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Washington Times News

20 Aug 2015

Is Russia Militarizing The Arctic ?

US Army's Foreign Military Studies Office (FMSO) said in its August 2015 report that Moscow is  building up its military presence and moving highly advanced and specially modified air defense systems in the resource-rich Arctic region. The FMSO notes that Kremlin will place short-to-medium range anti-aircraft SA-22 Pantsir-S1 battalions at Murmansk by the Norwegian border and at another unspecified location in the east of Russia, facing the U.S. and Japan, reports The Washington Times. The report says Pantsir is the perfect missile system for Russia to deploy at its planned military bases in the Arctic. Russia is aggressively upgrading its military assets in the region.

20 Aug 2014

Refiners Seek Jones Act Workarounds as Crude Export Debate Heats Up

Photo: PBF Energy

As the first U.S. oil condensate exports head to Asia from the Gulf Coast, crude producers and refiners are exploring ways to get around a century-old law that makes it three times more expensive to ship by water between U.S. ports than to sail to a foreign port. The Jones Act, originally passed to protect the U.S. maritime industry, restricts passage between U.S. ports to ships that are U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed. If oil exports pick up pace while the Jones Act is left in place, U.S.

26 Feb 2001

USS Greeneville: Fourth Officer Falls Under Naval Inquiry

The U.S. Navy's official inquiry into the fatal collision of the USS Greeneville and a Japanese fishing trawler will closely scrutinize the actions of a fourth officer on board the submarine, who held senior rank over the vessel's captain. Capt. Bob Brandhuber, chief of staff for the Pacific Submarine Forces, was the host of civilian guests on board the sub when the accident occurred. He has not been named alongside three Greeneville officers as a subject of a court of inquiry, but will almost certainly be called as a witness, the sources told Reuters. The court of inquiry was convened for March 5 to determine whether disciplinary action should be taken against any or all of the officers named as subjects, and could ultimately lead to a court martial.

17 Nov 2006

Report: Chinese Sub Stalked U.S. Navy Carrier Group

Reuters said a Chinese submarine stalked a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier battle group in the Pacific last month and was undetected until it surfaced within firing range. The Chinese Song-class diesel-powered attack submarine was seen within five miles of the carrier Kitty Hawk and its accompanying warships on October 26, the Washington Times reported, citing defense officials. The surfaced submarine was spotted by a routine surveillance flight by one of the U.S. carrier group's planes, the report said. Disclosure of the surprise encounter comes as the commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet, Adm. Gary Roughead, was making his first visit to China which began over the weekend, The Washington Times said. Source: Reuters

01 Aug 2006

Danish Shipping Firm Sells Tankers

A/S Dampskibsselskabet Torm, a Danish shipping company, is selling three of its tankers for a total of $63m. The move is part of Torm's strategy of selling older bulk vessels so it can build its fleet of bigger Panamax bulk vessels. Torm did not disclose who is buying the three older vessels. Following delivery of the three vessels, TORM's owned fleet will consist of 30 product tankers and five dry bulk vessels. Besides its owned fleet, the company operates nearly 100 ships. (Source: Washington Times)

25 Jul 2006

Cuba Drills off Florida Coast

The Washington Times recently reported that Cuba is drilling for oil 60 miles off the coast of Florida with help from China, Canada and Spain even as Congress struggles to end years of deadlock over drilling for what could be a treasure trove of offshore oil and gas. Republicans in Congress have tried repeatedly in the past decade to open up the outer continental shelf to exploration, and Florida's waters hold some of the most promising prospects for major energy finds. Their efforts have been frustrated by opposition from Florida, California and environmental-minded legislators from both parties. Florida's powerful tourism and booming real estate industries fear that oil spills could cost them business.

25 Apr 2006

Keppel FELS: Bright Future for Offshore Drilling Rigs

The Washington Times has reported that the boom in Singapore's offshore oil and gas rig industry is expected to last another decade. Keppel FELS, says energy companies are expected to increase spending on oil exploration and production, especially in deeper waters, Channel News Asia reported Monday. Keppel FELS says some of these companies are signing drilling contracts for up to five years starting in 2009, a sign that the current boom cycle for the offshore rig industry is not slowing down anytime soon. Meanwhile, Britain's Douglas-Westwood research firm says deepwater oil production now makes up only one-tenth of total offshore oil production output. But that is expected to grow sharply. Source: Washington Times

09 Feb 2006

Navy Patrols Seas for Pirates

A U.S. Navy destroyer detained and boarded a suspected pirate ship in the Indian Ocean last month, aiming to see that terrorists do not lash up with pirates in the Asia-Pacific region. The destroyer, the USS Winston S. Churchill, was ordered to intercept the suspected pirate ship on Jan. 21 after the U.S. Central Command, from its forward headquarters in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, was contacted by the International Maritime Bureau, based in Malaysia. The maritime bureau monitors piracy all over the world, but especially in Asia. It took the U.S. warship several hours of maneuvering and firing warning shots to get the smaller vessel to surrender. A Navy boarding party then confiscated a cache of small arms to disarm the ship before sending it on its way.

09 Feb 2006

Some Argue for Port Security Enhancements

According to the Washington Times, the U.S. port industry is facing unprecedented challenges that should concern American consumers, as well as the president and Congress. If unaddressed, these challenges could weaken the nation's supply chain and economic vitality. With international trade growing, ports are struggling to keep up with demands on their facilities. With today's cargo volume level expected to at least double by 2020, adequate port infrastructure is a growing concern. Federal law mandating port security enhancements set up a program in 2002 to help protect port facilities from terrorist attack. This program has been dramatically under-funded…