Israel's Ports Feel Strain as Shipping Traffic Slows After Attacks
Activity at Israel's ports is slowing after Saturday's attacks by Islamist group Hamas on towns close to Gaza, with the cost of insurance premiums for Israeli shipments soaring amid tightening supplies of food stocks, according to sources and data.Israel's southern coastal city of Ashkelon, which has a small port well in range of Hamas rockets, is not allowing ships to enter, shipping sources said.While the main Israeli ports of Ashdod further up the coast and Haifa in the north…
MTU Engines for Navy Boats
Diesel Engineering Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., is being awarded a $7,767,946 firm-fixed-price contract for 16 MTU 12V 4000 M90 propulsion diesel engines for its fast patrol boat construction contract to support requirements of the government of Israel, Ministry of Defense, under the Foreign Military Sales Program. Work will be performed in Detroit, Mich., and is expected to be completed by November 2004. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-04-C-4205).
Israeli Navy to Receive German Submarines
Israel's navy will receive two new sophisticated German-made submarines, IRNA reports. The submarines were built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. The German government refused Israel's request to cover the $1.1 billion price tag for the construction of the submarines, but did agree to provide one-third of the construction costs from its household budget, estimated at around $387 million. German arms exports to Israel reached approximately $900 million between 1998 and 2001. Source: IRNA
Waiver For Non-qualified U.S. Cargo Vessel Deferred
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) published a notice stating that the Government of Israel requested a waiver from the requirement that jet fuel purchased from the U.S. Government by the Israeli Ministry of Defense be transported on qualified U.S. flag vessels so that the fuel could be carried in non-qualified U.S. flag vessels. The concern was that the pool of qualified U.S. flag tankers may soon be too small to meet the need. MARAD has decided that it is premature to make such a decision. Source: HK Law
