International Naval News & Discussion

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 07 Jun 2011 14:39

watched the movie Submerged last night on MGM, about the rescue of 33 crew from USS Squalus using the first diving bell.

the inventor Charles "swede" momsen was a pioneer in submarine rescue devices, and a very hands on guy looking at his achievements later too as commander of submarines rising to commander submarines in pacific fleet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Momsen

I guess thats the hallmark of true leaders, being very hands on regardless of rank.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 07 Jun 2011 22:41

Iran sends submarines to Red Sea: report

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran has sent submarines to the Red Sea, the semi-official Fars news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified source, in a move that could anger Israel.

"Iranian military submarines entered the Red Sea waters with the goal of collecting information and identifying other countries' combat vessels," Fars said.

It did not specify the number or type of vessels involved but said they were sailing alongside warships of the Navy's 14th fleet.

State-run Press TV said in May the 14th fleet, comprised of two vessels, the Bandar Abbas warship and Shahid Naqdi destroyer, had been sent to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden.

"The fleet entered the Gulf of Aden region in May and has now entered the Red Sea in the continuation of its mission," Fars said.

Two Iranian warships passed through the Suez Canal in February, the first such move since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, en route to Syria. Tehran said the mission was one of "peace and friendship" but Israel called it a "provocation."

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 12 Jun 2011 18:05

Not a single Australian submarine seaworthy

wig · Post by **wig** » 14 Jun 2011 08:09

The U.S. Navy intercepted a North Korean ship suspected of carrying missile parts to Myanmar two weeks ago, media reports and a U.S. official said on Monday.

The New York Times reported late on Sunday, citing senior American officials, that a North Korean cargo ship was forced to return home after a standoff at sea and several days of diplomatic pressure from Washington and Asian nations.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/ ... 6R20110614

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 16 Jun 2011 06:04

Entire Oz sub fleet grounded!

http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http:/ ... VMkakMhBTA

UBanerjee · Post by **UBanerjee** » 16 Jun 2011 15:39

HMS Invicible goes to scrap: British Lament at declining seapower

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 16 Jun 2011 18:54

I was watching the discoveryHD pgm on ark royal. apprently she only had merlin and sealynx helis and no harriers. pulled in @ newport virginia , replenished and pull out where a squad of 10 USMC harriers flew onboard for a 10day deployment.

but the RN has a long way to go yet to reach bottom - I would like to see the entire astute class program scrapped, Type45 cancelled and mothballed and UK retiring atleast 50% of the RN hastily to save money

we already have far more surface ships than RN and gap is increasing, and their future ship is just type45 & CVF. its only in nuclear submarines where they have a commanding lead.

UBanerjee · Post by **UBanerjee** » 17 Jun 2011 06:21

Yes, that would be some nice schadenfreude for us. If you read the article above it's so deliciously steeped in self-pity and bemoaning of fate

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 17 Jun 2011 07:42

I think this comment hits the spot -

What our ex - colonies, and there are so many, have gained from us - democracy and the rule of law are just two of the benefits - is a towering legacy that can only be compared to Rome. Logically, we are hated and envied by those who didn´t reach our standards. Their patience is now rewarded.We witness the end of England. We scrapped our aircraft carriers and were force fed : decimal coinage, metric system, centigrade temperatures, political correctness, human rights and health and safety. Christianty is under siegeand the monarchy subjected to institutionalised derision. Scotland and Wales will no doubt become independent. And poor England with a population of sixty million flooding in from all over the world will be split up into regions and become an off - shore theme park governed by continentals We will end up with a frigate navy on a par with Denmark or Holland under EU command.

well more nuggets in the comments section

Should have sold it to Gadaffi - after all we probably sold him tons of military stuff anyway which we are trying to get repeat business on at this very moment (just need a few years at this rate to totally destroy the previously sold stuff´..and the country.. to complete the sales cycle). We can then sell more weapons to the rabble rebels who will no doubt turn against the UK when they realise that a hand shake one minute from an ex-British PM means a bombing campaign the next and really they had one of the most advanced countries in Africa until NATO decided it needed bombing practice. The PM will then order strikes against the rebels because things did not turn out as expected and the returns on the investment did not materialise as well as UK weapons industry needing a boost anyway. Great way of doing business! Germany is selling Mercedes and BMWs and the UK are selling old imperialist values and needless civilan deaths.

- Ken, Pamplona Spain

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 17 Jun 2011 09:14

Aboard the quietest submarine in the world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfjYZUiOkUw

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Jun 2011 10:40

HMS invincible article has some true keepers:

Unseemly death of a courageous veteran: Like a tired but noble beast brought down by jackals, HMS Invincible's carcass is picked clean in a Turkish scrapyard.....
....
When I joined the Navy in 1960, we had 12 aircraft carriers, along with 30 cruisers and 150 frigates and destroyers.

Today, we have just 19 frigates, no major warships, and a single aircraft carrier, Illustrious, which can carry only helicopters and has no deck for fixed wing-aircraft.
....
Moreover, all 60 Harriers have been withdrawn from naval service, which means that Britain, once the greatest sea power in the world and a pioneer of naval aviation and still an island nation needing a navy to keep its food and fuel coming in times of conflict has little real capability in its Fleet Air Arm.
....

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 17 Jun 2011 12:05

Argentine leader says UK 'arrogant' over Falklands

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13803111

Earlier this week a British man became the first Falkland islander to choose Argentine citizenship.

James Peck was handed his national identity card by President Fernandez, during a ceremony to mark the 29th anniversary of the end of the Falklands War.

Mr Peck's father Terry was a member of the Falkland Islands Defence Force and died during the conflict.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 17 Jun 2011 20:22

Russia, France sign deal on two Mistral-class warships

Russia signed a deal with France on Friday for the purchase of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers.

The document was signed in St. Petersburg in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.

Defense News puts the deal for 2 ships at $1.6 billion
http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i= ... =EUR&s=SEA

Mistral at $800 million is quite an expensive vessel.

UBanerjee · Post by **UBanerjee** » 17 Jun 2011 21:19

Problem with Mistral is not the cost per se ($800 mil for a boat of that tonnage) but what you get for the cost.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 17 Jun 2011 21:24

UBanerjee wrote:Problem with Mistral is not the cost per se ($800 mil for a boat of that tonnage) but what you get for the cost.

DCNS has this to say http://en.dcnsgroup.com/2011/06/17/nouv ... c-mistral/

The Mistral deal will now mean Ka-52/Ka-27 will be ordered in big numbers , it had demonstrated landing on mistral when she visited St Petersburg , Kamov will be the main benefactor overall.

prithvi · Post by **prithvi** » 17 Jun 2011 22:18

Austin wrote:
UBanerjee wrote:Problem with Mistral is not the cost per se ($800 mil for a boat of that tonnage) but what you get for the cost.
DCNS has this to say http://en.dcnsgroup.com/2011/06/17/nouv ... c-mistral/

The Mistral deal will now mean Ka-52/Ka-27 will be ordered in big numbers , it had demonstrated landing on mistral when she visited St Petersburg , Kamov will be the main benefactor overall.

they will deliver them by 2014 and 2015..!!!. pretty quick considering the tonnage...whereas our Kolkata class is being fitted for ever...

Avid · Post by **Avid** » 17 Jun 2011 22:49

prithvi wrote:
they will deliver them by 2014 and 2015..!!!. pretty quick considering the tonnage...whereas our Kolkata class is being fitted for ever...

It is not the tonnage, but the compactness and complexity of the build.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Jun 2011 22:58

Pak's growing naval capability.Apart from the speedy construcion of the 4 F22P FFgs,Pak is to receive 7 much modified larger ex-USN OH Perry classs FFgs.These have better capabilities than our G and B class FFGs.Pak is also acquiring 2+ 4,000t larger Chinese DDGs and around 6 Yuan AIP subs apart from its 4 Aosta-90B sub,all four to eventually have AIP.The quick US decision to replace Pak's two destroyed Orions at Kamran recently will only add to Indian worries and outrage.Unfortunately,the absurdly pro-US MMS regime shows scant regard for Indian security andi lurching towards seriously endangering Indian security from the Sino-Pak combine.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDe ... =6/17/2011

Fourth F-22P frigate of Pakistan Navy launched

The fourth and last frigate of F-22P series for the Pakistan Navy was launched here on Thursday, which has been built at the Karachi Shipyard & Engineering Works (KSEW) with Chinese assistance.

The frigate, designated PNS Aslat, was launched at a ceremony held at the KSEW with Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Noman Bashir as chief guest.

The F-22P frigate would be handed over to Pakistan Navy in December 2012, after complete construction of the ship and equipping it with required armoury and sensors, making it ready for full operational use for the Navy.

The construction of the frigate commenced in 2009.

Already, three F-22P frigates, built in China, are in operational use of Pakistan Navy namely PNS Zulfiqar, PNS Shamsheer, and PNS Saif.

Also on the occasion, the Karachi Shipyard announced construction of a Fast Attack (missile) craft for the Pakistan Navy.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, the naval chief said that launching of F-22P ship at KSEW was commendable and a clear manifestation of the indigenisation policy of the government, especially attaining self-reliance in maritime defence capabilities.

Acknowledging efforts of the Pakistani and Chinese engineers and technicians for construction of F-22P Frigate at the Karachi Shipyard, Admiral Bashir congratulated the China State Shipbuilding Company (CSSC), China Shipbuilding and Trading Company (CSTC), Hudong Zhongua and Karachi Shipyards for launching the ship as per schedule and remarked that the occasion was yet another example of unparalleled Pak-China rock-solid relations.

The chief guest emphasized the fact that launching of the warship being an important milestone in attaining maritime defence capabilities, had not only further strengthened Pakistan’s relations with Chinese friends but has added colour and eminence to celebrations for 60 years of resounding friendship between Pakistan and China.

The naval chief appreciated the turnaround of Karachi Shipyard that enabled it to meet challenges of constructing warships and attributed the success to sound planning of KSEW management and untiring efforts of its workforce.

The chief guest also urged the Ministry of Defence Production to continue supporting KSEW on their road to progress.

Admiral Bashir also emphasized building a strong navy capable of defending the maritime interests of the country.

The chief guest reiterated that Pakistan did not harbour aggressive designs “but our sea trade routes, vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and international energy lines that pass very close to our coast need to be protected which is not only in the interest of our country but of the entire international community”.

Therefore, Pakistan Navy will continue to endeavour to maintain peace and stability in its area of responsibility, he said.

The F-22P frigate, having overall length of 123 metres and breadth of 13.8 metres, could move at speeds of up to 29 Knots, having a range of 4000 nautical miles.

The ship would be equipped with surveillance radar, fire control radar, integrated anti-submarine system, Radar Warning receiver system, and laser warning system.

As for the weaponry, the F-22P warship would be armed with surface-to-surface missile, surface-to-air missile, depth charge system, torpedoes, and, anti-aircraft guns. The ship would also be equipped with Chinese-origin Z9EC helicopter.

The main role of the Chinese-origin warship includes anti-submarine warfare; air defence of a force operating at sea or convoy or particular area; interdiction of hostile combatants; patrolling, monitoring, and protection of EEZ; radiate combat power in the area of interest; search and rescue; contribute to international security through UN peacekeeping operations, and flag showing/maritime diplomacy.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 18 Jun 2011 06:39

all these acquisitions are not happening overnight given their financial situation. at best they can hope to have all that lot in 15 years, given the US takes a decade to hand them a single squadron of F-solah. the Perry class FFGs are cheap and weak ships much hated in the USN itself and had no air defence worth the name. pakis are not given the essm - yet.

in 15 yrs the gap between IN and PN will widen, but then the real thing to consider is IN and PLAN

Shrinivasan · Post by **Shrinivasan** » 18 Jun 2011 09:18

Singha wrote:the Perry class FFGs are cheap and weak ships much hated in the USN itself and had no air defence worth the name.

These Ex USN frigates are not cheap, Pakis have to pay to refurbish them... uncle strips them of virtually all bells and whistles and provides a plain vanilla ship (which has already been mothballed). Pukes need to shell out $$$ to outfit these and to sail it back home... Operating these is not cheap either. and then there is armaments.
Take this Onion replacement news with a pinch of salt. this looks like a paki wet-dream. Congress is heaping scorn on Pakis and don't expect any freebies from the US for quite some time. They are even holding up funds an Ombaba wants to get re-elected, so would not hand the Repubs an issue to brand him as Islam-lover.

pralay · Post by **pralay** » 18 Jun 2011 09:54

Pak complains about Indian warship escorting Suez
Islamabad: Pakistan, on Friday, lodged a protest with the Indian government over an incident in which an Indian warship allegedly brushed with a Pakistani frigate escorting MV Suez, an Egyptian-owned ship that was recently freed by Somali pirates after the payment of ransom.

Pakistan's protest was lodged through the Indian High Commission in Islamabad over the "serious incident" that occurred on Thursday, said a statement issued by Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua. (Read: Pak statement on complaint against Indian ship)

The statement alleged that the Indian Navy warship Godavari "not only hampered humanitarian operations being carried out by Pakistan Navy Ship Babur for Merchant Vessel Suez but also undertook dangerous manoeuvres, which resulted in the brushing of the sides" of the two warships.

"This incident constitutes a serious violation of international regulations pertaining to safe conduct at high seas and of the India-Pakistan Agreement of 1991 on Advance Notice of Military Exercise Manoeuvres and Troop Movements," the statement claimed.

"The Indian government has been asked to ensure non-recurrence of such incidents," the statement said.

Official sources have told NDTV that India is likely to dismiss Pakistan's 'complaint' about INS Godaveri hampering Suez ops. The Navy will issue a statement about the same.

PNS Babur is escorting MV Suez, which was released by Somali pirates earlier this week after over two million dollars was paid as ransom for its 22-member crew, including four Pakistanis and six Indians.

Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney, who played a key role in negotiations with the pirates for the release of MV Suez, told PTI that the ship's crew members will be repatriated to their respective countries by June 20.

Besides the Indians and Pakistanis, the crew includes a Sri Lankan and 11 Egyptians.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Jun 2011 10:43

prithvi wrote:they will deliver them by 2014 and 2015..!!!. pretty quick considering the tonnage...whereas our Kolkata class is being fitted for ever...

You cant compare MDL with any thing out there they are quite unique

rajanb · Post by **rajanb** » 18 Jun 2011 10:53

Aggro Indian navy.

Am sure there must have been some aggravation.

Wonder if any damage occured to the godavari or the Babur?

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 18 Jun 2011 11:55

U.S. congresswoman says Russian-French Mistral deal threatens U.S. security

the chairwoman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Foreign Affairs Committee has said.

"It is deeply troubling that France, a NATO ally, has decided to ignore the clear danger of selling advanced warships to Russia even as Moscow is taking an increasingly hostile approach toward the U.S., its neighbors, and Europe itself," Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement.

Russia and France signed a $1.7 billion (1.2 bln euro) contract on two Mistral class ships for the Russian Navy in St. Petersburg on Friday.

In line with the contract, the first warship is to be delivered in 2014 and the second in 2015. The warships will be equipped with Russian weapon systems, Navy chief Adm.Vladimir Vysotsky said.

French President Nicolas Sarcozy hailed the contract as a sign of strategic partnership between the two countries.

rajanb · Post by **rajanb** » 18 Jun 2011 12:17

Cross posted from TSP thread:

Paki protests on PNS Babur

The money was paid by the owners.

The Pakis are the right people to go to in a Pirate/terrorist/hostage situation because they are definitely involved or on the fringe of these nefarious activities.

My take on this is:

How much commission did the Pakis get?

The Babur and the Suez did not want India to be involved because we may have grilled the paki captain and this perhaps was a guarantee to keep truth of Paki "involvement" under wraps.

Am sure the Babur must have tried some panga, verbal or action oriented.

anirban_aim · Post by **anirban_aim** » 18 Jun 2011 23:25

Dear Rakshaks,

Whats the dope on the latest Chinese Aircraft carrier. Internet chatter tells me that its built on the old soviet vessel Varyag for which the funding was stopped in the 90s after the fall of USSR. It was 70% complete then.Ukraine took ownership and auctioned it in the 90s to the Chinese for around $20 Mn. They completed the building.

Further, the Chinese being previously unexperienced in fielding a Carrier Battle Group Earlier, they are mostly going to use it for training and to absorb technology and at the most it will be deployed in the South China Sea and beyond, so India has little to fear as long as it moves fast on Vikramaditya and the Third Aircraft carrier fast and at the earliest.

But I also hear that the Chinese will have it do a tour of the Indian Ocean to mark its presence.

Would love to know your views. Please enligten.

anirban_aim · Post by **anirban_aim** » 18 Jun 2011 23:47

Dear Rakshaks and Gyaanis,

I've another doubt. Why are countries like Germany investing in and developing newer versions of silent conventional submarines? When they can always move to nuke subs which as per my knowledge have no need to surface during ops.

The only arguement they seem to make is that the newer conventional subs are more silent (absence of the coolant pump unlike the nuke subs) and a little more maneuverability.

Will appreciate more gyan.

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 19 Jun 2011 02:09

all these acquisitions are not happening overnight given their financial situation. at best they can hope to have all that lot in 15 years, given the US takes a decade to hand them a single squadron of F-solah. the Perry class FFGs are cheap and weak ships much hated in the USN itself and had no air defence worth the name. pakis are not given the essm - yet.

in 15 yrs the gap between IN and PN will widen, but then the real thing to consider is IN and PLAN

Who has signed on the dotted line of those acronymed agreements? India or Pakistan!!!

PLAN? That tin-can navy?

I still think India needs to buy the second nuke sub from Russia. Pay more for pipes and wires. Get more MiG-29s that have been renamed MiG-40. Etc, etc, etc. All this to compensate the US leaning in Indian political thinkers.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Jun 2011 09:11

babur attempted to ram godavari from astern per toi. in has given photos and videos to goi. hope they also send a copy to bsword and livefist.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 19 Jun 2011 09:24

anirban_aim wrote:I've another doubt. Why are countries like Germany investing in and developing newer versions of silent conventional submarines?

Because they can build world class conventional sub since WW2 and to maintain their preeminence in the export market , Germany dominates the conventional sub export market and they would like to keep it that way , well who wouldn't ?

When they can always move to nuke subs which as per my knowledge have no need to surface during ops.

Building Nuke sub needs an entire industry to be developed , R&D to support and leadership that would back it up for decades , needs huge funds and a very capable ship yard , technically Germany can develop a good nuclear sub but can it back up by fund and political will is another question ( i any way dont see them much of pro-nuclear considering Merkel has decided to close all N reactors by next decade

Germany is as part of NATO so it would in crisis be operating with NATO countries who have nuke sub like French , UK and US and probably they would have fine tuned conventional/nuclear sub operation.

The only arguement they seem to make is that the newer conventional subs are more silent (absence of the coolant pump unlike the nuke subs) and a little more maneuverability.

While conventional sub do retain some advantage in silencing and ability to operate at choke points and littoral waters they lack in varying degree with firepower ,endurance , sensors and speed

pradeepe · Post by **pradeepe** » 19 Jun 2011 09:28

I wouldnt be surprized if PN is providing cover for pirateering. They are running some kind of a racket here.

MV Suez was waiting for PNS Brrr and hence did not respond when INS Godavari tried to raise it earlier.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 19 Jun 2011 09:31

Singha wrote:watched the movie Submerged last night on MGM, about the rescue of 33 crew from USS Squalus using the first diving bell.

the inventor Charles "swede" momsen was a pioneer in submarine rescue devices, and a very hands on guy looking at his achievements later too as commander of submarines rising to commander submarines in pacific fleet.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Momsen

I guess thats the hallmark of true leaders, being very hands on regardless of rank.

GD, Read about VADM. Raborn

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 19 Jun 2011 13:15

STX France to build two Mistral class helicopter carriers for Russia

The first ship will be delivered to Russia in 2014 and the second LHD will be delivered in 2015.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 21 Jun 2011 18:44

AIRSHOW-France eyes sea-launched cruise missiles
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/ ... PV20110620

SCALP,1000km cruise missile.

Mon Jun 20, 2011

* European missile maker MBDA building Scalp Naval missiles

* Missiles to operate on French frigates, submarines

* Could eventually compete with U.S. Tomahawk

By John Irish

LE BOURGET, France, June 20 (Reuters) - The French navy could join the United States and Britain in using ship-based cruise missiles by 2015 after delivery of its first batch from European missile maker MBDA, a company executive said on Monday.

Uptil now,the Tomahawk missile has been the main one of its type launched from navy vessels and submarines, but MBDA has been working on developing a version for the French navy since 2006.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Paris Air Show, Lionel Mazenq, a systems engineer for MBDA involved in the development of the Scalp Naval cruise missile, said the aim was for it to be used first on multi-purpose frigates.

"It's a key element in the first phase of a military operation and this would enable France to enter the club which at the moment only really has the United States and United Kingdom," he said.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 22 Jun 2011 16:21

Chinese naval aggression
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/ ... -tolerated

China's naval harassments cannot be tolerated
By Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) - 06/21/11

Over the past twelve months, China has been carrying out calculated acts of naval harassment in the South China Sea. This is just the latest from Communist China, a country which -- for several years -- has declared much of the South China Sea as its exclusive economic zone. This has threatened the other countries (nine in all) of the region who have overlapping claims to the 1.35 million square miles of water.

VinodTK · Post by **VinodTK** » 23 Jun 2011 05:39

Russia delays delivery of nuclear attack submarine to December

"The Nerpa will be handed over to the Indian Navy on lease by the end of this year," director of Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSVTS) Mikhail Dmitriyev was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

"Currently the submarine is undergoing sea trials, where the Indian crew is checking the functioning of its all systems and mechanism and are honing their skill for operating the vessel," he said. Dmitriyev deals with foreign military cooperation.

Coming to India: Russia's 'quietest' submarine

UBanerjee · Post by **UBanerjee** » 23 Jun 2011 13:33

U.S. Navy in South China Sea exercise with ASEAN

The operation is occurring amid rising tensions in the South China Sea, where China's increasingly assertive behavior over territorial waters claims has raised concerns with the Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, as well as non-ASEAN members Kampuchea and Taiwan.

The waters are essential for Chinese energy exports. A prominent Chinese shipping executive, speaking on background, said that by 2015 China will need nearly 150 Very Large Crude Carrier tankers to meet its energy needs.

VLCCs are the second-largest class of tankers, displacing 200,000-320,000 tons, and are capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil.

Tankers are second only to pipelines in terms of efficiency and the efficiency of large volume transport means that importing oil by tanker adds only 2-3 U.S. cents per gallon to cost. Virtually all VLCCs carrying crude oil to China pass through Southeast Asian waters using the Malacca Strait.

UBanerjee · Post by **UBanerjee** » 23 Jun 2011 20:39

Chinese naval maneuvers seen as warning to Vietnam

The Chinese navy conducted three days of exercises — including live fire drills — in the disputed waters of the South China Sea this week, escalating tensions over a potentially resource-rich area also claimed by some neighboring countries in Southeast Asia.

The display of naval might hundreds of miles from China's southernmost border was widely seen as a warning to Vietnam, which this week conducted its own live fire drills near the Spratly Islands. Several countries claim sovereignty over the string of uninhabited volcanic rocks, which are ringed by jagged reefs and crusted with bird droppings but rendered attractive by virtue of the surrounding waters that are fertile fishing grounds and may cover significant reserves of oil and natural gas.

Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei all claim jurisdiction over some of the territory. But China contends its sovereignty dates from ancient national maps that show the islands to be an integral part of its territory.

It's interesting to look at this so-called "9-dash" map they use

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 29 Jun 2011 09:20

Rare pictures of Le Terrible

Nuclear Detterence Inside the new French Nuclear Submarine

UBanerjee · Post by **UBanerjee** » 29 Jun 2011 10:46

Philippines, US in show of force as war games begin

Manila: The Philippines and the United States Tuesday began a naval exercise on the disputed West Philippine Sea, also known as the South China Sea . The war games, which will run over 11 days, are a show of force on the contested sea-lane and the disputed Spratly Archipelago which China and four other nations have laid claim to. Some 800 American sailors and 450 Filipino seamen attended the opening ceremony of the war games, which have been named the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (Carat), in Palawan, yesterday.

USS Chung-Hoon, a guided missile destroyer, which was welcomed by the Philippine Navy at Puerto Princesa's pier yesterday, was at the ceremony, including two Philippine Navy ships, BRP Rizal and BRP Pangasinan, participants of the joint naval exercise. Another US missile destroyer, the USS Howard, and a drive and salvage warship of the US 7th Fleet, the USNS Safeguard, arrived at Puerto Princesa's pier yesterday.