Royal Navy – Mission creep sets in for the British forces in Sierra Leone – they will apparently be used to “stabilize” the situation until more UN peacekeepers arrive. 1 Bn The Parachute Regiment is now dug in around the Freetown airport. SAS units and the Paras’ Pathfinder reccee unit are agressively patroling the area around Freetown to gather intelligence on the rebel forces. 42 Commando should arrive this weekend.

• BBC News: UK extends Sierra Leone Mission
• Daily Telegraph (Registration required): Paras dig in as rebels head for airport

Chinese Navy – The Chinese government announced that last month the Chinese Navy conducted extensive naval exercises in the East China Sea.

• Hong Kong Standard: PLA flexes muscles in war games

Taiwanese Navy ???while Taiwan held naval exercises this week to simulate an invasion of Taiwan from the mainland???

• Agence France Presse: Taiwan holds live fire exercise amid stalemate with China

Royal Navy – A summary of UK forces off Sierra Leone. HMS Illustrious will arrive within 24 hours, HMS Ocean by the weekend.

• MOD: Sierra Leone – UK Forces Summary

Indian Navy – The upcoming joint naval exercises between India, Vietnam, and Japan which are designed to coordinate anti-pirate efforts in the South China Sea are felt by U.S. analysts to be interpreted by China in a negative light as they will be held in the region of the Spratly Islands, which China claims. This exercise should be seen as a counterbalance to China’s setting up naval and intelligence bases on Burma’s Coco Islands off the northern tip of India’s Andaman and Nicobar islands in the Indian Ocean.

• Rediff.com: India’s South China Sea foray raises eyebrows

U.S. Navy – U.S. Navy SEALs are said to be operating off Sierra Leone, observing the events in that country as they unfold.

• Associated Press: U.S. Navy Commandos Off West Africa

Royal Navy – The evacuation of British and European nationals has been completed successfully. HMS Illustrious has also been dispatched to the theater of operations. British troops may extend their stay in-country.

• BBC News: Airlift from Freetown anarchy
• BBC News: Sierra Leone: The role of UK forces

Royal Navy – 1st Bn The Parachute Regiment have begun evacuation of foreign nationals from Sierra Leone. The task force led by HMS Ocean has yet to arrive.

• BBC News: Paratroopers begin Freetown airlift

Japanese Navy – Two ships, TV Kashima and DD Yugiri are on a global goodwill training cruise and have called at Mumbai in India. The goal is to strengthen Indian – Japanese naval cooperation.

• Times of India: Japan removed aircraft carriers after Pearl Harbour

Royal Navy – A task force consisting of the helicopter carrier HMS Ocean and 3 support ships containing 42 Commando Royal Marines along with the frigate HMS Chatham are being deployed off Sierra Leone in the event British nationals require evacuation in the near future. The task force will arrive in a few days. They are being joined by the 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment who been positioned for action if needed in Senegal.

• BBC News: UK Task Force sent to West Africa
• BBC News: UK troops reach West Africa

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy will launch this Saturday an experimental trimaran ship called Triton, that will be used as a developmental platform for its Future Surface Combatant programme. Triton is built by Vosper Thornycroft Holdings Plc in Southampton, England.

• Reuters: Britain to launch warship with three hulls

Royal Navy – The Ministry of Defence has been criticized by a group of MPs over its initial response to the humanitarian crisis in Mozambique in which it was accused of trying to charge the UK government an excessive amount of money to supply relief helicopters. The MOD was praised in the report for its later actions during the crisis with the ship RFA Fort George.

• BBC News: MoD criticised over Mozambique aid

U.S. Navy – The U.S. Navy was upset as it was not notified of a test of the Jericho ballistic missile by Israel. During the test, the missile impacted the the sea 44 km from a U.S. Navy cruiser in the Mediterranean, causing it to assume it was under attack — reviving memories of the attack on the U.S.S. Liberty during the 6 Day war in 1967.

• ABC News: Israeli missile test angers US

U.S. Coast Guard – The Coast Guard icebreaker Polar Star has returned from a 6 month deployment to the Antarctic in Operation Deep Freeze 2000. She will soon be deploying to the Arctic.

• Seattle Post Intelligence: Polar Star gets a warm welcome home
• Seattle Post Intelligence: Journey to Antartica on the Polar Star

Australian Navy – the Australian Navy investment in expeditionary amphibious forces will become completely operational by the end of the year.

• Sydney Morning Herald: Military opts for amphibious force

Indian Navy – the Indian tanker carrying water to Gujarat has arrived.

• The Hindu: Naval ship carrying water reaches Gujarat port

Royal Navy – the Royal Navy’s Lynx helicopter fleet will be effectively grounded for 2 years except for operational emergencies due to a defect in the rotor head, which must be replaced.

• BBC News: Safety scare grounds Lynx helicopters

U.S. Marines – U.S. Marines will soon be participating in a multinational peace keeping exercise in eastern Africa involving troops from Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

• African News: East Africans In Joint Military Manoeuvres

NOSI will be next updated on Thursday.

NOSI has been down for several days due to problems with its ISP which are hopefully resolved.

Chinese Navy – Chinese naval and air forces are exercising off Taiwan, as a form of psychological warfare before Taiwan’s new President is sworn in.

• Associated Press: Chinese military exercises not a threat of war, official says

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy has been ordered to ship 8,000,000 gallons of water to the Indian state of Gujarat which is currently in a severe drought. The ship INS Shakti will be used.

• BBC News: India steps up drought relief
• The Hindu: Naval ship to carry water to Gujarat

U.S. Navy – A Russian tanker chartered by Royal Dutch/Shell was found by the U.N. to be carrying Iraqi oil on April 5 in violation of the international embargo against Iraq. The company was fined $2 million after it was determined that some of the the 78,000 metric tons of oil aboard the tanker came from Iraq.

• NY Times: U.N. Concludes, Fining Shell, That Tanker Carried Iraq Oil

Phillipine Navy – The Phillipine Navy is currently engaged in joint operations against rebels on the southern island of Basilan.

• BBC News: Phillipine Army to Crush Rebels

Russian Navy – A Russian patrol boat fired on and then captured a Japanese fishing boat, north of Japan in disputed territorial waters. The Russians claim the fishing boat was in their territorial waters, the Japanese claim it was not.

• BBC News: Russian navy fires on Japanese boat
• BBC News: Further background information on this story – Russia and Japan are still technically at war, because of these islands???

U.S. Navy – The U.S. Navy has stepped up its efforts to stop Iraqi smuggling of oil. In 1999 a total of 19 tankers were found to be smuggling; in the first 4 months of 2000 a total of 15 tankers were found to be smuggling. The Russian tanker seized on April 5th is still undergoing tests to determine the origin of its oil. The Iranians also continue to attempt to halt the smuggling, now that they have learned how much money Iraq was gaining from it.

• ABC News: Iraqi Oil Smuggling Remains High
• Reuters: Russian Tanker Held in Gulf Had Big Load of Oil

U.S. Navy – Admiral Jay Johnson, Chief of Naval Operations, signed an agreement in Singapore which will allow U.S. naval forces to use the new naval base at Changi when it becomes available.

• The Hindu: U.S. presence in Asia-Pacific will continue: Admiral

Mauritian Coast Guard – The Mauritian Coast Guard’s sole ship has been put back in commission after being overhauled by the Indian Navy. The Coast Guard’s tasks are to patrol the 1.8 million square kilometers of its exclusive economic zone, provide search and rescue and perform coastal security.

• The Hindu: Navy resurrects crippled Mauritian warship

U.S. Navy

• U.S. Navy – Status of the U.S. Navy as of April 17, 2000

South African Navy – the South African Navy will be upgraded with new corvettes and submarines from Germany, and will play a bigger role in the future in peacekeeping in Africa, and law enforcement within South Africa, according to a speech given at a naval conference in Durban by Defence Minister Mosiuoa Lekota.

• African National Congress: Navy to Play Major Role in Peace Support Missions

South African Navy – The South African Navy and the German Navy are participating in “Exercise Cape of Good Hope” that will give the South African Navy the chance to study and exercise all aspects of naval warfare.

• African National Congress – German Naval Task Group to Dock in Durban

Indian Navy – An excellent essay on the history of the Indian Navy, and particularly its close relationship with Russia over the previous decades. The essay is by Admiral J G Nadkarni (ret) of the Indian Navy. It begins by describing how the Indian Navy was driven into the arms of the Russians by the U.S. Navy and Royal Navy; how Russian ships compare to British in regards to technology (more favorably) and habitability (more poorly); and how cheap they were for the Indians to acquire. Today, times have changed and with the advent of a market economy in Russia the Indians must pay the full price for their ships.

• Rediff – The Russian Connection

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy will soon begin joint training and exercises with the navies of Japan and Vietnam in order to
counter the increasing menace of pirates in international waters.

• Deccan Herald – Joint naval patrolling with Japan, Vietnam soon: George
• The Hindu – India, Vietname partners in safeguarding sea lanes

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy is moving closer to developing its own aircraft carrier, and to acquiring the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier of the Kiev class from Russia. India is currently without an operational aircraft carrier as INS Viraat (former HMS Hermes) is in extended overhaul until next year.

• Times of India – Indian Navy to Develop Aircraft Carriers

U.S. Navy – Tests have shown that the Russian tanker seized by U.S. Navy forces earlier this week on suspician of illegally smuggling Iraqi oil was filled mainly with Iranian oil, with some Iraqi oil also present. The disposition of the tanker has yet to be decided.

• Associated Press: US: Russian Tanker Had Iraqi Oil

Canadian Navy – The Canadian Navy’s aging fleet of Sea King helicopters is becoming increasingly unreliable and unable to accomplish the missions they are assigned.

• Canadian Press: Sea King Humiliates Canadian Troops

Sri Lankan Navy – A Sri Lankan naval vessel was sunk after being rammed by a rebel suicide craft filled with explosives, during fighting on land and at sea in northern Sri Lanka.

• Associated Press: Sea Battles Rage Near Sri Lanka

Iranian Navy – Iranian Navy patrol boats have seized 10 tankers suspected of smuggling Iraqi oil, in violation of UN sanctions. The seizure is seen as a way for Iran to start to develop a closer relationship with the United States.

• BBC News: Iran Seizes Iraqi Oil Shipments

U.S. Navy – The USS Russell has seized another Russian tanker suspected of smuggling oil out of Iraq. Tests are being performed to determine the origin of the oil. The Royal Dutch Shell Group claims the oil comes from Iran.

• BBC News: U.S. Seizes Tanker in Gulf
• Agence France Presse: Shell Claims Oil on U.S.-Intercepted Russian Tanker in Gulf

Iranian Navy – The Iranian Navy seized an Iraqi tanker that was suspected of smuggling oil out of Iraq. This is the first time that Iran has made such a seizure.

• BBC News: Iran Seizes Iraqi Tanker

Sri Lankan Navy – 2 Sri Lankan Navy Dvora-class gunboats were sunk by artillery fire from Tamil Tiger rebels near the northernmost part of Sri Lanka in a fierce gun battle.

• BBC News: Rebels Sink Sri Lankan Gunboats

U.S. Navy – The U.S. Navy has denied allegations by environmentalists that anti-submarine exercises off the Bahamas in March caused 11 whales to beach themselves. During the exercises, revised sonobuoys were tested.

• Associated Press: Navy Defends Anti-Sub Exercise

Russian Navy – Russian President Alexander Putin observed Northern Fleet naval exercises, as a show of support for the Russian Navy.

• Associated Press: Putin Observes Missile Test Launch

U.S. Coast Guard – Vice Adm. John E. Shkor, Commander of the Coast Guard in the Atlantic, states that his forces are working at an unmaintainable operations tempo, and has therefore ordered his forces to reduce operations by 10%, across the board.

• Associated Press: Coast Guard will cut Atlantic operations by 10 percent

Royal Navy – RFA Fort George remains off Mozambique, its 5 Sea King helicopters continuing to assist in humanitarian relief efforts.

• BBC News: RAF Mozambique crews to return

U.S. Navy – Vice-Adm. Charles Moore, commander of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet has stated Iraq continues to smuggle large amounts of oil by bribing Iran to use its coastal waters to avoid detection.

• Associated Press: U.S. Navy commander says Iraq smuggling record amounts of oil

Taiwan Background – A new, classified Pentagon report states that Taiwan is more vulnerable to attack than had been generally thought. The main reason is the Taiwanese military’s isolation from the international community, which has led to them falling behind in the information-based revolution in military affairs.

• Washington Post: Pentagon Fault’s Taiwan’s Defense Capabilities

NOSI resumes publication, with an updated style.

U.S. Marines – The 1,100 Marines of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit are participating in Operation Dynamic Response 2000 within Kosovo until mid-April. Also participating are 900 other troops from the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Argentina. The exercise falls on the 1 year anniversary of the NATO air campaign against Yugoslavia.

• ABC News: U.S. Sending Reinforcements to Bolster Kosovo Presence
• Associated Press: U.S. troops in Kosovo for war games

U.S. Marines – Meanwhile, 1,400 Marines of the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit landed in Kuwait to participate in joint exercise Eager Mace 2000, which will last for 3 weeks.

• L.A. Times: U.S. Marines Storm Kuwait for Joint Drill

NOSI is on vacation until March 29th – see you then!

Phillipine Navy – Inside China Today: Nine Chinese Boats Allowed To Shelter In Philippine-Claimed Shoal – The Phillipine Navy allows nine Chinese fishing vessels to weather out a storm in a shoal off Luzon.

Polish Navy – Boston Globe: U.S. frigate getting new life in Polish Navy – The U.S.S. Clark (FFG-11) is in the process of being transferred to our new NATO ally.

U.S. Navy – Nando: New Navy sub well-equipped for tradition of secret missions – A description of some of the capabilities the U.S.S. Jimmy Carter may have when it finally sets sail.

Royal Navy – Daily Telegraph (Registration Required): Marines sent to Mediterranean as fears grow of Balkan flare-up – Royal Marines from 42 Commando will be embarked onboard HMS Ocean, which will depart for a Mediterranean cruise on March 27th. The Royal Marines will carry out routine exercises during the cruise, but will be available if there is trouble during elections in Montenegro this summer.

Royal Navy – BBC News: UK Increases Mozambique Aid – Sea Kings from 820 Squadron embarked aboard RFA Fort Georege are in operation carrying supplies to stranded communities inland.

Russian Navy – Sydney Morning Herald: Townsfolk Take on the Navy – Citizens of Gadzhiyevo, Russia are actively campaigning against the placement of a nuclear waste dump consisting of decommissioned nuclear submarines outside their city.

Royal Navy – BBC News: Aid Race For Mozambique – RFA Fort George arrives off Mozambique, and its 5 Sea Kings go into action.

French Navy – Sydney Morning Herald: Now Race is on to Help Madagascar – The Helicopter Carrier Jeanne D’Arc is being diverted from Mozambique to Madagascar.

Background – BBC News: Madagascar Left Reeling – Overlooked in the news about Mozambique is that Madagascar was severely hit by the same storm.

Indian Navy – Rediff.com: Er, is it Dishqooo or Dakkan? – life at sea aboard an Indian Navy frigate.

Russian Navy – BBC News: Iran Buys Kamikaze Dolphins – Russian Navy dolphins, trained for special operations, are being auctioned to the highest bidder.