robbers in two boats boarded the ship stole cargo, stores took crewman as temporary hostage. NIGERIA: Chemical tanker approached off Port Harcourt Fairway Buoy. Seven heavily armed robbers in a speed boat approached the tanker, bridge crew raised the alarm, increased speed and set course away from land.