Purchased from China, 2 Warships Dock in Bangladeshi Port

Courtesy of ISPR, Bangladesh Defense Ministry

Kamran Reza Chowdhury

Two warships that Bangladesh purchased from China arrived in the South Asian nation on Thursday, officials said, less than three months after Dhaka confirmed it was negotiating to buy fighter jets and combat helicopters from the United States.

The frigates – renamed the Umar Farooq and the Abu Ubaidah – had been decommissioned by the Chinese navy and symbolically handed over to the Bangladeshi navy in China in December.

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Source: benarnews.org

Japan to go ahead with Mideast naval mission on Friday

Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono will order Friday a destroyer and patrol planes of the Maritime Self-Defense Force to engage in an information-gathering mission in the Middle East, government sources said.

The mission, approved by the Cabinet late last year, is intended to help secure the safe passage of Japanese commercial ships through regional waters at a time when it remains uncertain a tense situation between the United States and Iran can be diffused.

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Source: english.kyodonews.net

China, Pakistan deploy warships to the Middle East for security operations

Ridzwan Rahmat

Amid ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington, China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the Pakistan Navy have deployed warships to undertake maritime security operations in the Middle East.

An official from Pakistan’s inter-services public relations office confirmed with Jane’s on 9 January that the Pakistan Navy has deployed a Zulfiquar (F-22P)-class guided-missile frigate for maritime security operations in the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman.

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Source: janes.com

Iran Tensions May Prompt S. Korea to Rethink US-led Patrols

The escalating U.S.-Iran conflict is complicating South Korea’s possible participation in a U.S.-led maritime coalition to protect international shipping in and near the Strait of Hormuz.

There are increasing calls in South Korea for the government to reject, or at least rethink, U.S. requests to join the force, amid fears South Koreans could get caught up in the violence.

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Source: newdelhitimes.com

Operation Sankalp: Indian Navy commences maritime security operations for merchant vessels in Strait of Hormuz

New Delhi: In wake of the deteriorating situation in the Middle East, India has launched a maritime security operation to promptly respond to the emergency situations for Indian sea vessels.

The Indian Navy on Wednesday said that they have commenced security operations called ‘Operation Sankalp’ in order to ensure safe passage of Indian Flag Vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

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Source: timesnownews.com

Kenya’s tough task as it leads regional anti-piracy efforts

By Samuel Baya

Kenya will be handed a heavy responsibility when it officially takes over the chairmanship of a regional anti-piracy body. Kenya was elected to chair the Contact Group on Piracy Off the Coast of Somalia (CGCPS) last year.

The post comes with the onerous task of ensuring that cases of piracy and other maritime insecurity incidents are comprehensively addressed.

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Source: businessdailyafrica.com

MIDDLE EAST: JWC: ‘No dramatic change to strategic maritime picture in the Gulf’

Written by Ian Taylor

Following discussions over the possible impact of last week’s US airstrike on Baghdad airport which killed the Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the Joint War Committee (JWC) underwriters group has judged that while there are increased tensions in the Gulf region there has – for now at least – been ‘no dramatic change’ to the level of maritime security risk.

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Source: bunkerspot.com

Royal Navy to protect British ships in the Strait of Hormuz as US-Iran tensions escalate

Jenn Selby

The Royal Navy has deployed ships to escort British fleets through the Strait of Hormuz as tensions continue to boil over in the Middle East following the US drone strike that killed Iran’s leading general.

The move to protect ships baring UK flags on the stretch of water between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman came as the Foreign Office issued warnings to citizens not to travel to affected regions.

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Source: inews.co.uk

Why Pirates Are Giving Up On Oil

By Julianne Geiger

Piracy in some of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints is on the rise–but now, pirates are resorting back to another method of income generation better suited to times of lower oil prices: taking human captives.

Sometimes, black market oil prices just aren’t lucrative enough. In the days of $100 oil, oil theft was a hot commodity. Today, pirates are supplementing their stolen oil income with ransomed sailors, creating a whole new set of problems for the oil industry to tackle.

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Source: oilprice.com

Riyadh Hosts Meeting of Red Sea Coastal States

Fatehelrahman Yousif

Foreign ministers of Red Sea coastal states are set to kick off meetings in Riyadh next week to promote cooperation and economic integration and to ensure maritime security along this international waterway.

The meeting is expected to tackle issues on the responsibility of Red Sea states to prevent the intervention of any foreign country in the affairs of this sensitive area.

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Source: aawsat.com