Category Archives: Current Operations

On-going Naval Ops or Maritime Current Events

Events 07-13NOV13

Events Week of 07 – 13 November 2013

 A roundup of events we think our readers may find interesting. Inclusion does not equal calendarendorsement, all descriptions are the events’ own. Think of one we should include? Email Grant at operations@cimsec.org.

07 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Hudson Center for American Sea Power – “Sea Power: Is the Sun Setting in the West or Rising in East?”.  The Royal Navy today is a shrinking shadow of its former self.  Nineteen surface ships currently exist in the entire Royal Navy where more than three times that number made up the surface fleet during the Falklands War of 1982.  The U.S. fleet has also experienced large decreases, although not on the same scale.  Where the U.S. Navy had almost 600 ships in the mid-1980s, it is down to 284 today with the likelihood of additional large reductions in the future even if sequestration is lifted.  Admiral Christopher Parry, Royal Navy, (ret.) will look at what reductions in naval power on both sides of the Atlantic mean for the U.S. and the U.K., as well as for NATO and the West generally.  He will examine what the simultaneous rise in Asian naval strength means for Western naval strategy, and more important, the West’s role as defender of the international order.

07 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies“Putting the Asia-Pacific Pivot in Perspective”.

11 November 2013 – London – King’s College“New Nuclear Initiatives in Arms Control and Nonproliferation – Likelihood of Success?”.  President Obama’s renewed commitment to ‘a world without nuclear weapons’ along with ongoing challenges over Iran, North Korea, and within the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, have given rise to numerous new initiatives in arms control and nonproliferation. A panel will discuss four such initiatives, including the humanitarian impacts of nuclear weapons initiative, the ‘P5 process’ with the five NPT-recognized Nuclear Weapon States, US-Russia arms control, and developments in Chinese nuclear policy.

12 November 2013 – Washington, DC – The Atlantic Council“NATO’s Deterrence and Collective Defense”.  This event is part of the Atlantic Council and IFS project on NATO in an Era of Global Competition. This eighteen-month project examines new ways of thinking strategically about NATO’s future role in the context of emerging security challenges, global power shifts, and disruptive technologies. The first conference in this series, NATO in a New Security Landscape, which took place in June, covered emerging trends in the global security environment and identified key challenges that NATO must confront to maintain strategic relevance in the future.

13 November 2013 – Washington, DC – 10th Annual Disruptive Thinkers Technologies Conference

Longer-Term

14 November 2013 – India – The Diplomat“International Conference on Future Challenges in Earth Sciences for Energy and Mineral Resources”.

14 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Foundation for Innovation and Discovery “Implementing Innovation”.

14 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Brookings Institute“Israel’s Economy and Security in a Changing Middle East”.

14 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Carnegie“China’s Views on Prompt Global Strike”.

16 November 2013 – India – The Diplomat“Global Maritime International Conference”.

18 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Hudson Institute“Magnificent Delusions: Pakistan, the United States, and an Epic History of Misunderstanding”.

20 November 2013 – Washington DC – CIMSEC’s DC Chapter Monthly Informal Meet-up

25 November 2013 – Washington, DC – Cato Institute“Rethinking U.S. Nuclear Weapons Policy”.

25 November 2013 – London – King’s College“Russia and the Caspian Sea: Projecting Power or Competing for Influence?”

10 December 2013 – Washington, DC – USNI2013 Defense Forum Washington: Shaping the New Maritime Strategy and Navigating the Budget Gap Reality.

17-18 December 2013 – Washington, DC – Center for Strategic and International StudiesPONI Series: The PONI Conference Series, now in its tenth year, offers an opportunity for rising experts in the field to present findings from their research in order to advance the broader discussion on nuclear weapons issues. It also seeks to provide a venue for interaction among people from different sectors and for mid-career and senior members of the community to mentor their junior counterparts.

14-16 January 2014 – Washington, DC – Maritime Administration“National Maritime Strategy Symposium: Cargo Opportunities and Sealift Capacity”.

Gibraltar – Getting Bumpy

GibraltarJust a little news item from the BBC about the latest in a series of armed stand-offs in Gibraltar, this time resulting in a “minor collision:”

The Ministry of Defence has accused a Guardia Civil patrol boat of “manoeuvring in a provocative and dangerous manner in the vicinity of Royal Navy vessels”.

No shots were fired in the incident.

But there was a minor collision between the Spanish vessel and a Gibraltar Defence Police boat.

The incident happened on Wednesday while the Gibraltar Squadron was providing force protection to a Royal Navy Fleet Auxiliary tanker in Gibraltarian territorial waters.

According to the Gibraltar Chronicle, the Spanish patrol boat Rio Tormes sailed too close to a Royal Navy vessel after breaching a security cordon off the British territory.

Armed crew members on HMS Scimitar ordered the Spanish vessel to leave the area but the Guardia Civil vessel reportedly ignored the warning, resulting in a stand-off.

Over at USNI – Nigerian Piracy in Context

Editor’s Note: CIMSECian James Bridger has a good piece up at USNI’s News and Analysis site debunking some of the myths of the “rise” in Gulf of Guinea piracy and placing the latest incidents, including the kidnapping of two American mariners on Oct 23rd in their proper context. Check it out here:

Kidnapped Americans in Context: The Shifting Forms of Nigerian Piracy

C-Escort
C-Escort, owned by Edison Chouest Offshore of Cut Off, La., is a sistership to the C-Retriever. American crew from the C-Retriever were kidnapped by Nigerian pirates on Oct. 23, 2013.

Understanding Asian Maritime Claims: Multimedia Friday!

If you’re worried you’re in for a boring Friday, fear not! Two great presentations were recently released to help explain the tensions and background of Asia’s maritime disputes and can easily fill a good portion of the day. (Note – both work better on computers running latest browsers to take advantage of full functionality, rather than mobile devices)

CMD
                  Come take a trip to SEA with the CFR and NYT.

The first, China’s Maritime Disputes is an interactive guide from the Council on Foreign Relations that details the history and policy options for dealing with China’s maritime claims. It includes videos, charts, and reading.

The second, A Game of Shark and Minnow – Who Will Control the South China Sea? by the New York Times Magazine edges out the first on presentation with a design that really sets readers/viewers in the middle of seas. It’s more focused on context and narrative flow than the mechanics of dispute resolution, but provides a whirlwind tour of the front lines in the face-offs.

Both are highly engaging and show the extent to which think tanks and journalism can use internet-enabled multimedia to maximum effect. Check ’em out!

LT Scott Cheney-Peters is a surface warfare officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and the former editor of Surface Warfare magazine. He is the founding director of the Center for International Maritime Security and holds a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College. The opinions and views expressed in this post are his alone and are presented in his personal capacity. They do not necessarily represent the views of U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Navy.