Archives

Canada / United States: “Terror threat to Canadian waterways ‘limited’: U.S. report” Ottawa Citizen, 13 November 2012 A newly-surfaced US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report says that the risk of terrorist attacks on Canada-US shipping, ports and shared waterways is limited, in part due to strong marine transport system governance and law enforcement.  The …

Canada: “Need to maintain aging fleet hurting Navy’s flexibility” Vancouver Sun, 08 November 2012 A National Defence report tabled in Parliament shows that the Royal Canadian Navy’s (RCN) aging fleet has hampered its operational flexibility, and may become worse.  The report said that the absence of the 40-plus-year-old replenishment ships Protecteur and Preserver in 2011-12 …

Norway: “Europe’s most modern navy lacks crew” Barents Observer, 31 October 2012 Norway’s Auditor-General has questioned the Ministry of Defence’s purchase of five advanced frigates – now in service as the Fridtjof Nansen-class – suggesting that difficulties in recruiting personnel to man the vessels is seriously hampering their ability to be kept in operational condition. …

United States: “Navy replaces admiral of Mideast strike group; allegations of inappropriate judgment cited” Montreal Gazette, 27 October 2012 The US Navy replaced the admiral in command of the USS John C. Stennis carrier strike group, which is currently deployed to the Middle East, over undisclosed allegations of “improper judgment”. Reports suggest that it is …

Global Shipping: “Emissions Grow With Shipping Industry” Wall Street Journal, 16 October 2012 Despite only currently producing about three percent of global man-made carbon emissions, scrutiny of the shipping industry’s greenhouse gas output is heating up.  Last year, the IMF and World Bank released a report for the G20 in which the organizations recommended a …

Canada / United States: “Canada, U.S. eye mini-submarines” Chronicle Herald, 10 October 2012 Media reports suggest that Canada and the United States may be looking to use Canadian-built mini-submarines for future covert operations. According to a Washington-based defence source, the 7.6 metre boats – which are built in Vancouver and sold for approximately USD $5 …

Turkey: “Turkey increases navy force in Mediterranean” & “Egypt, Turkey in Mediterranean war drill” Hurriyet Daily News, 05 October 2012 & UPI, 09 October 2012 Turkish media have reported that the country’s navy has bolstered its forces in the Mediterranean amid escalating tensions along its border with Syria. Numerous surface vessels and submarines were reportedly …

United States: “Once destined for scrap, reconfigured ship plays starring role in Mideast anti-mine exercises” Calgary Herald, 22 September 2012 The retro-fitted Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Ponce is undergoing its most extensive test as an Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) for mine-countermeasures helicopters, boats, and divers. The ship, which was originally scheduled for scrapping, …

United States: “U.S. Leads Biggest Gulf Mine Exercise in Signal to Iran” San Francisco Chronicle, 17 September 2012 On Sunday, the 12-day International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 2012 began in the Arabian Gulf, with the US Central Command hosting 29 nations, including the UK, France, Japan, and New Zealand, in mine counter-measures drills .  IMCMEX …

United States: “Shell starts preparatory drilling for offshore oil well off Alaska” CNN, 10 September 2012 For the first time in two decades, offshore oil drilling in Alaska has begun as Royal Dutch Shell is digging a preparatory well at its Burger drill site in the Chukchi Sea, approximately 145km from the Alaskan North Slope. Shell …