UAE special forces rescue ship from pirates

Special forces from the United Arab Emirates stormed a hijacked ship on Saturday, rescuing the crew and capturing all of the pirates who had seized the vessel the day before.

The oil tanker MV Arrilah-1, owned by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, was hijacked in the Arabian Sea, east of Oman early on Friday. The International Maritime Bureau reported that two skiffs, each with three pirates, chased and fired at the bulk carrier. They boarded the ship while the crew took shelter in its citadel.

The United Arab Emirates’ Anti-Terrorist unit, Air Forces and Air Defence units, in co-ordination with the Bahrain-based US 5th fleet, boarded the vessel and arrested the pirates. All the crew are safe and in good health.

Trusty tanker Bayleaf bows out

AFTER 29 years’ service, veteran tanker Bayleaf sails for the final time for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary this week.

Much of that service has been spent supporting RN and Allied naval operations in the Gulf (including an unprecedented 12 years as the Armilla Patrol/Arabian Gulf Ready tanker and eight years continuously east of Suez) – and it is from that volatile region that the ship has returned from her last tour of duty.

MARAD Awards Contracts for $77 Million to Crew and Maintain National Defense Reserve Fleet Ships

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced contracts totaling $77 million for three U.S. maritime firms to operate 10 National Defense Reserve Fleet ships through July 27, 2015.

“This money will help make sure these important Defense Reserve Fleet ships are manned with skilled mariners and are ready when our Nation calls,” said Secretary LaHood.

The contracts were awarded to Ocean Duchess Inc. of Houston, Texas for $16,618,430; Keystone Ocean Shipping of Bala Cynwyd, Pa. for $30,212,588; and Interocean American Shipping Corporation of Moorestown, N.J. for $30,533,710. These companies are responsible for maintaining the ships in good mechanical condition and ensuring crews are available for their operation when needed.

Eight of the ships are reserve-status cargo ships, part of the Department of Transportation’s Ready Reserve Force, and two ships are used to assist Missile Defense Agency operations. Ready Reserve Force ships have been activated 91 times since 2002.

First Fleet Tanker for the Indian Navy Delivered In Mumbai

Today in Mumbay there was the commissioning ceremony for the “Deepak”, the first of two fleet tankers ordered from Fincantieri by the Indian Navy.

Present at the ceremony were A.K. Antony, the Indian Minister of the Defence, Admiral Nirmal Varma, Chief of Naval Staff of the Indian Navy, and Corrado Antonini, Chairman of Fincantieri. The order is the first surface vessel India has ordered from a European company, gained in competition against prominent international players, in particular from Russia and Korea.

With a displacement at full load of 27,500 tonnes, the 175 metre long fleet tanker, with a beam of 25 metres and a height of 19, has two 10,00 kW diesel engines for propulsion and can reach a maximum speed of 20 knots. Further features include a propulsion system with an adjustable propeller and a flight deck for medium-heavy helicopters (up to 10 tons).