News Report: Man in Australia Hostage-taking, Shootout Had Militant Connections

Harun Maru

An Australian man of Somali origin who killed one person and took another hostage had connections with two prominent militant groups, VOA has learned.

Yacqub Khayre was killed in a shootout with police Monday after killing an employee of a Melbourne apartment building and holding a woman captive inside one of the apartments. Three police officers were injured in the exchange.

The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Police say they are treating this as a “terrorism incident,” but add that they have not seen messages showing that Khayre was guided by an outside force.

A relative told VOA's Somali Service that Khayre, 29, had past connections to both Islamic State and the Somali militant group al-Shabab.

News Story: Trump budget proposal kills Obama's counterterrorism partnerships fund

By: Joe Gould

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s budget announced Tuesday proposes an end to President Obama’s signature counterterrorism training program, long criticized on Capitol Hill as too broad to be effective. 

The White House proposal would zero out the Counterterrorism Partnerships Fund, from $1.8 billion in fiscal 2017. CTPF, billed as a means to provide security assistance to moderate allies fighting extremists in Africa and the Mideast, endured successive cuts in Congress and criticism Obama was too light on strategy and specifics for Congress's liking. 

The Trump administration does propose $1.8 billion for a Counter-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Train and Equip Fund — a continuation of three accounts consolidated in the 2017 budget Congress passed earlier this month. That fund is meant to support Iraqi government forces as they retake Mosul, Iraq, and vetted Syrian forces as they retake Raqqa, Syria, from the Islamic State group. The proposed funding is under the off-budget overseas contingency operations (OCO) account.

Obama, in 2014, announced the CTPF in a speech at U.S. Military Academy at West Point commencement, as a means to “more effectively partner with countries where terrorist networks seek a foothold.” He envisioned a fund of up to $5 billion, to “allow us to train, build capacity, and facilitate partner countries on the front lines” of Yemen, Somalia, Libya, Mali and beyond, he said.

Read the full story at DefenseNews

News Report: Indian Navy Rescues Liberian Ship From Pirates in Gulf of Aden

The Indian Navy thwarted a piracy attempt on Liberian flagship Lord Mountbatten in the Gulf of Aden on May 16.

New Delhi (Sputnik) — India’s offshore patrol craft INS Sharda received a distress call from the Liberian ship on Tuesday evening in position 230 nautical miles South-West of Salalah in the Gulf of Aden. The Korean-built large patrol vessel INS Sharda was deployed for the anti-piracy role in the Gulf of Aden since April 6 this year.

“The vessel had reported an incident of attempted piracy by two suspicious mother vessels along with 7-8 skiffs. Sharda, which was at that time 30 nautical miles east of the reported position, immediately responded to the distress call and proceeded at best speed to investigate the incident,” said a statement of the Indian Navy.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (9-May-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Delays are catching, it seems—at least when it comes to building frigates. We heard on The Strategist last week about the rumoured delays of Australia’s own future frigate program; now the US Navy has announced a postponement of at least a year in awarding a construction contract for the Littoral Combat Ship’s successor. The reason for the delay is perhaps best be summed up by the title of The National Interest’s blog on the subject—‘U.S. Navy delays buying more frigates until they know how to build them’. The USN now intends to award the initial contract for the new frigates in fiscal year 2020, ‘to ensure designs are mature’, a postponement that’s been welcomed by the Government Accountability Office due to the number of unknowns about the frigate’s costs and capabilities.

Talking underwater just got a whole lot easier, thanks to JANUS. Developed by the NATO Science and Technology Organisation Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation, JANUS will enable interoperability between networks of unmanned systems from different manufacturers. The JANUS protocol has now been recognised as standard by NATO member states, making it the first internationally recognised digital underwater communication protocol.

Think Tank: Sea, air, land and space updates (18-Apr-2017)

Boeing WC-135 Constant Phoenix (Image: Wiki Commons)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

Some worthy new analysis on the future of the US Navy surfaced last week. The crux of the analysis in Foreign Policy is that the three Congress-commissioned proposals for naval force structure—mentioned recently in this feature—‘are all overwhelmingly preoccupied with China’ and only tangentially address the threats posed by Russia and Iran. The author argues that Congress should be advised whether those proposals believe ‘a Navy built for the Spratly Islands will play just as well in the Black Sea.’ And, a Politico piece sets out ‘How Trump Can Build a 350-Ship Navy’. The writers acknowledge that growing the naval fleet will present both industrial and fiscal challenges, but nevertheless argue that taking bold actions now is the only way to meet President Trump’s goal of a highly-capable 350-ship Navy—by the end of his second term…

New research is challenging the traditional “bludgeoning” method of icebreaking, used by Russia in the Arctic to speed up melting and create clear shipping lanes. The research shows that using submarines and ‘flexural gravity-wave resonance’ would offer a faster and more elegant approach. Data demonstrates that, by using this method, a submarine could forge a passage through ice ten times faster than America’s heavy icebreaker, Polar Star. Read all about it in The Economist.

News Story: Indian, Chinese navies rescue ship hijacked by Somali pirates

The navies of India and China carried out a joint operation Sunday to rescue a merchant ship hijacked by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden, the Indian defence ministry said.

After receiving a distress call on Saturday night, the Indian warships established contact with the captain of the merchant vessel who had locked himself in a strong room along with the rest of the Filipino crew.

"An Indian Navy helicopter undertook aerial reconnaissance of the merchant vessel... to sanitise the upper decks of the merchant ship and ascertain the location of pirates, if still on board," a statement from the defence ministry said.

Emboldened by the helicopter cover and on receiving the all-clear signal that no pirates were visible on the upper decks, some crew members gradually emerged from the strong room.

They searched the ship and confirmed that the pirates had fled overnight.

A boarding party from the nearby Chinese Navy ship then arrived on the merchant ship, while the Indian Naval helicopter provided air cover for the rescue operation.

Read the full story at TerraDaily

Sea, air, land and space updates (21-Mar-2017)

Zoe Glasson, Sophie Qin, Madeleine Nyst and Patrick Kennedy

Sea State

In its biggest show of naval force in the Asia–Pacific since WWII, Japan has unveiled plans to send its largest warship—the Izumo helicopter carrier—on a three-month tour of the South China Sea, kicking off in May. Stopping off in Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Sri Lanka, its destination is the Indian Ocean, where it will join India and the US in the Malabar naval exercise. Japan’s drills last week with South Korea and the US in the Sea of Japan further demonstrated that its ‘naval forces [are] playing a bigger part in the region.’Unimpressed, China has promised to ‘take firm responsive measures’ should Japan ‘persist in taking the wrong actions’.

After last Monday’s hijacking of the tanker Aris 13 by Somali pirates off Somalia’s coast (the first since 2012), a new spate of attacks is feared, with one pirate warning: ‘In the coming days we are going to seize even more foreign ships.’ Somali officials have now called upon NATO—which ended its counter-piracy mission in November—to do more to stop illegal fishing in the area, which some believe provoked the attack.

Everyone’s favourite submersible, Boaty McBoatface, left Chile on Friday on board the RRS James Clark Ross. It’s headed to the Antarctic to explore ‘some of the deepest and coldest abyssal waters on Earth’… Better you than me, Boaty!

News Report: Malaysia Sending Troops to Somalia on Aid Mission

Mohamed Olad Hassan

Malaysia is sending troops to Somalia as part of the humanitarian mission to avert famine and save the lives of thousands of people, Somali government officials and diplomats said on Saturday.

“I can confirm the report and the details will be given when the delegation led by Somali Deputy Prime Minister Mohamed Omar Arte, which has been visiting Malaysia, returns to the country,” Somalia’s information minister, Mohamed Abdi Hayir Mareye, told VOA Somali.

Addressing the media in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian Defense Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin said his country will send three officers and 17 personnel from the Armed Forces Medical Core to Somalia.

“The infantry unit, consisting of an officer and 10 personnel, will provide security for the delegation. The food and medical supplies will be flown to Somalia by a Hercules C-130 aircraft,” the minister said.

The minister said the troops, along with assets, will be mobilized from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Malaysia stationed a small number of troops to help in the evacuation of Malaysians in Yemen. But many consider them as part of Riyadh’s military coalition to battle the Houthi militia in Yemen.

A Somali diplomat in the delegation, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak about the issue, said the decision was reached on Tuesday following a meeting between Somalia Deputy Prime Minister Arteh and senior Malaysian officials, including the defense minister.

“During the meeting, the Somali delegates appealed to Malaysia for assistance in providing aid and the security of the access roads, and Malaysia immediately responded to the request,” the diplomat said. “Malaysia will also ask its allies in the Gulf and Asia to assist Somalia.”

News Story: Sri Lanka says crew on hijacked vessel released without ransom

COLOMBO, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Sri Lankan government on Friday confirmed that eight local crew members aboard an oil tanker allegedly hijacked by Somali pirates had been released safely without a ransom.

Deputy Foreign Minister Harsha De Silva told a media conference in capital Colombo that the crew had been released on Friday morning and he thanked all countries who had helped coordinate the safe release of the crew.

"We thank the U.S. government and the President of Puntland, the semi autonomous region of Somalia in whose waters the hijacking took place," De Silva said.

The Minister also thanked the U.S. Ambassador in Sri Lanka Atul Keshap for taking up the matter with Washington, the EU, the Combined Maritime Force and the Sri Lanka Navy.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Hijacked oil tanker released by Somali pirates - Sri Lankan crew members safe aboard hijacked vessel

Hijacked oil tanker released by Somali pirates: NGO

MOGADISHU, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Oceans Beyond Piracy, a privately funded and independent non-profit organization, announced late Thursday on its Twitter account that pirated Aris 13 oil tanker is now free and the crew are safe.

John Steed, a former British army officer with the NGO, also confirmed the release and said the ship is proceeding to Bossaso, a port city in the Bari region of Puntland state in northeastern Somalia.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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Sri Lankan crew members safe aboard hijacked vessel: official

COLOMBO, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweeraon said on Thursday that the crew members aboard the vessel hijacked by Somali pirates docked in the Port town of Alula were safe.

The official told reporters here that Sri Lanka is in touch with all necessary sides and keeping a close watch on the situation.

He said the Sri Lankan ambassador to Ethiopia was working closely with the Somali government and Sri Lanka had been informed that it was a piracy situation.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Somali pirates capture commercial vessel & Sri Lanka monitoring hijacking of Sri Lankan vessel by Somali pirates

Somali pirates capture commercial vessel

MOGADISHU, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Pirates in Somalia's Indian Ocean are reported to have captured a commercial vessel, the first since 2012 raising fears of a possible resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean waters off Somalia.

A government official in Puntland region who declined to be named confirmed the incident Tuesday to Xinhua, noting the vessel was heading from Djibouti en route to Mogadishu before the pirates captured it.

"I can confirm to you the vessel is under the control of the pirates. We have information it is from United Arab Emirates. We are still following up on the development," the official said.

Read the full story at Xinhua

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Sri Lanka monitoring hijacking of Sri Lankan vessel by Somali pirates

COLOMBO, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that it was monitoring the alleged hijacking of a Sri Lankan flagged fuel freighter by Somali pirates and was in touch with shipping agents and concerned authorities.

"The ministry is aware of media reports regarding the alleged hijacking of a reportedly "Sri Lankan-flagged fuel freighter" by pirates," the Foreign Ministry said.

"The ministry is taking action to verify the alleged incident, and initial inquiries have revealed that while the vessel involved is not registered under a Sri Lankan flag, it has a 8-member Sri Lankan crew," it added.

The ministry further said it continued to remain in touch with the shipping agents, concerned authorities, as well as relevant Sri Lanka missions overseas to ascertain further information on the matter in order to ensure the safety and welfare of the Sri Lankan crew.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: Japan to Launch First Military Communications Satellite on January 24

Japanese Space Rocket Launch

The Japanese Ministry of Defense plans to launch the Kirameki-2 satellite that will be one of three military satellites, which will replace the civil analogues that are currently used for communication between Japan's military units.

TOKYO (Sputnik) — The Japanese Ministry of Defense plans to launch its first satellite into orbit on January 24, 2017, to improve military communications infrastructure amid North Korea nuclear and military threats, media reported on Friday, citing a military source. 

According to the Kyodo news agency, the Kirameki-2 satellite will be one of three military satellites, which will replace the civil analogues that are currently used for communication between Japan's military units. The new satellites will provide a direct high speed connection between the ground, naval and air forces of Japan.

The satellite will operate over the Indian Ocean, and is set to be used by the Japanese contingent within the UN peacekeepers in South Sudan and in the area of operations against Somalian sea pirates.

The media outlet also reported that the Kirameki-1 satellite, damaged in 2016 during transport to the launch site, would also be renovated and launched in March 2018. 

The Kirameki-2 or DSN-2 satellite is a X-band communications satellite built and operated by DSN Corporation for the Japanese Ministry of Defense, which has a 15-year lifetime.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.

News Story: UN Security Council urges cooperation with Somalia to combat piracy

UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- The UN Security Council on Wednesday encouraged member states to continue to cooperate with Somali authorities in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea.

In a unanimously adopted resolution, the 15-nation council decided to renew the authorization granted to countries and regional organizations to cooperate with Somalia for another 12 months.

While deploring all acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, the council recognizes that piracy exacerbates instability in Somalia by introducing large amounts of illicit cash that fuels additional crime and corruption.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Somali pirates free 26 hostages held since 2012

MOGADISHU, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- Somali pirates on Saturday released 26 people who had been held hostage for nearly five years, an organization involved in mediation efforts said.

An Omani-flagged fishing vessel FV Naham 3 was hijacked south of the Seychelles in March 2012, according to John Steed, a regional coordinator of the organization, Oceans Beyond Piracy.

"Of the original 29-member crew, sadly one died during the hijacking and two more succumbed to illness during their captivity. The remaining 26 crew members spent much of their captivity on land in Somalia," Steed said in a statement.

The hostages are all men and are from China, the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Report: How China’s Base in Djibouti Reveals an ‘Expanding Sphere of Influence’

As the Chinese military base in Djibouti is set to complete by next year, China has repeatedly expressed that it has no intention of following the US’s example in expanding its global military influence and projecting power over other countries. But what do the Chinese want to achieve in Djibouti?

China’s facilities in the small East African nation of Djibouti are meant to reinforce Chinese peace-keeping and anti-piracy missions near the Gulf of Aden and Somalia, according to the Global Times.

“They are misinterpreting China's foreign policy, believing that China intends to follow the US pattern of building military bases globally or to meddle in other countries' domestic affairs,” Li Weijian, a professor of West Asian and African Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times.

China has a very small number of overseas military deployments and the country largely lacks the ability to protect its citizens and interests in Africa. Other countries have an excessive amount of military bases all over the world, particularly the US which has military bases in 42 foreign countries.

News Story: Piracy, armed robbery off Somalia coast falls drastically

Australian Frigate HMAS Melbourne escorting an intercepted
Drug Dhow while on Counter-Piracy patrol in the Indian Ocean

NAIROBI, July 25 (Xinhua) -- A global maritime agency said on Monday that piracy and armed robbery at sea has fallen to its lowest levels off the coast of Somalia since 1995 with only one incident recorded in the past six months.

A report released by the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) of the International Chamber Commerce (ICC) attributed the fall in piracy attacks to preventive measures deployed by the foreign warships to thwart such attacks.

"The combined efforts of the Navies in the region, along with the increased hardening of vessels and best management practices compliance, employment of privately contracted armed security personnel, and the stabilizing factor of the central government within Somalia have resulted in this positive sign," it said.

It however cautioned ship owners and Masters against complacency, warning that Somali pirates still have the capability and capacity to carry out attacks.

"The IMB believes that a single successful hijacking of a merchant vessel, will rekindle the Somali pirates' passion to resume its piracy efforts," says the report which was compiled between January-June.

Read the full story at Xinhua

News Story: Japan extends by one year MSDF anti-piracy mission off Somalia

TOKYO, June 17 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government decided on Friday to extend the Maritime Self-Defense Force's (MSDF) anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia by another year.

Currently and through July 23, Japan has deployed two destroyers and patrol aircraft to the Gulf of Aden off Somalia's eastern coast to protect commercial vessels. Around 600 MSDF personnel are also involved in the mission.

Read the full story at Xinhua

AUS: HMAS Darwin seizes large weapons cache

Weapons seized by HMAS Darwin from a small-arms smuggler
boarded about 170 nautical miles off the coast of Oman
(© Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence)

HMAS Darwin’s boarding team has uncovered and seized a large weapons cache, following a boarding of a fishing vessel during their deployment to the Middle East Region as part of Operation MANITOU.

Operating under Combined Task Force 150, responsible for counter-terrorism operations within the Middle East Region, Darwin intercepted the fishing vessel approximately 170 nautical miles (313 kilometres) off the coast of Oman to conduct a flag verification boarding.

After assessing the vessel to be stateless, 1989 AK-47 assault rifles, 100 rocket propelled grenade launchers, 49 PKM general purpose machine guns, 39 PKM spare barrels and 20 60mm mortar tubes were seized from the vessel that was headed towards the Somalia coast.

The weapons were seized under United Nations sanctions which authorise interdiction on the high seas of illicit weapons destined for Somalia.

Editorial: Japan Eyes Bigger South China Sea Presence in 2016

JMSDF P-3 Orion (Image: Wiki Commons)

By Prashanth Parameswaran

Patrol aircraft set to make transits in key locations along the South China Sea.

Japan has decided to boost its presence in the South China Sea in 2016 with patrol aircraft making transits in key locations along those waters, sources have told The Yomiuri Shimbun.

According to the newspaper, the defense ministry and the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) have decided that Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft returning home from anti-piracy activities off the coast of Somalia will make transit points along the way at bases in countries involved in the South China Sea disputes, including the Philippines and Vietnam.

Though the P-3C aircraft have long been involved in anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, they usually refuel at bases farther away from the South China Sea, including Thailand. Now, while outward journeys would remain the same, return trips will prioritize refueling in countries like Vietnam, the Philippines, and Malaysia – all rival claimants in the ongoing South China Sea disputes with China.

Though the step may seem small, if it occurs it will no doubt be significant. Since the P-3Cs have advanced monitoring capabilities, their presence at these new locations will mean that they will cover a greater portion of the South China Sea, where Chinese behavior continues to be a concern for not just Southeast Asian claimant states, but major powers like the United States and Japan as well.

Read the full story at The Diplomat

Editorial: Fighting Piracy - Is a Grand Asian Strategy Possible?

By Nilanthan Niruthan

A region-wide approach will be needed to effectively tackle a growing menace.

“The vastness (of the ocean) and the resultant challenges make it mandatory for each nation to work in close collaboration to ensure security in the maritime domain. Therefore, we need to work on broadly shared objectives.” So said Rear Admiral DMB Waththewa of the Sri Lankan Navy, speaking to representatives from 34 countries several weeks ago, at the fifth annual Defense Seminar hosted in Colombo. Throughout his presentation – in which he shared his thoughts on how traditional and emerging maritime threats ought to be confronted – Waththewa emphasized the need for naval cooperation between states in the region. Analysts would do well to keep his words in mind when they study the Asia-Pacific, which is overwhelmingly reliant on stable seas for its economic prosperity and security.

Piracy was once dismissed in most circles as a relic of the past, a threat that was of no real concern in the modern age. This attitude has seen a dramatic reversal in recent years, largely as a result of the Somali piracy that wreaked havoc in the Gulf of Aden and disrupted vital trade routes, making the phenomenon an issue of public interest once again. It is estimated [PDF] that dealing with piracy along the Somali coast in 2011 alone, cost nearly $7 billion. A coordinated regional effort has now managed to bring the situation under control, but the trend has led to a resurgence of piracy in other parts of the world, most notably in Asia, which has become the dominant arena for such activities. The region accounted for an overwhelming number of all piracy attacks in 2014, with 183 out of 245 such incidents worldwide.

Read the full story at The Diplomat