Marine News, Shipping, Training
You can take a virtual tour of South African Navy ships from your PC itself.
The ships you can visit are:
Click here or the image on the right, to commence virtual tour.
On completion of virtual tour, don’t forget to give your feed back to S.A Navy.
No one can deny that India is a victim of terrorism. India always learns from mistakes (most of the times takes long time to learn), and instead of taking preventive actions believes more in taking corrective actions to set things right. It is well known that terrorists are free to launch their attack on their desired targets through land, air, sea routes. Media reports coming now are confirming use of sea route to launch terrorist attacks in Mumbai on November 26. Was the attack a surprise ? or Was it expected ? Read more to judge yourself.
Also terrorists are yet to acquire this expertise on use of UAVs.
How slow and casual we are to set up coastal defence ?
UNOSAT has released an amazing 3D map of piracy incidents in the Gulf of Aden for 2008 (as on November 21). Incidents that have occurred within 5 km of the Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) following implementation on August 26, 2008 are shown in the map.
Three types of piracy incidents are shown in the map:
Note: a number of reported ‘ Suspicious Approach ‘ incidents may represent accidental vessel approaches misperceived as a pirate threat. This is an initial assessment and has not been independently verified.
Click the map below to have a clear view.
Terrorist attacks in Mumbai have taken place in the past also. But the terrorist attack in Mumbai during the night on November 26 is something different. About 101 people were killed and around 900 injured during the terrorist attack and follow up actions in 10 sites in Mumbai. It is reported that the terrorists have reached Mumbai through sea route.
Some of the disturbing reports available are:
Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC), part of the Australian Tsunami Warning System (ATWS) was officially launched in Melbourne on October 31. The JATWC can now assess any threat to Australian shores within 30 minutes from the time an undersea earthquake is detected. The JATWC also joins a network of international tsunami watch centres that cooperate under arrangements coordinated by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
Australia has potential tsunami threat from the Sunda Trench and Timor Trough (see map on the right). As a consequence of Indonesian tsunami on December 26, 2004 the Australian government realized the necessity to have an independent capability to detect, monitor, verify and warn the citizens of the existence of tsunami and possible threats to Australian coastal locations and offshore islands.
Some of the interesting features of the Australian Tsunami Warning System (ATWS) are:
Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) has recently investigated and released a report on ” Danish Cargo Ships Groundings 2000 to 2008 “. The purpose of the investigations is only to bring out the sequence of events leading to the groundings so that seafarers can prevent similar incidents in future.
Some of the interesting features of the report are:
Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) is expected to arrive at Dubai port Mina Rashid on November 26. On arrival she is going to be greeted at The World islands by a flotilla of local yachts, boats and leisure-craft led by a Royal Navy Frigate and helicopter. Also there is going to be a spectacular fly-past by one of Emirates’ newly acquired Airbus A380.
QE2 departed Southampton on November 11 after a farewell from HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and a fly-past by a Harrier jump jet.
At Dubai,
Those interested to join the flotilla may register here.
The Royal Australian Navy is planning for two months long Christmas holidays. The Australian Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon has stated that Christmas shutdown from December 03 to February 03 would encourage the Royal Australian Navy staff to avail a long break and to be more family-friendly.
However, the Deputy Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Davyd Thomas, RAN, has clarified that the Christmas stand down period is part of the Chief of Navy’s “New Generation Navy (NGN)” program, and will not have any adverse impact on national security.
The NGN program was initiated as the navy is facing severe staff shortages of about 2,020 skilled staff and a 27 percent yearly recruitment shortfall, compounded by 11 percent of staff quitting the service each year.
The white 1976 Lotus Esprit amphibious car driven by James Bond, Roger Moore in the 1977 movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is going for sale.
When ? : on December 01.
Where ? : at Olympia, in West London.
To be sold by: The international auctioneers Bonhams at annual motoring Auction Sale.
Expected price: £120,000.
Here is an interesting video clip of Lotus Esprit amphibious car in action in the movie ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’.
For more details, log on to Bonhams.
Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:
Alert Nigerian Naval Dockyard Averts Major Fire Onboard NNS Ambe
Oasis of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise liner has been launched on November 20. Oasis of the Seas is expected to be ready for operation to the Royal Caribbean International in end 2009. The vessel is under construction at STX Europe’s (erstwhile Aker Yards) Turku shipyard, Finland and 65 percent work is already completed.
Some of the interesting features of Oasis of the Seas (yard no 1363) to justify the vessel as the world’s largest cruise liner are:
Hotel Atlantis, The Palm is now open. The grand opening party at a cost of US $20 million was attended on November 20, by over two thousand film stars, pop stars, super models and billionaires from around the world.
The inauguration was followed by the largest display of one million rocket firework display with 100 computer guided rockets, seven times bigger than Beijing Olympics.
The US $1.5 billion mega resort with 1,539 rooms is located in Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah artificial island.
Some of the interesting features of Atlantis, The Palm are:
Here is the ‘Battle Progress Map’ issued by Ministry of Defence, Sri Lanka as on November 18. This interactive map gets updated regularly. This is the battle in progress in all three dimensions: land, sea and air. The Sri Lanka Navy, in particular, has played a vital role in patrolling the coast and destroying the LTTE’s supply ships, making the groundwork of the troops more easy.
Click the map below, to view it in interactive mode.
In Somalia, almost all the coastal villages are supporting piracy at sea.
Piracy at sea is successful in Somalia because Somali pirates are well organized and they 
Interesting information is available on the lavish life styles of Somali pirates. Some of the interesting features of Somali pirates and their lavish life styles are:
Somali pirates rarely go to jail. But what happens to those Somali pirates who are sent to jail ? How the pirates rot in Somalia jail ?
The 2008 Pacific Marine Expo is ready to start on November 20. This annual Pacific Marine Expo is for those who make their living on the water or provide services to those like commercial vessels owners, commercial fishermen, boat builders and seafood processors.
Some of the interesting features of 2008 Pacific Marine Expo are:
For more information, log on to Pacific Marine Expo.
Post in MarineBuzz on this day a year before:
Inmarsat Launches FleetBroadband for Comfortable Life on the High Seas
As Gulf of Aden is crowded with multinational warships and as Danish Warship Absalon, Indian Navy Ship Tabar, HMS Cumberland show no mercy to Somali 
pirates, it seems that Somali pirates are shifting their operation to Kenyan coast. This is confirmed by the fact that Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Sirius Star was hijacked on November 16 by Somali pirates off Kenyan coast.
Some of the interesting features of VLCC Sirius Star and the piracy attack off Kenyan coast are:
Here is the launching ceremony photograph of VLCC Sirius Star from Vela International Marine Ltd.,