New Zealanders have gathered in Solomon Islands to commemorate the Second World War sinking of HMNZS Moa in Tulagi Harbour. Photo: LAC Jenkins
New Zealanders have commemorated World War II sinking of HMNZS Moa in Tulagi Harbour.
Personnel from three New Zealand Defence Force missions, and staff from the New Zealand High Commission in Honiara, were among those who paid their respects at Henderson Field memorial gardens.
HMNZS Moa was one of three Royal New Zealand Navy Bird-class Minesweepers which were patrolling off the coast of Guadalcanal during World War II.
On April 7, 1943, HMNZS Moa was hit directly by a Japanese dive bomber and sank bow-first in under four minutes.
Five ratings from Moa were killed in the explosions, and seven were seriously injured.
Members from NZDF, ADF and various other organisations pay tribute to fallen soldiers of world war 2 at the commemoration of the Moa sinking. Photo: LAC Jenkins
The Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Squadron Leader Ash Wilson, who is based in Honiara with the Forum Fisheries Agency, led the ceremony.
He said New Zealand has a long history with Solomon Islands.
“This year marks the 81st commemoration of the sinking of HMNZS Moa,” he said.
“We respect and honour our past, our veterans and their service.”
Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury, Commander Bronwyn Heslop laid a wreath on behalf of the women and men serving in the New Zealand Defence Force.
New Zealand High Commissioner to Solomon Islands, Jonathan Schwass, also laid a wreath on behalf of the New Zealand Government.
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of April 8, 2024, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
Ships Underway
Total Battle Force
Deployed
Underway
293 (USS 233, USNS 60)
94 (USS 64, USNS 30)
65 (46 Deployed, 19 Local)
In Japan
Electrician’s Mate Fireman Julian Garza, from Harlingen, Texas, troubleshoots a windshield wiper switch on the bridge of USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), while in-port Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, April 4, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is in port in Yokosuka. The carrier is set to depart for a repair availability in Washington state later this year. USS George Washington (CVN-73) will replace Reagan in Japan.
In the Philippine Sea
An MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262, prepares to land on the flight deck of USS America (LHA-6), while conducting routine operations in the Philippine Sea, April 2, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS America (LHA-6) is operating in the Philippine Sea.
Aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) is underway in the Philippine Sea.
The carrier has been using older C-2A Greyhounds as a temporary carrier-onboard delivery vehicle while the CMV-22B fleet was grounded following the November crash of an Air Force MV-22B Osprey off the coast of Japan.
Earlier this month, the grounding of the Ospreys was lifted, and the Navy has begun recertifying crews and aircraft for the logistics operations.
Carrier Strike Group 9
Navy Cmdr. John Ault, a chaplain aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), tunes a bass guitar for a church service on April 7, 2024. US Navy Photo
Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.
Carrier Air Wing 11
Sailors observe flight operations on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) on April 8, 2024. US Navy Photo
The “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
The “Black Knights” of VFA 154 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
The “Blue Blasters” of VFA 34 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The “Flying Checkmates” of VFA 211 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Station, Norfolk, Va.
The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
The “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.
Cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
Destroyer Squadron 23
USS Halsey (DDG-97) arrives in Visakhapatnam, India, Mar. 23, 2024. US Navy Photo
Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Theodore Roosevelt.
USS John S. McCain(DDG-56), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
USS Halsey(DDG-97), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In the Pacific
USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) sails under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge after its 138-day deployment to Antarctica for Operation Deep Freeze 2024, March 31, 2024. US Coast Guard Photo
USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750) was off the coast of California on Monday. USCGC Polar Star (WAGB-10) arrived in Vallejo, Calif. on Wednesday. USCGC Harriet Lane (WMEC-903) departed Majuro, Marshall Islands, last week. The cutter is on its first deployment since the cutter relocated to Hawaii.
In the Red Sea
Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Equipment) prepares an F/A-18E Super Hornet, attached to the ‘Wildcats’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 131, for launch aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Red Sea, March 23, 2024. US Navy Photo
U.S. ships continue to patrol the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led multinational effort to protect ships moving through the region. Houthi forces in Yemen continue to attack merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while U.S. naval forces in the region have continued strikes against Houthi weapons that U.S. Central Command says are a threat to naval and merchant ships. Houthi forces say they are targeting ships with connections to the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Israel.
As of Monday, the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was operating in the Red Sea.
Ike deployed on Oct. 14, while several of the carrier’s escorts left on Oct. 13. The carrier transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Oct. 28 and transited the Suez Canal on Nov. 4. The ship’s deployment was extended by order of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin late last month, a defense official confirmed to USNI news.
The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 10 approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.
Carrier Strike Group 2
A sailor conducts maintenance on a rigid-hull inflatable boat aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) in the Red Sea on March 23, 2024. US Navy Photo
Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.
Carrier Air Wing 3
The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.
Cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
Destroyer Squadron 22 Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.
USS Gravely(DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
USS Mason(DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
On Saturday, U.S. Central Command forces destroyed one mobile surface-to air missile system in Houthi controlled territory of Yemen. CENTCOM forces also shot down one unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over the Red Sea. Additionally, a Coalition vessel detected and successfully engaged and destroyed one inbound anti-ship missile (ASM).
On Thursday, CENTCOM forces successfully engaged and destroyed one ASM in a Houthi controlled territory of Yemen.
On Wednesday, USS Gravely (DDG-107) and CENTCOM forces engaged and destroyed one inbound anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) and two unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists from Yemen towards USS Gravely in the Red Sea.
Additionally, during this timeframe CENTCOM forces destroyed a mobile surface-to-air missile system in Houthi controlled territory.
On Monday, CENTCOM forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist unmanned surface vessel (USV) in self-defense.
In the Arabian Sea
A sailor removes illegal narcotics from the hull of a vessel seized by the U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC-1144) in the Arabian Sea, April 4, 2024.
The crew from the Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC Glen Harris (WPC-1144) seized 15 kilograms of heroin and 375 kilograms of methamphetamine of illegal drugs from a stateless dhow in the Arabian Sea on Thursday.
In the Persian Gulf
U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
In the Eastern Pacific
Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) steams in the Pacific Ocean, April 4, 2024. US Navy Photo
The aircraft carrier, USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) departed San Diego, Calif., on Friday, according to ship spotters.
USNI News reported amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) departed San Diego, Calif., on Monday.
In the Eastern Atlantic
USAV SP4 (LSV-6) underway on the James River on March 12, 2024. USNI News Photo
The ships carrying pieces to build a humanitarian aid pier in Gaza are in the midst of their journey across the Atlantic.
Five U.S. Army watercraft and a Marine Administration ready reserve transport ship are underway headed to the Eastern Mediterranean. USAV General Frank S. Benson (LSV-1) left Joint Base Langley-Eustis on March 9, and transited the Strait of Gibraltar on Wednesday, according to ship spotters.
On March 12, USAV SP4 James A. Loux (LSV-6) and the smaller USAV Montorrey (LCU-2030), USAV Matamoros (LCU-2026) and USAV Wilson Wharf (LCU-2011) were sailing halfway across the Atlantic. The MARAD ship MV Roy P. Benavidez (TAKR-306) left on March 21 with the majority of the modular causeway pieces for the pier loaded aboard. As of Monday, Benavidez was sailing south of the Italian island of Sardinia.
Back on the East Coast, Military Sealift Command ships USNS 1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez (T-AK-3010) and USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (AK-3008) are loading parts of the Naval Beach Group One’s similar floating pier system to operate in tandem with the Army’s system.
The general concept will have the Army build a pier that will be anchored to the shore in Gaza with no U.S. personnel setting foot in Israel. The Navy will build a transfer point two to three miles offshore where cargo – likely originating in Cyprus – will be transferred to the Army watercraft to be taken to the pier.
Based on the initial timelines, the pier could be completed by mid-May.
In the Western Atlantic
Marines with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and Sailors with the USS Wasp (LHD-1), Wasp (WSP) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), conduct AV-8B Harrier flight operations while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, April 6, 2024. US Navy Photo
The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) was spotted departing Norfolk, Va. on Saturday, according to ship spotters.
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) was spotted returning to Norfolk, Va. on Thursday, according to ship spotters. The carrier will deploy to the U.S. Southern Command area of operations over the next few months as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2024 deployment.
In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114) sails in formation with USS America (LHA-6), the Kongo-class destroyer JS Kongo (DDG-173), USS Howard (DDG 83) and USS Dewey (DDG 105) in the Philippine Sea, Mar. 27, 2024. US Navy Photo
Big deck amphib USS America (LHA-6), other U.S. Navy ships, and a submarine wrapped up the Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training 24 drill with the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) in the Philippine Sea on Saturday. America, along with destroyers USS Dewey (DDG-105), USS Higgins (DDG-76), USS Howard (DDG-83) and USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114), fleet oiler USNS Yukon (T-AO-202) and a submarine conducted drills with JMSDF destroyer JS Kongo (DDG-173) from Mar. 18 until Saturday, a Monday JMSDF release reads. The drill included a harbor phase in Yokosuka from Mar. 18-21, followed by a sea phase on Mar. 22 until Saturday, which took from Yokosuka to east of Okinawa, according to the release.
The sea phase consisted of tactical exercises such as antiair warfare, antisubmarine warfare, surface gunnery exercises, electronic warfare, antiair missile firing and replenishment at sea. The release also stated that this was the first bilateral exercise carried out in Japan’s Fiscal Year 2024, which began on April 1.
In a second JMSDF release, Kongo’s commanding officer, Capt. Gen Kawai said, “JS Kongo has confirmed the strong Japan-U.S. collaboration and improved tactical capabilities and interoperability between the JMSDF and the U.S. Navy through practical exercises such as missile firing, which are more high-end than those in recent years.” He added that “although the security environment surrounding Japan is becoming increasingly severe day by day, we will continue to pursue missions at hand and contribute to the stability of Japan and the Indo-Pacific region.”
The four U.S. destroyers are part of the forward-deployed Japan Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, and on Friday,Higgins,Howard andRalph Johnson conducted live-fire launches of SM-2 surface-to-air missiles in the Philippine Sea, with dry cargo ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE-10) launching target drones for the drill, based on released photos by the Pentagon.
Meanwhile, Russian bombers made separate flights over the Sea of Japan and the Chukchi Sea over the past week. A Japan Joint Staff Office (JSO) release on Wednesday stated that on Tuesday afternoon, two Russian Tu-95 bombers and two Russian fighter aircraft flew in from the continent on a southeast heading toward Japan before turning back northwest while in international airspace off the Noto Peninsula on the main island of Honshu. Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighters were scrambled in response, stated the JSO release.
A Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) release the same day stated that two Tu-95ms long-range bombers made a routine flight over the international waters of the Sea of Japan and that the flight duration was about 10 hours, with fighter escort provided by the crews of Su-30sm fighters of the Russian Aerospace Forces.
On Friday, the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD) issued a release stating the command had detected and tracked four Russian military aircraft operating in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) on that day. “The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace, this Russian activity in the Alaska ADIZ occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat,” read the release.
The Russian MOD also issued a release on the flight stating that two Tu-95ms long-range bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces made a routine flight over the international waters of the Chukchi Sea and that the flight duration was more than 12 hours. The release also stated that the Su-35sm fighter jets escorted the long-range bomber and that at certain stages of the route, long-range bombers were escorted by fighter jets of foreign countries.
Both Russian MOD releases included a statement from the commander of Long-Range Air Force Lt. Gen. Sergey Kobylash. “The flight was carried out in strict compliance with international rules on the use of airspace,” said Kobylash who also stressed that “Long-Range Aviation crews regularly fly over the international waters of the Arctic, North Atlantic, Black and Baltic seas, as well as the Pacific Ocean.”
Japan’s JSO also issued releases over the past week on the activity of Chinese and Russian surveillance ships around Japan. On Wednesday, the JSO issued a release stating that at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, People’s Liberation Army Navy Dongdiao-class surveillance ship Jinxing (799) was sighted sailing southwest in an area 37 miles east of Tsushima and subsequently sailed southwest through the Tsushima Strait to enter the East China Sea. JMSDF fast-attack craft JS Otaka (PG-826) and and P-1 MPAs of Fleet Air Wing 4 based at Naval Air Facility Atsugi shadowed Jinxing, according to the release which also stated that earlier on Mar. 15, Jinxing sailed northeast through the Tsushima Strait to enter the Sea of Japan.
A Thursday JSO release stated that on April 1 at 11 p.m., Russian surveillance ship Kareliya (535) was sighted sailing south in an area 24 miles northeast of Miyako Island and from Apr. 1 to Tuesday, sailed in the contiguous zone from northeast of Miyako Island to southeast of Hateruma Island before departing from the contiguous zone south of Hateruma Island. A contiguous zone is a band of water up to 12 miles from territorial waters in which states have limited jurisdiction to prevent or punish infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations. As such, the passage of the Russian ship was within international law. The JSO stated that fleet oiler JS Oumi (AOE-426) and JMSDF P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft of Fleet Air Wing 5 based at Naha Air Base, Okinawa, shadowed the Russian ship. The release also noted the past movements of Kareliya, which has been sailing around Japan since Mar. 24.
A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), lands aboard the USS Wasp (LHD 1) while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, April 6, 2024. U.S. Marine Corps Photo
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Another one of the Navy’s big-deck amphibious warships could deploy late, as the service faces maintenance backlogs for the amphibious fleet.
Amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), which is currently in the middle of workups ahead of deployment, may leave later than expected, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said on Monday.
“Right now we’re seeing some potential delays on Wasp – we’re trying to look ahead to make sure that we can, I want to say nip this in the bud, really understand how can we approve that,” Franchetti told reporters at the Navy League’s annual Sea Air Space symposium.
Wasp, the service’s oldest big deck, left Norfolk, Va., on Saturday and is currently at sea off the coast of Virginia for workups, according to USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker.
A potential delay for Wasp comes after USS Boxer (LHD-4) departed San Diego, Calif., last week late for a delayed deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Boxer, the capital ship in the Amphibious Ready Group, left three months after USS Somerset (LPD-25) and almost one month after USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), the other two ships in the formation.
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Garrett Legan, assigned to Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares for fast-rope training aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD-25) during Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH in Visakhapatnam, India, March 20, 2024. US Marine Corps Photo
To get a better handle on the problems with the amphibious fleet, Franchetti said she and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith recently directed the Navy’s deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and policy and the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations to assess amphibious ship readiness and see whether the services are aligned on the requirements for training and certifications.
“Overall, we’re going to learn a lot through this deep dive and we can really understand what are the challenges with amphib readiness,” Franchetti said. “This is a proactive approach.”
The CNO said she expects the three stars to report the “terms of reference” in May so the services can determine next steps for the evaluation.
Franchetti noted that the ships in the amphibious fleet are getting older and having to go through the modifications to accommodate the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II. Boxer went out for sea trials in June of 2022 after getting the F-35B upgrades.
Wasp was one of the first amphibious ships to get the F-35B upgrades nearly a decade ago. After a brief time forward-deployed in Japan, Wasp came back to Virginia and went into the dry dock at BAE Systems for a maintenance availability. In July of 2022, Wasp went back to Norfolk Naval Station after the maintenance overhaul and has been periodically underway off the Atlantic coast.
Boxer was the subject of two publicized command investigations last year that discovered problems in the ship’s engineering department. While it’s not clear whether the engineering issues led to the ship’s late deployment, two defense officials told USNI News that Boxer‘s material condition is one reason the ship left late and the ships in the ARG deployment separatel
New Zealanders have gathered for a moment of reflection in Solomon Islands to commemorate the Second World War sinking of HMNZS Moa in Tulagi Harbour.
Personnel from three New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) missions and staff from the New Zealand embassy in Honiara were among those who paid their respects at Henderson Field memorial gardens.
HMNZS Moa was one of three Royal New Zealand Navy Bird-class Minesweepers that served in the 25th minesweeping flotilla patrolling off the coast of Guadalcanal during the Second World War.
In January 1943, HMNZS Moa and HMNZS Kiwi joined forces to ram and wreck a Japanese I-1 submarine in Kamimbo Bay.
Just over two months later, on 7 April, HMNZS Moa was refuelling from USS Erskine in Tulagi Harbour when it received two direct hits from a Japanese dive bomber and sank bow first in under four minutes. Five ratings from Moa were killed in the explosions and seven were seriously injured.
This week’s service was attended by NZDF members of the Solomon Islands Assistance Force, which supports the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to maintain peace and stability through community engagement and reassurance.
Also in attendance were crew from HMNZS Canterbury and Colonel Anthony Childs, the commander of a 200-strong Joint Task Force providing support for the upcoming Solomon Islands elections.
The commemoration was led by the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Squadron Leader Ash Wilson who is based in Honiara with the Forum Fisheries Agency, which helps Pacific countries sustainably manage fisheries resources within their 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone.
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“New Zealand has a long history with Solomon Islands. This year marks the 81st commemoration of the sinking of HMNZS Moa,” said Squadron Leader Wilson.
“We respect and honour our past, our veterans and their service. This afternoon’s small commemoration of remembrance is one of the ways that we honour their legacy.”
Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury, Commander Bronwyn Heslop laid a wreath on behalf of the women and men serving in the New Zealand Defence Force, followed by New Zealand High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands Jonathan Schwass, who represented the New Zealand Government.
She had a personal connection to a namesake of the sunken vessel.
“Participating in this memorial was special to me, because my first command as a young Lieutenant was HMNZS Moa, an Inshore Patrol Craft which was based out of Dunedin,” said Commander Heslop.
A contingent of NZDF personnel on board HMNZS Canterbury have arrived in Solomon Islands to provide logistical support to the upcoming national general election.
Two Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters are on board. They will assist the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission with transportation of polling boxes and election officials to various remote locations.
Solomon Islands is geographically dispersed, which means it can be logistically challenging to ensure everyone has a chance to vote in the 17 April ballot.
UK and Australian Navy on a bilateral exercise (Picture: Royal Navy)
The AUKUS alliance, consisting of Australia, the UK, and the US, is set to expand its collaborative efforts by initiating consultations with other nations.
In a joint statement, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Japan’s involvement in the alliance’s Pillar Two program.
AUKUS, established in September 2021, aims to enhance various defense capabilities critical to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.
While Pillar One focuses on the development of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, Pillar Two encompasses advanced military technologies such as quantum advancements, artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities.
“In a more dangerous world, relationships and partnerships like AUKUS are more important than ever,” Grant Shapps said.
“AUKUS nations will assess whether involving like-minded nations like Japan would strengthen the development of capabilities. Consultations will begin this year on where potential partners, including Japan, can contribute to and benefit from Pillar Two work,” the Defence Secretary explained.
Last year the UK and Japan agreed on a landmark new strategic partnership – the Hiroshima Accord.
While Pillar Two is open for collaboration, submarine capability serves as the foundational aspect of the AUKUS program and will consistently involve only the UK, Australia and the USA.
Watch: Four nations hold anti-submarine drills in South China Sea
The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines have staged a series of joint anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea – prompting a quick response from Beijing.
The joint maritime exercise was held in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which immediately led China to launch a naval and air patrol of its own.
The Manila Times newspaper said the drills featured a range of communication exercises and strategic manoeuvres aimed at strengthening regional and international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
The four-nation drills underscored the commitment to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific through enhanced interoperability in maritime operations.
The exercise was joined by Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer Akebono, the US Navy littoral combat ship USS Mobile, the Royal Australian Navy frigate Warramunga and the Philippine naval frigate Antonio Luna, among others.
The territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea persist, despite repeated calls for diplomatic resolutions and respect for sovereignty.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China’s nine-dash line claim, stating it lacked legal basis under international law.
According to the Institute for China-America Studies, the nine-dash line is a visual representation of China’s claims that appears on some Chinese official maps and comparative maps of disputed claims in the South China Sea.
HMS Tamar with her new dazzle paint scheme in the water in Falmouth. Royal Navy picture.
Monday, April 8, 2024 – 19:54. Nuku’alofa, Tonga
A Royal Navy Ship, HMS Tamar is visiting Tonga for six days this week until Saturday 13 April, on a mission to strengthen the UK-Tongan partnership through providing support on different shared objectives.
The British High Commission in Tonga reported that the ship will work to uplift and inspire marginalised and under-represented groups, while in Tonga. The ship’s port call will also focus on gender and inclusion through events held for women in uniform, charities and school groups.
The crew will work with the Tonga Red Cross and the Tongan National Visually Impaired Association (TNVIA).
The mission also has a focus on climate resilience with the Oceans 7 Ministers, followed by discussions on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with the National Disaster Risk Management Office and other key stakeholders.
On its current deployment, the HMS Tamar has been countering illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, with a number of patrols around Fiji.
They will conduct monitoring in Tonga’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala and Princess Sinaitakala were invited to a formal lunch onboard, and meeting the Executive Officer and second in command, Lieutenant Commander Jim Langley and the crew.
Tonga’s Prime Minister the Hon Hu’akameiliku and senior members of the cabinet will also visit the ship, joined by some Commonwealth partners from New Zealand and Australia.
Thr British High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Lucy Joyce said that the visit demonstrates the enduring strength of the UK and Tonga’s relationship.
“We are able to showcase the vessel to many of our partners here – progressing key shared objectives on climate change, defence and inclusion while also focusing on some of the next generation of Tongans with several school groups visiting the ship”
She said that Defence is an important part of the UK-Tonga relationship with Tonga supporting the UK and allied forces in WWII; and Tongan marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the coalition forces.
HMS Tamar is an Offshore Patrol Vessel, and the fourth of five of the Batch 2 River- class vessels. They can perform a variety of roles, from fisheries protection and maritime security to providing humanitarian assistance in the wake of a disaster.
This is the first time for HMS Tamar to visit Tonga. Her sister ship HMS Spey provided humanitarian assistance and other support following the January 2022 Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami.
Both vessels are stationed in the Indo-Pacific region as part of the UK’s commitment to the region.
USS Ohio 1904 She was laid down at the Union Iron Works shipyard in San Francisco in April 1899, was launched in May 1901, and was commissioned into the fleet in October 1904. She was armed with a main battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns and could steam at a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).
Ohio initially served in the Asiatic Fleet, from 1905 to 1907, when she returned to the United States. In December that year, she joined the Great White Fleet for its world cruise, which lasted until early 1909. She served with the Atlantic Fleet for the next four years conducting a peacetime training routine. In 1914, she was sent to Mexico to protect American interests in the country during the Mexican Revolution. She served as a training ship during America’s involvement in World War I from 1917 to 1918. Thoroughly obsolete by that time, Ohio was decommissioned in July 1919, and was ultimately sold for scrap in March 1923 under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ohio_(BB-12)
The guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) (far right) sails in formation as part of interoperability drills between the Pacific Surface Action Group (PAC SAG) and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group (BHR ESG) in the South China Sea Sea, Oct. 13, 2016. The drills are meant to enhance readiness of cruiser-destroyer ships to rapidly integrate with an amphibious task force to provide increased capability for amphibious operations in support of crisis response or disaster relief. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer
(Bloomberg) –The US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will hold joint military drills in the South China Sea on April 7 amid heightened tension between Manila and Beijing in the disputed waters.
In a joint statement, the four nations’ defense chiefs said their combined armed forces will conduct a maritime cooperative activity within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone to strengthen interoperability. The southern division of the Chinese Liberation Army will organize a maritime and air patrols on the same day, according to a statement Sunday.
“Every country should be free to conduct lawful air and maritime operations,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin said in the statement. “These activities with our allies Australia, Japan, and the Philippines underscore our shared commitment to ensuring that all countries are free to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.”
Sunday’s drills will happen days before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on April 11 to discuss cooperation in the areas of economy as well as peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
A Philippine official on Friday said the leaders will tackle recent incidents in the South China Sea. In the latest confrontation between Chinese and Philippine ships last month, Manila said a Filipino civilian boat was severely damaged and some of its crew members were injured when two China Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at it. The China Coast Guard said it acted in “a reasonable and professional manner.”
“Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law, reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the joint statement said.
The four nations also affirmed their position that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award that favored the Philippines over China in their maritime dispute as final and legally binding. The award was given by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a non-UN intergovernmental organization located in The Hague.
