Turkish Navy Replaces The Flagship Of SNMCMG-2

29 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment


Turkish warship A-577 TCG Sokullu Mehmet Paşa replaced A-579 TCG Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa as the flagship of Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 2, on 23rd January 2012. The Turkish Captain Abdulhamit Şener is commanding this task force.

Actually both ships are more or less same. They were originally built for the German Navy as Rhein class tenders. Four ships of this class Elbe, Donau, Isar and Ruhr were transferred to Turkish Navy in 1980′s. Isar was the first   TCG Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa. She was replaced by Donau. Similarly Ruhr was the first TCG Sokullu Mehmet Paşa; she was replaced by Elbe.

When not used as flagships both ships are used for long distance training sails of Turkish Naval Academy and Turkish Naval High-school cadets.

It was just the Turkish Navy that replaced the warship it has committed to this task force.  This is the current composition of SNMCMG-2:

Number
Name
Nation
Participants
A-577 TCG Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Turkey Flagship
M-268 TCG Akcakoca Turkey Minehunter
M-34 SPS Turia Spain Minehunter
5556 ITS Alghero Italy Minehunter
M-30 HMS Ledbury UK Minehunter

This was the composition of SNMCMG-2 in November 2011:

Number
Name
Nation
Participants
A-579 TCG Cezayirli Gazi Hasan Paşa Turkey Flagship
M-270 TCG Akçay Turkey Minehunter
M-35 SPS Duero Spain Minehunter
5557 ITS Numano Italy Minehunter
M-1063 Bad Beversen Germany Minehunter

Standing NATO Mine-Countermeasures Group 2, is a multinational, integrated maritime force – made up of vessels from various allied nations, training and operating together as a single team – that is permanently available to NATO to perform a wide range tasks, from participating in exercises to crisis response and real world operational missions. Usually the Force is employed in the Mediterranean area but, as necessary, will be available anywhere NATO requires it to deploy.

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TCG Giresun Hosts The Commander Of CTF-151

28 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

The commander of two counter piracy task forces CTF-151 and TF-508 (NATO SNMG-2) met to discuss joint operations and coordination between these two task forces.

Currently Turkish Navy has the command on the SNMG-2. More over  Turkish Navy did led the CTF-151 twice 5 May -13 August 2009 and 1 September -29 November 2010.

Commodore Aage Buur Jensen Danish Royal Navy, Commander, Combined Task Force 151 (counter piracy) met with his NATO colleague, Rear Admiral Siman A. Tosun, Commander, Task Force 508, during counter-piracy patrols at sea.

 The meeting took place on board the Turkish frigate F-491 TCG Giresun on 20th January 2012. 

The two task force commanders discussed the need for continuing mutual assistance and resource allocation, as well as sharing knowledge and experience, in order to augment the international counter-piracy effort.

CTF 151 is currently embarked on USS HALSEY which recently assumed the role of the CTF 151 flagship for Commodore Aage Buur Jensen, Royal Danish Navy and his multi-national CTF 151 command staff Jan. 13. CTF 151 transferred command from the Pakistani Navy who was stationed aboard the USS KIDD (DDG 100).

CTF 151 is one of three Task Forces assigned to Combined Maritime Forces. Established in February 2002 the Task Force’s key mission is to conduct counter-piracy operations in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin , Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. It protects and defends the legitimate use of the ocean by fisherman and merchants and stands ready to assist any mariner in distress.

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USS Vella Gulf In Ukraine

27 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

USS Vella Gulf. Official Ukraine Defence Forces Photo.

The Ticonderoga class cruiser of US Navy CG-72 USS Vella Gulf started her port visit in Sevastopol on 26th January 2012. The US cruiser will stay in Ukraine till 1st February 2012 and will make a second port visit in Odessa.

According to Ukraine Armed Forces web site the US ship Vella Gulf, the Ukrainian frigate Hetman Sagaidachny, the Center Search And Rescue Operations Naval Forces of Ukraine, Ukrainian and American sailors will participate in several joint tactical exercises and training aimed at the further training of crews to fight against piracy at sea.

In particular, the planned joint exercises with naval tactics, training and employment of communication, practical training of the crew and members of the American ship Navy of Ukraine on the use of equipment for combat survivability. In addition, Ukrainian and Americans share their experience of medical support, organization of physical training on Navy ships, including the organization of physical training during a single voyage ship. There’s also on joint training at sea involving ships and aircraft Naval Forces of Ukraine.

Acting Commander of Naval Forces of Ukraine expressed confidence that while the American ship in Sevastopol on the sailors of the two countries forward to close cooperation.

- Carrying out the planned measures will further prepare the sailors to participate in anti-terrorist operations and operations to combat piracy at sea. Useful for both sides will and tactical training at sea involving a ship U.S. Navy ship and aircraft and Naval Forces of Ukraine, – he stressed.
Captain 1st rank Mark Herris, in turn, thanked the Ukrainian seamen for the warm welcome. He also stressed the intense program of the visit, which will contribute to deepening the bilateral cooperation.

- The ship is taking place appropriate measures to prepare for joint exercises and training with the Ukrainian sailors, and I’m sure they will be high. We will also be very interesting to carry out jointly with Ukrainian colleagues tactical training directly into the sea, – the commander of the American ship. The officer added that the crew of the ship are very welcome the opportunity to meet with the city of Sevastopol.

The US cruiser’s visit to Sevastopol was not welcomed by everyone however. About 50 people protested against the visit.

There were about 50 protesters chanting “Yankee, go home!” and “No to NATO!”, reported RIA Novosti today (January 26).

Yehven Dubovik, a protest organizer, told the visit was illegal because the Ukraine’s parliament had not authorized it.

“Nevertheless, a warship has called here that has offensive weapons on board and it is not ruled out that if it receives orders it will deliver a strike on Iran in close proximity to our coast,”Dubovik said.

“Thus Ukraine, a state not affiliated with any military blocs, may automatically become involved in an international conflict.”

The US flag, featuring Nazi swastika instead of stars, was burned by protesters.

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Turkish Navy To Continue Anti-piracy Operations

26 Jan 2012 1 Comment

On 25th January 2012, Turkish Parliament accepted a submitted motion to extend the presence of Turkish Navy in Gulf Of Aden for one year.

In 2009, Turkish Parliament gave the government the power to send units from Turkish Navy to Gulf Of Aden and adjacent waters, in order to participate the multinational efforts of anti-piracy.

The duration of this permission was extend twice, once in 2010 and once in 2011.

Turkish warship are  tasked with:

  • Performing reconnaissance and patrol duties,
  • Calling on ships suspected of piracy/ armed robbery, on the radio, boarding them if their flag country approves and interfering in accordance with the international law if the ship is not showing any flag,
  • Escorting and protecting merchant ships,
  • Helping merchant ships under attack of pirates/sea robbers,
  • Intervening, stopping, neutralizing, and confiscating any vessels used by pirates/sea robbers, and using appropriate force if necessary,
  • Arresting and detaining pirates/sea robbers and armed persons in these vessels,
  • Accepting the representatives of the countries that will prosecute pirates/ armed robbers on board, for the preparations of judicial proceedings, according to the UN resolution 1851.
  • Arresting and detaining, pirates/armed robbers on board until they are being handed over to the countries that will prosecute them,
  • Turning in, the suspects of pirates/sea robbers with the exception of the case that these are Turkish citizens, to the authorities the nation where the pirates/sea robbers will be prosecuted,
  • Executing all kinds of policing duties including interrogation, collecting evidence.

 

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The Battle For The TF-2000 Project Has Started

22 Jan 2012 2 Comments

F-105 SPS Cristóbal Colón

Last week the marketing department of the Spanish shipbuilder Navantia send the following press release to a small group of Turkish defense journalists, about the latest Spanish F-100 class frigate F-105 Cristóbal Colón.

NAVANTIA PREPARES SPANISH NAVY’S FIFTH FRIGATE FOR SEA TRIALS

On 9th. January, the F-100 class frigate “Cristóbal Colón”, under construction in Navantia for the Spanish Navy, left the shipyard dry dock after a period of dry docking for hull and platform readiness for sea trials, that will take place in March 2012.

During this month, Navantia will proceed to the completion of the Combat System integration functional trials, in order to have the sea trials in May. The frigate is now in the final phase of construction, and after the sea trials it is expected to be commissioned next July.

The fifth frigate incorporates new solutions and technology that will fullfill the most demanding challenges for present and future threats:

Multipurpose Vessel excellent performance in all types of sea states Multipurpose ship
Medium-size ocean escort vessel.
Optimised for operating as flagship in conflict scenarios with capability to be part of an allied fleet and support expeditionary forces.
Capability to flexibly operate in littoral waters or high seas conditioned to conflict challenges.
High air warfare capability.

It also incorporates important improvements in systems and equipment:
Lockheed Martin Aegis System linked to Radar SPY-1D (V).
Integration of new Spanish sensors and weapons into the Aegis System by means of a new version of CDS developed by Navantia- FABA Systems.
New IPMS developed by Navantia – FABA Systems.
Updated system of the Navigation Data Distribution Network.
Navantia/Caterpillar Bravo 16V propulsion engines.
RAS sliding padeyes.
Retractable bow thruster for ship manoeuvring and emergency.

Main features:
– Waterline Length ……………………..133.20 m
– Full Load Displacement ………………6,041 t
– Full Load Draught ………………………5.00 m
– Maximum speed …………………………28.5 knots
– Cruising speed ………………………..18 knots
– Endurance at Cruising Speed ………….4,500 miles
– Crew ………………………………. 234 persons

Significant shipbuilding data:
– Number of compartments: 573
– Tons of Hull Steel: 2.450 t.
– Metres of cable: 315.000 m.
– Metres of piping : 37.000 m.

Just Two days after Navantia send the press release the following news of UK’s Financial times about the BAE, found its way into one of the Turkey influential newspapers Hürriyet. The original FT story is behind a paywall, therefore I am putting here a slightly shortened version of it.

BAE looks abroad to save UK shipyards

By Carola Hoyos, Defence Correspondent

BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defence contractor, is in talks with Brazil and Turkey, to secure orders for the company’s most advanced warship in the hopes it could save its UK shipyards from closure.

The company is reviewing its business in light of cuts in UK defence spending, including considering whether to close one of its three shipyards in Glasgow and Portsmouth. 

In contrast to the UK, Brazil and Turkey are expanding their navies, with BAE earlier this month having sold Brazil three ocean patrol boats for £133m – the biggest naval deal with the country so far. Now BAE hopes to sell them the Type-26 Global Combat Ship, its newest warship, which will support anti-submarine capabilities and have the potential to add air defence capabilities, but is still in the design stage.

Many of the world’s emerging economies, including Brazil and Turkey, want to build as much of their fleet as possible at home.

But experts say the T-26 is so technically complicated that the first few examples may need to be built in the UK with Turkish and Brazilian engineers learning the production process before they take the knowledge home to build subsequent ships there. Such an arrangement would extend the life of BAE’s shipyards.

BAE said it was actively looking to work with Brazil and Turkey on its naval expansion plans. “This includes exploring the potential for Turkey to bring its maritime expertise to the Global Combat Ship programme to jointly develop ships for Turkey.” 

…

BAE’s says by reviewing its shipbuilding business it is keeping its part of the deal. Filling the gaps left by order delays and cuts has proved far from easy and BAE has already come under fire from unions and politicians for cutting jobs in its jet fighter business.

The future – at least in the medium term – lies with new orders from countries that may want to do the work themselves, but still need the UK’s infrastructure and experienced engineers to help them learn how to do it. To secure the shipyards in the long term, BAE will have to keep on the edge of technical advancement and hope that its biggest customers’ budgets and military ambitions recover.

Shopping for ships: Where BAE sees opportunities for its Type-26 Global Combat Ship

Turkey

  • The current national ship-building programme is called Milgem, which is for the construction of corvettes – small, lightly armed warships – already under way in Turkey by Turkish industry
  • Turkey has ambitions to strengthen further its naval fleet and BAE is exploring opportunities for partnerships in the maritime sector, and that could include the Global Combat Ship, which is still in the design stage

Brazil

  • The national naval equipment programme Prosuper includes a requirement for five ocean patrol vessels, five frigates and one logistics support vessel
  • BAE claims that the recent sale of three OPVs to Brazil, plus the manufacturing licence, positions the company well for future contracts.

I do not believe in coincidences much. And personally I do not think there is room for coincidences in the highly competitive marketing of defense industries. So why did two of the biggest shipbuilders of Europa reminded themselves to the Turkish public?

It is obvious that The Battle For The TF-2000 Project has started and the interested parties are drawing their lines.

TF-2000 is the next big deal for the Turkish Navy. And unlike the current on going constructions projects of the Turkish Navy, there is a huge income potential for the foreign defense companies. TF-2000 will be an anti-air warfare frigate that will survival in the presence of aerial threats and will provide also support functions such as command control and communication, reconnaissance, early warning, surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and electronic warfare. Technicaly speaking TF-2000 will be larger and more complex than the Milgem and any other frigate in the inventory of the Turkish Navy.

While the mayor foreign input on Milgem was limited to weapon systems, radar and main machinery. But as the TF-2000 ships are going to have more complex software, sensors and weapon systems there is more room for foreign companies to push their solutions.

There are two full breed AAW solutions avaliable for Turkish Navy:

1) AEGIS sensor and command and control software suite + SM-2/3 Standart SAM missile family

2) S 1850M + EMPAR / SAMPSON sensor and command and control software suite + Aster 15/30 SAM missile family

A third option is a mix of the above mentioned systems: SMART-L + APAR sensor and command and control software suite + SM-2/3 Standart SAM missile family

Spain and Norway have chosen the first solution. Italy, France and UK opted for the second solution. The Netherlands Denmark and Germany have chosen the third way.

I regards the above statements from Navantia and BAE Systems as the opening shots of  The Battle For The TF-2000 Project. We all will see where the events will take us from here.

 

For further reading click here.

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NATO And Russian Task Force Commanders Meet In Gulf Of Aden

19 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

Captain 1st Rank Ildar Ahmerov (left) and Rear Admiral (LH) Sinan Azmi Tosun. Photo: Official NATO photo.

According to a NATO press release, Rear Admiral Sinan Azmi Tosun, Commander of the NATO Counter Piracy Mission Operation Ocean Shield, visited the Commander of Russian Warship Detachment of Russian Pacific Fleet, Captain 1st Rank Ildar Ahmerov on board of his flagship Admiral Tributs in the Gulf of Aden.

In addition to an exchange of briefings and a ship tour, the visit programme also allowed for open discussion and that opportunity was eagerly used. During a constructive meeting both sides shared information on their counter piracy operations and discussed possible opportunities to conduct training which will enable interoperability between NATO and Russian ships.

Commanders expressed their clear determination to improve coordination which allows different task forces to tackle the piracy problem together. Following the meeting, Rear Admiral (LH) Sinan Azmi TOSUN said, “We had a fruitful meeting. Our meeting will certainly help us to work together to tackle piracy in the region. We are all actors in the same area and good cooperation between our forces will enhance the effectiveness in keeping the shipping lanes safe as well as mutual understanding of the NATO and Russian units.

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The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 7)

15 Jan 2012 8 Comments

It is time again for another installment for a updates of the situation in Eastern Mediterranean:

In September Israel signed a security cooperation agreement with Greece, amid declining relations with Turkey. This was followed by the approval of a Greek Parliament committee to the purchase Rafael-made Spice 1000 and 2000 bomb precision upgrade kits at a cost of $155 million for 400 systems from Israel.

The official relations between the two countries is quite news but gets warmer by each passing day. Israeli defense minister Mr. Barak visited Athens last week.

Traditionally pro-Arab Greece, which did not officially recognize Israel until 1991, has stepped up efforts to attract investment and expertise to shore up its debt-struck economy.

The two countries are trying to “make up for lost time”, Greek Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said, asserting Greece’s “commitment to deepening the alliance with Israel … in the name of friendship, peace and stability for all the peoples of the region”.

…

He said their cooperation was “honest and sincere (and) not directed against anyone”, in a reference to Turkey, formerly a staunch ally of Israel but now on deteriorating terms with the Jewish state.

Athens is keenly interested in Israel’s economic rapprochement with traditional Greek ally Cyprus to develop undersea gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean.

The emphasis is mine.

Three months after this agreement, Israel will sign two accords with Bulgaria, during a two-day visit of the Bulgarian Defense Minister, starting tomorrow. It seems as if Israel is trying to increase its ability to influence Turkey’s neighbors. Well Israel is free to make deals with any country it feels suitable. But no other country in the region has the economic strength or strategic depth of Turkey. But the power struggle between the major countries of this regions seems to continue.

Anu Angelov will ink a deal on increasing cooperation on military training and another on closer ties between the two countries’ armaments industries, the Bulgarian defense ministry said.

The defence industry is an important employer in Bulgaria, exporting $380 million (300 million euros) worth of arms in 2011, according to a newspaper report, although the sector is a 10th of the size of during Soviet times.

Bulgaria and Israel enjoy close ties, helped by Bulgaria having been the only ally of Nazi Germany to have saved Jews from the death camps during World War II. Angelov will also visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial and meet with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on his trip.

In the meantime last week a potential catastrophe of  biblical proportions was thwarted when the Cypriot authorities allowed a Russian ship loaded with  munitions to travel to Syria. As we all know it did not went well for the Cypriots, the last time Cyprus detained a ship carrying ammunition and explosives to Syria. It would not very wise, to confiscate another shipload of ammunition destined to Syria when the scars of of  last July’s deadly explosion at a naval base, in Mari, which killed 13 people are still open.

Russia’s apparent military support for the Syrian regime emerged on Wednesday when a Russian ship carrying 60 tonnes of arms for Damascus was stopped in Cyprus.

The MV Chariot, which set off from St Petersburg in early December, was forced to pull into the Greek Cypriot port of Limassol because of stormy seas. It had been on its way to Turkey and Syria, inspectors said.

Customs officials who boarded the ship discovered four containers. They were unable to open them but concluded that they contained a “dangerous cargo”. State radio in Cyprus went further, alleging that the Chariot was carrying “tens of tonnes of munitions”.

…

According to Russian media, the vessel may be transporting up to 60 tons of ammunition supplied by Russian state arms exporter Rosoboronexport through freight company Balchart.

Chariot stopped over in Cyprus for refueling and was allowed to set sail from the port of Limassol after its Russian owners agreed to change the destination to Turkey rather than Syria.

But the crew decided to revert to its original itinerary after leaving the Cypriot port, according to a source close to the operator of the ship.

There are rumors that when Greece receives next tranche of the bailout in March, expected to be €80 billion, there is a possibility that they will sign some new arms contracts, probably with France and Germany. The article of  Mr. Class Tatje, is a very interesting read. Well you did not believed that Germany and France were helping Greece because Merkozy is a good Samaritan?

The new austerity programme that Greece’s government has announced leaves hardly a Greek unscathed. Unless, that is, he works for the military or for the armaments industry.

In 2010 Greece’s budget for the military was almost seven billion euros. That is about three percent of its economic output, a figure surpassed among NATO countries only by the United States. The Ministry of Defence did, however, cut its arms procurement in 2011 by €500 million. But all this will mean, believes an arms trade expert, is that future needs will be all the higher.

Among Greece’s EU partners, only a few are calling publicly for the Greek rearmament programme to stop at once and for a long time into the future. One is Daniel Cohn-Bendit, leader of the Greens in the European Parliament. Europe’s hesitation, he believes, masks well-entrenched economic interests.

The main beneficiary of the Greek armament programme in Europe turns out to be its savings champion, Germany. According to the just-released Rüstungsexportbericht 2010 (2010 Arms Exports Report) the Greeks are, after the Portuguese – another state teetering on the verge of bankruptcy – the biggest customers for German armaments.

Spanish and Greek newspapers even spread a rumour that Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy reminded former Prime Minister of Greece George Papandreou during a summit meeting at the end of October to honour existing arms orders, and even sign new ones.

For the previous updates of Eastern Mediterranean:
The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 6)
The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 5)
The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 4)
The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 3)
The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 2)
The Situation In The Eastern Mediterranean (Part 1)

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Russians In Tartous

10 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

Syria's Defense Minister General Rajiha gestures as he visits the Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov in Tartous. Photo: msnbcmedia.msn.com

This photo is for me the proof that the Russian aircraft carrier is really in Syrian waters.

Syrian authorities have called the visit of a Russian naval task force to the port of Tartus a “show of solidarity with the Syrian people,” the official SANA news agency reported.
A Russian task force, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, arrived in Tartus on Sunday to replenish water and food supplies during a long-term training mission in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
“We highly respect Russia’s honorable stance in support of the Syrian people,” SANA cited Governor of Tartus Atef al-Naddaf as saying.
Russia maintains a Soviet-era naval maintenance site near Tartus as its only military foothold in the Mediterranean. Moscow is planning to modernize the facility to accommodate large warships, including missile cruisers and even aircraft carriers after 2012.
The Russian Defense Ministry reiterated on Sunday that the visit of Russian warships to Tartus was not related to the current political crisis in Syria, and said the task force would leave the port on January 9 to continue with the training mission.

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Video From From Sea Of Friendship 2011

9 Jan 2012 1 Comment

The joint naval exercise between Egyptian and Turkish Navies ended a while ago but some interesting videos surfaced on the internet.

I thank my reader Huseyin for posting the video on the comments section in the first place.

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The First Step For The TF-2000 AAW Frigate

9 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment

During the latest meeting of the Turkish Defence Industry Executive Committee on 5th January 2012, Aselsan was chosen to develop a Multi-functional Phased Array Radar. This radar will be the main sensor of the TF-2000 air defense warfare frigates Turkish Navy wants to acquire in the next decade.

The Turkish Defence Industry Executive Committee assigned the Undersecretariat For Defense Industries to start, contract negotiations with Aselsan for the first phase of the development of a multi-functional phased array radar.

This is a small but very important step for the TF-2000 AAW frigate project as the design of the ship and its weapons will be  directly shaped by the outcome of the Aselsan’s success of developing the MFPA radar or its failure to do so.

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