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Photos of European Navies basing themselves in Limassol, Cyprus; conducting Naval Embargo Operations off the Lebanese coast. Could the NS also fulfill this role?
All seem to be using small missile corvettes. Of the type more suited to mediterranian waters..I.E not ours.
How powerful is the aircon setup on the PVs?
Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere***
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
I wouldn't think the NS could get involved there as they haven't enough vessels to protect our own waters and EU economic area. Particularly when the economic zone is/has extended.
All seem to be using small missile corvettes. Of the type more suited to mediterranian waters..I.E not ours.
How powerful is the aircon setup on the PVs?
Why aren't patrol vessels suited to Mediterranean waters??!! PV's and LPV's have proven that they can operate in Mediterranean weather. HPV proved itself through a whole range of weather conditions last year on the deployment to Argentina.
P51 in the Med last year.
The point was raised to discuss, not about the suitability of the vessels (which would have no major difficulties in those wetaher conditions) but, the political will to deploy naval assets on UN Ops.
I apologise, the photos you provided misled me.
If you are talking about deploying vessels to be engaged in UN operations I have no disagreement. However with the current availability, and commitment it would be difficult to free a vessel from its duties away from home. Remember that although Eithne spent two months of last year en route to South America, on her return she still had to complete her alotted 200 days or thereabouts of fisheries protection.
I would consider the use of a P50 type to assist in setting up the Liberia operation clearly demonstrates the political will to put a vessel in Harms way. No doubt the Proposed larger multi role/blue-green vessel would be envisaged to be deployed in such a role as a matter of course.
Given that the Government seems favourable to the idea in principle(judging by Willies few soundbites), I think there is no question that in future we will see Irish Naval vessels working under the UN flag, or similar.
So we are back to the "more ships" question.
Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.
Because those sailors need to party somewhere, Naquara hasn't been the same since the DFF withdrew and the ladies of the night aren't that good in Beruit (so I've been told)
We have only 8 ships I doubt if the NS could afford to have one on long term deployment.
Remember that although Eithne spent two months of last year en route to South America, on her return she still had to complete her alotted 200 days or thereabouts of fisheries protection.
That's a popular misconception. She did 65 days on Foreign Deployment and then the remainder on patrol, which came to a total of 220. It's not 200 per hull per year on FP duties, it's something like 90% of total hull days. Who does what & when appears to be a command decision.
Apologies for misleading earlier!
From MP.net:
'German Navy frigate F208 'Niedersachsen' leaves the naval base at Wilhelmshaven, northern Germany, Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2007. It will take part in a UNIFIL operation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon based on the U.N. resolution 1701, to patrol the coast and to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Lebanon'
It would appear that there are a range of ships operating as part of the UNIFIL Force off Lebanon.
Yet again, another low intesnity type mission that HPV & LPV's could undertake. Also an area where Irish ships have been! So no problem with the operating climate.
French ship left Toulon to protect WFP against Pirates
The Commandant Ducuing left his homeport (Toulon) to join the Indian Ocean, his mission is to protect the World Food Programm ships against somali pirates, he will escort them from Kenyan port to Mogadisciu port . A second ship will be send iby the end of october. the two ship are integrated to the TF-150.
At this time France is the only country to respond to the WFP call to protect food shipment.
WFP welcomes French offer to protect ships from Somali pirates
New York, 26 September 2007 - WFP has thanked France for its proposal to provide naval escorts to protect ships carrying food off the Horn of Africa from pirate attacks.
“We are grateful to the Government of France for this generous offer, which would reduce the threat of piracy and allow WFP to feed more hungry people in Somalia,” said WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran at UN headquarters in New York.
Sheeran also thanked the multinational coalition naval force off Somalia for its increased surveillance in recent months and said she hoped it will continue.
High-level action
WFP and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) have jointly appealed for high-level international action to stamp out piracy in waters off Somalia, following a series of attacks including on two vessels that had just unloaded WFP food in Somalia.
In 2005, an upsurge of piracy in Somali waters, including the hijacking of two ships contracted for WFP, forced the UN agency to suspend all deliveries by sea for some weeks.
Some 80 percent of WFP food assistance for Somalia moves by sea, and pirate attacks have threatened to cut WFP’s main supply route, jeopardizing rations for the 1.2 million people WFP expects to be feeding by the end of 2007.
Attacks
Overall, there were 17 pirate attacks on ships in waters off Somalia in the first half of 2007, compared with eight attacks in the same period last year.
The French proposal envisions a two-month period during which naval vessels would escort ships carrying WFP food assistance as they traverse Somali waters. Ships would be escorted to the entrance of Mogadishu port.
WFP is increasing its food distributions in Somalia so has to ship more food just as the stormy monsoon season is coming to an end, Sheeran said.
Monsoon
Before the onset of the monsoon last June, increasing pirate attacks had cut by half the number of ships available to transport WFP food supplies.
Without escorts, WFP fears the pirates will return as the heavy monsoon seas calm, allowing them to start hunting for ships again.
Most of the pirate assaults did not appear aimed at seizing cargo but rather designed to force ship owners to pay ransom for vessels and crew held hostage.
The pirates are highly mobile, manning fast vessels and using satellite position-fixing gear to attack ships far out at sea, sometimes more than 200 nautical miles off the Somali coast.
Yet again, shots of a European Navy operating in support of WFP ships.
Isn't this a task that the HPV or LPV's could undertake, if there really was Govt interest?
A Dutch sailor of HNLMS Evertsen guarding the deployment of an SP-team on board MV Abdul Rahman. Evertsen is escorting ships chartered by the UN's World Food Programme for food relief to starving Somalia.
WFP-chartered MV's Abdul Rahman (front) and Karam Allah (back) escorted by HNLMS Evertsen and two RHIBS with guard teams, heading towards Mogadishu.
Sailor's of HNLMS Evertsen's FP-team overlooking MV's Abdul Rahman and Karam Allah.
Why aren't patrol vessels suited to Mediterranean waters??!! PV's and LPV's have proven that they can operate in Mediterranean weather. HPV proved itself through a whole range of weather conditions last year on the deployment to Argentina.
P51 in the Med last year.
The point was raised to discuss, not about the suitability of the vessels (which would have no major difficulties in those wetaher conditions) but, the political will to deploy naval assets on UN Ops.
Looks like the entrance to Grand harbour in valetta. Am I right?
I don't think the ships are adequately protected for operations off Lebanon. Electronic protection is essentially absent (although the rocket launchers are aparently the same type used for chaff), but thats only part of the equation. Defensive and offensive weapons are minimal. I would also question the damage control capabilites.
For the Horn of Africa, air surveillance would be useful as would higher burst speeds.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead
The Wallop launchers can fire a multitude of munitions.
BTW another European Country committing resources to the Somali coast.
Swedish navy ready to hunt pirates
Published: 5 Jun 08 07:10 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.se/12236/
The Swedish navy has its corvettes ready to hunt pirates along the African coast.
That is the answer the Armed Forces has offered in response to a question on the matter from the government.
If the Swedish International Corvette Force (IKS) is deployed, it would be for duty in September or October outside of Kenya's and Somalia’s coast and within the framework of the French Operation Alcyon.
The IKS totals 200 people, two corvettes and a support ship, as well as the amphibious regiment’s boarding forces.
The mission is one way to use naval ships to protect trading ships from pirates.
The UN Security Council has unanimously approved a resolution which allows countries to send warships into Somalia’s territorial waters in order to fight pirates.
Swedish participation in the operation is expected to last three months.
For the next six months, UN-resolution 1816 allows countries who have the consent of Somalia’s interim government to use “all measures necessary” to stop the hijacking of ships in exchange for ransoms.
Last year 25 ships were attacked by pirates off of Somalia’s approximately 3000 kilometre-long coast. As recently as late May, Somali pirates hijacked two cargo ships.
Kidnapping and piracy can be lucrative activities. Most Somali pirates treat their hostages well in hopes of receiving a ransom.
According to Swedish Armed Forces spokesperson Roger Magnergård, the money for the operation will come from an appropriation reserved for a mission by the Nordic Battle Group.
If the IKS isn’t deployed along Africa’s coast, it may instead participate in a UN-led UNIFIL force along the coast of Lebanon. Last year, two Swedish corvettes participated there to conduct surveillance of the waters to prevent weapons smuggling. TT/The Local (news@thelocal.se/08 656 6518)
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