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UK Royal Navy Destroyer to Join Multinational Naval Force in Red Sea

The UK is sending a Royal Navy (RN) Type 45 destroyer to support the multinational naval presence protecting merchant shipping in the southern Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, the UK’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) revealed on 13 December.

HMS Diamond – which is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean region – will join a multinational group that includes US, French, and other naval ships, to provide presence and reassurance, and to ensure that international trade continues to flow, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin said, in a speech to the Royal United Services Institute in London. The naval presence, CDS continued, is designed to send a message “that it is unacceptable for merchant ships to be attacked”.

In recent weeks, more than half-a-dozen attacks have been launched by Yemeni-based rebels against merchant shipping sailing in the southern Red Sea. These attacks have occurred in the wake of the outbreak of the Israel/Hamas war on 7 October, and have contributed to international concern of wider conflict escalation across the Middle East region. The attacks have included the use of both uncrewed air systems and anti-ship missiles. Three warships have already been involved in responding to these attacks – the US Navy (USN) DDG 51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Carney and USS Mason, and the French Navy Aquitaine-class FREMM frigate FS Languedoc. On 4 December, the United States announced it was in active discussions with international partners regarding potential options for establishing a naval task force in the Red Sea region to counter the threat and ensure safe passage for merchant shipping.

Diamond’s deployment demonstrates how naval forces can be employed flexibly in response to changing operational requirements. Diamond was already sailing for the region, following an announcement on 29 November that the ship would head to the Gulf to bolster UK maritime security presence there. Deploying in support of the RN’s Gulf-based Operation ‘Kipion’, Diamond would contribute to RN presence “working to deter escalations from malign and hostile actors who seek to disrupt maritime security”, the RN said in a statement.

Diamond sailed from Portsmouth for the Gulf on 23 November, having only recently been operating in the North and Norwegian seas as part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group (CSG) on the RN’s CSG23 deployment. Following a port call in Gibraltar, Diamond’s X (formerly Twitter) social media feed said on 13 December that the ship had completed a period of Fleet Operational Sea Training (FOST) preparation in the Mediterranean Sea and was “ready in all respects for future tasking”.

As regards meeting the intensity of the operational challenge in the Red Sea region, Adm Radakin said:

“We can respond: the answer is that we can send a destroyer there; we also follow that up with ensuring that the destroyer can be re-stocked.”

Discussing the importance of the naval presence in the Red Sea region in relation to wider impact on the Middle East crisis and how the military instrument can be used to deter conflict escalation, CDS said “I think the role of the military instrument at the moment is to try to give time and space for our politicians and diplomats to be able to come up with the political plans that allow a much more substantial response to the conflict.”

Adm Radakin pointed to an “arc of instability stretching from the Eastern Mediterranean to the Gulf of Oman”. It is worth noting that the potential role of naval presence in managing international responses to such instability is reflected in the fact that the USN has deployed a CSG to either end of this arc. The USS Gerald R Ford CSG is currently in the Eastern Mediterranean, while the USS Dwight D Eisenhower CSG is in the Gulf region. From the UK’s perspective, Adm Radakin noted that the UK’s increased military presence across this region, including the deployment of air and naval assets, will enable the UK “to be ready for contingencies, to contribute to relief operations, and to safeguard wider regional stability”.

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Force for New Zealand: 2023 Year in Review (Army, Navy and Air Force with pphotos)

15 DECEMBER, 2023

Cyclone Gabrielle

In February 2023, a violent tropical cyclone devastated the North Island of New Zealand. Cyclone Gabrielle is the costliest tropical cyclone to ever hit the Southern Hemisphere, with total damages estimated to be more than NZ$13.5 billion. We were there, ready at all times to do our part.

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3SQN RESPONDED TO MORE THAN
130 SEARCH AND RESCUES 

The Defence Force’s involvement covered the full spectrum of Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief, including immediate life-saving rescues of people trapped on rooftops by floodwater. In the aftermath, rural communities in Northland, East Coast and Hawke’s Bay found themselves cut off after the destruction of roads, bridges and services, while major centres struggled to cope with infrastructure damage and wrecked homes.

Under the guidance of the National Emergency Management Agency, the Defence Force dispatched three Navy ships to the East Coast and Hawke’s Bay, delivering supplies to communities and cities.

The NZ Army made physical in roads to rural settlements, proving routes and delivering fuel, aid and food supplies. The Air Force transported medical equipment and infrastructure to major centres, and made constant runs from Hawke’s Bay distribution centres to isolated areas.

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NZ ARMY PERSONNEL CARRIED OUT APPROX
45 EVACUATIONS ACROSS THE EAST COAST 

At its height, the NZDF had nearly 1,000 personnel involved, including liaison officers in emergency coordination centres and the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA), through to evacuations, checking and establishing routes to cut-off communities, delivering critical supplies including water, fuel, food and medical supplies, welfare checks on people, clearing flood damage, and helping individuals with tasks on their properties including restoring drinking water supplies.

Talisman Sabre hones readiness for combat

In July and August New Zealand personnel proved their worth in working alongside a dozen other militaries during Exercise Talisman Sabre, a large-scale combat exercise in Queensland, Australia. Around 300 New Zealand Defence Force personnel took part in the largest-ever iteration of Talisman Sabre, involving around 30,000 military personnel from 13 countries.

A 150-strong NZ Army combat team, mounted in NZ Light Armoured Vehicles, formed a battlegroup with soldiers from Fiji, Australia, France, and the United States. The combat team used its speed and firepower to clear and destroy enemy defensive positions and seize objectives, to allow the wider battlegroup the freedom to take further action.

Three Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters and 50 personnel, including aircrew, aircraft maintenance, safety, communication and information systems, intelligence, medical and logistics, formed part of an Anzac unit contributing to an aviation battle group which supported air mobile operations and troop movements.

A 10-strong Royal New Zealand Navy autonomous underwater vehicle team embarked on expeditionary ship USS Miguel Keith, joining a Royal Australian Navy combined mine counter measures task force. They practised sonar searching of areas to detect mines and provided in-depth underwater examination prior to dive teams being deployed to disarm or destroy the ordnance

Five Power Partners

In October the New Zealand Defence Force took part in Exercise Bersama Lima, an annual exercise based in Malaysia and Singapore that has run since 1971. More than 400 NZDF personnel, including crew from frigate

HMNZS Te Mana and maritime sustainment vessel HMNZS Aotearoa, were involved alongside Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and the United Kingdom as part of the Five Powers Defence Arrangement (FPDA).

Over the 19 days, Royal New Zealand Navy sailors carried out maritime operations, conducted boarding training and replenishment at sea operations, while New Zealand Army soldiers trained in jungle warfare.

Twenty-eight NZDF staff were based at the headquarters, Joint Warfighting Centre in Kuantan.

The exercise was part of the Operation Crucible South East Asia deployment for Te Mana and Aotearoa, which included port visits to Australia, Singapore, Philippines and Ho Chi Minh City in Viet Nam.

Dropping off in remote locations

In May No. 40 Squadron, flying the C130-H (NZ) Hercules, successfully completed a nearly two-week exercise of tactical flying around the top of the South Island, practising dropping loads of equipment and supplies in remote locations.

The annual training activity is designed to maintain currency in low-level flying, tactical flying and airdrop capability; skills which are crucial when responding to a range of challenging situations when called on by the New Zealand Government.

The Hercules flew as far south as Canterbury and as far north as Manawat, the crew coordinating pallet drops of heavy equipment and container delivery bundles to drop zones at Base Ohakea and around Marlborough.

The exercise provided crews with a range of challenging flying and navigating conditions, including over unfamiliar, mountainous and challenging terrain in a variety of weather conditions.

It helps prepare No. 40 Squadron for deployments to the likes of Antarctica, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific.

High speed tactical boats

The Royal New Zealand Navy’s punchy new long-range high-speed Littoral Manoeuvre Craft tick the boxes between coastal littoral operations and small, fast team tactical insertions over the horizon.

Powered by twin Cummins 550hp diesel engines coupled with Hamilton jets, the three boats are fast, capable of 40-plus knots. The hulls are plastic, constructed of High Density Polyethylene (HDPE), making them highly durable and low-maintenance. They don’t need painting and there’s no risk of corrosion or degradation from electrolysis.

They can be transported on HMNZS Manawanui, taking the boat and team to an Area of Operations where they can be inserted. The LMC can transport (piggy-back) a 5.3-metre zodiac on its back, meaning the LMC can do a fast, long range transit and drop off a team of divers or hydrographers to cover the last leg. It has capacity for 10 passengers; one of its mission profiles is the ability to carry troops.

P-8A Poseidons go operational

The first aircraft arrived at Ohakea on 12 December 2022. A custom-built facility, including two hangars, maintenance and support facilities, warehousing for spare parts, and a mission support centre, is under construction at Ohakea. The new fleet replaces the P-3K2 Orion patrol aircraft which have been in service since the 1960s.

On 17 July the fourth and final P-8A Poseidon arrived in New Zealand, just as the No. 5 Squadron fleet become operational on 1 July. It meant the fleet was mission-ready seven months after the first aircraft touched down at RNZAF Base Ohakea.

In October a Poseidon carried out the squadron’s first rescue mission with the aircraft, locating three Fijian fishers nine days after they were reported missing aboard their 8.5-metre wooden fishing boat.

Arrival of the Bushmasters

The Defence Force took delivery of the first 18 Bushmaster protected mobility vehicles for the New Zealand Army in May. The 43 Bushmasters in total are Australian-designed and built vehicles and will replace the New Zealand Army’s ageing armoured Pinzgauers.

In December 2017, the Government has invested more than $4.5 billion in 12 major defence capability projects.

This includes $102.9 million towards the Bushmaster fleet.

They carry more troops than the armoured Pinzgauer and offer greater blast and ballistic protection to personnel. The fleet is made up of five variants: 25 troop carriers; 10 command and control; four ambulances; two for logistics, and two for maintenance support.

Mountains put aircrew through their paces

The mountainous terrain of Marlborough provides the perfect landscape for Royal New Zealand Navy Seasprite helicopter training.

In August more than 90 people took part in Exercise Bluebird 23, which includes Royal New Zealand Navy flight crew from No. 6 Squadron along with Royal New Zealand Air Force operations, communications and security personnel.

The SH-2G(l) Seasprite is a maritime warfare-capable helicopter, but it is essential that crews train in mountainous terrain in order to familiarise personnel in high altitude and cold weather flying operations.

This year NZDF also supported the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the New Zealand Land Search and Rescue team (LandSAR) with identifying avalanche risks, reconnaissance and training in airborne search procedures.

It involved mountain-familiarisation flights for up to 15 staff and volunteers, including insertion and extraction into remote locations, winching and airborne search procedures to train for mountain search and rescue scenarios.

Spending summer on ice

As daylight returns to the southern continent, Operation Antarctica gears up for the New Zealand Defence Force.

The Defence Force is an integral part of Antarctica New Zealand’s operations and has been providing support to Antarctica programmes every year since the 1950s. The first flights to the ice got underway from September.

Under its annual commitment, the Defence Force contributes airlift and logistics support to Antarctica NZ for New Zealand’s Antarctic programme, and other nations’ programmes that use Christchurch as their Antarctic gateway.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force has scheduled 16 flights to Antarctica between September and March, a logistics duty it shares with the United States. Defence Force personnel work at both Antarctica New Zealand’s Scott Base and the United States’ McMurdo Station.

At the height of the summer season, approximately 70 Defence personnel will be on the ice, including the Scott Base Support Team of two logistics personnel, two plant operators, four communications personnel and a chef.

Aviation refuellers, firefighters, drivers, carpenters and electricians are also deployed. Over the summer, up to 200 NZDF personnel will take their turn in supporting operations in Antarctica.

Navy skills shared with Samoa

The Royal New Zealand Navy has been sharing its expertise this year with Samoa’s Maritime Police in the build-up to Samoa receiving its new patrol vessel, Nafanua III. On shore, a bespoke Maritime Training Team, from the Navy’s Maritime Training Group, provided general maritime training to 32 Samoan Maritime Police officers.

The week-long course included medical training, search and rescue, planning and boarding and ladder drills.

HMNS Taupo was already in the vicinity, undertaking a 967-nautical mile maritime security and fisheries patrol of Samoa’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The voyage was the furthest north in latitude and the furthest travelled for an Inshore Patrol Vessel since the commissioning of the Lake-class vessels in 2009.

Partway through the patrols, Taupo called in to Samoa to take aboard Samoan personnel, keen to put their training into use. Taupo crewmembers, making room for the police, joined a Navy logistics team on shore in community projects and sports events.

Operation Calypso is one of several maritime resource protection operations that the New Zealand Defence Force carries out each year via the air and sea, supporting the Forum Fisheries Agency, Pacific Quadrilateral Defence Coordination Group, the Ministry for Primary Industries and at the direct request of Pacific nation Governments.

Plan ANZAC

In April the New Zealand Army reinvigorated its longstanding cooperation with the Australian Army with the signing of Plan ANZAC.

The Bilateral Service Cooperation Plan creates a formalised framework for many well-established work streams between the two armies, including sustained cooperation across strategic engagement, capability, training, readiness and common personnel issues.

The plan balances the enduring characteristics of the Anzac relationship, such as close integration in capability, training and readiness; and retention of sovereign capability and capacity to act in support of independent Joint Force operations.

Hailed as a significant step forward for the trans-Tasman strategic partnership, the plan has a focus on improved interoperability.

Another key outcome of the plan is that both nations will cooperate to support common objectives for broader interoperability and standards as members of the American, British, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand Armies’ Programme.

Amphibious capability proven in Fiji

During March and April HMNZS Canterbury and NZ Army’s 5th Movements Company supported Exercise Mahi Tahi, which involved working alongside Fijian military to train personnel in amphibious operations and humanitarian and disaster relief work.

The ship transported nearly three hundred NZDF personnel, two NH90s helicopters, eight trucks and one fuel tanker to Fiji. Canterbury acted as a Pacific Island lilypad’ for flying operations, while its landing craft conducted beach landing operations at Lomolomo Beach on the coast of Viti Levu.

We haven’t practised this type of amphibious landing for a while and this is the first time we’ve used both the BPEV and CAT938K overseas so it’s really great to see it deployed here at Lomolomo Beach.

It included the first-time drive onto a Pacific Island for the Army’s Beach Preparation Extraction Vehicle (BPEV) which can be used to help prepare the beach by clearing any debris such as logs or boulders, smoothing it out for other vehicles to land ashore.

Accompanying it was the Army’s modified 20-tonne CAT938K loader with a FAUN trackway dispenser attached to the front. It can roll out a modular aluminium trackway, 40 metres long, from the landing craft, to support trucks driving on a beach.

The teams extracted 107 3rd Battalion Fiji Regiment soldiers from Kadavu Island using the ship’s landing craft, transporting them to Suva. It demonstrated what the Defence Force can do if they have to extract large numbers of people.

Record delivery traps for conservation

In September the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s No.3 Squadron delivered more than four tonnes of pest traps into the lower North Island’s Ruahine Range, the largest one-day back country delivery of traps in New Zealand conservation history.

The work supported the Department of Conservation – Te Papa Atawhai (DOC) and its pest control operations following the damage caused by Tropical Cyclone Gabrielle. up in large amounts with a large helicopter certainly streamlined the operation. That trap network will now cover about 40,000 hectares of the Ruahines.

The NH90 helicopter and crew delivered 560 traps, weighing 4,400 kilograms. These traps, which target stoats, weasels and rats, will make a significant contribution to the protection of kiwi, whio (blue duck), robins, snails and rare plants.

Conservation and science on offshore islands

Over January and February, HMNZS Canterbury tackled back-to-back conservation and resupply missions at two ends of New Zealand’s territory: the sub-tropical Kermadec Islands and sub-Antarctic Islands.

Operation Havre focused on resupply, conservation and maintainance tasks on Rangitahua/Raoul Island over 12 days with the Department of Conservation (DOC), Meteorological Service NZ (MetService), Geological Nuclear Sciences (GNS) and mana whenua from Northland iwi, Ngati Kuri.

Operation Endurance, on Campbell Island, included the Defence Technology Agency testing experimental weather stations, NZ Army researching future helicopter landing sites and staff and students from the Sir Peter Blake Trust, alongside Otago University staff, analysing peat and sediment layers.

Endurance’s programme had to be drastically condensed, with Canterbury recalled to Lyttelton to respond to Cyclone Gabrielle taskings.

Specialist boarding teams 

Bespoke, short-notice Deployable Boarding Teams (DBT) are being developed as a specialist capability out of littoral warfare unit HMNZS Matataua.

Personnel across the Royal New Zealand Navy can undertake a five-week boarding team course, learning critical incident management, tactical communications, firearm training, advanced first aid, room clearing, search techniques and ladder skills.

Typically these persons arrive from different ships and units and disperse back to them, which means that RNZN boarding parties become platform-centric, associated with a particular ship for a particular period.

In order to prepare that ship for patrols that involve boarding other vessels, the entire ship has to be ‘worked-up’ for an operation – a costly endeavour in personnel, training and overheads.

Under this new concept, Matataua will provide a scalable, fully-equipped and qualified boarding capability, available at short notice for “fly-in, fly out” deployments to support a RNZN ship on operation, or the vessels of partner nations.

King’s Coronation

In front of the eyes of the world, a 20-strong New Zealand Defence Force contingent marched through central London as part of the historic Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III on May 6.

The New Zealand contingent marched alongside members of the UK Armed Forces and personnel from across the Commonwealth in the return processions from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace. More than 7,000 personnel from 40 nations were involved in the spectacle.

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Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy Recruitment Video: ‘Always Ready’ December 13, 2023 9:52 AM

The following is the Dec. 8, 2023, People’s Liberation Army Navy promotional video “Always Ready,” which depicts a Chinese guided-missile destroyer and a coastal anti-ship battery threatening an unspecified warship operating in the Western Pacific.

From the PLA description of the video

“No one is allowed to encroach upon China’s territorial sea, not even an inch!” China’s territorial sea brooks no encroachment. The Chinese PLA Navy has the resolve, confidence and ability to expel all incoming enemies! The Network Department of the Chinese PLA News Media Center produced and released a bilingual short video clip Always Ready, paying tribute to the Chinese PLA Navy who has been faithfully safeguarding China’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests at all times.”

  

 

 

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British warship ‘chases off’ Russian sub from Irish harbour

British warship ‘chases off’ Russian sub from Irish harbour

 

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Irish media has reported that a Russian submarine, positioned directly outside the entrance to Cork Harbour, was “chased off” by a British helicopter and warship because Ireland doesn’t have the ability to do so itself.

Writing in the Irish Examiner, Sean O’Riordan reported that the submarine was “just outside the 12-mile limit, so it didn’t break any international laws, but military sources have indicated that such events around the Irish coast are becoming more common”.

Details of the Russian underwater operation and subsequent British intervention, which took place six months ago, have just emerged.

Sources are cited in the article as saying that as darkness approached, a British helicopter deployed sonar equipment into the water near an unidentified submarine. This action was followed by the arrival of a Royal Navy anti-submarine frigate to monitor the submarine, compensating for the Irish naval ships’ lack of underwater surveillance technology.

“Almost all of the Irish navy’s ships had sonar between the 1960s and 1980s and the former flagship vessel, LÉ Eithne, had it until the 1990s when it became defunct and deemed too expensive at the time by the Department of Defence to replace.”

The report also notes that Russian military activities have tested British air defences near Irish shores.

Russia’s use of older Soviet-era Tu-95 ‘Bear Bombers’ has been largely unmonitored by Ireland due to the Air Corps’ lack of high-speed jets or aircraft with sufficient altitude capability. Ireland’s last fighter jets, the Vampire jets, were in service until the 1950s.

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US request for Middle East support reveals limits of superpower — GEOPOLITICS & POLICY 15 DECEMBER 2023 | By: Stephen Kuper

While Australia, like many US allies, has actively provided military forces to help maintain stability in the Middle East, the most recent request from the United States for the Australian Navy to provide a warship to help secure the region’s critical maritime trade seemingly confirms the worst about the new world we all face.

Where the United States once strode abroad victorious and unchallenged in the aftermath of the Cold War, optimism gave way to hubris and an expectation that the US would unilaterally wield its immense power to solve the world’s problems.

Whether in Somalia, Kuwait, Iraq, Kosovo to Afghanistan, Iraq (again), Libya, and Syria, alongside longstanding commitments to global security across Asia and Europe, the US really embraced its position as the de facto “world policeman”.

For the most part, the world was happy to allow the US to unilaterally fulfil this role, particularly as the global reach of the US allowed it to keep vital shipments of oil and other liquid energy out of the Middle East flowing and the global maritime trade corridors free from molestation.

Off the back of this “American sacrifice”, as it has been described by US-based strategic policy analyst and author Peter Zeihan, much of the developing and developed world alike enjoyed reliable access to energy at reasonable prices, paving the way for the period of economic growth and prosperity in the aftermath of the Cold War.

While periodically, US allies and partners, including Australia, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and even great power rivals like China, have provided military forces to help secure the Middle East, much of the security burden was handled solely by the US.

Yet today, in the aftermath of Hamas’ 7 October attacks on Israel, the region and its critical sea lines of communication, particularly through the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Strait of Hormuz and around the Horn of Africa, have become a powder keg as both state and state-aligned actors flex their muscles at the risk of shutting down international maritime commerce.

Recent attacks on and, in some cases, seizure of European commercial shipping and a swarm drone attack on the French Navy frigate FS Languedoc have prompted the US to call for aid to help secure the region’s maritime commerce.

To this end, Australia has received a formal, operational request through the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Force (CMF) from the US to provide an Australian warship to help secure the regional sea lines of communication.

While a decision is yet to be made, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said: “A request has been made through the Combined Maritime Force in Bahrain at an operational level. Australia has been part of the CMF for a long time [As part of Operation Manitou], we’ve got personnel embedded there, and in the past, we have had navy vessels deployed to that region. We’ll consider this request in due course, but I would note that the focus of our naval efforts now is on our immediate region.”

It is understood that while Australia isn’t alone in receiving this request from the US, much of the dialogue has failed to address what this really means.

Currently, the US Navy has a range of assets, namely Carrier Strike Group 12, led by the Gerald R Ford aircraft carrier in the eastern Mediterranean, the Dwight D Eisenhower carrier strike group in the Persian Gulf and the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group in the Red Sea deployed to the region, so surely it doesn’t need to rely on a single Australian frigate or guided-missile destroyer to secure the region.

A sign of the times

By now, it is no secret, at least to most of the national security, international relations, and public policy community, that the unipolar, post-Cold War world so completely dominated by the US no longer exists.

While there are some corners of the public and political communities that refuse to accept this uncomfortable reality, particularly in Australia, where large portions of both our political leaders and the public seem to live in a state of arrested development when it comes to the reality and implications of this new multipolar world, even large portions of the American community are beginning to accept the limitations on their power.

This was first brought to the fore following comments made by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on 22 December 2022, in which he highlighted concerns about the capacity of the US to directly deter and engage a competing great power: “When it comes to Russia’s war against Ukraine, if we were still in Afghanistan, it would have, I think, made much more complicated the support that we’ve been able to give and that others have been able to give Ukraine to resist and push back against the Russian aggression.”

America’s involvement across the Middle East throughout the 1990s and into the 21st century proved to be immensely costly not only for the American Treasury coffers but also for the lower and middle classes of the US, which were compounded by a hollowing out of the once mighty US industrial base in favour of cheaper, offshore manufacturing as part of the unrestricted globalisation of industry and trade.

The dualistic combination of these costs has only received some attention in public policy, academic and political circles, with most of the emphasis being placed heavily on the “blood and treasure” costs to the budget bottom line and manpower lost.

Critically, the real at home” cost to America’s middle class and economic heartland has only served to ferment disillusion with the status quo and, most importantly, America’s role as the global policeman when conditions at home continue to worsen and successive generations of young men, in particular, are decimated by endless conflict.

This uncomfortable reality only becomes more important when considered against growing domestic US sentiment towards the continuing support of the Ukraine war and now announcements by the Biden administration that US special forces will provide advisory support to the Israeli Defense Force.

The public sentiment sweeping the US is highlighted by The Australian Financial Review’s James Curran, in a piece titled, “Another ‘forever wars’ distraction for America, which raises concerns about America being potentially drawn into yet another “forever war” in the Middle East, which spells major issues for the already fraying global order.

Curran explained, stating: “For Washington, the implications for its domestic politics and its foreign policy are once more acute. Republicans suddenly look even more indulgent now for causing legislative dysfunction in the US Congress, a state of affairs that will only feed the perception of an America adrift as the world continues to burn.”

Unpacking the impacts of this further, Curran added: Washington has been looking to free itself of commitments around the world in an effort to focus not only on its home front but on the China challenge. But such is the lot of the sole superpower; it now has wars to manage in the Middle East and Europe simultaneously as it gears up Asian allies for strategic competition with China.”

All of this combines, unfortunately, to reinforce the reality of America’s waning influence and capacity to act as the world’s unrestricted global hegemon, a reality that surely isn’t lost on China’s leadership.

Final thoughts

One can’t help but be drawn back to the comments of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken when he revealed the uncomfortable reality that the emperor, indeed, has no clothes and has a long way to go before the wardrobe will be fully restocked.

Importantly for Australia’s policymakers and the public, we are going to have to accept two uncomfortable realities. First, the US, despite the best of intentions, may not be capable of actively defending the global order on a scale and over a protracted period of time as it currently stands.

Second, Australia is in for a bumpy ride as the Indo-Pacific becomes the main battleground for geopolitical, economic, and strategic competition in the 21st century. We can’t escape it, so we had better plan accordingly.

Ultimately, we need to see Australia begin to play the long game to fully capitalise on the opportunities transforming the Indo-Pacific. The most important questions now become, when will we see a more detailed analysis and response to the challenges and opportunities facing Australia, and when will we see a narrative that better helps industry and the Australian public understand the challenges faced and opportunities we have presented before us?

Get involved with the discussion and let us know your thoughts on Australia’s future role and position in the Indo-Pacific region and what you would like to see from Australia’s political leaders in terms of partisan and bipartisan agenda setting in the comments section below, or get in touch [email protected] or at [email protected].

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Israel sends new, advanced Sa’ar 6 warship to Red Sea The ship enters a hostile area where drones and missiles fired by the Houthi group in Yemen have targeted commercial vessels and southern Israeli city. – By SETH J. FRANTZMAN on December 13, 2023 at 11:22 AM

231213_israeli_saar_red_sea_IDF

An Israeli Sa’ar 6 corvette at sea. (IDF handout)

JERUSALEM — One of Israel’s new Sa’ar 6 corvettes has been deployed to the Red Sea, where it’s anchored off the Israeli port of Eilat, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said.

The announcement on Tuesday follows increased threats from the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Houthis, which the US says are supported by Iran, have vowed to attack any Israel-bound commercial ship transiting the Red Sea as part of their support for Hamas in Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The Houthis have claimed or been alleged to be behind a series of missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea in recent weeks, including the dramatic seizure of a commercial vessel. Israeli defense systems and American Navy ships in the area have knocked down a number of those threats. On Monday, the Houthis allegedly struck a Norwegian commercial ship with a missile, though it does not appear to have any connection to Israel.

Some of the unsuccessful Houthi missile attacks reportedly targeted Eilat, in the southern tip of Israel, making the Sa’ar 6 and it’s anti-air capabilities a logical vessel for Israel to deploy there. Earlier, the Israeli Navy deployed a different missile ship there. There was no elaboration on the role the Sa’ar 6 would play in the Red Sea or the total number of Israeli vessels now operating off of Eilat at this time.

ANALYSIS: Houthi targeting of Israel suggests new, longer-range missile in play

Elsewhere, the Israeli navy annoounced that it had completed the “operational processing” of its forth Sa’ar 6 ship. The IDF said this process took two years, “a very rapid pace for installing and adapting advanced combat systems and state-of-the-art Israeli systems for four ships simultaneously.”

The first Sa’ar 6 ship, the INS Magen, arrived in Israel in December 2020. The fourth ship in the class arrived in September 2021. The ships were a major project for the Israeli navy, capping decades of investment in increasing the Israeli navy’s size and ability to project power in the eastern Mediterranean to protect Israel’s exclusive economic zone.

The ships sailed from a shipyard in Germany and once they arrived in Israel they was fitted out with defense systems, most of which were developed by Israel’s big three defense companies. In 2022 Israel successfully tested a IAI Barak long-range missile interceptor aboard the ship. The naval version of Rafael’s Iron Dome, called C-Dome, was also installed and tested on the Sa’ar 6 ships. The ships also carry a 76mm gun, Typhoon weapon stations and other systems.

The Sa’ar 6 ships made their combat debut in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 attack when they were sent off the coast of Gaza. Though the IDF have not detailed what the Sa’ar 6 ships have done specifically, the IDF said Israeli navy in general has “struck dozens of terror infrastructure sites used by the Hamas naval forces in the central and southern Gaza Strip,” as it did the day after the attack.

By this Tuesday the IDF said that missile boats and other naval squadrons, which consist of smaller patrol boats, had struck hundreds of targets since the war began.

“Israeli Navy soldiers have eliminated terrorists, including dozens active in Hamas’ naval forces. Most of the leaders of Hamas’ naval forces, which consist of hundreds of operatives specializing in carrying out maritime attacks, have also been targeted and killed,” the IDF said.

When Israel discusses Hamas’s naval forces, it’s generally referring to the group’s maritime commando units, as it’s not known to employ any warships. However, the IDF statements on Tuesday also included an image of an unmanned vessel that Israel says was intercepted by the navy before it could attack “Israel’s strategic maritime assets and coastlines.”

H.I Sutton, who publishes the Cover Shores website devoted to analyzing naval issues, noted that the “Al-Asef” unmanned vehicle is a “torpedo-like weapon with a warhead in the nose. Its metal body is likely assembled in part from compressed gas cylinders. It has a modest diving depth of just a few meters and may rely on a snorkel to provide air to its motor. The propulsion system is unclear, but a hollow hose suggests an internal combustion engine, possibly gasoline-powered.”

The interception of this system suggests that Hamas has attempted to improve its naval capabilities. In past conflicts Hamas focused on naval commandos, which were primarily frogmen who had a limited use and range.

Meanwhile, Israel has stressed the importance of cooperation between the navy, air force, ground forces and other units during the conflict in Gaza. This is part of the larger attempt through its recent multi-year Momentum Plan to streamline operation and use technology to close sensor to shooter circles faster.

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UK Carrier Strike Group to visit Japan in 2025 during Indo-Pacific deployment 14th December 2023 at 11:32am

HMS Queen Elizabeth leads other ships on Carrier Strike Group 21 (Picture: MOD).

HMS Queen Elizabeth leads other ships on Carrier Strike Group 21 (Picture: MOD)

The UK’s Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will be visiting Japan as part of its Indo-Pacific deployment in 2025.

An aircraft carrier, which is expected to be HMS Prince of Wales, her escorts and aircraft will work alongside the Japanese Self Defence Forces and partners to help to defend regional stability and security.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement during a visit to Japan’s Yokosuka Naval Base where he highlighted the importance of the UK exercising the best capabilities the British military has to offer in the region.

Watch: Britain’s biggest warship HMS Prince of Wales returns to Portsmouth

Mr Shapps said: “The strength and global reach of the UK’s Armed Forces should never be underestimated. The Carrier Strike Group 2025 is another tangible example of our ability to deploy globally.

“Such deployments send a strong deterrence message while presenting important opportunities for engagements with key partners. Japan is our closest security partner in Asia and the task group’s visit to the country will only serve to strengthen our military and diplomatic ties.”

The Royal Navy has a persistent presence in the Indo-Pacific through the vessels HMS Spey and HMS Tamar, as well as the landmark Global Combat Air Programme collaboration.

Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales recently returned to Portsmouth naval base after her landmark deployment to the east coast of the United States.

Britain’s biggest warship had spent the last few months undergoing sea and air trials, including training with American F-35 jets.

Watch: Military operating in ‘extraordinarily dangerous world’, military chief warns

The current UK Carrier Strike Group, headed by HMS Queen Elizabeth, recently completed the first phase of its 2023 deployment with a series of simulated strike missions alongside Britain’s international partners.

The training included simulated combat missions, defending against air threats and suppressing enemy air defences and strike attacks.

HMS Queen Elizabeth was joined in the North Sea and Norwegian Sea by Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond, Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker RFA Tideforce, Norwegian ships HNoMS Otto Sverdrup and HNoMS Maud, Dutch ships HNLMS De Zeven Provincien and HNLMS Van Amstel, and Belgian frigate BNS Louise Marie.

HMS Queen Elizabeth also led the 2021 Carrier Strike Group, during which she travelled 55,000 nautical miles, stretching from the eastern Atlantic to Japan and back, with the UK military engaging diplomatically with more than 40 nations.

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Australian Navy evacuates weather bureau staff in heavy seas

Navy evacuates weather bureau staff in heavy seas

Four Bureau of Meteorology personnel have escaped Severe Tropical Cyclone Jasper and are safely ashore in Sydney after being evacuated from a remote offshore weather station by a Navy warship.

CAPTIONLeading Seaman Matthew Parry escorts Liam Glackin from HMAS Brisbane’s embarked MH-60R helicopter while conducting an evacuation from Willis Island off the coast of Queensland. Story by Lieutenant Commander Andrew Herring.

The guided missile destroyer HMAS Brisbane was operating in the Coral Sea during the evening of Friday, December 8 when it was diverted north towards the weather station on Willis Island, located about 480 kilometres east of Cape Tribulation in Far North Queensland and directly in the path of the approaching cyclone.

After closing the distance overnight, Brisbane commenced the evacuation after first light on Saturday, December 9, deploying its embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to evacuate all four bureau staff from the small, exposed sand island in four flights.

Brisbane’s ship’s company and flight crew had to contend with heavy seas brought on by the storm, with three metre waves, sustained 25 knot (46 km/h) winds and sea spray showering the front of the ship as it cleaved through the swell while repeatedly launching and recovering the helicopter.

All four evacuees were safely off the island and aboard the destroyer by around 7.30am local time before Brisbane turned southward away from the worsening conditions.

CAPTIONFrom left, Nicholas Cox, William Tom, Liam Glackin and Alison Johnstone are welcomed on board HMAS Brisbane by Commander Bernard Dobson after their evacuation from Willis Island off the coast of Queensland.

Brisbane’s Flight Commander, Lieutenant Commander Matthew Urquhart, said the operation was not without its risks.

“There were some extreme challenges with this evacuation, most notably the weather, however this is why we train. The whole flight team was responsive and we successfully executed the mission,” Lieutenant Commander Urquhart said.

“We were just happy to get ahead of the cyclone.”

The weather presented similar challenges for those on the ship but operations officer Lieutenant Kyle Livingstone considered it all in a day’s work for team Brisbane.

“Responding to emergencies is part of our job in the Navy. Once we received our tasking, HMAS Brisbane was able to quickly set up to conduct the evacuation,” Lieutenant Livingstone said.

“The weather conditions presented a challenge, but the skills and training of our people allowed us to safely conduct the evacuation before the weather conditions got any worse.”

Commanding Officer HMAS Brisbane Commander Bernard Dobson is proud of how his whole ship’s company responded in the face of danger

“Mariners will go to great lengths to preserve safety of life at sea. We had no issues turning towards danger if it meant evacuating our fellow Australians from a tight spot. I am proud of my team for their quick response and the professional execution of the mission,” Commander Dobson said.

“With Severe Tropical Cyclone Jasper behind us, Brisbane was returning from a successful deployment in Northeast Asia, despite the challenging weather conditions and rough seas we made the call early to turn back towards the cyclone and get in and out as quickly and safely as possible.

“It has been pretty rough so we were pleased to again get ahead of the storm and be pointed for home.”

None were more relieved than the four Bureau of Meteorology evacuees, who have since been adjusting to life at sea as guests aboard Brisbane.

“We are all extremely grateful for all of the crew,” Meteorologist William Tom said.

CAPTIONHMAS Brisbane’s embarked MH-60R helicopter approaches Willis Island off the coast of Queensland in support of an evacuation of Bureau of Meteorology staff.

“Waiting out Severe Tropical Cyclone Jasper on Willis Island was not something we wanted to take a chance on.”

Bureau colleague Nicholas Cox is equally grateful, but struggling to find his sea legs.

“It sounds clichéd, but the food on board is really good. The movement of the ship though … I’m not too sure how the crew deals with this much movement,” he said.

The Willis Island evacuees disembarked Brisbane at Fleet Base East, Sydney during the morning of Tuesday, December 12.

The evacuation was conducted under Defence Aid to the Civil Community arrangements, which in this case were invoked to utilise the capabilities of the Australian Defence Force to preserve the safety of life at sea.

Brisbane was returning from a three-month Indo-Pacific regional presence deployment, during which the ship participated in training, exercises and other engagements with Australia’s regional partners, along with HMA Ships Stalwart and Toowoomba.

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NZDF contingent returns home after supporting Solomon Islands during Pacific Games

 A group of 89 New Zealand Defence Force personnel has returned to Aotearoa New Zealand after a successful deployment to the Solomon Islands, supporting the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force (RSIPF) during the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara.

14 DECEMBER, 2023

Military and police personnel from Australia, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand assisted the RSIPF in the lead up to and after the Pacific Games, which took place between 19 November and 2 December.

Members of the Royal New Zealand Navy, NZ Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force deployed to Solomon Islands as part of a joint Australian, New Zealand and Fijian Task Force to support RSIPF.

The NZDF provided a Rotary Wing Task Unit (RWTU) with two NH90 helicopters operated by RNZAF’s No. 3 Squadron to assist Solomon Islands.

The RWTU flew a total of 66 hours during 45 flights while on deployment and provided medical and logistic tasks for the RSIPF. They also conducted integration and logistic support to the USNS MERCY, a 1000 bed hospital ship, which was providing medical support to the Solomon Islands during the Games. Part of the integration provided an opportunity for pilot and crew flight-deck training, keeping them current for any Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations which may be needed during the Pacific tropical cyclone season.

After the Games ended, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare visited the local and international military and police contingents, thanking them for assisting the Solomon Islands in keeping “law and order and peace and national security intact” during the Games.

He also expressed appreciation on behalf of the Solomon Islands Government and people of Solomon Islands for the “tireless and dedicated support in providing outstanding security coverage for the Pacific Games.”

Athletes from across the Pacific, including an approximately 45-strong team from New Zealand, participated in 24 sports during the Pacific Games.  New Zealand came eighth overall, with a medal tally of 35 medals, including 10 Gold, 13 Silver and 13 Bronze.

HMNZS AOTEAROA RESUPPLIES HMAS CHOULES IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

By the numbers:

  • 89 NZDF personnel deployed to Solomon Islands
  • Two NH90 helicopters
  • 45 flights
  • 66 flying hours
  • 366 passengers transported
  • 5710kg of supplies moved
  • Four NZDF personnel are already deployed to Solomon Islands as part of the Solomon Islands International Assistance Force.

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764 dead, 1 survivor: Bluff service to mark NZ’s worst naval tragedy – Sneha Johari 05:00, Dec 15 2023

Detail from a painting of the HMS Neptune by a Royal Navy official artist, Colin Wynn.
SUPPLIED
Detail from a painting of the HMS Neptune by a Royal Navy official artist, Colin Wynn.

Bluff will mark the solemn anniversary of New Zealand’s worst naval tragedy this week, 82​ years since 150 New Zealanders died in the sinking of a British warship during World War II.

The Royal Navy cruiser HMS Neptune sank off the coast of Libya after striking an uncharted deep-water enemy minefield on December 19, 1941, leaving one survivor and many dead.

In all, 764 men lost their lives.

On Sunday, Rear Admiral David Proctor, the chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy, will visit the Bluff Maritime Museum for a commemorative service.

Bluff RSA support adviser Peter Robertson said Bluff had a “strong navy connection” as New Zealand’s southernmost seaport.

“More than 50 service people have come out of the town, and many worked in the navy as young seafaring people.”

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Bluff, with its rich maritime traditions, was also chosen for the event because of its strong relationships with naval vessels that use the port as a refuelling base before heading further south, he said.

The HMS Neptune cruiser. (File photo)
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The HMS Neptune cruiser. (File photo)

Proctor said he was very proud to be coming to Bluff to pay tribute to the ship’s company, particularly the 150 sailors from New Zealand, who went down with the ship.

“Those sailors came from Bluff. They came from throughout Aotearoa – from Southland through to Northland – to serve their nation.

“I am here to remember those brave men who fought and died on HMS Neptune, and in other theatres of war, so we could live the lives we now lead.”

The Neptune had struck a minefield in the early hours of the morning, triggering a mine and exploding two more as it reversed to get clear.

The destroyer HMS Kandahar also hit a mine, leading the Neptune’s Captain Rory O’Conor to flash a “keep away” warning to other ships.

After striking another mine, the Neptune sank within minutes, leaving only one crew member alive – Petty Officer Norman Walton of the United Kingdom, who was picked up by an Italian boat and taken as a prisoner of war.

The Bluff Maritime Museum will host an event on Sunday to remember those who died in the sinking of the HMS Neptune on December 19, 1941. Pictured is museum curator Trish Birch.
KAVINDA HERATH/STUFF
The Bluff Maritime Museum will host an event on Sunday to remember those who died in the sinking of the HMS Neptune on December 19, 1941. Pictured is museum curator Trish Birch.

Sunday’s service will include a reading, prayers, and flags as well as the presentation of a medal from the RSA to a Bluff veteran.

Southland’s regional naval officer, Lieutenant Commander Nigel Finnerty, will present the medal.

Finnerty, originally from Bluff, spent 20 years in the navy and has previously been Invercargill Airport’s general manager and then its chief executive.

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Robertson said he was hoping for a good turnout. The event begins at 11.45am and will last for about 30 minutes, depending on the weather.

Those wanting to attend need to RSVP with Nigel Finnerty.

The names of all 150 New Zealand sailors lost on HMS Neptune are recorded on the Memorial Wall inside the naval base at Devonport, Auckland.
NZDF/SUPPLIED
The names of all 150 New Zealand sailors lost on HMS Neptune are recorded on the Memorial Wall inside the naval base at Devonport, Auckland.

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