USA: USS Barry to visit Guadalcanal for Battle of Guadalcanal 75th anniversary

By MC2 William Collins III, USS Barry Public Affairs

USS Barry (DDG 52) file photo (U.S. Navy/MC1 Elijah G. Leinaar) >>

HONIARA, Guadalcanal - The destroyer USS Barry (DDG 52), forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, will arrive at the port of Honiara, Guadalcanal of the Solomon Islands on August 4 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal.

Barry, commanded by Cmdr. Dave Huljack, is an Arleigh Burke class AEGIS guided-missile destroyer; 505 feet in length; displacing nearly 9,000 tons; hosting an approximate crew size of 280.

While in Honiara, the crew is looking forward to participating in various ceremonies, memorial services, a parade, community volunteer events, sporting events, and indulging in the local culture with traditional food and dance.

USS Barry is on patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.

US Pacific Fleet

News Report: Fear of Chinese Spies Halts Australia-Solomons Cable Project

A project to build a 4,000-kilometer underwater cable connecting Sydney and the Solomon Islands came to a screeching halt following the Australian Secret Intelligence Service’s warning to the Solomons Islands prime minister that the Chinese firm contracted to do the work, Huawei, allows Chinese spies access to conduct cyberattacks.

During a June visit to the Solomons, ASIS head Nick Warner informed Solomons Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare of his concerns about the use of Huawei as a contractor. Huawei’s ability to securely install the cable came into question as a result of “backdoors” found in the firm’s products.

"It is no secret that China is very active in intelligence activities directed against us," Defence Secretary Dennis Richardson said in his final speech before retiring in May.

Honiara gave contract rights to Shenzhen-based telecom giant Huawei in mid-2016, though a US-UK firm was initially awarded contract rights following "a competitive tender process," the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The US-UK company had full permission from Canberra’s Attorney General to carry out the work. Huawei has yet to be granted such a permit. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) promptly pulled its financing of the project after the US-UK firm was snubbed.

AUS: Marking the end of RAMSI

The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) will come to a close on 30 June 2017 after nearly 14 years of assistance provided to the Solomon Islands Government.

Minister for Defence, Senator the Hon Marise Payne, acknowledged the significant Defence contribution to RAMSI.

“The outstanding success of RAMSI reflects the enduring commitment of Australia and its regional partners in working together to assist the people of the Solomon Islands,” Minister Payne said.

“As an Australian-led mission, RAMSI included assistance from 15 nations and supported the rebuilding of peace and stability in the Solomon Islands.

“The Defence contribution to RAMSI under Operation ANODE has been significant with more than 7,000 Australian Defence Force (ADF) members and Defence civilians deployed to the Solomon Islands with rotations of Defence Force personnel from Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Tonga.”

USA: USNS Sacagawea arrives in New Caledonia for Koa Moana 2017

By MC3 Madailein Abbott

USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) sits anchored off shore of Kiribati during the most recent Koa Moana, June 19. (U.S. Navy/MC3 Madailein Abbott) >>

NOUMEA, New Caledonia -Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2) arrived in New Caledonia June 25 in support of Koa Moana 17 (Ocean Warrior).

The Koa Moana exercise series seeks to enhance senior military leader engagements between allied and partner nations with a collective interest in military-to-military relations and to discuss key aspects of military operations, capability development, and interoperability.

From June-September 2017 U.S. Marines from 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine regiment, 1st Marine Division, stationed in Twentynine Palms, Calif. and Marines from Combat Logistics Battalion 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, from Marine Corps Base Hawaii have embarked aboard the USNS Sacagawea to participate in Koa Moana 17 events in Kiribati, New Caledonia, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Working alongside these partner nations, the Marines also work alongside the crew of the USNS Sacagawea, attending shipboard training, drills, and sharing workload duties during their time onboard.

USA: USS Michael Murphy arrives in Solomon Islands

From USS Michael Murphy Public Affairs

USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) operates in the Pacific, Feb. 7, while supporting an Oceania Maritime Security Initiative mission. (U.S. Navy/MC3 Danny Kelley) >>

HONARIA, Solomon Islands - The guided-missile destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) arrived in Honiara for a goodwill port visit, Feb. 10.

Ship visits like this create opportunities for the United States and Pacific Island nations to strengthen security cooperation and ensure a safer and more prosperous future for the region.

While in Honiara, Michael Murphy Commanding Officer Cmdr. Robert A. Heely Jr. will meet with Forum Fisheries Agencies and the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force.

Michael Murphy will also conduct a memorial ceremony, Feb. 11, to honor the Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen who died during the Battle of Guadalcanal. During the ceremony, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Fred Mann, who recently passed away, will be honored. Mann was a World War II Guadalcanal survivor and Silver Star recipient for his actions aboard USS George F. Elliot where he valiantly fought Japanese forces off Guadalcanal Aug. 8, 1942.

USA: Coast Guard, Navy complete joint fisheries patrol in Oceania

By Lt. Scott Carr, USCG District 14

A U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Law Enforcement Detachment Team boarding officer signals a rigid-hull inflatable boat for pickup from a Chinese fishing vessel during a Oceania Maritime Security Initiative mission with USS Sampson (DDG 102), Nov. 29. (U.S. Navy/PO2 Bryan Jackson) >>

HONOULU - The Coast Guard and Navy recently completed a joint mission in the Central and South Pacific under the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative to combat transnational crimes, enforce fisheries laws and enhance regional security.

A Coast Guard law enforcement detachment from Pacific Tactical Law Enforcement Team Detachment 108 embarked USS Sampson (DDG 102) and following a visit to New Zealand and the ship's tasking to assist with earthquake relief there, conducted eight fisheries enforcement boardings Nov. 27 - Dec. 2 with the assistance of the ship's visit, board, search and seizure team and embarked air department from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 73. A ship rider from Vanuatu also lent local experience and expertise to the boardings under a bilateral agreement.

The boarding teams inspected documentation and fish holds for illegal activity and verification of compliance with conservation and management measures. Coast Guard law enforcement teams and Pacific Island Nation ship riders routinely conduct joint boardings within the host country’s exclusive economic zones to protect the ocean and living marine resources within.

AUS: Sydney Royal Australian Navy mine hunter vessels destroy WWII bombs in Solomon Islands

Her Majesty’s Australian Ships (HMAS) Diamantina and Huon have spent two weeks finding and destroying unexploded World War II munitions in the waters around the Solomon Islands during Operation Render Safe.

The Sydney-based mine hunter vessels found over eight tonnes of projectiles and bombs during their searches around the Russell Islands, Florida Group and Honiara.

Commanding Officer of HMAS Diamantina, Lieutenant Commander Mark Northcote said the seas contain a variety of explosive remnants of war.

“We’ve had reports of torpedoes which unfortunately are too deep for us to find, but anything from air dropped weapons to projectiles from the ships and guns that were here in the Second World War,” he said.

Clearance Diver Able Seaman Luke Woodcroft was in the Solomon Islands three years ago for Operation Render Safe and said the numbers are improving.

“I’ve seen some bombs, projectiles, mortars, various types of rounds. There’s definitely quite a bit still remaining, however there’s not as much as last time I was here in 2013, so we’re definitely making an impact,” he said.

AUS: Operation Render Safe helps bring safety to the Solomon Islands

The dangers posed by explosive remnants of war in the Solomon Islands will again be tackled with the commencement of Operation Render Safe 16 over the weekend.

The annual ADF-led Operation Render Safe deployment is Australia’s enduring commitment to the removal of unexploded and abandoned World War II munitions, commonly referred to as explosive remnants of war (ERW), which continue to pose a danger to communities in the South West Pacific.

Operation Render Safe 16 is operating until 7 October, 2016, in three primary areas: Honiara (Guadalcanal Island), Tulaghi (Florida Group) and Yandina (Russell Islands).

Some 120 Australian Defence Force personnel are joined by 40 specialists from New Zealand, Canada and the United Kingdom, with the full cooperation of the Solomon Islands Government and in close partnership with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF).

Think Tank: DWP 2016 - Australia in the South Pacific

Anna Powles

Australia’s 2016 Defence White Paper states that it’s second Strategic Defence Interest is ‘a secure nearer region, encompassing maritime Southeast Asia and the South Pacific’ (3:68), which includes Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and the Pacific Island countries. So what does the White Paper reveal about Australia’s strategic interests in the South Pacific?

Well, in short, nothing that different than the previous two White Papers. The 2016 White Paper differs little from the 2013 and 2009 iterations on matters of the South Pacific. The same risks are articulated in the same language. The single major difference between the Turnbull, Gillard and Rudd White Papers is the defence build-up as outlined in the 2016 White Paper and how it will potentially impact the Pacific.

However, the White Paper is revealing for its three explicit messages about Australia’s view of the Pacific. Those are: Australia as the principal security partner in the region; state fragility and instability as a source of threat to Australia; and external actors taking advantage of fragility and instability and challenging Australia’s interests. However, those three themes are variations on leitmotifs found throughout earlier White Papers and the broader Australian narrative about its immediate neighbourhood. It is worth examining these messages in greater detail.

Editorial: Epilogue to the South Pacific Tuna Treaty

Image: Flickr User - U.S. Department of State

By Eileen Natuzzi

An outdated tuna treaty may have breathed its last. Time for a new U.S. policy for the Pacific.

Once again the South Pacific Tuna Treaty is in the news. But this year with heels dug in on both sides the outdated tuna treaty may have taken its last breath. For the past five years the tuna treaty’s annual funding negotiation has been an ordeal as the parties involved locked horns on how much the United States should pay to gain access to the Economic Exclusive Zone (EEZ) waters around Pacific Island countries. In the past, an agreement was eventually struck between the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and the American Tunaboat Association (ATA) so private US tuna companies like Tri Marine can fish in southwestern Pacific waters.

This year, though, the South Pacific Tuna Treaty has imploded. The U.S. State Department has pulled out of the treaty, the ATA has refused to pay the $67 million agreed to in August, and the FFA is scrambling to sell the vessel days the ATA have reneged on to other distant waters fishing nations like China, Japan and Korea. To make matters worse, two California Congressmen, Duncan Hunter and Juan Vargus, have proposed legislation to cut the $21 million per year appropriated as foreign aid to the 17 Pacific Island Countries that make up the Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) in order to bully them into allowing the ATA to fish in their waters.

Tuna is a big business, pulling in over $3 billion annually, but until recently Pacific Island countries have only seen approximately 14 percent of that value despite being the source of more than 60 percent of the world’s tuna. This year, led by the Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), some of the poorest nations in the world such as Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands have demanded a cut of the tuna wealth. Without their portion of the tuna treaty funds, which are divided among 17 member states, funding for capacity-building across many sectors including fisheries and health will suffer. To recoup losses the sale of vessel days to countries with irresponsible fishing practices in their own waters may hasten the depletion of Pacific tuna stocks.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

AUS: Vanuatu patrol boat to Australia for repairs

VANUATU’s PPB RVS Tukoro became a victim of Tropical
Cyclone Pam when it became grounded on March 13

SGT Dave Morley (author)

Vanuatu's Pacific patrol boat RVS Tukoro became a victim of Tropical Cyclone Pam when it became grounded on 13 March 2015.

Australian Navy Maritime Surveillance Adviser, Lieutenant Commander Bobby Lewis said the boat was seeking shelter around Vanuatu's main island of Efate during the cyclone.

"Cyclone Pam was one of the biggest ever cyclones in the southern hemisphere with winds of up to 320km/h," he said.

"The boat was grounded on Moso Island, which led to its inoperability."

According to Lieutenant Commander Lewis, Tukoro was left sitting dead flat on the beach and suffered damage to her propeller shafts and rudders and some damage to the hull, although she wasn't holed.

USA: Mercy Arrives in 3rd Fleet as PP15 Nears Conclusion

From Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

In this file photo, USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) transits the Pacific Ocean in late May. (U.S. Navy/MCC Christopher E. Tucker) >>

PACIFIC OCEAN - The hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in the U.S. 3rd Fleet area of operations Sept. 13 as Pacific Partnership 2015 draws near its close.

Mercy, which departed Naval Base San Diego on May 17 for the beginning of PP15, served as the primary platform for the mission. The secondary platform for the mission was the Joint High Speed Vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3), which wrapped up its mission participation Aug. 24 when it departed Da Nang, Vietnam.

"Pacific Partnership provides a great avenue for increasing maritime stability and security throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region," said Rear Adm. Charlie Williams, commander, Task Force 73. "The tremendous efforts and teamwork from all of our participating partner-nations speaks volumes about our shared commitment to this region and the value of multilateral cooperation and engagement."

Think Tank: Bougainville - hard choices looming for Australia? (part I)

James Batley

The 2001 Bougainville Peace Agreement (BPA) marked the formal end to the 1990s Bougainville conflict, even though a truce, and subsequently a ceasefire, had been in place since late 1997. Among other things, the BPA provided for a delayed referendum on Bougainville’s future relationship with Papua New Guinea. Under an agreed formula, the referendum will be held between June 2015 and June 2020.

There are now clear risks, however, that the BPA mightn’t last the distance. This post looks at where things are headed on Bougainville and, in particular, at some difficult choices the Australian Government may need to make in the coming period.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has taken a personal interest in Bougainville, having visited it both in opposition and in government. She’s been careful to avoid commenting on the independence question although there’s no reason to think that the Abbott Government’s approach will be different from that of its predecessors; it will have a strong preference for Bougainville to remain part of Papua New Guinea.

USA: PP15 Concludes Successful Visit to Solomon Islands

By Sgt. James Gulliver, USMC, Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

Commodore, Task Force Forager Capt. James Meyer welcomes a representative from the local government to the closing reception of Pacific Partnership 2015 in the Solomon Islands. (U.S. Navy/MC1 Carla Burdt) >>

HONIARA, Guadalcanal - The people of the Solomon Islands and members of Pacific Partnership 2015 celebrated the completion of a successful two-week mission by the Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) July 24.

Millinocket and embarked Task Forager provided medical, engineering, veterinary and dental support to Guadalcanal and Maliata citizens.

“Just two weeks ago we began our mission in the Solomon Islands and today we stand proud of what we achieved together as a team,” said Commodore, Task Force Forager, Capt. James Meyer, during a reception celebrating the completion of work in the Solomon Islands. “This mission could not have been accomplished without the joint efforts of everyone here tonight.”

USA: Pacific Partnership Hosts Opening Ceremony in Solomon Islands

From Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

Capt. James Meyer delivers remarks during the opening ceremony for Pacific Partnership 2015 in the Solomon Islands. (U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. James Gulliver) >>

HONIARA, Guadalcanal - Building and sustaining relationships was the underlying theme of the opening ceremony of the Pacific Partnership 2015 mission in Solomon Islands.

The Military Sealift Command’s joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) arrived July 10 in the Solomon Islands as part of the PP15 mission.

“The relationship between our two countries goes back since the Second World War,” said Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare. “I acknowledge the courage and bravery of allied troops along with the local scouts and coast watchers. They fought side-by-side for a more peaceful world in which their younger generations could grow and prosper.”

USA: Millinocket Crew, Pacific Partnership Personnel Save Life in Honiara

From Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

Royal Australian Navy Lt. Cmdr. Alison Zilko, left, civilian mariners Shannon Alves, Fred Beck, Daniel Claycomb and Australian Army Lt. Col. Rod Petersen all participated in saving a local man’s life after he had fallen off a boat at Honiara July 10. (U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. James Gulliver) >>

HONIARA, Solomon Islands - The quick reactions of personnel from Pacific Partnership and the Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) saved the life of a man who was drowning in the waters near the ship July 10.

After arriving in port earlier in the day, three civilian mariners, Frederick Beck, Daniel Claycomb and Shannon Alves, noticed a semiconscious man floating in the water, unable to keep himself afloat.

“We saw some splashing in the water after one of the ferry boats had went by,” said Beck. “We immediately alerted the medics and attempted to keep him afloat.”

The crew quickly threw him a life buoy to try to pull him from the water.

USA: USNS Millinocket, Pacific Partnership Arrives in Solomon Islands

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Carla Burdt, Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) pulls into port in Honiara, July 10. (U.S. Marine Corps/Sgt. James Gulliver) >>

HONIARA, Solomon Islands - The Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) arrived in Honiara, Solomon Islands, July 10 for the ship’s third stop of Pacific Partnership 2015.

Millinocket and embarked Task Force Forager, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy's 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, California, are currently serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership 2015. The primary platform for the mission is the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).

USA: USNS Millinocket to visit Solomon Islands for Pacific Partnership

From Pacific Partnership Public Affairs

USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) transits the Pacific Ocean. (U.S. Navy file photo/MCC Christopher E. Tucker) >>

PACIFIC OCEAN - The Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) will arrive in Honiara, Solomon Islands, July 10, for the ship’s third stop of Pacific Partnership 2015.

Millinocket and embarked Task Force Forager, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy's 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, California, are currently serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership 2015. The primary platform for the mission is the Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).

Editorial: Can Jokowi Bring Peace to West Papua?

Morning Star Flag; the symbol of
Papua Independence

By Leonard Sebastian and Emirza Adi Syailendra

The Indonesian president is rolling out new initiatives, hoping for a breakthrough in a troubled region.

Separatist resistance persists in Indonesia’s West Papua region, as attempts to internationalize the dispute by the Free Papua Movement (Organisasi Papua Merdeka – OPM) make it necessary for Jakarta to devise new policy options to address the decades-old conflict.

OPM has been waging a low-level guerrilla war in West Papua, formerly known as Irian Jaya, since 1969, the year of the controversial Act of Free Choice – a referendum process that ostensibly resulted in a unanimous decision by Papuan representatives to accept Indonesian sovereignty, but which has been dismissed by analysts as fraudulent.

Police reports indicate that between 2009 and 2014, there were 166 cases of violence involving the OPM. There were at least 14 attacks on the security apparatus in the region between 2014 and 2015. These actions indicate that despite the efforts of a newly democratic Indonesia (since 1998) to proactively address these challenges by reforming its counterinsurgency approach and providing more welfare for the population, grievances fed by protracted human rights abuses and economic exploitation linger.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

USA: USNS Millinocket Arrives in 7th Fleet for Pacific Partnership

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Carla Burdt

<< USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) operates in the Pacific May 28 after departing Hawaii for Pacific Partnership. (U.S. Navy/MC3 William McCann)

PACIFIC OCEAN -The Military Sealift Command joint high speed vessel USNS Millinocket (JHSV 3) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations May 31 in support of Pacific Partnership 2015 (PP15).

Millinocket and embarked Task Force Forager, led by an expeditionary command element from the Navy's 30th Naval Construction Regiment (30 NCR) from Port Hueneme, California, are currently serving as the secondary platform for Pacific Partnership 2015. The primary platform for the mission is the hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19).

"As commander of Task Force Forager, it is a true honor and privilege to lead the 120 service members embarked on the joint high speed vessel Millinocket for this valuable mission," said Commander, Task Force Forager, Capt. James Meyer. "The diverse embarked task force is comprised of Airmen, Marines, Sailors and Soldiers and our partner nations from Australia and New Zealand."