Russians Drink Sangria as Ukraine Burns*

BY FDBETANCOR

Cease fire violations are a part of the daily routine in the no man’s land of Eastern Ukraine. Rifle fire, automatic weapons and exchange of mortar rounds between Ukrainian government forces and rebel militias is a matter of course, with up to 100 violations in a day[1]. For the moment, that is all there is: both sides have mostly observed the requirement to withdraw heavy weapons, so there is no field artillery or tanks. Yet the situation remains tense as the summer drags on. For the moment, the tense balance holds. The Ukrainian government realizes that it lacks the strength for a military solution, while Russia has the military strength to beat Ukraine but not to hold a rebellious population of 40 million.

So there is no war, but there is no peace either. Ukraine burns, and citizens of the new borderland suffer acute shortages of everything: food, medicines, gasoline, money. They, like their nation, are pawns in a power game between Russia and the West. Neither side truly wants war; but neither side is yet willing to negotiate. The Russians believe that “losing Ukraine” to Europe and the US would be a mortal threat to their own security; while Europe and the US are convinced that “losing Ukraine” to Russia would be tantamount to a second Munich Agreement. It would only convince Vladimir Putin of Western weakness and encourage him to test NATO in a more sensitive area, like the Baltic States.

NATO has responded as much as its limited means allow: air patrols over the Baltic allies have been intensified and interceptions of Russian aircraft by Western fighters are now too routine to report. Military training and exercises have been intensified, with US forces very publicly visiting key Eastern European states like Poland and Romania. Even non-NATO nations like Sweden have been disturbed enough by the rumblings of the Russian bear to begin quiet coordination of their military staffs with NATO counterparts. Even the normallaissez faire and independent French, who are perfectly happy to sell nuclear components to Iraq and advanced weaponry to anyone with a sufficiently large bank account, have been convinced to first suspend and finally cancel the delivery of two Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. These vessels would have given the Russian Navy a significant boost in their power projection capabilities, especially in the highly sensitive Black Sea, where the RFS Sevastopol was destined to be stationed. This will cost the French a significant amount of money, approximately 1.2 billion dollars – at least until they can find another buyer[2].

Far from dividing the normally fractious nations of Europe, Russian actions have enhanced their cooperation and reinvigorated a moribund North Atlantic alliance. From Cape Svalbard to Cape Matapan, Vladimir Putin is faced by a determined and united front opposed to Russia’s unilateral annexation of Crimea and barely concealed invasion of Donestk and Lugansk. Well…almost united. While Ukrainians die in defense of their lands – on both sides of the front lines – and Europeans suddenly remember what their militaries are for, there are Russian sailors stuffing their gobs full of paella and sangría in the Spanish port of Ceuta.

The RFS Novorossiysk, a Russian Kilo-class diesel attack submarine, arrived at the Spanish North African port this morning along with its tender[3]. Both Russian vessels are taking on water, fuel and victuals while their crews enjoy a week of shore leave. Besides seamen, the Kilo carries the SS-N-27 “Sizzler” a supersonic anti-ship missile as well as SA-N-10 Gimlet missiles for air defense. This lethal package is docked next to one of the busiest shipping choke points in the world and an hour’s easy steam from the Royal Naval base at Gibraltar and US Naval Station Rota.

The submarine visit is not an isolated incident: this year alone there have been 13 port calls by Russian naval vessels to Ceuta and over 50 since 2010. In April it was the Udaloy-class ASW destroyer, the Severomorsk and in February another ASW frigate, the Yaroslav Mudry.The city fathers are happy to have 2,000 lonely sailors spending their rubles on “shore leave” and local businesses benefit too. Nothing to comment on in normal times; except that we’re not living in normal times. NATO aircraft aren’t intercepting Russians over allied airspace because relations are warm and fuzzy.

Spain is not alone in welcoming Russian ships, it is in good company: the Russian Navy regular makes port calls in Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, and Iran too. Cam Ranh Bay in Vietnam is still a welcome destination for the Pacific Fleet, but in Europe only Cyprus[4] make Ivan feel as home as often as the Spanish do. Russian sailors are no longer a common sight even in Saint-Nazaire where they were training to take possession of the two Mistral-class vessels the French were constructing. Meanwhile, the Spanish sharpen their military skills by having their Coast Guard vessels fire at Gibraltar-flagged pleasure boats[5]; all part of the “successful foreign policy” being promulgated out of Madrid[6], one of harassment, illegality and disregard for the democratic rights and unanimous wishes of the actual inhabitants of the Rock.

The harassment has become far worse since the investiture of the current Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy Brey, in December 2011. The current government is acting in a fashion more in keeping with the various stand-offs instigated by the fascist Franco regime during the 1970’s than as a NATO ally and European partner. Spain routinely refuses to allow NATO vessels and aircraft traveling to or from Gibraltar to also visit a Spanish port or airfield while in transit. Yet the Spanish government is happy to welcome large numbers of warships from the Russian Navy. With friends like this…

The State Department and Pentagon should not remain indifferent to the sight of the Russian Navy growing old within shouting (and shooting) distance of RAF Gibraltar and an easy sail from Rota. The United Nations estimates[7] that the 14-kilometers of the Straits handle 3,000 vessels per day, 25% of sea-transported oil shipments, and 30% of all tonnage entering or leaving the Mediterranean. It is not only a critical military and economic choke point; it borders critical states in North Africa and the Sahel. For this reason the United States maintains, with Spain’s permission, both a naval presence in Rota (near Cádiz) and the 3,500-man Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa at Morón de la Frontera[8].

Thus it is not irrelevant that Marine V-22 Ospreys flying out of Morón would not be able to land at Gibraltar outbound or inbound while executing vital missions; the Crisis Response force is not there to take pictures of the Andalusian countryside. This is not an idle scenario: given the close cooperation between our military and that of the United Kingdom, a mission involving US and Royal Marines could be easily imagined. Which ally has shed blood with the United States in every one of our wars of last 100 years? It is high time we demand an end to the stupid and damaging policies that are pitting two NATO nations against each other and complicating US interests in the region.

Sources and Notes

[1] “Cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine cause concern,” Associated Press, 14 August 2015
[2] Pierre Tran, “Mistral Dispute With Russia Settled, France Eyes Exports,” Defense News, 09 August 2015
[3] Antonio Sempere, “El submarino ruso ‘Novorossiysk’ atraca en el muelle España, donde permanecerá hasta el Viernes,” Ceuta Actualidad, 26 August 2015
[4] Damien Sharkov, “Cyprus Agrees Deal to Let Russian Navy Use Ports,” Newsweek, 26 February 2015
[5] Alistair Dawber, “Tensions rise as Spanish customs boat fires shots at pleasure craft in Gibraltar’s waters,” The Independent, 27 August 2015
[6] “Spain’s Action On Gib is ‘Bearing Fruit’ – Margallo,” The Gibraltar Chronicle, 25 August 2015
[7] United Nations Environment Programme, Mediterranean Action Plan for the Barcelona Convention
[8] Sam LaGrone, “Spain and U.S. Sign Permanent Basing Agreement for up to 3,500 U.S. Marines,” USNI News, 18 June 2015

* Article publicat al web "Common Sense" de Fernando Betancor. Una visió nordamericana sobre el capteniment espanyol vers Gibraltar i la connivència amb la Marina russa. Caldria anar pensant en quines contrapartides té Espanya perquè les naus russes atraquin reiteradament a Ceuta. Alhora, recomanem vivament el bloc de Fernando Betancor. Bona feina!

China Unveiled its First VLFS Project Similar to the US Military Mobile Offshore Base Concept*

China unveiled its first "Very Large Floating Platform" project which appears to be a 21st century iteration of the US Military "Mobile Offshore Base" concept. The project was unveiled to the public during the "National Defense Science and Technology Achievements" exhibition held recently in Beijing.

It is reported that the very large floating structures (VLFS) is thousands of meters long and made up of floating modules connected together. It can be assembled as required and used as a floating pier, logistics base and airport.

A large floating island or airport or sea base can be achieved by linking a several floating platforms, which is very valuable for military and civilian use, said an expert when interviewed by Shenzhen TV. 

US Mobile offshore base

The mobile offshore base (MOB) idea was first seriously considered when the United States entered Operation Desert Shield (1990–91). MOB is a concept for supporting military operations where conventional land bases are not available. With the MOB concept the U.S. could have a base anywhere in the world in as little as a month. A MOB could accomodate and deploy conventional fighters and even large carge aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III as well as landing craft. Such a floating offshore base has been researched and proposed, but never developed.

Future will tell if unlike the U.S., the Chinese military decides to go ahead, develop and actually produce a VLFS/mobile offshore base.

* Notícia publicada a Navy Recognition. No sabem fins a quin punt Beijing disposa d'un projecte sòlid o és propaganda institucional i/o una "maskirovka". Ara bé, que el projecte, com diu l'article, va existir als Estats Units. Es fa difícil determinar les seves aplicacions en un teatre d'operacions, doncs un cop desplegat disposa d'una mobilitat quasi nul·la. Ara bé, les seves pròpies dimensions (i una estructura modular), fan d'aquesta plataforma quelcom capaç d'encaixar molts danys. Restarem a l'expectativa.

LCS Anti-Sub Warfare Package Too Heavy; 3 Contracts Issued For Weight Reduction Study*

The Littoral Combat Ship’s anti-submarine warfare mission package needs to shed some weight before it can deploy on a ship, and the Navy awarded three contracts to help find weight-reduction ideas.

The mission package includes two mature and fielded sonar systems, plus the hardware needed to integrate the systems with the ship. LCS Mission Module Program Manager Capt. Casey Moton said Thursday at a Mine Warfare Association lunch that each of his three mission modules is given 105 metric tons of weight on the LCS, but the ASW as it stands today surpasses that limit.

The mission package includes a Variable-Depth Sonar – the Navy chose the Thales UK Sonar 2087, the same VDS used on the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate – as well as the Multi-Function Towed Array used on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers (DDG-51) and eventually the Zumwalt-class destroyers (DDG-1000). The Navy cannot overhaul either mature system, so it has hired Advanced Acoustic Concepts, L-3 Communications and Raytheon to find more creative ways to reduce weight.

In the early stages of the weight-reduction effort, “we got proposals that ranged from modifying the sensors to reduce weight to things as simple as using composites in the handling system,” Moton said.

“So our initial contract is to three companies, and they will do a transition study for us over the next couple months that will give us a lot more insight.”

Each team will submit a package that brings the mission module to under 105 metric tons, and the Navy will then pick and choose which ideas it likes and use them to build engineering development models. Moton said his office had not decided how many EDMs to build but would make that decision over the next few months.

He said he could not recall how many tons over weight the current ASW package is, but “all three companies proposed schemes that would get us to the weight” and he was confident he could meet the requirement to get onboard a ship.

Also during his speech, Moton said his office was making some minor adjustments to the Lockheed Martin AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire radar-guided missile, which the Navy is adapting for use on the ship. The missile currently launches horizontally from a helicopter, and the Navy is making modifications so it can launch vertically and lock on its target after tipping into a horizontal position post-launch. The new version of the missile will be called the Surface-to-Surface Missile Module and should be fully integrated and ready for deployment by late 2017, according to a Navy statement.

The program office began tests on a research vessel at the end of February against “high-speed maneuvering targets out off the Virginia Capes.” That testing wrapped up in June, and based on the results, the office has to do “some tweaking – it’s really that level, tweaking – to the missile seeker and such.”

Another round of testing on the research vessel will take place in Fiscal Year 2016.

Moton also said his office is currently conducting a technical evaluation of the surface warfare mission package on USS Coronado (LCS-4). The package has already deployed twice, but both times on Freedom-variant LCSs. Coronado is an Independence-variant ship, with the same interfaces for the mission package but a different physical layout. Moton said the evaluation is “going very well.”

* Notícia publicada al US Naval Institute. Sembla que el "think big" continua passant factura a les capacitats de combat de la US Navy. Segurament amb el sistemes modulars que tant bé han funcionat a la Reial Marina Danesa es podria millorar, però prèviament requeriria liquidar la plaga de buròcrates del Pentàgon i els comissionistes que el dessagnen.

Kongsberg Maritime sonar chosen for Swedish Navy fast patrol boats*

Swede Ship Marine will install new Kongsberg Maritime sonar systems as part of a major rebuild and lifetime extension of five patrol boats for the Swedish Navy. The new sonars will replace the previous model SIMRAD SS576 sonars first installed in 1996 on board the Tapper-class (or Bevakningsbåt 80), with the purpose to protect and patrol Swedish coastal waters.

With 22 meters in length and a displacement of 62 tons, the Tapper-class Fast Patrol Boats operate in extremely shallow water, and require sonars capable of high performance in such environments. The Kongsberg Maritime sonar selected for this upgrade will be used for Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Mine and Obstacle detection and Navigation, and is designed for use in shallow water.

"The Swedish Navy is one of the most experienced Navies with regards to operation of sonars in shallow and challenging waters so we are proud to have the preferred sonar solution for protection of the Swedish coastline," said Thomas Hostvedt Dahle, Naval Sonar Product Sales Manager, Kongsberg Maritime.

"Our sonars have acoustic properties specially developed for shallow water and our design is compact in order to enable installation also on very small ships. This supports the ASW tactics of fighting submarines in shallow water with the use of several smaller ships that are equipped with sonars. We look forward to the ship being delivered with upgraded sonars to the Swedish Navy, in less than a year."

The rebuild and lifetime extension project has already started, with the first vessel being prepared for the work in the shipyard.

* Notícia publicada al web de Kongsberg. Un altre exemple de la cooperació nòrdica, en aquest cas, en el camp dels sònars per entorns litorals.