dilluns, 24 de novembre del 2014

El Parlament no vol més Guàrdia Civil al Port de Barcelona*

Mala maror dels partits polítics catalans, fins i tot CiU, amb Sixte Cambra, el president de l'Autoritat Portuària de Barcelona, per haver signat un conveni amb la Guàrdia Civil que perjudica la policia portuària i incrementa la presència de l'institut armat en una infraestructura de primer ordre per a Catalunya. Aquest conveni implica donar 4 milions d'euros per dotar la Guàrdia Civil d’una instal·lació per atendre competències que, en realitat, són de la policia portuària. 

El cas ja ha arribat al Parlament de mà d'ICV-EUiA. A instàncies dels ecosocialistes, la comissió d'Interior de la cambra catalana, amb els vots de CiU, ERC i PSC va aprovar aquest dijous una resolució que obliga l'Autoritat Portuària a revisar i deixar sense efecte aquest conveni. Una notícia que ha alegrat la policia portuària, el cos que té atribuïdes les competències dins la zona d’aigua arrecerada del Port de Barcelona.

L'impulsor de la revisió, el diputat Jaume Bosch, recorda a Nació Digital "la contradicció que suposa que l’Autoritat Portuària destini quatre milions d’euros a la Guàrdia Civil i alhora ho justifiqui per la davallada d’efectius de la policia portuària”.


“És anacrònic que es reconegui de policia de referència al Port la Guàrdia Civil, com una illa isolada, i no els Mossos i la policia portuària”, és l'opinió de la portaveu d'Interior d'ERC, Gemma Calvet. “Cal ser coherents en els nostres projectes polítics, i si el nostre projecte és la independència i si preparem el país per a això, cal que el Port de Barcelona també ho faci”, rebla Calvet. 

Ara, el president de l’Autoritat Portuària, Sixte Cambra, haurà de comparèixer davant el Parlament per donar explicacions sobre aquest Conveni que ha generat tanta unanimitat com malestar a tots els grups polítics, llevat de PP i C's.





* Notícia publicada a Nació Digital. Deplorem l'actitud de Sixte Cambra, president de l'Autoritat Portuària de Barcelona. No només per l'insult que representa pel Cos de Guardamolls (Policia Portuària) sinó perquè donar control (encara més!) a la Guàrdia Civil al Port de Barcelona és una irresponsabilitat en el moment que vivim.

dissabte, 22 de novembre del 2014

EL PORT DE TARRAGONA REGISTRA EL MILLOR SETEMBRE DE LA HISTÒRIA*

La infraestructura portuària tarragonina ha mogut 3 milions de tones (+32,8%) de mercaderies durant el mes de setembre, la qual cosa el situa com el millor setembre en tràfic de mercaderies de la història del Port

Durant els 9 primers mesos de l'any el Port de Tarragona ha vehiculat 23,1 milions de tones de mercaderies, xifra que representa un creixement de l'11% respecte el mateix període de 2013


El Port de Tarragona ha mogut un total de 3 milions de tones de mercaderies durant el mes de setembre, un 32,8% que el mateix mes de l'any anterior, i que el situa com el millor setembre de la història de la infraestructura portuària en tràfic de mercaderies. El creixement més significatiu en termes percentuals s'ha produït en els sòlids a lloure superant el milió de tones (+59,9%), i en especial en els cereals, pinsos i farines (+127,5%) amb un moviment de 590.285 durant el setembre. Així mateix, durant aquest mes també s'ha incrementat el moviment de líquids a doll (+24,6%) i el de la càrrega general (+0,7%).

La tendència a l'alça en el tràfic d'agroalimentaris durant aquest mes de setembre també es veu reflectida en l'augment del moviment de camions que entre i surten de les instal·lacions portuàries per a carregar la mercaderia, i la seva posterior distribució al client final. D'aquesta manera, el nombre de moviments registrats de camions, d'entrada i sortida, és superior a 62.500 només durant el mes de setembre, xifra que representa un increment del 18,6% respecte el mes d'agost i un 25,6% respecte el setembre del 2013.

El tràfic acumulat durant els 9 primers mesos de l'any ha estat de 23,1 milions de tones; és a dir, un 11% més que en el mateix període de l'any anterior. El creixement és significatiu tant en la càrrega de mercaderies des del Port de Tarragona (+7,6%) com en la descàrrega (+12%), la qual cosa posa de manifest que la infraestructura portuària esdevé una important plataforma logística per a les exportacions i importacions de les empreses del territori i del seu hinterland (àrea d'influència).

Les exportacions de contenidors augmenten un 39,2%
El transport de contenidors és un dels tràfics estratègics del Port de Tarragona i fins setembre el moviment de TEU ha augmentat un 7,6%, fins aconseguir els 118.553 TEU, enfront els 110.168 TEU de 2013. Aquest creixement ha estat motivat per l'impuls de l'exportació de contenidors des del Port de Tarragona a destinacions internacionals (+39,2%) i d'importació (+43,4%). Els principals països de destinació de contenidors procedents del Port de Tarragona són Israel, Nigèria, Ghana i Guinea Equatorial.

El moviment de mercaderies del sector energètic supera 16 milions de tones fins setembre
Els productes energètics, un dels principals tràfics tradicionals de la infraestructura portuària, manté el seu creixement a l'alça. Fins el mes de setembre, les terminals portuàries han manipulat més de 16 milions de tones de productes energètics, un 9,3% més que en el mateix període de l'any anterior. Destaca el bon comportament del gas-oil (+96,2%), el carbó (+46,6%) i els biocombustibles (+74,4%).

Pel que fa al moviment de productes químics, de gener a setembre el Port de Tarragona ha mogut 1,7 milions de tones, xifra que suposa un increment del 10,9% respecte gener-setembre del 2013.
L'augment també és significatiu en productes siderometal·lúrgics (+15,9%), en adobs (+25%) i moviment de materials de construcció (+14,3%).

Impuls dels sòlids a lloure
Quant als sòlids a lloure s'han mogut en total, entre gener i setembre, 6,6 milions de tones de mercaderies. Aquesta xifra suposa un increment del 33,9% pel que fa al mateix període de l'any anterior. Aquest notable creixement s'explica per la recuperació dels tràfics d'agroalimentaris i la importació de carbó per la producció d'energia elèctrica.
El Port de Tarragona és el primer port de l'Estat pel que fa al tràfic de productes agroalimentaris. Fins el mes de setembre el Port ha manipulat 3,3 milions de tones d'agroalimentari, xifra que representa un creixement 27,1% respecte el mateix període de l'any anterior.

La càrrega incrementa un 7,6% fins el mes d'agost
L'increment de les mercaderies carregades al Port de Tarragona, amb destinació la resta de l'Estat o destinacions internacionals, reafirma el paper de la infraestructura portuària tarragonina com a plataforma logística que facilita les exportacions i la internacionalització de les empreses del territori i de la seva àrea d'influència.
Fins el mes de setembre d'aquest 2014, destaca l'increment de la càrrega de productes energètics (+10,1%), els productes químics (+11,1%), adobs (+48,6%) i productes siderúrgics (+71,2%). Les mercaderies descarregades al Port de Tarragona també han registrat un creixement notable (+12%).

* Notícia publicada al web del Port de Tarragona. Pel que sembla, al Port de Tarragona no es noten les plagues bíbliques que s'auguren si Catalunya es mou cap a la independència. Felicitem al Port per la feina ben feta.

Russia and China to Hold 2015 Naval Exercises in Mediterranean, Pacific*

By: Sam LaGrone

Russia and China have committed to a pair of 2015 naval exercises as a sign of growing military cooperation between the two countries, Russia’s minister of defense said this week.

“We plan to conduct a regular joint naval exercise in the Mediterranean next spring,” said Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, according to the Russian TASS news agency.
“Another joint naval drill is planned in the Pacific.”

The announcement from Shoigu follows a Beijing meeting with Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan in which the two countries pledged greater military-to-military cooperation against the backdrop of the so-called U.S. rebalance to the Pacific.

“We believe that the main goal of pooling our effort is to shape a collective regional security system,” Shoigu said.
“We also expressed concern over U.S. attempts to strengthen its military and political clout in the [Asia-Pacific Region].”

Shoigu did not specify the nature of the exercises but Russia and China completed a bilateral exercise in May.

Joint Sea Exercise 2014 was the third between the Russian Navy and People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) since 2011 and featured 14 surface ships, two submarines, nine fixed wing aircraft as well as helicopters and special operation forces (SOF), state controlled Xinhua news service wrote in May.

The new exercises are part of a trend that, “has visibly expanded and gained a systemic character,” Shoigu said.

Russian president Vladimir Putin indicated the same earlier this year.

“It would be no exaggeration if I said that the cooperation between our two countries is at its highest level in history,” he said in May.

Russia has stepped up its surface presence in Asia in the last few months.

Earlier in October, the Black Sea flagship — guided missile cruiser Moscow (or Moskva) — conducted rare live fire drills in the South China Sea.

Russia also sent a flotilla of four surface ships off of the territorial of Australia ahead of the G-20 summit in Brisbane.

For its part, China has also ventured further abroad.

In late October, Chinese and Iranian military leaders pledged greater cooperation following limited bilateral naval exercises in September.

Shoigu said Russian deepening military ties with China was essential for regional security.

“Amid a highly volatile world situation, it becomes particularly important to strengthen reliable good-neighborly relations between our countries,” Shoigu said.
“This is not only an important factor for security of states but also a contribution to peace and stability on the Eurasian continent and beyond.”

Rear Adm. Du Xiping (front right), deputy commander of China’s Beihai Fleet, shakes hands with Capt. 1st Rank Sergei Yuriyevich Zhuga of Russia’s Pacific Fleet during a welcome ceremony at a naval base in Qingdao, in east China’s Shandong Province, on April 21, 2012. Xinhua Photo

* Notícia publicada al US Naval Institute. Per algú ho havia oblidat, el buit estratègic acostuma a omplir-se

divendres, 14 de novembre del 2014

Confirmed submarine in the Stockholm archipelago*



The Swedish Armed Forces now confirms that a submarine has violated Swedish territorial integrity. Results from the analysis following the intelligence operation conducted in October are unambiguous.

-There is no doubt, we have excluded all other explanations. Swedish territory has been seriously and unacceptably violated by a foreign power, says Supreme Commander Sverker Göranson.

On Friday the 17th October the Swedish Armed Forces received credible information on foreign underwater activity in the Stockholm archipelago. An intelligence operation including naval-, ground- and air units was initiated immediately. Apart from the military resources, observations from the public provided important data.

- The decisive observation is made by the Swedish Armed Forces’ sensors. It is a result of a highly skilled operational conduct. The observation meets the requirements for the highest level of assessment grading, confirmed submarine, says Supreme Commander Sverker Göranson.

The Swedish Armed Forces will not account for details on this observation since it could disclose information on Swedish abilities and capacities. The analysis cannot determine the nationality of the intruder.

In addition to the decisive observation, a number of other observations have been analyzed and reach the second highest level of assessment grading. A picture taken by a member of the public shows an object moving at a speed of approximately 1 knot. The picture also shows the kind of spray that arises when water is pushed out of scuttles at the top of a submarine.

A second observation was made by a naval corvette. Following strong indications on its sensors, a closer examination of the area was conducted and recently made traces were found on the bottom. Another observation was made by a resident in the archipelago, observing an underwater body with distinctive features. Sensors from the Swedish Armed Forces also confirmed echoes in the area. Similar observations were made by multiple credible sources.

- Each of these observations has a high credibility. Together with other observations, and a confirmed submarine, they generate a pattern. Thus, the intelligence operation confirms that a foreign power has violated Swedish territorial integrity. The gravity of this is obvious, says


* Notícia publicada al web de les Forces de Defensa de Suècia. Malgrat que l'informe no ho diu tot (comprensiblement) la capacitat de la Försvarsmakten ens mereix molta credibilitat.

dilluns, 3 de novembre del 2014

Philippine Sea Pulls into Barcelona*

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Abraham Loe McNatt, USS Philippine Sea Public Affairs


BARCELONA, Spain (NNS) -- The guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) pulled into Barcelona Spain for a scheduled four day port visit, Nov. 1.

The visit marks the ship's 10th total port visit during deployment and 3rd in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations.

"This port visit serves as a perfect reward for all the hard work Philippine Sea Sailors have done during this nine-month deployment," said Command Master Chief Lewis Jackson, the ship's senior enlisted leader. "There is a lot of excitement on board about the opportunity to enjoy such a beautiful city."

The crew will be able to take part in several tours sponsored by the ship's Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) department. The tours offered include wine tasting, museums and the opportunity to attend a professional soccer game. 

"Soccer is by far and away my favorite sport and I'm really excited to be able to attend a game in a place where it's such an important part of the culture," said Quartermaster 3rd Class Seth Dubinski. "I can't think of a better way to finish this deployment."

The crew has also planned to accept a challenge from the Guardia Urbana basketball team, belonging to the Barcelona City Police, to play a game of basketball. Philippine Sea is also expecting to host local media for tours during its stay.

Philippine Sea, homeported in Mayport, Fla., and deployed as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group, conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.





Imatges cortesia de la US Navy i US Consulate Barcelona




* Notícia publicada al web de la US Navy. Sempre és un plaer acollir un creuer Ticonderoga al Port de Barcelona. Aquestes naus foren un desenvolupament a partir dels esbelts destructors Spruance, per proporcionar cobertura anti-aèria davant l'amenaça que representaven (i representen) els atacs de saturació amb míssils de creuer.

dissabte, 1 de novembre del 2014

A century unseen – 100 years of the Royal Navy’s Submarine Service*

By Berenice Baker


The Royal Navy recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Submarine Service, whose motto is “We Come Unseen”. It started off with a scurrilous reputation but soon covered itself in glory, changing the course of sea battles from the First World War onwards. From HMS E9 to Astute, we look at the most important submarines to have served, and some of their most glorious – and occasionally inglorious – moments.




13 September 1914

Until World War I, the Admiralty regarded submariners as little better than a bunch of pirates. In 1914, the Vickers-built E-class submarine HMS E9 under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Horton claimed the first kill by a British submarine when it torpedoed the German cruiser SMS Hela. Three weeks later E9 sank the German destroyer S 116, earning Horton the Distinguished Service Order. On her return to port, the crew of E9 flew a Jolly Roger, cocking a snook at the above-water naval establishment that had snubbed them.

13 December 1914

Three months later, the Royal Navy's last B-class boat HMS B11 departed from the island of Tenedos on a mission to sink the Ottoman battleship Mesûdiye. To get there, it had to navigate at a snail's pace through heavily mined waters with uncharted currents, a journey that took five hours. After a successful torpedo hit sank Mesûdiye, the journey back took even longer - eight hours - as every time the periscope was raised it attracted enemy fire.

Commanding Officer of the B11 Lieutenant Norman Holbrook received the first of five World War I Victoria Crosses awarded to the Submarine Service for his action.
6 April 1942

Ton for ton, the U-class boat HMS Upholder was the most successful submarine of the Second World War, sinking 93,031 tons of enemy shipping comprising twelve Italian and two German vessels, under the command of Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm David Wanklyn. Upholder left for her 25th patrol on 6 April and became overdue on 14 April, and was declared lost with all hands, presumably sunk by depth charges.
30 April 1943

Torpedoes weren't the only thing to be launched from submarines to change the course of the war. As well as carrying out a number of intelligence and special operations missions during World War II, HMS Seraph played a key role in Operation Mincemeat. The corpse of a homeless man, Glyndwyr Michael, was dressed in a Royal Marines uniform and tipped into waters off the coast of Spain by the crew of the Seraph. Attached to the body was a briefcase containing papers identifying him as one Major William Martin, and faked documents designed to cover the Allied invasion of Italy from North Africa.
9 February 1945

Towards the end of the war, V-class submarine HMS Venturer made naval history by becoming the only submarine to deliberately sink another while both were submerged. Under the command of 25-year-old James 'Jimmy' Launders she sailed to the island of Fedje off the Norwegian coast to intercept U-864 based on information decrypted from Enigma coded communications. The German submarine detected the Venturer's presence and embarked on a zig-zag evasion course. Launders manually predicted its three-dimensional course through the water and spread torpedoes into its path, successfully hitting the target.
15 February 1968

At the height of the Cold War, the Resolution class was built as the Royal Navy's first ballistic missile submarine, taking a key role as the UK's nuclear deterrent. HMS Resolution was launched on 15 September 1966 and fired its first nuclear-capable Polaris missile on 15 February, carrying out 69 patrols before being decommissioned in 1994.
2 May 1982

HMS Conqueror made history during the Falklands War in 1982 when she became the first nuclear-powered submarine to sink a surface ship with torpedoes, the ARA General Belgrano. Of the 1,042 people aboard, 323 died in the attack. Controversy surrounding the nature of the Maritime Exclusion Zone around the Falkland Islands and whether the ship had been returning to port followed, not helped by the infamously tasteless Sun headline "GOTCHA!"
4 March 1992

The Resolution class was replaced by the Vanguard class carrying the Trident II system as Britain's at-sea nuclear deterrent, with first in class HMS Vanguard being launched on 4 March 1992. The four submarines in the class carry up to 16 trident missiles each and have represented the UK's sole nuclear platforms since 1998.
5 October 2004

In a rather different example of notoriety, the UK sold Canada four Upholder-class submarines through a 1998 lease-to-buy deal. Shortly after their activation, one of them, renamed HMCS Chicoutimi, was two days out from Scotland on its way to Halifax in Nova Scotia when a fire broke out on board leading to the death of a sailor. This caused some diplomatic strain between Canada and the UK when the British Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon stated that Canada would have to pay for the rescue operation and that Canada should have obeyed the maxim 'caveat emptor'.
22 October 2010

Just two months after being commissioned, HMS Astute, first in class of the Royal Navy's new nuclear-powered submarine fleet, ran aground off the west coast of Scotland while taking part in a training exercise. She remained stuck for ten hours until a coastguard tug towed her into deeper water. An enquiry found problems with charting the course of the exercise and the on-board communications. Despite the manoeuvre being carried out at night, the primary radar was switched off. Commanding officer Commander Andy Coles was relieved of his command shortly after the incident.
24 March 2011

The most recent strike by a Royal Navy submarine took place during the Libyan Civil War when a Trafalgar-class submarine launched guided Tomahawk land attack missiles at Libyan air defence targets. The Chief of the Defence Staff's strategic communications officer, Major General John Lorimer, said at the time that the action formed part of a coalition plan to enforce UN resolution 1973 to enforce a no-fly zone, and to ready the UK's contribution to the NATO arms embargo of Libya.
8 December 2011

The MOD overturned a ban preventing women serving on Royal Navy submarines, a sanction originally put in place because the raised levels of carbon dioxide found onboard were thought to be harmful to female health. After training on HMS Vigilant, the first female submariners, Lieutenants Maxine Stiles, Alexandra Olsson and Penny Thackray, earned their 'Dolphins' on 5 May 2014.
26 September 2014

According to media reports, a Royal Navy submarine, most likely HMS Astute, was deployed to the Persian Gulf to support air strikes against Islamic State militant targets and potentially launch Tomahawk missiles. The aim was to support the UK's policy not to have 'boots on the ground' while offering an alternative to aerial bombardment. The MOD refused to confirm speculation for operational reasons

* Article publicat a Naval Technology. Creiem convenient compartir aquest article doncs, injustament, la història de l'arma submarina de la Royal Navy ha quedat eclipsada per les espectaculars accions dels submarins alemanys.