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John Currin

15 years in Royal New Zealand Navy

Ike carrier heads home as Houthi attacks continue in the Red Sea

The U.S. military has ordered the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier leading America’s response to the Houthi attacks, to return home after a twice-extended tour. (Information Technician Second Class Ruskin Naval/U.S. Navy)

By Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the aircraft carrier leading America’s response to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, is returning home after an over eight-month deployment in combat that the Navy says is its most intense since World War II.

The San Diego-based USS Theodore Roosevelt will take the Eisenhower’s place after a scheduled exercise in the Indo-Pacific, said Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Saturday.

RELATED
A US carrier has repelled Houthi attacks for months. Will it hold up?
The Pentagon is wrestling over when the Eisenhower and its strike group should return home. And if they do return — what can replace them?

By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press and Jon Gambrell, The Associated Press

The Roosevelt anchored Saturday in Busan, South Korea, amid Seoul’s ongoing tensions with North Korea.

The Eisenhower, based in Norfolk, Virginia, had already reached the Mediterranean Sea, said a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ship movements. Flight-tracking data analyzed by The Associated Press showed a Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk helicopter associated with the Eisenhower flying above the Mediterranean just off the coast of Port Said, Egypt, on Saturday night.

The Eisenhower, which had its deployment extended twice, had repeatedly been targeted by false attack claims by the Houthis during its time in the Red Sea. Saree on Saturday night claimed another attack on the carrier — but again provided no evidence to support it as the ship already had left the area. Central Command called the claim “categorically false.”

Meanwhile, an attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a commercial ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden but apparently caused no damage, authorities said Saturday, in the latest strike on the shipping lane by the group.

The Houthi attack comes after the sinking this week of the merchant vessel Tutor. Sailors from the Ike carrier strike group airlifted the Tutor’s crew to safety prior to its sinking.

The Tutor’s sinking marked what appears to be a new escalation by the Iranian-backed Houthis in their campaign of strikes on ships in the vital maritime corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip.

The captain of the ship targeted late Friday saw “explosions in the vicinity of the vessel,” the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. A later briefing by the U.S.-overseen Joint Maritime Information Center said the vessel initially reported two explosions off its port side and a third one later.

“The vessel was not hit and sustained no damage,” the center said. “The vessel and crew are reported to be safe and are proceeding to their next port of call.”

The Houthis, who have held Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, since 2014, claimed the attack Saturday night. Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a Houthi military spokesman, identified the vessel targeted as the bulk carrier Transworld Navigator.

The U.S. military separately destroyed three drone boats in the Red Sea over the last day, Central Command said.

The Houthis have launched more than 60 attacks targeting specific vessels and fired off other missiles and drones in their campaign that has killed a total of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November. A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say.

In March, the Belize-flagged Rubymar carrying fertilizer became the first to sink in the Red Sea after taking on water for days following a rebel attack.

The Houthis have maintained that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war.

Associated Press writer Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

Military Times Night and Weekend Editor Beth Sullivan contributed to this story.

HMS Tamar scores a first as she successfully links up with US submarine support ship

20th June 2024 at 2:40pm

HMS Tamar berthed alongside the USS Emory S Land and the Australian survey ship HMAS Leeuwin (Picture: Royal Navy)

HMS Tamar has successfully berthed alongside a US Navy submarine support ship in an experimental link-up which could see the Royal Navy vessel extend her operations.

Tamar, an offshore patrol vessel, used the USS Emory S Land not just as a floating quayside or jetty, but also ‘plugged in’ to the vessel’s fuel, water and power supply.

The process known as rafting up also involved a third ship, the Australian survey vessel HMAS Leeuwin, as the trio of ships linked up in Cairns in Queensland.

The US Navy’s Emory S Land acts as a tender, normally providing forward support to US Navy hunter-killer nuclear submarines.

When no naval base is available, she sustains operations, providing electricity, water, consumables, spare parts, repairs and engineering assistance.

She also sustains their crews, offering medical and dental aid, mail, food and administration.

The UK does the same for the Royal Navy and US minehunters rather than submarines – operating in the Gulf, using RFA Cardigan Bay to provide similar facilities to mine warfare vessels, extending their operations.

HMS Tamar berthed alongside USS Emory S Land and HMAS Leeuwin 20062024 CREDIT Navy
The experimental link-up is known as rafting up (Picture: Royal Navy)

The Royal Navy said: “All three allied navies were keen to see whether the Emory S Land could do for larger surface vessels what it already does for the Silent Service.”

HMS Tamar is seven times smaller than the tender, and as both vessels were new to each other this was not simply a case of Tamar turning up and berthing alongside the US ship.

The three navies used scale drawings and extensive discussions to make sure the link-up of the three ships passed without incident.

Once Tamar was safely berthed, she was joined outboard by Australian survey ship HMAS Leeuwin.

Connections were subsequently made to prove that fuel, water and electricity could be provided to both ships from the US tender.

HMS Tamar rafting up alongside the USS Emory S Land 20062024 CREDIT Navy
HMS Tamar can perform a variety of roles, from intercepting drug-traffickers and smugglers to protecting UK territorial waters (Picture: Royal Navy)

In April, HMS Tamar was in Fiji where she had been helping the local government curb illegal fishing and drug smuggling.

The River-class patrol vessel was working with the Fijian Ministry of Fisheries, the Republic of Fiji Navy Ship Riders and the Royal New Zealand Navy.

HMS Tamar can perform a variety of roles, from intercepting drug-traffickers and smugglers to protecting UK territorial waters and providing humanitarian assistance in the wake of a disaster.

US Navy christens new Navajo-class T-ATS

Bollinger Shipyards

June 13, 2024, by Fatima Bahtić

The U.S. Navy has christened its latest Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship (T-ATS) USNS Cherokee Nation at Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana.

As informed, the ceremony took place on June 10, 2024. The second Bollinger-built ship of the navy’s Navajo class, the USNS Cherokee Nation is named to honor the Cherokee people.

The Navajo class is operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command and provides ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations.

T-ATS replaces and fulfills the capabilities previously provided by the Powhatan-class fleet ocean tug (T-ATF) and Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ships (T-ARS) class ships.

“Bollinger is honored to celebrate the christening of the newest T-ATS ship alongside the U.S. Navy and the Cherokee Nation,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. 

“The USNS Cherokee Nation and other Navajo-class vessels are multi-purpose powerhouse vessels,” said Vice Admiral Scott Gray, Commander, U.S. Navy Installations Command.

“The new Navajo-class ships will help ensure our sailors and marines receive critical, timely support to stay in the fight around the globe and the US Navy stands ready to respond quickly if disaster strikes.”

The USNS Cherokee Nation is the second of ten planned Navajo-class T-ATS. The contract includes a total of five vessels to be built at Bollinger Houma Shipyards, each to be named in honor of a federally recognized Native American tribe.

Navajo-class ships will be capable of towing U.S. Navy ships, including aircraft carriers, and will have 6,000 square feet of deck space for embarked systems.

In addition to the USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS 7), Bollinger is also constructing USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS 8), USNS Lenni Lenape (T-ATS 9) and USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS 10).

Ukrainian Bradley fighting vehicle wins furious jousting match against Russian BTR-82

Alex Candlin 13th June 2024 at 2:00pm

Watch: Ukrainian Bradley faces Russian BTR-82 with shocking results

Incredible footage has shown an American-supplied Ukrainian Bradley fighting vehicle engaging in a furious jousting match with one of its Russian counterparts.

The Russian BTR-82 armoured personnel carrier came off second best during the face-off, which happened on the main road in the village of Sokil.

Both vehicles can be seen charging towards one another before the Russian vehicle is left knocked out at the side of the road.

The M2A2 Bradley, belonging to the Ukrainian army’s 47th Mechanised Brigade, opened fire on the Russian BTR-82 using its 25mm Bushmaster chain gun.

The BTR-82, meanwhile, opened fire on the Bradley with its 30mm autocannon, knocking out the Bradley’s optics and effectively disabling its gun.

Despite the setback, the Ukrainian vehicle continued to charge towards its Russian opponent, coming to within a few metres of each other.

At the last second, the BTR swerved to avoid a collision, with the Bradley commander apparently having told the driver to ram the enemy vehicle.

Watch: American-supplied Bradleys obliterate Russian T-90 battle tank

Having sustained heavy damage, the smoking Russian BTR-82 continued down the road with a Russian soldier either falling or jumping from the vehicle. 

The vehicle then veered off the road and came to a halt in between two buildings, having lost the fight against the Ukrainian vehicle and ending up with smoke pouring out of it.

This is not the first time the M2 has proved its effectiveness on camera, with two Bradleys filmed overpowering a Russian T-90 tank earlier this year.

Watch: The Download – all the top stories from across the military world

12th June 2024 at 1:30pm

Watch: The Download

Nato’s KFOR has celebrated 25 years of peacekeeping in Kosovo, and Russian warships have begun conducting drills in the Atlantic – all this and more on The Download.

Russian Nuclear Sub, Frigate with Long Range Land Attack Missiles Operating Off East Coast

Russian submarine K-561 Kazan. Russian Navy Photo

SAM LAGRONE JUNE 11, 2024 7:18 PM

THE PENTAGON – A nuclear Russian submarine carrying guided missiles with a range of 1,000 nautical miles is operating off the East Coast as part of Russian missile drills in the Atlantic.
Kazan, a Yasen-M-class guided missile submarine, is part of a naval action group the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed to the Atlantic. The group is bound for the Caribbean as part of military drills ordered by the Kremlin against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, according to the MoD.

On Tuesday, Kazan and the advanced guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov tested anti-ship missiles in the Atlantic at targets with a range of more than 350 miles before resuming its transit to a previously scheduled port visit to Havana on Wednesday, the Russian MoD said in a statement.

Ship spotters are tracking the Russian action group off the coast. The group was operating just east of the Florida Keys as of Tuesday afternoon and is under surveillance by at least three U.S. guided-missile destroyers and a P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft, according to public flight and ship tracking data.

A Navy spokesperson referred USNI News to the Office of the Secretary of Defense when asked about the U.S. warships. A Pentagon spokesperson would not confirm the details, but provided a Monday statement about the Russian exercises.

“Russia will conduct heightened naval and air activity near the United States. These actions will likely culminate in a global Russian naval exercise this fall. We are expecting that Russia will temporarily send combat naval vessels to the Caribbean region and these ships will likely conduct port calls in Cuba and possibly Venezuela,” reads a statement from OSD.
“There may also be some aircraft deployments or flights in the region. Russia’s deployments are part of routine naval activity and we are not concerned by Russia’s deployments, which pose no direct threat to the United States. “

While Russian ships operating in the Caribbean is not new, the submarine and the frigate are among the most advanced Russian warships and their presence is the largest visit of Russian Navy ships to the region in years. For example, last year the training ship Perekop sailed to Havana.

The modern Kazan and Gorshkov both field a variety of anti-ship and land attack weapons. While it’s unclear what weapons the two ships used during the Tuesday test fire, they both can field the 1,000-mile range 3M-54 Kalibir NK land attack cruise missile, the P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile and the 3M-22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.

According to a report in RUSI, Kazan could field up to 32 P-800s, 40 Kalibirs and an unknown number of Zircons.

The Kalibir, modeled on the U.S. Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, is a key weapon for the Yasen submarines.

Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov in late 2014.

The silent operation and weapon load out of the 13,800-ton submarines are reasons U.S. officials have used to describe the boats as some of the most capable in the world.

For the Yasens, “long-range strike missions appear to … a primary task. This will likely necessitate a change in how NATO manages the anti-submarine warfare challenge in the High North, given that a strategy of barrier defense at the Greenland–Iceland–U.K. gap may actually do little to impact Russian submarines, which may have little need to traverse this barrier in order to achieve their operational ends,” according to RUSI.

Last year, then-commander of U.S. Northern Command Gen. Glen VanHerck said the deployment of cruise-missile submarines off the coast of the U.S. is increasing and is a growing concern for homeland defense.

“[The risk is] absolutely increasing. Within the last year, Russia has also placed their [Yasens] in the Pacific,” he said.
“Now not only the Atlantic, but we also have them in the Pacific and it’s just a matter of time – probably a year or two – before that’s a persistent threat, 24 hours a day. … That impact has reduced decision space for a national senior leader in a time of crisis.”

U.S. Carriers Reagan and Roosevelt Join Pacific Valiant Shield 2024 Drills

USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) transits the South China Sea in support of Valiant Shield 2024, June 7, 2024. US Navy Photo

DZIRHAN MAHADZIR JUNE 10, 2024 3:22 PM

The Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups conducted separate group sails on Friday in the South China Sea and Philippine Sea with partner nations to kick off the Valiant Shield 2024 exercise. Meanwhile, also on Friday, the Netherlands Defence Ministry accused Chinese attack aircraft and an attack helicopter of harassing a Royal Netherlands Navy helicopter operating from a frigate in the East China Sea monitoring North Korea for UN maritime sanctions violations.

In the Philippine Sea on Friday, carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), together with U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), destroyers USS Higgins (DDG-76) and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) joined Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183), destroyer JS Haguro (DDG-180) and submarine JS Jingei (SS-515) and to carry out a formation sailing event. Jingei is Japan’s newest submarine, having been commissioned on Mar. 8 this year. Four F/A-18 Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing 5 embarked on Reagan and U.S. Air Force aircraft consisting of two B-1 Lancer bombers, four F-22 Raptor fighters, four F-16 Falcon fighters, one RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and one KC-46 Pegasus tanker, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft comprising of two F-2 fighters and two F-15 Eagles also conducted a flyover.

A Navy release stated that the formation sailing and flyover was part of the biennial Valiant Shield exercise and that, for the first time in its history, multinational, joint field training exercise focused on integration between U.S. and allied forces. “Over the coming days, our joint and combined forces will continue to hone our tactics and precise execution of those tactics to increase interoperability and lethality. This exercise expresses the full spectrum of capabilities we can bring to bear in our commitment to global peace and stability,” said Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander, CSG 5 in the release.

In the South China Sea, carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), destroyers USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), USS Halsey (DDG-97) and USS Russell (DDG-59) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), together with French Navy frigate FS Bretagne (D655) and Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montreal (FFH 336) conducted a transit in support of Valiant Shield 2024 stated a DVIDS photo release.

Bretagne is making its way to Hawaii to take part in the Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC2024) exercise from June 26 to Aug. 2. Montreal is on deployment in the Indo-Pacific as part of Operation Horizon, Canada’s ongoing forward-presence mission to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

On Friday as well, the Netherlands Defence Ministry issued a release stating that earlier that day, in the East China Sea, two Chinese warplanes circled Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) several times, and during a patrol, the frigate’s embarked NH90 helicopter was approached by two Chinese fighter aircraft and a helicopter. “This created a potentially unsafe situation. The incident occurred in international airspace,” stated the release.

The Netherlands Defence Ministry also released photos on social media channel X, taken from the deck of the frigate, showing a JH-7 attack aircraft and Z-19 helicopter flying nearby.

Tromp was conducting patrols in the East China Sea in support of a U.N. multinational force overseeing the enforcement of maritime sanctions against North Korea as defined by U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to the release. A Japan Ministry of Defense release stated that Tromp carried out monitoring and surveillance activities from late May to early June and that this was the first time the Netherlands had conducted such activities. The frigate is on a deployment to the Indo-Pacific, called Pacific Archer 24, which will see it taking part in RIMPAC before heading home via the Panama Canal and the Atlantic Ocean.

Tromp on Sunday carried out the first ever bilateral exercise between the Royal Netherlands Navy and the JMSDF, drilling with destroyer JS Akebono (DD-108) with the two ships conducting tactical maneuvering and linking exercises in the waters west of the main island of Kyushu, according to a JMSDF release. Following the drills, Tromp docked into Nagasaki on Monday for a port visit.

Chinese warships and military aircraft have on several occasions harassed ships and embarked helicopters along with maritime patrol aircraft carrying out the surveillance and monitoring missions on North Korea, claiming such missions were cover for surveillance on China and its military and the action it takes are lawful and legitimate.

The most recent incident since Friday was on May 4, when a People’s Liberation Army Air Force fighter jet dropped flares in front of a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R over the Yellow Sea. The MH-60R was embarked on destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDG39), which was undertaking routine activities as part of Operation Argos – Australia’s contribution to the international effort to enforce UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. China’s Ministry of National Defense counterclaimed that Hobart dispatched its helicopter on three occasions to conduct surveillance and “nuisance activities” on People’s Liberation Army Navy ships training nearby.

China so far has not issued any official statement on Friday’s incident as both the defense and foreign ministries do not conduct press response over the weekend and Monday is a public holiday in China.

How a WW1 German U-boat became a tourist attraction on a British beachfront

Laura Skitt 11th June 2024 at 9:40am

A metallic beast described at the time as a “helpless, yet sinister monster” caused a stir on Hastings beachfront in 1919 – but it wasn’t a living being capturing the attention of onlookers. 

It was U-118, a 267ft-long mine-laying U-boat of the Imperial Germany Navy that was stranded on its side on the sand in front of the Queen’s Hotel like a beached whale. 

After the First World War, two captured U-boats – U-118 and UB-121 – were being towed for scrapping through stormy weather by the French destroyer Francis Garnier from Harwich in Essex to Brest, the westernmost port of France. 

In the early hours of 15 April 1919, U-118’s dragging hawser was damaged in the storm and the submarine broke free in the English Channel, leading to it stranding at high tide just yards away from Hastings’ beachfront houses. 

Commissioned on 8 May 1918, the U-boat was responsible for sinking the British steamer Wellington on 16 September 1918 and British tanker Arca on 2 October 1918. 

UB-121 was later found stranded at Birling Gap, a coastal hamlet found between Seven Sisters and Beachy Head. 

An illustration of where U-boat U-118 was washed ashore in 1919 CREDIT BFBS
An illustration of where U-boat U-118 was washed ashore in 1919

Articles and images from the time show how following its abrupt arrival U-118 became a popular tourist attraction, with thousands of people from across the country visiting Hastings to see it during the Easter holidays. 

The Hastings and St Leonards Observer reported on the event on 19 May, saying: “The news soon spread and, on Tuesday morning, people on their way to business turned aside to look at the curiosity.

“It was then high and dry and a tour inspection was possible.

Locals and tourists visit a stranded German U-boat U-118 on Hastings beach front in 1919 CREDIT Hastings Museum & Art Gallery
Locals and tourists visit U-118 in 1919 (Picture: Hastings Museum & Art Gallery)

“The wind was blowing very strongly and the sea was high. 

“As the morning advanced and the tide came in, the craft was buffeted tremendously. 

“The boat appeared a helpless yet sinister monster as it rolled in the surf only a few yards from the promenade at Harold Place. 

“There were thousands of spectators during the day.” 

Welcoming home the troops

News of the astonishing sight was also reported in newspapers such as the Dundee Evening Telegraph, the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Belfast Telegraph and the Western Mail.  

At that time, most people were not familiar with submarines, so the stranded U-boat became an intriguing and fascinating thing for many to see up close. 

Attempts to refloat it failed and it was too close to the public beach and Queen’s Hotel to break it up using explosives. 

The Admiralty gave the town permission to charge people for exploring the submarine to raise funds for a welcome home event for soldiers returning from the First World War. 

It was reported by the Hastings and St Leonards Observer on 10 May 1919 that £273 (£11,776 in 2024) had been raised for the welcome home fund.

Tragedy strikes 

For a couple of weeks, excited visitors to the U-boat were guided around the inside of the vessel by Chief Boatman William Heard and Chief Officer W Moore, two members of the coastguard. 

However, when these men became gravely ill, the visits were stopped at once. 

Authorities initially believed spending so much time in poorly ventilated areas containing the rotting food that remained on board was the cause of the men’s illness.

Image ID J4GFBY German submarine U118 on Hastings Beach in April 1919 CREDIT The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo EXP 231124
U-118 pictured on Hastings Beach in April 1919 (Picture: The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)

Tragically, Chief Officer Moore died in December 1919, while Chief Boatman Heard died in February 1920.

It was revealed at the inquest into their untimely deaths that a toxic gas released from the submarine’s damaged batteries had caused deadly abscesses on the men’s lungs and brains. 

What next for the submarine? 

When locals and visitors to Hastings could no longer enjoy a tour around the U-boat, some began to call for the vessel to be salvaged for profit.

Local resident H P White’s suggestion for the future of the U-boat was published in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, saying: “Surely the Admiralty would have no objection to Hastings taking care of their old submarine and I do not think it beyond the range of possibility that it might be hauled further up the beach, put on an even keel, painted up and made a unique attraction to visitors.

“And if it were kept in decent repair a charge might be made for a visit to the interior and the funds devoted to the lifeboat or some similar society.”

https://youtube.com/watch?v=U_Hz_PP6ggw%3Fenablejsapi%3D1%26origin%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fwww.forces.net

The Hastings and St Leonards Observer reported on 17 May 1919 that a decision had been made about the fate of the stranded vessel, saying: “On the motion of Alderman Tree, it was agreed that the Town Clerk apply to the Admiralty to present to the town the gun of the German submarine which is to be sold and broken up.” 

Therefore, U-118’s impromptu visit to the seaside town of Hastings didn’t last long as, on 21 May 1919, the wreck was sold to James Dredging Co for £2,200 (£94,899 in 2024) and broken up on the beach. 

Part of a speaking tube from German U-boat U-118, wrecked at Hastings on 15 April 1919 CREDIT Hastings Museum & Art Gallery
Part of a speaking tube from German U-boat U-118 (Picture: Hastings Museum & Art Gallery)

The deck gun was left behind but eventually removed in 1921. 

Although Hastings Council reportedly removed the keel in 1937, it is believed a portion of the ship’s keel is still buried deep beneath the sand. 

Hastings Museum & Art Gallery has in its archives a solid iron ballast block and part of a speaking tube from the U-boat is on display.