United States: “U.S. Navy surface chief calls for more offensive weapons on ships” & “Navy Surface Leaders Pitch More Lethal Ships, Surface Action Groups” Reuters, 13 January 2015 & USNI News, 14 January 2015 The US Navy’s (USN) Commander of Surface Forces, Vice Admiral Thomas Rowden, has called for the placement of more offensive weapons on board a […]
Nicaragua: “U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua voices concerns over Chinese-led canal” Reuters, 07 January 2014 The US Embassy in Nicaragua has voiced concerns surrounding the transparency of the Chinese-led project to build a 280km canal to connect the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Construction on the USD $50 billion waterway began in late December, however, promised […]
Somalia: “Somaliland seizes Yemeni and Egyptian vessels” & “Somaliland: Coast guard confiscate nearly forty illegal fishing vessels” & “Coast guards trained by NATO ship off the coast of Somalia” BBC News, 17 December 2014 & Somaliland Press, 16 December 2014 & NATO MARCOM press release, 14 October, 2014 During the past two weeks, over 51 foreign fishing vessels and 250 […]
Canada: “Canadian military concludes annual contribution to Operation CARIBBE 2014” Ottawa Citizen, 04 December 2014 The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) concluded its annual participation in Operation Caribbe, the multinational campaign against illicit trafficking in the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean. Assets from the Royal Canadian Navy’s Pacific and Atlantic fleets deployed, including seven Maritime Coastal […]
United States: “Navy Nominates Replacement for Hamstrung 3-Star Intel Boss” Defense News, 26 November 2014 Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus has nominated Rear Admiral Elizabeth Train to replace Vice Admiral Ted Branch as the director of naval intelligence, pending confirmation by the new Senate, likely in early 2015. VAdm. Branch has had his security clearance […]
United States: “Fire Scout and Seahawk Deploy Together For First Time” Defense News, 19 November 2014 The US Navy (USN) is deploying both manned and unmanned aircraft for the first time, as the Littoral Combat Ship USS Fort Worth sailed for a 16-month tour in Singapore on Monday. Fort Worth will host both a manned MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and an […]
Middle East: “Jihadists ‘using cruise ships’ to reach Middle East war zones” BBC News, 07 November 2014 INTERPOL Director of Counterterrorism Pierre St. Hilaire told media last week that aspiring fighters who want to join extremist groups in the Middle East, such as in Syria and Iraq, are increasingly using cruise ships as a means of […]
United States / Chad / Niger: “US to supply Chad, Niger with riverine boats” Jane’s, 22 October 2014 The United States Coast Guard is seeking a contractor to supply three river patrol boats each to the Chadian and Nigerien governments to help improve those countries’ ability to patrol their riverine borders. The countries, both landlocked, share […]
Canada: “Royal Canadian Navy’s combat readiness questioned in internal review” & “Canadian navy mulls commercial ship as temporary supply vessel” CBC News, 15 October 2014 & Ottawa Citizen, 07 October 2014 An internal report completed by the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN), and obtained by the media, has suggested that the service is facing serious challenges to its combat […]
United States: “In first, Fire Scout drone helicopters being deployed to Pacific” Stars and Stripes, 23 September 2014 Industry sources suggest that the US Navy is preparing to operationally deploy MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopters to the Pacific later this year. Four of the surveillance helicopters are scheduled to be on board the Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship USS Forth […]