Here are some pictures of the stern section of the South Korean corvette that sank suddenly under mysterious circumstances recently. Cause of the sinking is still undetermined. Very impressive lift technology demonstrated here too.
More info on the background and current thinking about the cause here.
We discussed our Arctic Patrol Cutter earlier. This announcement of a alliance between Canada’s Washington Marine Group and European defense contractor Thales, to compete for a contract to build Canada’s Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) sounds more like a company news release than real reporting, but it gives an idea what the Canadians are doing–six ice breaking patrol ships at an estimated cost of $2B (presumably Canadian $).
The ships would have patrol duties in other waters when the Arctic is not accessible. Who will operate these ships is still an open question. The stated intention is that they will be Canadian Coast Guard, but many in Canada feel they should be operated by the Navy, because the Canadian Coast Guard is more that of a civilian agency than a military force.
Nice to see some life in American shipbuilding. These 63 meter (208 ft) craft are being built for the Navy’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, Auxiliary Ships, Small Boats and Craft Program Office (PMS 325) on behalf of the Egyptians.
The German government apparently intends to prosecute pirates recently taken in custody by the Dutch frigate Tromp, after Dutch Marines fast-roped down from her helicopter to retake the ship.
Actually prosecuting pirates has been rare. In most cases they are released after apprehension. The problem has been finding a venue for the trials, compounded by the difficulty of getting witness to the trial site to testify. Kenya had agreed to provide a venue, but they have a backlog, and are now refusing to accept any more cases. There is currently a resolution before the UN, presented by the Russians, asking the UN to review the situation and make recommendations so that there will actually be some consequences to the crime, beside a good meal and medical treatment before being freed to try again.
Piracy of the African Coast has been in the news a lot lately. The Dutch Frigate Tromp has been particularly successful in countering this problem. (Pirates mistakenly attacked her twice–suspect there may have been some deceptive lighting involved) Most recently she used her helicopter, and six marines who fast-roped down down from it, to recapture a German container ship that had been seized by ten pirates. In accordance with recent doctrine, the crew had locked themselves in a “safe room” so that they could not be used as hostages by the pirates. More info here and here.
If we send a cutter into the Indian Ocean again, perhaps we should send along an MSST fast-rope team.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 