Iran Tests New Naval Missiles in Indian Ocean Exercise

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Iranian Navy test-fired new homegrown cruise missiles on Thursday in a military exercise in the northern parts of the Indian Ocean to hit targets at a distance of 280 kilometers.

Iran’s Navy launched a naval combat war game in the Sea of Oman and the northern parts of the Indian Ocean on Thursday morning.

In the exercise, codenamed ‘Ramadan Martyrs’, the Navy tested new short-range and long-range cruise missiles manufactured by the Iranian Defense Ministry.

The long-range naval cruise missiles hit the targets at a distance of 280 kilometers. The range of the new homegrown missiles may be extended.

A variety of coast-to-sea and sea-to-sea missiles with short and long ranges were fired simultaneously from the coastal launchers and the deck of naval vessels, and they could successfully detonate the targets with great accuracy.

The Thursday war game was held on the fortieth day after the martyrdom of a number of Navy forces in an incident involving the Konarak vessel.

Nineteen Navy servicemen were martyred and 15 others injured in the accident on May 10 when a number of vessels were carrying a naval training exercise off the coasts of Jask and Chabahar in the Sea of Oman.

Source: tasnimnews.com

India looks to deploy naval liaisons at Madagascar, Abu Dhabi for information exchange

Dinakar Peri

After joining the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC) as Observer in March, India is looking to post Navy Liaison Officers at the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Centre (RMIFC) in Madagascar and also at the European maritime surveillance initiative in the Strait of Hormuz for improved Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).

“We are working closely with France who is a pre-eminent member of IOC to post a Naval LO at the RMIFC in Madagascar. We are also working on posting a Naval LO at the European Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz (EMASOH) in Abu Dhabi,” a defence source told The Hindu. “This will be in the overall realm of improving linkages of the Navy’s Information Fusion Centre for Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) in Gurugram with other IFCs and become the repository for all maritime data in the IOR,” the source said. The LOs are expected to be posted in the next few months.

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Source: thehindu.com

Navy steps up sea patrols to curb illicit trade

His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta the President and Commander-in -Chief of the the Kenya Defence Forces at the officiall launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) in 2018

By MOHAMED AHMED

The war on illegal sea trade has been heightened as navy officers step up operation at the Coast. The Kenya Navy has, together with the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS), increased their patrols on the Indian Ocean to tame illicit trade. The security operation is targeting illegal fishing, drugs trafficking and sea pollution among others.

“As a part of a multi-agency collaboration, the Kenya Navy and the Kenya Coast Guard Services’ personnel today conducted a joint patrol at the South Coast’s brown waters to curb illegal trade,” said the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) in one of its operation posts on Twitter.

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Source: businessdailyafrica.com

Exercise Imvubu underway in Richards Bay

The SA Navy’s Maritime Reaction Squadron (MRS) has set up camp in the northern KwaZulu-Natal harbour city of Richards Bay for a month-long exercise.

A three platoon MRS company is based at the harbour city’s Naval Island and will, according to SA Navy media liaison officer Commander Sam Khasuli, be testing maritime interdiction and coastal patrol standard operating procedures (SOPs). Exercise Imvubu (hippopotamus in Zulu) will see these SOPs rated when operating from a land base. Additionally, the exercise will evaluate ability and capability of the MRS to operate “a long distance” from the unit’s home base in Simon’s Town where the SA Navy fleet is headquartered.

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Source: defenceweb.co.za

French Navy FREMM Frigate ‘Languedoc’ now under EMASOH command

The French frigate FS “Languedoc” has begun its deployment under EMASOH (European-led Maritime Awareness in the Strait of Hormuz) command since May 19.

Martin Manaranche

EMASOH press release

In order to ensure a safe navigational environment and to enhance maritime situational awareness, the FS Languedoc will be operating closely together with the Dutch frigate “HNLMS de Ruyter” and the French Maritime Patrol Aircraft Atlantique 2.

“Our sensors and our NH90 helicopter allow us a permanent watch in the area to enhance the common maritime security. We are looking forward to contribute to the security of navigation and the free flow of commerce in an area that is crucial for the world economy and European interests”

Captain Jean-Pierre Helluy, commanding officer of the FS Languedoc.

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Source: navalnews.com

Stable Seas report: What we know about piracy

SafeSeas is pleased to announce the first report resulting from collaboration with Stable Seas: What we know about Piracy

Authored by Lydelle Joubert, the report draws on desk-based research conducted between June 2019 and March 2020. It provides a systematic overview of data, answering the questions:

How is data on piracy and armed robbery collected?
By whom?
What kinds of information are available?
How accessible is the data?
What are the blind spots?

To download the report, please click here.

MarsecNews: This is a good overall read and covers the topic very well. Full marks to Lydelle and the team.

Iran Warns US of Decisive Response to Trouble for Venezuela-Bound Tankers

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Defense Minister Brigadier General Amir Hatami warned the US that causing any disturbance to the Iranian oil tankers carrying fuel to Venezuela will draw a harsh and decisive response from the Islamic Republic.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a weekly cabinet session on Wednesday, General Hatami said the US and other countries are well aware that Iran will not hesitate to take serious action against any threat to its oil tankers that are bound for Venezuela.

Causing any disturbance to the oil tankers would be in violation of the international law and must draw a reaction from international organizations and countries that care about the security of maritime routes, he added.

Describing any action against the trade vessels as an act of piracy, he said, “Our policy is clear and we have announced explicitly that we will not tolerate any disturbance.”

If the disturbance continues and escalates, Iran will definitely show a decisive and crushing response, the defense minister added.

On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif sent a letter to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, warning the US about sending troops to the Caribbean Sea with the aim of interfering with the transfer of Iran’s fuel to Venezuela.

Zarif has stressed that the US must give up bullying on the world stage and respect the rule of international law, especially free shipping in the high seas.

Source: tasnimnews.com

IMSC Comment on Incident in Gulf of Aden

BAHRAIN

05.19.2020

Story by NAVCENT Public Affairs

U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet

The International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) monitored an incident involving a United Kingdom flagged tanker which was approached in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden, May 17.

Initial reports indicated the Stolt Apal tanker was approached by two speed boats approximately 100 miles off the coast of Yemen. The incident occurred in IMSC’s area of operations.

“While we do not yet know who is responsible for this incident, it serves as an example of the behaviour IMSC is here to deter,” said Commodore Rob Bellfield, IMSC commander.

No immediate threat to the free flow of shipping was assessed, and no further action was taken by IMSC vessels or aircraft.

The multi-national, British-led IMSC deploys ships and aircraft throughout the region as part of the international surveillance and detection effort, ensuring freedom of navigation and free flow of commerce in international waters.

Source: dvidshub.net

Somali pirates attack UK-flagged tanker in Gulf of Aden

UKMTO and media outlets report that on May 17th, the UK-flagged Stolt Apal was attacked by suspected Somali pirates in two skiffs, in the IRTC, Gulf of Aden.

The initial UKMTO report stated that at approximately 1230UTC a MV was attacked in position 1343N 05037.4E. Follow up media reports added that Stolt-Nielsen had confirmed the incident, reporting that two skiffs with six persons on board had approached the ship at high speed.

The tanker’s armed security team fired warning shots, which the pirates ignored and fired on the vessel. The ship’s security team returned fire, apparently disabling one of the skiffs which ended the attack.

The Stolt Apal’s bridge sustained minor gunshot damage but the vessel was otherwise unharmed and no injuries were reported.

The attack comes after a long period of calm in the Indian Ocean as far as piracy is concerned. However, analysts have long warned that the economic and social conditions for piracy remain in Somalia, and these could potentially be exarcerbated by the impact of the coronavirus both ashore and at sea in terms of maritime security provision.

It is imperative that the shipping industry avoids becoming complacent and continues to follow BMP 5 measures while transiting the region.

Iranian tankers head to Venezuela as US warships deploy to Caribbean

BEIRUT, LEBANON (12:00 A.M.) – At least five Iranian fuel tankers are on the way to Venezuela to help the South American nation with their fuel crisis.

According to reports, the first Iranian tanker, Fortune, has already entered Atlantic waters while the last tanker, Clavel, crossed the Suez Canal and entered the Mediterranean Sea. These shipments mark one of the first times in recent memory that Iran has sent such a large amount of fuel to Venezuela.

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Source: almasdarnews.com