Benerson Little

International Whaling Commission. The eighty-one member IWC began its annual meeting on June 23 in Santiago, Chile. Some members are calling for international whale preserves or sanctuaries, while others hope to end whaling entirely. Chile, for example, has created a sanctuary in its entire territorial waters. Early in the meeting Japan, the most vociferous proponent of whaling, called the IWC "dysfunctional," and pressed for a return to commercial whaling, which has been under a moratorium since 1986. Japan also threatened to reduce its participation and funding as well. At the other extreme, Australia, a whaling opponent, has stated that it has not come to the conference to compromise. Even so, the meeting has been described as having a "new spirit" of cooperation, and members have agreed, after a deadlock, to work on a proposal to partially lift the ban on commercial whaling, but will postpone voting on any such measure until the next annual meeting. Critics suggest that dissent is being suppressed. Japan has stated that it will postpone hunting Antarctic humpbacks if international whaling talks continue to make progress, a statement some might view as blackmail, more or less. A worthwhile editorial on whaling issues: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from_our_own_correspondent/7474109.stm (Sources: AFP, BBC)

Japanese Police Arrest Activists. Japanese police arrested two Greenpeace activists, Junichi Sato and Toru Suzuki, on charges of trespassing and theft after they appropriated whale meat they claimed was stolen by Japanese whalers, and turned it over to Japanese police and requested an investigation. Japanese police then raided the Greenpeace office and arrested the two activists. The Institute of Cetacean Research, a front for the Japanese whaling industry, stated the meat was a gift to a crewmember, and not stolen material. Amnesty International has issued an advisory to the Japanese prime minister, reminding him that the activists must be permitted to challenge their arrest in a fair and impartial legal forum. (Source: bloomberg.com, amnesty.org)

Blaming Whales for Failing Fish Stocks. Conservationists and a fisheries scientist have accused Japan of blaming whales as the culprit in depleted fish stocks in order to bolster arguments in favor of whaling, thus inclining poor or developing nations to avoid dealing with the "real causes of decline." A Japanese spokesman describes the accusation as "absurd and irresponsible." Illegal fishing and unconscionable fishing access agreements that return as little as one percent of the value of fish caught are the major causes of failing fish stocks in many poor countries. (Source: BBC)

Greenland Whaling. Conservationists and anti-whaling activists, including the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), have accused Greenland of exceeding its stated purpose of whaling as "subsistence hunting," claiming that it has instead become too commercial. An estimated one quarter of whale meat from Greenland's whale hunts has been sold in supermarkets. The WSPA campaigns against all forms of whaling, including "subsistence" or "aboriginal," and is one of the few organizations to do so. A major source of disagreement at the annual IWC meeting was Greenland's desire to add humpback whales to its annual hunt; the request was denied. Japan supported Greenland's petition. (Source: BBC, AP)

Whales and Sonar. The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments regarding restrictions on the US Navy's use of sonar in areas where whales and other marine mammals are present. Two Federal courts have ordered protections for the whales, and, although the Navy has mitigated some of the perceived risk to whales, the Bush administration has invoked national security in order to avoid strict adherence to the rulings. The question at hand is not the degree to which whales may or may not be harmed, but the degree to which a US president may invoke national security as a reason for non-compliance with environmental protection laws. See http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/02/opinion/02wed3.html (Source: NY Times)

Whale Tail License Plates. Artist Robert Wyland, who donated artwork in 1997 for a California specialty license plate to raise money for California marine programs, has advised the state that it can no longer use his art unless it pays a twenty percent royalty to his nonprofit marine conservation organization. California has collected more than $40 million in revenue from the specialty plate since 1997. (Source: AP)

Namibian Seal Hunt. The annual Namibian seal hunt began during the first week in July. Animal rights activists protested the clubbing of as many as 86,000 seals. (Source: AP)

Sea Debris Threatens Fur Seals. Tons of sea debris from fishing vessels in the Bering Sea threatens local marine mammals, according to journalist Mary Pemberton, writing for the Associated Press. The debris is found both afloat and ashore, pollutes rookeries, and often entangles fur seals. The degree of the problem is illustrated by the ten tons of debris removed from a mere two and a half miles of coastline on St. Paul Island. Fur seal numbers are down on both St. Paul Island and St. George Island. (Source: AP)

Dolphins in River. In late June a small school of dolphins entered the Shrewsbury River near the Jersey Shore. Officials are concerned for their safety, given the amount of boat traffic, but at present have no plans to attempt to move the dolphins back to sea. However, law enforcement officials are enforcing a fifty yard buffer around the sea mammals, with a large fine as penalty for those who violate it. (Source: AP)

Sea Turtles

Malaysian Leatherbacks. The endangered leatherback turtle has returned to nest on a beach in Malaysia, after being feared lost to the region. Some of the nests appear to have been poached. (Source: AFP)

Turtles on the English Coast. Two loggerhead sea turtles washed up on English beaches have been rehabilitated, flown to the Canary Islands, and released. Ocean currents sometimes carry loggerheads into English waters, which are not their natural habitat. (Source: BBC)

Florida State Saltwater Reptile. As of July 1, 2008, the loggerhead sea turtle is Florida's official saltwater reptile. (Source: wakulla.com)

Fish and Fishing

Sharks Decline in Med. A recent study indicates that the numbers of the five top predatory sharks in the Mediterranean have declined significantly in the past two centuries. The number of hammerhead sharks, for example, has declined 99.99 percent. The decrease is blamed largely on overfishing. Sharks have never been managed or regulated, leaving them vulnerable. (Source: BBC)

Striking Fishermen. On June 6, after a six day strike, Portuguese fishing associations announced that Portuguese commercial fisherman would "return to the sea" in expectation of the government taking action on the rising cost of fuel. On July 7, the European Union indicated it would release approximately $940 million to EU fisherman to help with the fuel crisis. (Sources: Le Figaro, AFP)

Mediterranean Bluefin Tuna. France is protesting the EU's decision to end the bluefin tuna season in the Mediterranean two weeks early, due to low stocks, and on June 17 French and Italian fishermen threatened to blockade Maltese harbors in protest. Greenpeace has warned that Mediterranean bluefin stocks are in danger of collapse. Accusations of illegal fishing techniques have been made by the EU, Greenpeace, and some of the Mediterranean fishing nations, including the use of spotter planes, of exceeding quotas, and of taking undersized tuna. The recommended annual 15,000 ton combined Mediterranean and Atlantic bluefin limit is believed to be exceeded three to four-fold. Bluefin is particularly prized for sushi and sashimi. (Source: BBC)

Fishing Ban. A ban on all fishing in a small area Lundy Island off the coast of Devon, England has produced a significant increase in the size of lobsters. The ban was introduced primarily as a means of returning a small portion of English waters to their original state. (Source: BBC)

Horseshoe Crab. Scientists fear that the horseshoe crab (not actually a crab at all) may be threatened, primarily due to coastal development and the crab's use as fish bait. The crab is also used in the biomedical industry, in contact lenses, and in various cosmetics. The horseshoe crab has existed for millennia and predates the dinosaur. (Sources: various)

Catfish Chokes. A catfish six and a half feet long choked to death on a soccer ball in a Bavarian canal. (Source: AP)

Pollution, Global Warming,
and the Health of the Seas

Global Warming. James Hansen, a top NASA scientist, is warning that the world is already long past the "dangerous level" of greenhouse gases, and unless they are reduced to 1988 levels, we face mass extinctions, collapse of ecosystems, and a dangerous rise in sea level. Such events would also dramatically increase global conflict. The burning of fossil fuels, coal in particular, is the chief contribution to the increase in greenhouse gases. (Source: AP, author's)

Corals in Jeopardy. According to an article in the journal Science, one third of the "coral building" ocean species are in danger of extinction from over-fishing, global warming, coastal development, and pollution. (Source: BBC)

Arctic Sea Ice. The seasonal ice melt of Arctic sea ice is expected to "meet or exceed" last year's, whose extent was several decades in advance of scientific predictions. In 2007, the "Northern Passage" opened for sea travel for the first time in recorded history, leading Canada, who claims the Passage lies within its territorial waters, to begin patrolling the region with warships. In general, the volume of Arctic sea ice continues to decrease. Global warming is considered the primary culprit. (Source: BBC)

Ice Shelf Breaking Away. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), imagery from the Envisat satellite indicates that the Wilkins Ice Shelf in Antarctica is close to breaking away from Antarctica. Global warming is believed responsible. The ice shelf is roughly the size of Northern Ireland. Six Antarctic ice shelves have collapsed in the past thirty years. (Source: AFP)

US Offshore Drilling. On June 18, President Bush called on Congress to end the moratorium on additional offshore oil drilling in the US, and to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling as well. Presidential candidate McCain stated his support for the measures, and suggested that each individual state be able to choose whether or not to drill in its waters. Senator McCain had long supported the moratorium, and his change of stance is expected to cost him some votes in some states, and perhaps some states as well, in the national election in November. His stated reason for the change is that offshore rigs have proved largely impervious to hurricanes, although critics believe that his reasons are primarily political. Senator Obama opposes the measure, and criticized McCain for changing his stance on drilling. In general, opposition to the proposed measure is significant, ranging from conservation groups who fear for the environment, to businesses and residents who fear that coastal drilling may harm tourism or damage the environment, leading to economic loss. In the past the moratorium was supported by both Republican and Democratic presidents and Congresses. Shipping companies are generally in favor of offshore drilling, given the high cost of fuel and the likelihood that the cost will remain high indefinitely. (Sources: NY Times, Marinelog.com, et al)

Update, Offshore Drilling. On July 14, President Bush lifted the Federal ban on offshore drilling, and again urged Congress to lift the ban. However, without Congress President Bush's order has no effect. (Source: NY Times)

Jason-2 Satellite. The Jason-2 satellite, launched in June, will monitor the rise in sea levels, track ocean currents, and assist in predicting storms. (Source: NOAA, et al)

Shipping

Slower Voyages May Breach Contract. MarineLog magazine reports that ship owners or captains who reduce vessel speed in order to save fuel costs "may bring the risk of being sued for breach of charterparty." Contracts generally require vessels to proceed with utmost or reasonable "despatch." "Slowed ships may also be exposed to claims under the bills of lading for deviation by delay." (Source: MarineLog)

Chinese Employee Accused of Espionage. Korean authorities recently arrested a Chinese man on charges of industrial espionage, accusing him of having downloaded 1500 files from a Korean shipbuilding company's main server. The files are associated with proprietary ship design plans and technology. China maintains an aggressive industrial espionage program worldwide. (Source: Marine Log, author's)

Cruise Ship Detained. In mid-July the Bahama-flagged cruise ship Clipper Pacific was detained in New York City for safety violations, including hull damage so extensive that the vessel was taking on water. (Source: MarineLog)

Technology

"Scarlet Knight" Halfway Across Atlantic. The undersea glider "Scarlet Knight"--resembling a yellow torpedo--has made it halfway across the Atlantic on its voyage from the US to Spain on a mission to collect scientific data, specifically ocean temperature and salinity. The glider derives its propulsive energy from the sea, and can be controlled remotely. (Source: military.com)

Storms

Typhoon Fengshen. The death toll from Typhoon Fengshen, which struck the Philippines on ???, may exceed 1800. To date, more than 600 are confirmed dead, 900 missing, and 2.4 million displaced. The storm also killed 14 in China, and destroyed more than 1200 homes. (Sources: IRIN, AP, et al)

Hurricane Bertha. In mid-July Hurricane Bertha, the first hurricane of the season and an early arrival, struck Bermuda. The hurricane went back and forth between a category 1 and 2, was a category 1 as it neared the Bermuda Islands, and diminished to a tropical storm. (Source: AP, TSR)

Hurricane Elida. As of July 14, Hurricane Elida was a category 1 storm heading away from the coast of Mexico and into the Pacific. (Source: TSR)

Tropical Storm Link. http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/

Shipwrecks and Groundings

Philippine Ferry Capsizes. The 23,824 ton ferry MV Princess of the Stars capsized near Sibuyan Island while sailing from Manila to Cebu during Typhoon Fengshen. More than 850 passengers and crew were aboard, but only 56 are known to have survived. Many passengers are believed to have been trapped inside the large ferry when it capsized. Divers found only many bodies aboard the ferry, but no survivors. Government officials are questioning why the ferry was permitted to sail, given the weather conditions. More than ninety Philippine Navy and Coast Guard divers were deployed to the wreck, and were later joined by eight US Navy "frogmen" (either Navy divers or SEALs) from Guam. The US Navy also deployed five ships, a P-3 anti-submarine aircraft, two helicopters, and a surveillance drone to assist in the search for bodies and survivors. The diver search of the vessel was suspended after the discovery of an illegal cargo of ten tons of endosulfan, a highly toxic pesticide banned or highly restricted in most nations, intended for a Del Monte Philippines pineapple plantation. The ferry's owner, Sulpicio Lines, has had vessel's involved in three other sea disasters; in one, more than 4000 persons died. How pesticide exposure may effect the local population, most of whom are subsistence fishermen and farmers, is unknown. To date, local fishermen have been prohibited from fishing, putting their livelihoods and already marginal existence in jeopardy. Without fish, they have none to sell, and so cannot afford to buy rice and other necessities. A European Union-UN technical team is assisting in the evaluation of methods to safely recover the pesticide. (Sources: AP, NY Times, IRIN)

Lost at Sea

Ghost Yacht. In April, Australian authorities discovered the catamaran Kaz II abandoned at sea, with sails set, motor running, and lifejackets stowed. To date the fate of the three man crew is unknown. The "ghost ship" is being compared by some to the strange loss of the crew of the Mary Celeste. (Source: BBC)

Sunken Vessels and Treasure

16th Century Man-of-War. A late 16th century English man-of-war is being salvaged off the coast of Alderney in England. The wreck was discovered thirty years ago, and is being hailed as the most significant English wreck since the discovery and salvage of the Mary Rose. To date, the wreck has yielded an intact seven foot cannon, whose encrustation includes a hand grenade and a sword or gun barrel. Researchers intend to build replicas of the recovered weapons, and test their ballistics. (Source: BBC)

HMS Ontario. Divers have discovered the wreck of the HMS Ontario, a British sloop of war lost in a storm on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812. The wreck is in near perfect condition due to the cold fresh water of the lake, and, other than the usual encrustations, evokes the classic, but seldom experienced in reality, image of a sunken vessel of the Age of Sail. (Source: BBC, AP)

Diving

Recreational Diver Charged with Murder. Australian authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of Birmingham, Alabama resident Daniel Gabriel Watson on charges of murdering his wife during a recreational dive in Australia. Investigators note that Mr. Watson has changed his story several times, and that his dive computer does not support his version of events. No medical reason for his wife's death was found, and her diving equipment was in good working order. Mr. Watson's attorney claims that there is no motive for murder, and that the evidence is circumstantial. (Sources: AP, et al)

Survival

Alligator Attack. A Florida teenager lost his arm when he was attacked by an eleven and a half foot alligator in a canal in Okeechobee County, Florida. (Source: Huntsville Times)

Great White Report. Edgartown, Massachusetts police arrested Michael Lopenzo for disorderly conduct after he reported seeing two great white sharks off Martha's Vineyard, also the location of the book and film Jaws. Authorities initially closed the beach, based on his reports. (Source: AP)

Divers Lost and Found. Three British recreational divers, along with one French and one Swedish, were reported missing on June 6 in the waters of Komodo National Park, roughly 300 miles east of Bali, Indonesia, after they were swept away by a strong ocean current. A search was immediately initiated and the divers were located the following day on the island of Rinca, healthy but dehydrated. The divers ate mussels to stave off hunger, and at one point fought off a Komodo dragon. In late May, two divers--a British man and an American woman--were rescued from the Great Barrier Reef after drifting from a charter dive boat. Rumors of large fees for the pair's story caused some Australian authorities to demand that the divers pay part of the cost of their rescue. This is not the first time divers have been stranded in the waters of the Reef. (Sources: BBC, CNN)

Sailors Rescued. In June the US Coast Guard rescued five sailors participating in the Regata de Amigos from Galveston to Veracruz. Four of the rescued were students, and the fifth a safety officer and coach. A second safety officer and coach, Roger Stone, drowned aboard the vessel after alerting the students to abandon ship. The sailboat began quickly taking on water during the race. (Source: AP)

Fishermen Rescue Locals from Volcano. The fishing vessel Tara Gala rescued ten residents of Umnak Island in the Aleutians after the Okmok Caldera, a volcano, erupted on July 11. No injuries were reported. The US Coast Guard responded as well, but recalled a cutter after receiving word that the Tara Gala had evacuated those in distress. A Coast Guard helicopter was forced by volcanic ash to land at Dutch Harbor. (Source: AP)

Ancient Seafarers

Odysseus' Homecoming Dated. Two scientists writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science believe they may have dated the return of the fictional Odysseus to his home in Ithaca after his years of wandering. The scholars base their finding on allusions to an eclipse and to the locations of Venus, the Pleiades, and Bootes, and put the date at April 16, 1178 BC. Odysseus, a seafaring marauder, slaughtered his wife's suitors when he returned. (Sources: AP, NY Times, author's)

Caesar's Britain Landing Re-dated. Professor Donald Olson of Texas State University and his team recently suggested that the accepted date of Caesar's landing in Britain is incorrect. Olson and his team based his theory on a day in August 2007 when the complex current, tidal, and astronomical factors were similar to those at the time of Caesar's landing. The researchers suggest a date of August 22-23 in 55 BC, as opposed to August 26-27. (Source: BBC)

Modern Piracy

Piracy Warning. The International Maritime Bureau has issued a piracy warning for the South China Sea near the Anambas Islands, Indonesia. (The Anambas Islands are located midway between East and West Malaysia, southeast of the naval station at Kuanton, Malaysia.) Five vessels have been attacked since March 24 this year, at positions 02:52.5N-105:11.0E, 03:13.0N-105:26.0E, 03:16.18N-105:26.68E, 03:24.6N-105:31.5E, and 02:36.8N-105:9.9E. The pirates are equipped with speedboats, firearms, and long knives. (Sources: IMB, Lloyd's)

Pirates Capture German Family. Somali pirates from the breakaway republic of Somaliland captured a German family--father, mother, child--and the vessel's French captain from a yacht off the coast of Yemen in late June, and are holding them for ransom. Somali security forces have been dispatched. (Source: BBC)

Pirates Attack Cattle Ship. In early June, pirates in several speedboats attacked the MV Hereford Express, a cargo ship that routinely transports livestock from Australia to the Philippines. The ship, attacked in Indonesian waters, suffered extensive damage, but pirates were unable to board, and the ship escaped. No one aboard the vessel was injured. In a related note on the language of the sea, such a vessel would have been referred to as a "cattle steamer" a century ago. (Sources: www.abc.net.au, news.com.au, author's)

Pirates Threaten Somalia Food Aid. In late June, UN officials expressed concern that aid shipments to beleaguered Somalia would be expected to stop unless adequate protection was soon afforded to aid ships. A Royal Netherlands Navy frigate which had convoyed World Food Program aid ships was set to end its deployment. To date, French, Dutch, and Danish frigates have been protecting aid ships to Somalia. Frigate deployments are expensive, and the Dutch Defense Minister stated that the Dutch frigate's four month deployment would not be extended, and that other countries need to assist in escorting the aid ships. (Source: Lloyd's, radionetherlands.nl)

Amiya Scan Released. The Panama-flagged cargo ship MV Amiya Scan, with a crew of four Russians and five Filipinos, was released by Somali pirates on June 24. The release of the vessel and hostages was not due to violence, but details of any negotiations between the vessels' owner and have not been released out of fear of encouraging further attacks. However, releasing such details is unlikely to inspire further attacks. Without doubt, ransom was paid, and this fact will be well-known among the various Somali pirates. The ship was hijacked on May 30, eighty nautical miles north of Somalia, and is managed by Dutch Reider Shipping BV. (Sources: Lloyd's, author's)

Ship and Crew Released. The crew of the Gibraltar-flagged cargo ship MV Lehmann Timber, captured in May, was released on 9 July after 41 days in the hands of Somali pirates. The crew was nearly out of water and provisions, and the vessel nearly out of fuel. Reportedly, a $750,000 ransom was paid to the pirates. Although many decry the payment of ransoms, there are few other options once a crew has been captured. Military action, always an option, is also always a hazard to hostages and is generally used only as a last resort, typically when the lives of hostages are clearly in imminent danger. (Sources: BBC, Lloyd's, author's)

Pirated Tanker Recovered. Royal Malaysian Marine Police recovered the Blue Ocean-7 at Sandakan, Malaysia, on June 19. The ship's name had been changed, and the hull repainted. The tanker, carrying crude palm oil, was hijacked on May 21, and fourteen crew members were taken prisoner. Reports indicate that several pirates and crew members were arrested in Tarakan, Malaysia. The ship was captured by pirates soon after it departed the port of Bone Manjing in West Sulawesi, Indonesia. The pirates had attacked in a speedboat, and were armed with firearms and long knives. (Source: ONI)

Pirates Murder and Mutilate Prisoners. On June 9, pirates attacked a boat transporting a local official and an eight-man military escort in Cameroon near the Nigerian border. Three soldiers escaped by swimming, but the official and five soldiers were captured. Five of the six were later found murdered, their bodies mutilated and buried among mangrove. (Source: Reuters)

Nigerian Pirates Attack Bulk Carrier. In mid-July Nigerian pirates attacked and robbed the 53,000 ton Spar Gemini. Authorities are concerned that this means an expansion in Nigerian piracy, for most Nigerian piracy is associated with oil tankers. (Source: Lloyd's)

Pirates Arrested. Also in mid-July, Nigerian authorities arrested fifteen seamen, the majority of the Filipino, associated with a ship carrying stolen oil. (Source: Lloyd's)

British Piracy Opinion. In April, British public opinion excoriated a British policy decision described by Marie Woolf, Whitehall Editor of The Sunday Times: "The Royal Navy, once the scourge of brigands on the high seas, has been told by the Foreign Office not to detain pirates because doing so may breach their human rights." (Source: TimesOnline)

Piracy in 2008. According to the International Maritime Bureau, one third of the pirate attacks in the first six months of 2008 took place off Somalia and Nigeria. (Sources: IMB, Lloyd's)

Piracy Fuels Land-based Kidnappings. According to the BBC, ransoms paid to Somali pirates are partly responsible for the increase in professional kidnapping gangs in Somalia. (Source: BBC)

US Navy and Piracy. Lloyd's reports that carried-based F/A-18 Hornets will begin patrolling the pirate-infested waters adjacent to the Arabian Sea, in addition to their duties in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Source: Lloyd's)




Mullen on Iran. US Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has expressed reservations about opening a military front against Iran, saying it would be "extremely stressful, very challenging, with consequences that would be difficult to predict." Mullen's comments come amidst speculation that the Bush administration is seeking military action against Iran, although most observers do not believe the US will strike Iran in the near future. Recent Israeli military exercises, however, are believed to have been a rehearsal for a strike against Iran should it continue its development of nuclear weapons. Any military strike by Israel would probably require US consent, given US control of airspace in areas surrounding Iran. In early July Iran tested fired several missiles, leading the US to warn that it would defend its allies against attack, and Israel to warn that it would defend itself as necessary. An Iranian photograph of a multiple missile launch appears to have been doctored by Iranian propagandists by adding a fourth missile. (Sources: BBC, author's, et al)

Iranian Naval Missiles. According to Iranian state television, naval forces of the Revolutionary Guard fired "shore-to-sea, surface-to-surface and sea-to-air missiles" during war games in the Persian Gulf in early July. The same sources also reported the firing of a Hoot ("Whale") torpedo, purportedly high speed and capable of hitting enemy submarines. (Source: AFP)

Tamil Tiger Naval Base Captured. In mid-July the Sri Lankan military captured Vidattaltivu, a small coastal town used by the Tamil "Sea Tigers" to smuggle supplies from India. (Source: BBC)

Japanese Warship Visits China. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer Sazanami entered Zhanjiang harbor in late June, seven months after the Chinese guided missile destroyer Shenzhen visited Japan. It is the first time a Japanese warship has been to China since World War Two. (Source: BBC)

Airships. The US Navy and Coast Guard will soon begin testing the suitability of airships to maritime surveillance. The initial test will be conducted over South Florida Straits with a helium-filled Skyship 600. (Source: Lloyd's)

US Navy Christens Submarine. On June 21, the Virginia class attack submarine New Hampshire (SSN 778) was christened at Groton, Connecticut. The submarine will undergo trials before being formerly commissioned into the US Navy. (Source: Military.com)

Royal Navy to Build New Carriers. Britain will build its navy's largest aircraft carriers, the HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, over the next six to eight years. The carriers will be 65,000 tons each, 920 feet long, 230 feet wide, will carry a crew of 1500, and will deploy up to 40 aircraft. The carriers will be more than three times the size of the Royal Navy's existing Invincible class carriers, and will have two "islands" on the flight deck, as opposed to the usual single island aboard large US carriers. Initially, Harrier "jump jet" aircraft will deploy aboard the carriers, but eventually will be replaced by the Joint Strike Fighter. (Source: BBC)

The Last of the Fletcher Class. One of the last Fletcher class destroyers, a class made famous during WWII, is the subject of an international and legal entanglement. The former USS John Rodgers was lent to Mexico after WWII, and later purchased by that nation, where she was recommissioned as the Cuitláhuac and served until 2001. Now the famous ship--she earned twelve battle stars during WWII--sits rusting at a pier in Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, while various parties sort out a variety of issues standing in the way of bringing the ship back to US where it is hoped the destroyer will be turned into a museum. Others intend that she be sold as scrap. (Source: NY Times)

New US Navy Uniforms. The US Navy is bringing back its khaki uniform of coat, long-sleeve shirt with black tie, and trousers for officers and chief petty officers. Many considered this a sharp uniform and regretted its demise. The Navy is also introducing a blue-gray camouflage uniform with eight-pointed cover. Some applaud the uniform, saying that its pattern will help hide the permanent stains prevalent with many shipboard duties. Others poke fun at the idea of a blue-gray camouflage pattern, and decry the loss of more traditional Navy uniforms, fearing that Navy uniforms will begin to look like the uniforms of the other services. Bell-bottoms, for example, have been abandoned on enlisted working uniforms. (Sources: military.com, author's, et al)

Drug Smuggling

HMS Iron Duke. The frigate HMS Iron Duke, among whose company is the Prince of Wales, seized 45 bales of cocaine--the total weighing 1980 pounds and with an estimated street value of $80 million--from a fifty-foot speedboat near Barbados. A US Coast Guard team stationed aboard the frigate boarded the vessel after it was ordered to halt by the frigate's Lynx helicopter. The boat is believed to have been en route to Europe or West Africa, the latter of which has increasingly become a staging point for drug smuggling into Europe. The HMS Iron Duke is a Type 23 frigate. (Sources: BBC, Royal Navy, author's)

Gulf Drug Seizures. Over the past five months, British and other coalition warships have seized thirty tons of drugs, mostly hashish and heroin. Drug smuggling is a vital part of Taliban funding. According to The Independent, military sources indicate that the drug smuggling dhows are operating out of Iranian porst. (Sources: abc.net.au, independent.co.uk)

Caribbean Cocaine. US and Honduran authorities, including the US Coast Guard, seized 4.6 tons of cocaine from the Honduran-flagged vessel Eclipse in late June, roughly 100 miles off the coast of Honduras. (Source: AP)




USS Cole Bomber Set for Trial. On June 30 the US military filed charges against Abd al Rahim al Nashiri for nine violations of the laws of war, specifically in that he participated in the bombing of the USS Cole. He is also accused in a failed attempt to attack the USS The Sullivans. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. Al Nashiri is reported to have confessed to his involvement, but is also one of three terror suspects the US government has confirmed as having been waterboarded during interrogation, making some question the validity of his confession. (Sources: Miami Herald, et al)