Royal Marines – Effective immediately, 42 Commando Royal Marines will begin replacing 1 Bn The Parachute Regiment on the ground in Sierra Leone. The paras will be withdrawn to the UK. A UK Military Assistance Training Team will arrive imminently in Sierra Leone to train and equip the army of Sierra Leone. The plan is still to withdraw 42 Commando from Sierra Leone by mid-June.

• Los Angeles Times: British Flex Their Muscles Off Coast of Sierra Leone
• BBC Online: UK to arm Sierra Leone forces
• The Press Association: Commandos replace Paras in Sierra Leone

Indian Navy – the Indian Navy Southern and Western Naval Commands have been placed on alert, to possibly assist in the evacuation of Sri Lankan government forces from the Jaffna peninsula.

• BBC Online: Delhi discusses Sri
  Lankan crisis

• South China Morning Post: Indian navy poised for Jaffna evacuation
• Times of India: Western Naval Command put on alert
• The Hindu: Navy put on 72 hour alert

U.S. Navy – The Cyclone-class patrol craft Firebolt along with its sister ship Chinook, is off on a six month cruise to South America. The purpose of the cruise is primarily anti-narcotics, with a secondary diplomatic role.

• Virginian Pilot: Small Navy ship, the coastal patrol craft Firebolt, plays a big role

U.S. Navy – The U.S. Navy has retired its tugboat fleet, and contracted the work out to civilian tugs.

• Virginian Pilot: Navy retires tugboat fleet, private boats to take over

Royal Navy – The Royal Navy is also strapped for funds for training, with Sailors “pretending” to fire during live-fire exercises.

• BBC News: Shell ban under fire

Indonesian Navy – Pirate attacks in the Straits of Malacca continue to increase. The Indonesia Navy, under an arms band following the situation in East Timor, is ill-equipped to combat the pirates.

• Associated Press: Indonesian pirates plunder ships

NATO – NATO naval forces just completed Operation Linked Seas off Portugal, designed to simulate naval operations in a humanitarian crisis such as Kosovo. The exercise turned into reality midway through its course when HMS Illustrious and HMS Ocean were detached from the exercise to intervene in Sierra Leone.

• Associate Press: NATO navies adapt to new realities

U.S. Navy – A day in the life of the U.S.S. Houston, a Los Angeles class attack submarine, and the interesting insights her crew have into their lives.

• San Antonio Express-News: Sub Culture

Royal Marines – Royal Marines from 42 Commando aboard HMS Ocean have carried out exercises to demonstrate they can rapidly reinforce 1 Bn Parachute Regiment ashore in Freetown, if needed.

• BBC News: Marines stage beach landings
• This is London: Marines fly into Sierra Leone

Chinese Navy – Russia has supplied China with new SSN-22 Sunburn cruise missiles for use on China’s new Sovremenny-class destroyer.

• Washington Post: Russia sends cruise missiles to China for new warships

U.S. Navy – A day in the life of the U.S.S. Kentucky, a Trident class ballistic missile submarine. The submarine service, particularly the ballistic missile submarine force, have the highest re-enlistment rates in the Navy. This article points out some of the reasons, including pay and benefits, but even more importantly sense of purpose and esprit de corps.

• Florida Times-Union: At home under the sea

East Asian Naval Background – In a forward to it’s 2000-2001 edition, Jane’s Fighting Ships stated that the potential exists in East Asia for sudden and violent military activity due to the multiple tensions that exist between countries in the region and the fact that most have rising naval budgets.

• Jane’s Fighting Ships: Potential for ‘Sudden’ Violence in East Asia -Jane’s
• Jane’s Fighting Ships: Chin’s Obsession Over Taiwan Pushing Navy Buildup

U.S. Coast Guard – The U.S.C.G. has its resources stretched to the breaking point, and is facing severe readiness problems. Given too many tasks from too many masters, and being severely underfunded, the U.S.C.G. faces tough choices in the near future.

• U.S.A. Today: Readiness problems plague Coast Guard too

U.S. Navy – the U.S. Navy has categorically denied allegations that its sonar systems were responsible for the death of marine mammals during exercises in the Bahamas in March.

• MSNBC – Navy responds to allegations

Royal Navy – A complete list of Royal Navy ships operating off Sierra Leone.

• This is London: The British task force

Nigerian Navy – The German Navy, Royal Navy, and U.S. Navy are all interested in helping Nigeria to revive its Navy. The German Navy ships Brandenburg and Emden, which previously were exercising with the South African Navy, are paying a port visit to Lagos. Their next port of call is Senegal.

• P.M. News: Germany Ready to Train Nigerian Navy

Royal Navy – HMS Ocean and HMS Illustrious have arrived off Sierra Leone. 42 Commando is remaining embarked, for the time being. Her Majesty’s Government states that mission creep will not set in???

• BBC News: UK ships near Sierra Leone
• BBC News: UK troops’ role to be clarified
• BBC News: UK forces out by mid-June

Indian Navy – The Indian Navy and Coast Guard are exercising and maintaining a high state of readiness off Sri Lanka. The Indian government has so far ruled out intervention in the crisis in Sri Lanka.

• Deccan Heard: India assumes ‘readiness posture’ as fighting rages in Jaffna
• The Hindu: Naval exercise on east coast

Taiwan Background – An analysis of open source satellite imagery by the Federation of American Scientists concludes that the Chinese Air Force is less of a threat to Taiwan than the U.S. states.

• ABC News: Group: China less of a threat to Taiwan

U.S. Navy – Coming to the defense of Taiwan, if attacked by China, would be a difficult task for the U.S. for logistical and interoperability reasons.

• San Francisco Examiner: If Taiwan is attacked, what does the U.S. do?

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