Downtime: Maintenance on USS Shiloh (CG67)

YOKOSUKA, Japan (Jan. 12, 2008) The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67) is in dry dock during a dry dock selective restricted availability. Shiloh is forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan and is part of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Bryan Reckard/Released)

In August 2006, she arrived on station at Yokosuka Naval Base replacing the USS Chancellorsville as part of a joint U.S.-Japanese ballistic missile defense program.

Shiloh's Name Comes From Cival War Battle

In March 1862, Major General Henry W. Halleck was put in command of all Federal forces in the Mississippi Valley, and he initiated a slow advance which he sent his two armies along the Tennessee River. By early April Ulysses S. Grant had some 37,000 men near Shiloh Church and Pittsburg Landing, close to the Tennessee-Mississippi border, and off to the east Don Carlos Buell's 25,000 were on their way from Nashville to join him. Meanwhile, Albert Sidney Johnston was desperately assembling all the Confederate troops he could find Corinth, Mississippi. He had more than Grant, but he would have to strike before Buell arrived.

The Union position was a reasonably strong one, but Grant and his division commanders felt it would be bad for morale to have the men entrench. General C.F. Smith told Grant, "By God, I want nothing better than to have the Rebels ... attack us! We can whip them to hell. Our men suppose we have come here to fight, and if we begin to spade, it will make them think we fear the enemy." In the Federal camps a peach orchard was in glorious bloom, and war and killing seemed remote.

But just 25 miles to the south Johnston was pushing his raw levies onto the roads. Like most of Grant's men, these Confederates were as green as grass. They ambled along, whooping and shouting, firing their guns just to see if they would work, driving their officers into a frenzy.

P.G.T. Beauregard, second in command, urged that the attack be called off, but Johnston was adamant: "I would fight them if they were a million." He ordered an assault for dawn on Sunday, April 6.

Grant was caught off guard, and in the first day's fight his army was almost pushed into the Tennessee River. It rallied just in time, Johnston was killed in action, and at dark Buell's troops began to arrive and one of Grant's divisions which had been delayed in reaching the field got to the scene. On the second day the Federals reversed the tide, and by mid afternoon Beauregard had to admit defeat. He drew his badly battered army back toward Corinth, and the Federals, equally battered, made no more than a gesture at pursuit. The greatest battle ever fought on the American continent, up to date, was over. The Federals had lost 13,000 men, the Confederates, 10,000. The troops had fought with impressive valor, but they had been poorly handled, especially on the Union side.

Earlier History referring to the Ships Class

A resort village of northeast New York between Lake George and Lake Champlain. Fort Carillon, built by the French in 1755, was taken in 1759 by the British, who renamed it Fort Ticonderoga. American Revolutionary troops captured the fort in May 1775, but it was later abandoned without a struggle to British forces in July 1777 during the Saratoga Campaign.

Name your next vehicle or child after a great battle.

Wanna Do The Shipping: Got To DoThe Protecting

As Rough As It May Seem,It's Still Steady As You Go...

Taipei- Taiwan is mulling sending warships to protect Taiwanese ships from Somali pirates, a politically sensitive move that needs China's approval, the Central News Agency (CNA) said Thursday.

Chao Chien-min, vice chairman of the Mainland Affairs Council, told a news conference that "related government agencies are evaluating if Taiwan should send warships to the Gulf of Aden to carry out patrol work," according to CNA.

"As when to send the warships, it depends on the outcome of the evaluation," CNA quoted him as saying.

Defence Ministry Spokeswoman Chih Yu-lan said that the Defence Ministry would comply with government policy.

"When we receive the order, we will be doing the planning for it," CNA quoted her as saying.

Taiwan has two of the world's leading container shipping lines - the Evergreen Marine and Yang Ming Marine - which have about 300 vessels - half registered in foreign countries.

In recent year, several Taiwan fishing trawlers have been hijacked by Somali pirates, but were released after the ship owners paid a ransom. No Taiwanese container ships have been hijacked near Somalia.

Currently several countries, including the United States, the European Union and China, have sent more than a dozen warships to the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia, to protect their own and international vessels.

China sent two destroyers and one supply ship to the area on December 25, and the Chinese fleet began fighting piracy off Somalia this week.

China said Wednesday that Taipei can ask Beijing to have Chinese warships escort Taiwan vessels passing through the Gulf of Aden, but Taipei has not made any such request yet.

At the news conference Thursday, a reporter asked Chao if the Taiwan government encouraged Taiwan ships to seek help from the Chinese fleet when they are attacked by pirates.

Chao said Taiwan had anti-terrorism cooperation pacts with the US and Europe. If Taiwan ships faced danger in the Gulf of Aden, they could seek help from US and European warships.

Taiwan's sending warships to join the anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden could pose problems to China. China sees Taiwan as its breakaway province and has barred Taiwan from joining international activities and international organizations.

Taiwan is recognized by only 23 - mostly small - nations, and Taiwan warships can only patrol Taiwan waters and go on friendly visits to Taiwan's diplomatic allies - which do not include Somalia.

While on your travels around the world you all might want to get the spray cans out and send a message on the Evergreen containers. I see lots in North America that need a coat of paint.

"Get the Goods To Market Without Killing One Another"

29 African Countries: Naval Muscle On Somolia?

As Rough As It May Seem,It's Still Steady As You Go...

Chinese ships navigate Somalia’s waters

• Somali pirates continue to hold hostages
• Probing behind the Obama photo ops
• China strengthens trading ties in Africa
• Chinese investment in Africa soars
• Italy’s immigration debate intensifies
• Africans desire new strategic relationship with U.S.
• World weighs in on President-elect Obama
• Twenty-first century Africa: China, tech and upward mobility
• Violence surges in Somalia
• Week in review: Iraqi shoes, Gaza and Zimbabwe

A bombed ship in Berbera.

China’s navy announced plans to send at least three ships to Somalia to protect Chinese vessels from rampant piracy.

About 20 percent of the 1,265 Chinese ships that have passed through the Gulf of Aden this year have reportedly come under attack.

Bright Simons is an executive at the African nonprofit IMANI Center for Policy and Education. He writes at citizen journalism portal OhMyNews about China’s role in Somalia and the Asian country’s naval ambitions.

China, Somalia: Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

China’s He Yafei, second in command of the Asian Giant’s diplomatic corps, told the United Nations Security Council at a December 16th session on the Somali piracy crisis that Beijing may authorize an expeditionary naval force to the Gulf of Aden.

Two issues arise from this statement for observers of China’s foreign policy.

Firstly, it provides another piece in the puzzle of China’s blue water naval ambitions, by affirming the much suspected link between seafaring commerce and open ocean warfare in the minds of Admiral Liu Huaqing’s disciples at the top of the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army’s Navy).

Secondly, it projects Africa into the heart of China’s geopolitical ambitions by offering the possibility that the emergent world power might use the continent as a sounding board for the much anticipated blue water strategy.

The second point is much vindicated in the context of the historical situation in the Straits of Malacca, where China’s participation in regional anti-piracy efforts has been less than aggressive. Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and also Japan, whose trade is highly dependent on quietude in the Straits, have constantly had to look up to the USA for strategic backup in the event things get out of hand.

So, then, the question on everybody’s lips is: given the relative sanguinity China has shown about threats in its own backyard, why is the PLAN pushing the pliant Foreign Service into a blue water scheme off the shores of Africa?

To attempt to answer that question, one must first explore into a bit more detail the concept of blue-water geopolitics.

Not many countries can effectively, like the U.S. of today and the USSR of yesterday, circulate battle stations around the planet by relying on a Navy with truly global reach.

The United States can at a moment notice dispatch an ‘Aircraft Carrier Group’ to nearly any naval theater anywhere on the planet in a few days or weeks at most. The group will usually consist of the Aircraft carrier itself, a floating hangar cum runway from which some 100 fighter jets may be maintained and supplied in a continuous aerial tactical scenario, and a couple of frigates and destroyers backed by amphibious special force units and perhaps a splattering of submarines.

Frigates and destroyers are great for protecting and supplying expeditionary forces as well as for pummeling the coastlines of enemy states. Like all battle cruisers, a few ballistic missiles in the mix make these perfect launching pads for broad-front attacks as well as for surgical maneuvers, involving amphibious vessels and tactical squadrons.

Simply put, if China wants to be in a position where it can clamp down on a full-blown civil war in the Sudan, for instance, and prevents such from imperiling its energy security interests it will need a blue water navy.

Got To Be A Simple Solution: Too much at Stake?

How about some world coordinated effort. All ships have or should have satellite tracking. World coordinated convoy shadowing. Do we need to really trade with African countries through the use of ships? Unforunately yes!

Does the lack of any navy in more than 20 African costal countries help? No, but Russia would love to build another bargain basement 350 frigates for these nations. Even Canada would have a go at this.

Stop sinking the old ships. Retro 30 year old ships can still knock a punch along with their marines on board, even a sea harrier at the back.

Only the Northern African nations of Algeria,Eygpt, Libria, Morocco, Tunisia along with South Africa can assume any capabilities to shadow assigned ships and shipping lanes.

There may have to be armoured shipping convoys created. But only time will tell if 28 of the most powerful nations with a navy want to play their cards such as China is doing.

Along with the media heap of Russia coming to the rescue with a diplomatic ballad of force there really is no one other than the "good olde USA" to come to the rescue. Diplomacy has to be reunited and maintained with all. Tough sailing ahead for sure.

Little Guys For Low Budgets

As Rough As It May Seem,It's Still Steady As You Go...



Russia has become the go-to provider of short range, low cost, warships. Currently, Russian shipyards are building nearly $6 billion worth of warships for foreign customers (India, China, Algeria, Vietnam and Indonesia). A typical ship in this building is the Stereguschyy class corvette (one in service, with three more building.) These are small ships (2,100 tons displacement), costing about $125 million each. These "Project 20380" ships have impressive armament (two 30mm anti-missile cannon, one 100mm cannon, eight anti-ship missiles, six anti-submarine missiles, two eight cell anti-missile missile launchers).

There is a helicopter platform, but the ship is not designed to carry one regularly. Crew size, of one hundred officers and sailors, is achieved by a large degree of automation. The ship also carries air search and navigation radars. It can cruise 6,500 kilometers on one load of fuel. Normally, the ship would stay out 7-10 days at a time, unless it received replenishment at sea. Like the American LCS, the Russian ship is meant for coastal operations. The navy wants at least fifty of them.

But there other Russian shipbuilding projects that don't fit the overall pattern. The main one here is the conversion of a retired Russian carrier, the 44,000 ton Gorshkov, into the INS Vikramaditya for India. This ship was supposed to enter Indian service this year, but has been delayed until 2012. The Russians admitted that this project suffered from shoddy workmanship, poor management and the loss of blueprints for the ship. These have to be reconstructed.

The new deal will cost $2.5 billion. This includes the purchase of the Gorshkov, and Russian shipyards performing repairs, modifications and upgrades. Another $800 million is to be spent on aircraft, weapons and equipment. Building a Gorshkov type carrier today would cost about $4 billion, and take several years more.

The Admiral Gorshkov entered service in 1987, but was inactivated in 1996 (too expensive to operate on a post Cold War budget). The Indian deal was made in 2004, and the carrier was to be ready by 2008. But a year ago reports began coming out of Russia that the shipyard doing the work, Sevmash, had seriously miscalculated the cost of the project. The revised costs were more like $1.1 billion for the $700 million refurb. The situation proceeded to get worse, with Sevmash reporting ever increasing costs to refurbish the carrier.

The Indians were not happy, and at first insisted that the Russian government (which owns many of the entities involved) make good on the original deal. India sent its own team of technical experts to Russia, and their report apparently confirmed what the Russians reported, about shipyard officials low-balling the cost of the work needed. This is a common tactic for firms building weapons for their own country. It gets more complicated when you try to pull that sort of thing on a foreign customer. The Russian government will cover some of the overrun cost. The Sevmash managers who negotiated the low bid are being prosecuted.

Most Russian shipbuilding projects work out. The Russian ships are simpler than their Western counterparts, and for coastal work are adequate. You get what you pay for, unless you are refurbishing a major ship that the Russians never quite got the hang of.

Russian Nary Gets Time Off For Good Behaviour

12 hours ago: Russian destroyer Admiral Chabanenko sails into Havana's bay December 19, 2008. The Russian warship arrived on Friday for the first time since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, as Russia flexed its muscles close to the United States and showed off its warming relations with former Cold War ally Cuba.Thank Goodness. "Are there pirates in the Caribbean?" "Not like in the Indian Ocean."

"We have no bananas."; "No eggs left and no money to buy any."; "Have you no decency?";"You made it..was it 1991?"; "Did it with no help.";"I don't know about this Cuba."; "Is Home any better?"; "I'll get you there in no time."; "3 more months of this!";" Oh! Boy."; "You signed on for 6 months."; "The Water is good no?"