The oceanographer of the Navy and commander of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC) recently discussed the Navy's future in the Arctic at the third Symposium on the Impacts of an Ice-Diminishing Arctic on Naval and Maritime Operations at the U.S. Naval Academy.
Rear Adm. David Titley spoke about the Arctic and is scheduled to deliver a "roadmap" for Navy action regarding the Arctic late this summer.
Titley's task came out of a Chief of Naval Operations Executive Board (CEB) meeting on the Navy's response to the changing environment and a new national Arctic policy.
"My first deliverable, a Navy Arctic roadmap, is a way to get a handle on the Arctic and climate change in general," Titley said.
In 2007, the summer sea ice minimum in the Arctic reached a record low. The summer ice cap was estimated to be half the size of what it was 50 years ago, although there will always be 100 percent ice cap cover in the winter months. Based on trends of the last 50 years, experts predict within the next 40 years the Arctic will be ice-diminished for about four weeks at the end of the summer. During ice-diminished periods, ships may be able to transit across the Arctic region, which has never been possible in history.
An ice-free or ice-diminished Arctic, even if only for part of the year, will have huge implications for the Navy, Titley said.
"The bottom line is that no new naval missions are specified, but clearly there will be an increased scope of naval operations in the Arctic. Ensuring access and stabilizing the global commons are the main reasons for increased presence in the Arctic," Titley said.
Operating in the extreme conditions of the Arctic, even an ice-free Arctic, presents a number of challenges to the Navy – whether the ships and other platforms can operate there, whether the Navy needs a nearby base of operations for logistic support and how to predict weather, ocean and ice conditions.
"I think it's important that we remember that it is a tough environment in which to operate," Titley said. "Despite the warming trend, extreme freezing air and water temperatures will continue."
Additionally, geologists estimate that the Arctic holds up to one-fourth of the Earth's oil and gas reserves and other mineral resources, so there are territorial aspirations by some of the Arctic nations.
Titley said a lot of uncertainty remains.
The Arctic environment, he said, is complex and difficult to model, with few observations and characterized by high variability. Current models cannot accurately predict ice conditions 30 years into the future.
"There is considerable uncertainty in future model projections. The more important message from models is that all but a few outliers predict enormous sea ice retreat this century," he said.
The road map he is developing will describe current and anticipated conditions to allow naval policy-makers, planners, commanders, operators, and designers of platforms and equipment to accommodate and incorporate those new operational parameters.
"The Navy understands the recent changes [in the Arctic]," Titley said. "It wants to understand them better so it can prepare and invest accordingly."
George Lammons (NNS)
# END
Thursday, July 9, 2009
International Counterpiracy Conference in Bahrain
Naval leaders and shipping industry experts from 21 nations arrived at the Royal Bahrain Naval Base July 7 for a series of counterpiracy meetings.
Royal Bahrain Navy Brig. Gen. Abdulla Saeed Al Mansoori hosted the meeting. Known as the SHared Awareness and DEconfliction (SHADE) meetings, sponsored by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and European Union (EU), these gatherings provide a working-level opportunity for navies and organizations to come together to share information and deconflict counterpiracy efforts off the coast of Somalia. Senior officers from NATO, the EU, China, Russia and India attended the SHADE meetings.
"These meetings are vital to streamlining and maximizing counterpiracy efforts in the region," said Capt. Chris Chambers, director, CMF. "By synchronizing and deconflicting our efforts, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, EU, NATO and other international forces are making a difference by deterring and disrupting acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia."
Following the establishment of CTF 151, the CMF staff determined that it would be helpful to implement working-level meetings ashore to discuss counterpiracy coordination and deconfliction.
Initially commanded by the U.S. Navy, CTF 151 is now commanded by the Turkish Navy. The command staff is comprised of personnel from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Greece. The command staff manages daily operations from USS Anzio (CG 68) operating in the Gulf of Aden.
CTF 151 is a multinational task force established to conduct counterpiracy operations under a mission-based mandate throughout the CMF Area of Operations to actively deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in order to protect global maritime security and secure freedom of navigation for the benefit of all nations.
CTF 151 operates in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia and is commanded by Turkish Rear Adm. Caner Bener.
Nathan Schaeffer (NNS)
# END
Royal Bahrain Navy Brig. Gen. Abdulla Saeed Al Mansoori hosted the meeting. Known as the SHared Awareness and DEconfliction (SHADE) meetings, sponsored by the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) and European Union (EU), these gatherings provide a working-level opportunity for navies and organizations to come together to share information and deconflict counterpiracy efforts off the coast of Somalia. Senior officers from NATO, the EU, China, Russia and India attended the SHADE meetings.
"These meetings are vital to streamlining and maximizing counterpiracy efforts in the region," said Capt. Chris Chambers, director, CMF. "By synchronizing and deconflicting our efforts, Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, EU, NATO and other international forces are making a difference by deterring and disrupting acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia."
Following the establishment of CTF 151, the CMF staff determined that it would be helpful to implement working-level meetings ashore to discuss counterpiracy coordination and deconfliction.
Initially commanded by the U.S. Navy, CTF 151 is now commanded by the Turkish Navy. The command staff is comprised of personnel from Turkey, the United States, the United Kingdom, Pakistan and Greece. The command staff manages daily operations from USS Anzio (CG 68) operating in the Gulf of Aden.
CTF 151 is a multinational task force established to conduct counterpiracy operations under a mission-based mandate throughout the CMF Area of Operations to actively deter, disrupt and suppress piracy in order to protect global maritime security and secure freedom of navigation for the benefit of all nations.
CTF 151 operates in the Gulf of Aden and off the eastern coast of Somalia and is commanded by Turkish Rear Adm. Caner Bener.
Nathan Schaeffer (NNS)
# END
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Obama, Medvedev agree to reduce nuclear stockpiles
President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitri Medvedev agreed in Moscow July 6 to reduce U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles by up to a third.
President Medvedev said during a news conference with President Obama at the Kremlin that the two leaders have forged an understanding on a pact to follow up the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as START.
"We agreed on the levels of carriers and warheads, meaning that this is a very concrete subject," the Russian president said. "In the mutual understanding, as we have just signed with the president of the United States, it is said that our two countries can have from 500 to 1,100 carriers of strategic arms, and from 1,500 to 1,675 warheads."
The leaders agreed that offensive and defensive systems should be considered together. The two also adopted a joint statement on anti-ballistic missile programs.
President Obama said the meetings helped to correct the "sense of drift" in the relationship between the two nations. Russia damaged the relationship with its August incursion into the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Still, the two nations must talk and must work together, the leaders said.
"We've taken important steps forward to increase nuclear security and to stop the spread of nuclear weapons," President Obama said at the news conference.
"We have signed a joint understanding for a follow-on treaty to the START agreement that will reduce our nuclear warheads and delivery systems by up to a third from our current treaty limitations," President Obama said. "This legally binding treaty will be completed this year."
The leaders also agreed on a joint statement on nuclear security cooperation that calls on the two nations to cooperate in securing vulnerable nuclear materials.
"As we keep our commitments, so we must ensure that other nations keep theirs," the U.S. president said. "To that end, we had constructive discussions about North Korea and Iran."
President Obama praised Russia for its help in passing a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for strong steps to block North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and noted that Iran also continues to develop nuclear capabilities and the means to deliver them.
"This is not just a problem for the United States," President Obama said. "It raises the prospect of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which would endanger global security, while Iran's ballistic missile program could also pose a threat to the broader region."
President Obama said he is pleased with the U.S.-Russian statement on cooperation on missile defense, and the agreement to conduct a joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges of the 21st century that will include Iran and North Korea.
Jim Garamone (AFNS)
# END
President Medvedev said during a news conference with President Obama at the Kremlin that the two leaders have forged an understanding on a pact to follow up the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, known as START.
"We agreed on the levels of carriers and warheads, meaning that this is a very concrete subject," the Russian president said. "In the mutual understanding, as we have just signed with the president of the United States, it is said that our two countries can have from 500 to 1,100 carriers of strategic arms, and from 1,500 to 1,675 warheads."
The leaders agreed that offensive and defensive systems should be considered together. The two also adopted a joint statement on anti-ballistic missile programs.
President Obama said the meetings helped to correct the "sense of drift" in the relationship between the two nations. Russia damaged the relationship with its August incursion into the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
Still, the two nations must talk and must work together, the leaders said.
"We've taken important steps forward to increase nuclear security and to stop the spread of nuclear weapons," President Obama said at the news conference.
"We have signed a joint understanding for a follow-on treaty to the START agreement that will reduce our nuclear warheads and delivery systems by up to a third from our current treaty limitations," President Obama said. "This legally binding treaty will be completed this year."
The leaders also agreed on a joint statement on nuclear security cooperation that calls on the two nations to cooperate in securing vulnerable nuclear materials.
"As we keep our commitments, so we must ensure that other nations keep theirs," the U.S. president said. "To that end, we had constructive discussions about North Korea and Iran."
President Obama praised Russia for its help in passing a U.N. Security Council resolution that calls for strong steps to block North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and noted that Iran also continues to develop nuclear capabilities and the means to deliver them.
"This is not just a problem for the United States," President Obama said. "It raises the prospect of a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, which would endanger global security, while Iran's ballistic missile program could also pose a threat to the broader region."
President Obama said he is pleased with the U.S.-Russian statement on cooperation on missile defense, and the agreement to conduct a joint threat assessment of the ballistic missile challenges of the 21st century that will include Iran and North Korea.
Jim Garamone (AFNS)
# END
US Troops Will Cross Russia to Reach Afghanistan
An agreement signed in Moscow today permits the United States to transit troops and weapons across Russian territory en route to Afghanistan.
The pact, signed during President Barack Obama's visit to the Kremlin, permits 4,500 flights per year through Russian airspace, and saves the U.S. government $133 million annually in transportation costs while boosting logistical efficiency, according to a White House statement.
"This is a substantial contribution by Russia to our international effort, and it will save the United States time and resources in giving our troops the support that they need," Obama said during a news conference with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
Following today's meeting between the two presidents, Obama told reporters that he and Medvedev agreed on the need to combat the threat of violent extremism, particularly from al-Qaida. Access to Russian transit routes substantially increases the efficiency of efforts against violent extremism in Afghanistan, the White House statement said.
Obama said Russia's participation and contributions to the effort in Afghanistan have the potential to be "extraordinarily important." More broadly, he said, today's gesture indicates the degree in which Russian-U.S. cooperation could be applied to a host of other international issues.
Underscoring the two countries' mutual interests in Afghanistan, the president cited Moscow's concern about terrorism and the drug trade and their infiltration into Russia. Obama also praised Russia's capabilities in training police and armies, a task that multinational forces are undertaking with Afghanistan's growing national security forces.
Speaking about the future of U.S.-Russian efforts in Afghanistan, Obama expressed optimism that the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission agreement also signed today represents a prelude to closer cooperation.
"Our hope is that as part of the broader presidential commission structure that we've put in place, that we're going to further discuss both the military efforts in Afghanistan, but also the development efforts and the diplomatic efforts, so that we can make progress," he said.
Obama thanked the Russian government for agreeing to the transit arrangement that will "save U.S. troops both time and money."
"And it's, I think, a gesture that indicates the degree to which, in the future, Russian-U.S. cooperation can be extraordinarily important in solving a whole host of these very important international issues," he added.
# END
The pact, signed during President Barack Obama's visit to the Kremlin, permits 4,500 flights per year through Russian airspace, and saves the U.S. government $133 million annually in transportation costs while boosting logistical efficiency, according to a White House statement.
"This is a substantial contribution by Russia to our international effort, and it will save the United States time and resources in giving our troops the support that they need," Obama said during a news conference with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev.
Following today's meeting between the two presidents, Obama told reporters that he and Medvedev agreed on the need to combat the threat of violent extremism, particularly from al-Qaida. Access to Russian transit routes substantially increases the efficiency of efforts against violent extremism in Afghanistan, the White House statement said.
Obama said Russia's participation and contributions to the effort in Afghanistan have the potential to be "extraordinarily important." More broadly, he said, today's gesture indicates the degree in which Russian-U.S. cooperation could be applied to a host of other international issues.
Underscoring the two countries' mutual interests in Afghanistan, the president cited Moscow's concern about terrorism and the drug trade and their infiltration into Russia. Obama also praised Russia's capabilities in training police and armies, a task that multinational forces are undertaking with Afghanistan's growing national security forces.
Speaking about the future of U.S.-Russian efforts in Afghanistan, Obama expressed optimism that the U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission agreement also signed today represents a prelude to closer cooperation.
"Our hope is that as part of the broader presidential commission structure that we've put in place, that we're going to further discuss both the military efforts in Afghanistan, but also the development efforts and the diplomatic efforts, so that we can make progress," he said.
Obama thanked the Russian government for agreeing to the transit arrangement that will "save U.S. troops both time and money."
"And it's, I think, a gesture that indicates the degree to which, in the future, Russian-U.S. cooperation can be extraordinarily important in solving a whole host of these very important international issues," he added.
# END
Europeans May Bear Brunt of US Afghanistan Surge
Taliban fighters and their commanders have escaped the Marines' big offensive in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province and moved into areas to the west and north, prompting fears that the U.S. effort has just moved the Taliban problem elsewhere, the Philadelphia Enquirer quotes Afghan defense officials as saying.
The movement of the Taliban into those areas has prompted complaints from German and Italian commanders, whose troops operate there, and it has prompted questions about whether the United States has enough troops to pursue the Taliban while at the same time carrying out Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal's plan to "clear, hold, and build" in areas wrested from Taliban control.
# END
The movement of the Taliban into those areas has prompted complaints from German and Italian commanders, whose troops operate there, and it has prompted questions about whether the United States has enough troops to pursue the Taliban while at the same time carrying out Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal's plan to "clear, hold, and build" in areas wrested from Taliban control.
# END
Who Will Pay for Army's New Soldiers?
Congress is on the verge of authorizing the Army to grow by 30,000 active soldiers to reduce the strain of deployments — but whether that increase would be permanent remains in question, reports Kentucky's Leaf Chronicle.
Also undetermined: how to pay for costs that could top $8 billion in just three years.
# END
Also undetermined: how to pay for costs that could top $8 billion in just three years.
# END
Monday, July 6, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)